Words of Wisdom — February 13, 2014

Frederick Douglass on Learning

“A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.” – Frederick Douglass (born on this date in 1818)

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A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people.” – Frederick Douglass (born on this date in 1818)

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Animated characters observe a family walking in a snowy scene through a viewing screen, inside a control room.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: Is there such a thing as a “negative emotion”?

There’s little more infuriating in the world than being told to “calm down” when you’re in the midst of a simmering grump.

Film strip collage of abstract images—including faces with X marks, colorful patterns, and nature elements—evokes the vibrant allure of "Crazy Rich Asians.

High Culture

“Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu on the American Dream and silencing your inner critic

“No matter how long you’ve been doing a job or how good people say you are, you need to care as if you’ve never done it before.”

Close-up of a human eye on the left, and a blurred image of a person without clothing on the right, depicting themes that border on pornography.

Thinking

The “Triple-A Engine”: How the internet changed porn and how porn changed us

Everyone has to learn about sex somehow. Today, billions of people are learning about it from porn.

A collage featuring ancient Egyptian art, handprints, geometric sketches, and prehistoric tools, alongside the text "Human Agency" and the number "2" in the top right corner on an orange and white grid background.

The Past

How humanity transformed its fate

From surviving on wild plants and game to controlling our world with technology, humanity’s journey of progress is a story of expanding human agency.

A deep space image showing numerous galaxies of different shapes and sizes scattered across a dark background, with many stars and cosmic objects, including the ancient Methuselah star, also visible throughout.

Starts With A Bang

Is the “Methuselah star” really older than the Universe?

The Universe is precisely dated at 13.8 billion years old, but astronomers claim the Methuselah star is 14.5 billion years old. What gives?

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

William Shockley on Amplification

“If you take a bale of hay and tie it to the tail of a mule and then strike a match and set the bale of hay on fire, and if you then compare the energy expended shortly thereafter by the mule with the energy expended by yourself in the striking of the match, you will understand the concept of amplification.” – William Shockley (born on this date in 1910)