Guest Thinkers — August 4, 2011

How much flexibility do Iowa schools really have?

Scott McLeod

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A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

The Present

Microplastic overload: Is cutting production the only realistic way to curb pollution?

On November 25, U.N. members will meet in South Korea to cap off a series of meetings aiming to reduce global plastic pollution.

An older man sits on a chair with his finger raised. Behind him are a tangled line and a spiral, both against a green backdrop.

Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman: Why emotional intelligence may be the number one indicator of organizational success

Today’s technology presents unique challenges for social awareness and relationship management at work, making emotional intelligence all the more critical.

Silhouette of a person against a blue background, overlaid with white node and line networks.

Thinking

Mechanized minds: AI’s hidden impact on human thought

While we’re busy wondering whether machines will ever become conscious, we rarely stop to ask: What happens to us?

People walking on a city street with steam rising from vents create a scene reminiscent of an omics exposome research study. A woman in a white beanie looks back as buildings and traffic form the vibrant backdrop.

Health

The next omics? Tracking a lifetime of exposures to better understand disease

Of the millions of substances people encounter daily, health researchers have focused on only a few hundred. Those in the emerging field of exposomics want to change that.

A white lab mouse sits in a glass petri dish, cradled gently by hands clad in blue gloves. The captivating scene underscores the crucial role of lab mice in scientific research and discovery.

Life

Scientists kill 192 million lab mice each year. Is there a better way?

Can laboratories become more humane, or is it time to end animal research altogether?

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Guest Thinkers

Can Performance Art Have a Legacy?

In the May-June 2011 issue of the international art magazine Flash Art, performance artist Marina Abramović began a regular column titled “Marina’s Diary,” in which she plans to document her […]