Words of Wisdom — March 21, 2014

Kepler on Popularity

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“I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.” – Johannes Kepler

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Starts With A Bang

A quantum miracle enabled the formation of neutral atoms

If it weren’t for the intricate rules of quantum physics, we wouldn’t have formed neutral atoms “only” ~380,000 years after the Big Bang.

Large crowd of well-dressed people socializing at an indoor event; "Substack" is projected on a wall above.

The Future

Why Substack will be the intellectual engine of the 21st century

The platform is a digital Royal Society for today’s greatest minds — and it could play an essential role in shaping the next civilization.

Close-up illustration of a neuron cell with branching dendrites and axon, set against a dark background with small glowing particles, evoking the intricate physics of consciousness.

Starts With A Bang

Does physics truly have anything to say about consciousness?

Many, from neuroscientists to philosophers to anesthesiologists, have claimed to understand consciousness. Do physicists? Does anyone?

A man in a suit sits at a desk holding a large Hurricane Dorian forecast map, with U.S. flags and official emblems visible in the room, evoking the urgency of a 1938 science manifesto warning about threats to democracy.

Starts With A Bang

This 1938 pro-science manifesto defended democracy against fascism

As democracy recedes and fascism rises in the USA and around the world in 2025, history provides a lesson in how science can fight fascism.

Black and white photo of a young woman resting her chin on her hand, set against a green background with circular and brain patterns.

Thinking

Why Hannah Arendt left philosophy behind to face the world

Arendt thought 20th-century philosophy had become too passive and abstract. She called for “active thinking” that prepares us to live in the real world.

Up Next

Have We Finally Found the Voice of the American Soldier of the Iraqi and Afghan Wars?

After wars end and soldiers come home, it usually takes a while for the war to “come home” to the consciousness of the American people at large. When did the […]