The argument over guns is a complex topic, but we ought not to dismiss arguments because they do not square with our gut feelings – regardless of whether we want more or less guns, more or less laws.
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In an e-mail conversation I had some time ago, a Christian minister attempted to convince me that atheists, despite what they might say, live life on the basis of faith […]
Penn Jillette says healthy skepticism involves maintaining the distinction between what you think and what you feel.
Today’s announcement of NASA’s deal with Bigelow Aerospace for the addition of an inflatable module to the International Space Station hints at the company’s future goals.
On Monday, I suggested that Justice Thomas might build on his first moment of non-silence in seven years. “If he wants to demonstrate that he takes his judicial role seriously […]
A paper’s authors say that contrary to several decades’ worth of movie images, space travelers would see a steady bright light rather than streaks of stars.
Now that two states have legalized marijuana for recreational use, a coalition of farmers and activists are pushing harder for allowing its “good twin” to be grown commercially again.
According to a report published Tuesday, black carbon is second only to carbon dioxide in the list of top human-generated emissions contributing to climate change.
A Scottish company claims to have produced 15 liters’ worth since opening a mini-refinery last summer. They’re now looking to expand…but they need more energy to do so.
Congress created the debt ceiling crisis almost entirely on its own. Article I of the Constitution gives Congress what’s known as the “the power of the purse”: Congress alone can […]
Long before Allen Ginsberg used the phrase ‘first thought, best thought’ to describe spontaneous, intuitive writing that seemed to spring unaware from ‘somewhere else,’ Buddhists had developed this maxim as […]
The New York Police Department announced today that it would begin distributing fake painkillers to pharmacies in one of several plans to stem a rising tide of prescription drug theft.
Unlike more popular ventures like Coursera and Udacity, the Minerva Project is trying to “reimagine what a tier one research university would look like if it started in the 21st century.”
A new survey reveals that the percentage of children who’ve read an e-book nearly doubled between 2010 and 2012. More access to e-books would cause more kids to read for fun as well.
When the new BiblioTech library opens in San Antonio, Texas later this year, it will become the nation’s first “bookless public library” — everything is going to be digital, the library will rent out […]
Texas’ Bexar County residents would have access to thousands of e-books both online and at a physical site to be built, says the county judge who’s behind the proposal.
Have you read the 2008 Supreme Court decision that gives all Americans the right to own guns? Probably not. I hadn’t, until the other day, when I was stunned […]
Since 2002, Fujitsu’s F-series flip phone has had special stealth features that make it the preferred choice for those who like to “play the field.”
What happens when you ban a book? Sales increase. The modern maxim that any press is good press is true. If you really want people to read a book, tell […]
Last Friday Aaron Swartz committed suicide, shortly before his Federal trial was due to begin. According to the US Attorney’s press release, “if convicted on these charges, SWARTZ faces up to 35 years in […]
It’s unclear exactly what he said, but on Monday, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke during an oral argument for the first time in nearly seven years. What prompted the […]
When composer Van Stiefel realized that he wanted to somehow set the paintings of Andrew Wyeth to music, he searched for the words to marry to his expressions in sound. […]
There are recognizable patterns of behavior and personality traits that we can look for to give us insight into Lance Armstrong’s reckless actions, so that this whole affair might be a so-called teachable moment.
So says no less an authority than the United Nations, which has declared this the International Year of Quinoa. Producing countries are experiencing both the pros and the cons of increased demand.
If there is a growing consensus that video games do not cause violence and can be used as valuable learning tools, there are also challenges ahead for an industry that is widely seen as a boys club.
The game is an example of a hot trend: The gamification of many aspects of life that used to be addressed by lectures, pamphlets, informational videos and the like.
Half of the city’s “coffee shops” have closed down and an estimated 400 people have been put out of work since a law restricting marijuana purchases to Dutch citizens took effect.
Over at Edge.org, its impresario John Brockman poses an annual question to his assemblage of scientists, scholars, writers and other insightful people. This year’s (suggested by George Dyson), was this: […]
The group Sexual Minorities Uganda is taking advantage of a 1789 law that “allows foreigners to sue Americans for civil damages for civil…damages for acts committed abroad.”
This year’s Kumbh Mela, a Hindu festival, is expected to draw between 30 and 60 million pilgrims to the Indian city of Allahabad. Teams from disparate Harvard schools will be there to take data.