Good science allows only shakeable faiths. Its toughest test comes when new evidence meets old certainties. By that test some economics seems more art (or math masked religion) than science. […]
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“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts
At the Pacific Community Ventures annual conference on impact investing this past Tuesday, Executive Director Beth Sirull pointed to the leverage that PCV creates with its donations: $3,300 in grants […]
What’s so special about crowdfunding is that it’s not just a one way exchange. It’s democratic; it’s collaborative. Crowdfunding allows for an open dialogue between the project creators and their backers. […]
This appears to be a dazzling blanket made of diamonds. The Messier 5 globular star cluster has long impressed astronomers. From NASA: “Beautiful Nebula discovered between the Balance [Libra] & […]
Why are today’s paparazzi so terrible? The combative relationship between photojournalists and their celebrity subjects seems to have become an all-out war as photographers look to capture content not already […]
Keep politics out of science? Of course. But think what we could achieve with more science in our politics. “One of my favorite philosophical tenets is that people will agree […]
Now that spring is here, people want to start getting into better shape for the summer. Eating healthier will help you feel more energetic and boost your brain power, too. […]
“If you want people to eat healthy food it has to taste good,” says Steven Masley, a physician, nutritionist, and a trained chef. Masley is also the author of The 30-Day […]
If you’re an American at all engaged with politics, you have very likely had the following conversation: You’re debating a topic that’s culturally and politically sensitive. You appreciate the human […]
Good afternoon, Mr. and Ms. Professional Millennial/Boomer. On today’s 21st anniversary of Take Your Daughters and Sons to Work Day I have a challenge for all millennials who don’t yet […]
TOKYO – Francis Fukuyama’s ambitious The End of History wasn’t the only historical blunder of epic proportions when it came to foretelling the future. Here’s a 1910 report drafted by Theodor von […]
Tales of hidden research, perverse incentives and profit-hungry pharmaceutical companies should give you pause before filling that prescription.
“Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world.” – Louis Pasteur
Yesterday, NASA released this image, Arp 81: 100 Million Years Later, shot by Hubble. From NASA: From planet Earth, we see this strongly distorted pair of galaxies, cataloged as Arp […]
“Everybody has to be able to participate. This goes back to an ancient Greek concept that every citizen is useful, everybody needs to participate. Bring in critical thinking. Bring in […]
My copy of Elizabeth Warren’s A Fighting Chance couldn’t arrive soon enough. Since Warren has repeatedly gone up against the most powerful of old boy networks with both public setbacks […]
In this 5-part Big Think Mentor workshop, Julia Galef, President of the Center for Applied Rationality, teaches how to better understand some of the most common cognitive biases and fallacies – and ultimately make better decisions.
How was Earth’s most well-known precious metal made? “Don’t gain the world and lose your soul;wisdom is better than silver or gold.” –Bob Marley Throughout all of recorded human history, there’s […]
Editor’s Note: This article was provided by our partner, RealClearScience. The original is here. In February, reports filtered in from Germany that two men died of cardiac arrhythmia triggered by marijuana […]
Psychologists have known for a long time the emotional truth captured in Joseph Stalin’s chilling (reputed) observation, “One death is a tragedy. One million deaths is a statistic.” This […]
April 23, 2014, marks the 450th birthday of William Shakespeare, one of the greatest writers of all time and an inescapable influence not just on literature, but also on every […]
“The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn’t the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the […]
The galaxy cluster “El Gordo” has a funny name, but it certainly fits its description. From NASA: It is bigger than a bread box. In fact, it is much bigger […]
“We are just beginning to glimpse the bare outlines of an emerging new economic system–the collaborative commons,” explains economist Jeremy Rifkin
Cuddly toys, ripped to pieces. Their limbs and tails, snouts and eyepatches strung up and nailed to a museum wall. Teddy bears and their furry friends are supposed to be […]
Earlier today the game designer and philosopher Ian Bogost tweeted the above photo, signaling that TEDism—the look and feel of those incisive idea-filled talks from TED conferences—is spreading far and […]
What we can glean from success in the sports world.
This Earth Day, we’re celebrating with a light show. The Lyrid meteor shower began in the early morning hours of April 22 and will be visible through April 25. Just […]
Take a moment today to appreciate exactly how lucky we are to have what we do. “It took less than an hour to make the atoms, a few hundred million years […]