Words of Wisdom — December 10, 2013

The Quotable Guy Debord

“Quotations are useful in periods of ignorance or obscurantist beliefs.” ― Guy Debord (born on this date in 1931)

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“Quotations are useful in periods of ignorance or obscurantist beliefs.”
― Guy Debord (born on this date in 1931)

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

An illustration of a futuristic city cradled in a hand, set against a gradient orange background, with the title "The Techno-Humanist Manifesto" at the top.

The Present

A new vision for the advancement of humanity

The world needs a moral defense of progress based in humanism and 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?

A diagram showing the structure of a galaxy.

Starts With A Bang

The biggest questions about the Universe’s beginning

The Universe didn’t begin with a bang, but with an inflationary “whoosh” that came before. Here are the biggest questions that still remain.

Charles bridge in prague, czech republic.

Neuropsych

An untold story of LSD psychotherapy in communist Czechoslovakia

Uncovering the story of Milan Hausner, the Sadská clinic, and LSD psychotherapy behind the Iron Curtain.

The head of a man and a woman are shown side by side in a research study focused on ketamine and depression.

Neuropsych

A vaccine for depression

Ketamine’s remarkable effect bolsters a new theory of mental illness.

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

Johannes Kepler on the Earth

“I demonstrate by means of philosophy that the earth is round, and is inhabited on all sides; that it is insignificantly small, and is borne through the stars.” – Johannes Kepler