Guest Thinkers — November 14, 2010

Shooting Father on Trial

Tim K. killed 15 people before turning his gun on himself. His father, the owner of the weapon, is now in the dock. How culpable can parents be if their child kills?

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Tim K. killed 15 people before turning his gun on himself. His father, the weapon’s owner, is now in the dock. Some have called it a show trial aimed at providing the victims’ families with peace of mind. How culpable can parents be if their child kills? It’s a question that often follows tragic school shootings, regardless in what country they take place. Currently, Jörg K., a businessman and gun enthusiast, is on trial on charges relating to the March 2009 school shooting in Germany. Some argue the trial will help uncover the truth behind the crime and therefore deliver justice, but can it?

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Person examining a petri dish with tweezers, holding small colored objects, against a dark background.

Health

Are microplastics really destroying our health?

They’re in our brains, hearts, and blood — but what are they doing to us?

A statue of a thoughtful, seated philosopher on the right seems to be contemplating a calling, while a standing figure holding a lyre on the left adds harmony against the textured background.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: Can you have a “calling” without a caller?

If you’re an atheist with a vocation, who laid that path for you?

Close-up image of a human iris featuring vibrant blue and yellow hues with a dark pupil in the center.

The mystery at the heart of consciousness

“Is it possible that consciousness is a much more basic phenomenon in nature and is essentially pervading everything?”

▸

10 min

—

with

Annaka Harris

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Does the CMB really “prove” the Big Bang?

Since the mid-1960s, the CMB has been identified with the Big Bang’s leftover glow. Could any alternative explanations still work?

A wasp illustration in blue on grid paper is overlaid on a close-up image of effervescent bubbles in a golden alcoholic liquid.

Health

The first known animal that’s “immune” to alcohol intoxication

Could studying the Oriental hornet lead to a treatment for people with alcohol use disorder?

Up Next

Surprising Science

Enduring Pop Psychology

Four movements that gained huge followings and have stood the test of time: est, primal therapy, Transcendental Meditation and lucid dreaming. Where are they now?