The downsides to feeling other people’s pain.
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The physics of one of the rarest and most spectacular sunset sights ever seen! Image credit: © Mila Zinkova / Creative Commons. “It does no harm to the romance of […]
In our culture, there are two diametrically opposed beliefs. The first is that we are powerful and strong creatures that have the ability to shape our biology and destiny in […]
The important thing to remember is that maintaining your brand and reputation does not involve blasting customers online.
Scientists have confirmed a sizable improvement in ozone levels over the past decade. The news is a testament to the world’s noble dedication to reducing usage of hazardous chemicals.
In a recent Guardian profile, actor and playwright Sam Shepard declared that American culture is “on [its] way out,” especially since so much of its industry has been off-shored.
The corporation is a monster in the same sense that the creatures in Pokemon are monsters. They are used by people for different purposes but ultimately they are trained creatures.
Preferences often differ from prudent interests, and economics, business, and politics address (and regulate) imprudent choices differently: 1. Are American’s prudent? 69% eat imprudently, and 75% don’t save enough. […]
Noah Zatz, professor at the UCLA law school, argues that undervaluing labor that happens inside the home puts poor families at a further monetary disadvantage.
Two individuals separated by 5,000 miles have successfully communicated without typing or saying a word to each other. Rather it was their brains that did the talking.
The largest structures in the Universe are phantasms, in the process of self-destructing. Image credit: NASA, N. Benitez (JHU), T. Broadhurst (Racah Institute of Physics/The Hebrew University), H. Ford (JHU), […]
Surprising political alliances have formed around the idea of a basic income, which would guarantee every adult and family in America, regardless of eligibility requirements, with a monthly cash flow.
To reduce or undo someone else’s power, observe carefully those who have it and how you’re helping them keep it. Then consider how to alter that pattern with the person in question.
Of the countless natural wonders dotting Iceland’s famous Ring Road, perhaps most notable are the country’s bountiful and majestic waterfalls. Iceland’s unique location and climate have made it home to some […]
In her recent Big Think interview, Perel explains that sexuality and marriage have experienced a radical shift over the past few generations. What was once considered a dutiful bond now serves our more individualistic culture driven by love and desire. Where these two feelings meet and diverge is at the core of eroticism.
When you get down to the bare facts, there’s no genre of art older than that of the nude. The bare human figure—male and female, but more often female—commands attention […]
After millions of years of adaptive evolution, our bodies have become naturally suited to functioning during the day, and certain organic chemicals are released into the blood stream accordingly.
When setting a deadline for yourself or others, setting it in the “present” increases the likelihood that the project will be completed on time.
Leila Janah, founder and CEO of the non-profit business Samasource, describes the organization’s core concept as a way for technology “to unlock human talent wherever it may happen to reside.” Sometimes […]
Fans of Dan Brown (and Tom Hanks) hoped to get an education in the Italian Renaissance along with their beach reading (and movie-going) of The Da Vinci Code. But they’re missing out on a Renaissance master of art and mathematics just as captivating and mysterious as Da Vinci—Piero della Francesca.
The rise of deep learning will revolutionize how companies are managed, argues the Economist, replacing many of the tasks currently done by humans–especially management consultants–with computer programs.
Harvard linguistics professor Steven Pinker argues that while Ivy League colleges definitely aren’t meritocracies, they still represent good opportunities for students and their families.
Blogger and pastor Jeffrey Wright has found a new metaphor which elucidates the blindness that white Americans have about their own privilege.
Sangeeta N. Bhatia, M.D., and Ph.D, runs a bioengineering lab at MIT, has helped to start ten companies, and counts among her close friends some of the nation’s most successful women.
Many take caffeine from tea or mate, an herbal drink popular in South America. But the drug, unlike so many others, didn’t come from a chemistry lab. It came from millions of years of plant evolution.
How Worlds Thought in the 1960s to be Circling Barnard’s Star Turned out to be Illusions. Image via: http://www.wingmakers.co.nz/universe/extrasolar/Barnards.html. In this golden age of exoplanet discovery, it is hard to […]
Big Data is a big deal. Not only is it a major asset in today’s tech-driven economy, it also has the ability to tell stories about who we are as […]
Twitter is currently testing a feature that will allow users to make purchases through its app.
If you’re not particularly connected to international political happenings (i.e. you’re most Americans), it may come as a surprise that Scottish voters will be answering the big million pound/euro question […]