Beyond wind and solar, a variety of carbon-free energy sources—biofuels, geothermal and advanced nuclear energy—are seen as possible ways of meeting rising global demand.
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Software has enabled one utility company to cut power consumption by up to 50 percent by more intelligently managing the delivery of electricity to homes and businesses.
I love watching visions of the future from technology companies. Not only are they usually thinking ahead of most of us, they also are trying to actually create the future […]
In addition to demotivating talented workers, an opaque and dictatorial leadership style can silence innovation from below, leaving the leader in charge of coming up with all the great ideas.
Apple’s patent war rages on against Samsung and Google but in what sense has something been stolen from Apple? Timothy Lee says strict patent laws harm the common good.
From former iPod chief Tony Fadell comes a smart thermostat that adjusts the temperature in your home according to your lifestyle while saving substantial amounts of energy.
Nokia has released a new smartphone which uses the Windows operating system. Its technical specifications and design have received positive reviews but is it too little too late?
“I don’t have students,” Man Ray allegedly told Lee Miller when she finally tracked the Surrealist down in a Parisian bar after he eluded her visit to his front door […]
When I tell people that I’m an atheist, I’m often asked if I think that fiery rhetoric and sharp critiques of religion, like the kind found in the writing of […]
T.M. Scanlon’s response to my reply to his short essay on liberty and libertarianism offers a nice chance for me to add some of what I couldn’t fit in my […]
Unemployment among those aged 16-29 is at its highest rate since WWII. “Follow your passion,” while hard to argue with, is clearly an inadequate career plan.
Paula always thought that infidelity should be “a deal breaker” in marriage—until two good friends confided in her about their unfaithful husbands. “I had a hard time wrapping my head […]
The mud volcanoes at Isua, in south-west Greenland, have been identified as a possible birthplace for life on Earth by an international team of geologists.
What we need is a RESCUE Mortgage program, a reduced equity, spoiled credit, unemployed/underemployed expectation loan that brings mortgage relief to those who cannot otherwise qualify for the refinance programs […]
Every Wednesday, Michio Kaku will be answering reader questions about physics and futuristic science. If you have a question for Dr. Kaku, just post it in the comments section below and check back on Wednesdays to see if he answers it.
Ultimately, space could collapse back in on itself, destroying all stars and galaxies in existence, or it could expand into essentially an endless void.
A new generation of unconventional fossil fuels is taking hold thanks to new technologies that are expected to diversify global resources away from the Middle East.
Project Icarus is a five-year study into the possibility of sending a unmanned ship to another star. The project recently outlined expected scientific benefits, including the search for life.
As grasslands diminish on prairies and savannas around the world, an innovative ranching technique that reverses the environmental damage of desertification makes its way to the U.S.
Virtual schooling is a good idea. Over the past decade or so, online education has proven itself a valuable component of the learning system, from elementary to post-secondary. I personally […]
Big Data can become the key to unlocking growth for smaller companies throughout the U.S. economy.
Singularity University has spawned a group of start-ups with the ambitious goal of impacting one billion people in ten years. Big Think contributor Michael Raymond del Castillo profiles this group of entrepreneurs who are looking to change the world.
The Earth could end up with a permanent junk belt that could make space too dangerous to fly in, a situation a new start-up plans to address with laser technology.
Before history is quickly re-written and the essentials forgotten, the vote that took on Monday night in the House of Commons on whether British voters should be allowed a referendum […]
The fascinating billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel (a Facebook guy, the PayPal guy etc.) seems to be carrying the day against the educational establishment in answering this question negatively. He’s teamed up […]
This past week Big Think published a post by Mark Roeder that compared the financial system to epilepsy. After reviewing reader comments, Mr. Roeder has published a corrected version, which […]
Earlier today Aaron Zelin over at Jihadology pointed me to a new release on the forums. Ansar al-Shariah, the group we first heard about earlier this spring in a talk […]
Robert Scoble on why it’s more interesting on Google+ than Twitter or Facebook: because it’s for finding, and talking with, the people who are interested in the same thing you are.
Winning a second term will be almost impossible for Obama without continued support from voters aged 29 and under—one key reason he needs a stronger social media strategy.