In 1875 George Routledge, founder of the British publishing house that bore his name, asked Scottish author Samuel Smiles when he would have the honor of publishing one of his […]
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Ian Fleming picked James Bond for the name of his hero because it was “brief, unromantic and yet very masculine”; he later became friends with the original James Bond, author of one of his favourite ornithology guides.
Ken Auletta on how the future of television will be free of commercial interruptions, which benefits writers and viewers alike.
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When I first heard of Yossarian Lives, a website that bills itself as the metaphorical search engine, I thought “no way!” Good metaphors are inherently artistic and depend on a […]
Recent bouts of e-abuse against Zelda Williams and the website Jezebel have websites re-thinking policies for policing (and not policing) abusive comments online.
“Never doubt that a small groupof thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead After tragic events, as most recently evident in […]
From what we know about the limits of human cognition, we appear ill-suited to sift through the thousands, if not millions, of potential dates waiting for us out there.
Sometime over the next few weeks, Planck will release their new results. What will that mean for gravitational waves from inflation? “The paradigm of physics — with its interplay of data, theory […]
Imagine standing in a bare room in which a small, 4-billion-year-old rock hangs from the ceiling by a thin wire as three vocalists whistle and breathe on it to make it swing. For some people, such a scenario might be the nightmare version of contemporary art run amok, so far “out there” that it’s never coming back.
I like to utilize labor. Not commodity labor like a housekeeper or a dog-walker. The economics of commodity labor are well-established though a competitive marketplace. The price of labor is […]
Kick out the French, send over colonists, break the three ‘doors’ to the outside world
Food writer Michael Pollan takes us through the history of barbecue in the south and how its ritualized process stands outside the typical racial paradigm.
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It’s hard to imagine empathy being anything but beneficial. It has become one of the most championed mental states in the neuroscience age: the ability to feel what someone else is feeling and, if all goes well, extend a hand altruistically or compassionately.
Playwrights and theatre professionals across the country are fed up with the lack of diversity among writers produced on the American Stage. These activists are armed with years of pent up frustration… and lots and lots of data. But what strategies should they take to accomplish their goal?
Kluger discusses why narcissists excel in politics and rates the narcissism of those who have called the White House home.
Food writer Michael Pollan recalls his experience at The Skylight Inn in Ayden, North Carolina. The owners roast whole hogs in a giant barbecue pit over a 24-hour period.
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The Nantucket Project sees art + commerce as “the new convergence” that defines our world today.
The Catholic Church has long regarded itself as a bastion of religious ethics. While it is undeniable numerous charitable efforts and organizations have arisen thanks to its emphasis on its […]
The fastest way to make interstellar travel a reality might not be only science fiction for long! It is humanity’s longstanding dream to venture to the stars. We long to […]
In his 1961 book, Psychotherapy East & West, the philosopher Alan Watts wrote, If there is to be a battle, there must be a field of battle; when the contestants […]
Several organizations are hoping to put valuable artifacts — such as a handwritten Jewish scroll — on privately-launched missions to the moon, where they will be preserved in case something bad happens on Earth.
Why quantum entanglement spooked Einstein his entire life. Image credit: Nature, October 2006 (vol 2 no 10). ‘Tis the season of ghouls, goblins, witches, demons, and things that go bump […]
Are we becoming too obsessed with the idea that people can’t think straight? When I began blogging here at BigThink five years ago, I would have said no. After all, […]
A version of the Hollywood Sci-Fi Museum could debut as soon as 2015.
Ayn Rand fell for the popular misconception of the ancient myth
If you’re old enough to remember the 1970s, Lynda Carter playing the title character in the TV show Wonder Woman (shown above) from 1975 to 1979 remains what you think […]
A forthcoming Boston College report suggests that smart businesses should evaluate their parental leave practices if they want to attract quality employees…regardless of gender.
From the country whose hit shows have featured slow boat rides and bird box video streams comes “Kisten” (“The Coffin”) in which famous people spend time thinking about and preparing for their future final send-off.
A consortium of universities and companies are working on ways to get a team consisting of robots, drones, autonomous vehicles and dogs to communicate with each other in a disaster scenario.
The proposed plan would gradually increase the wage over the next several years. If approved by city lawmakers, it would be one of the highest minimum rates in the world.