May 8, 2023 Weekly Crossword: Big Thinkers Over thousands of years, a few men and women have had groundbreaking ideas that changed the course of history. Many others have contributed to modernizing civilization. This crossword features some of them.
The Past The Maya codices: Only these 4 books remain from the lost empire Glimpse into the ancient Maya empire through the writing of its own inhabitants.
The Future ChatGPT gives better, more empathetic responses to patient questions than doctors A panel of healthcare professionals much preferred responses that came from the chatbot in a recent study.
High Culture 4 disturbing classical music pieces based on history’s darkest moments These composers channeled the horror of the Holocaust and Hiroshima while honoring those who lived through it.
Starts With A Bang Why “super-Earth” exoplanets are a scientific catastrophe They’re the most common type of exoplanet known today, and many astronomers have called them “super-habitable.” None of that is true.
Neuropsych Scientists discover an “anxiety gene” in the brain — and a natural way to turn it off The discovery has enormous implications for the development of novel anti-anxiety medications.
The Past John Pringle: The 18th-century doctor who saved countless lives — and destroyed a family As a physician, John Pringle helped reinvent hygiene; as a husband, he destroyed a woman’s life with his abuse.
The Future Will generative AI destroy the nascent NFT market for artists? As the stream of AI-generated art turns into a deluge, NFTs could become a cornerstone of the Virtual Renaissance.
Starts With A Bang Starts With A Bang Podcast #93 – Mars from the ground Mars, the red planet, was a world we knew almost nothing about until our first spacecraft visited it. In just ~50 years, how far we’ve come!
Health Rapamycin: The unlucky history of the most powerful anti-aging drug Rapamycin is potentially the most powerful anti-aging drug ever discovered. However, due to its unlucky history, few know of it.
Thinking How to create a better world without massive social disruption In the spirit of the 1969 moon landing, we now have a golden opportunity to pursue “nondisruptive” creative solutions.
Life Orlando’s first major attraction was an angry swan named Billy Billy was a local celebrity in the early 1900s. And he might have been a murderer.
The Well The horrifying problem of meaning Thinking about the problem of meaning is unsettling because it introduces us to a list of solutions that all feel a bit insane.
Thinking Philosophy majors are smarter than others — and tend to make more money I think, therefore I am (rich).
Hard Science 5.3 million years ago, the world’s largest flood refilled the Mediterranean About six million years ago, the Mediterranean was sealed off from the Atlantic, and over centuries it ran dry. One megaflood reversed that.
Starts With A Bang Ask Ethan: How did we prove the Big Bang took place? Before there were planets, stars, and galaxies, before even neutral atoms or stable protons, there was the Big Bang. How did we prove it?
13.8 Some scientists speak of a “crisis in cosmology.” They have a good reason The standard model of cosmology has a big new problem: Some galaxies seem to be too old.
Sponsored $1.99 vs. $2: How our “left-digit bias” makes us overspend You’ve probably noticed that most retailers use prices ending in 99. That’s intentional.
The Learning Curve 4 reasons why you should read old, classic books Reading classic books can inform you as much about the present as the past.
Hard Science The hunt for life in Alpha Centauri This oddball system of three stars might be our best chance at finding nearby life in the Universe.
Health Like hungry locusts, humans can easily be tricked into overeating Our bodies crave more food if we haven’t had enough protein, and this can lead to a vicious cycle.
Starts With A Bang Spacetime: is it real and physical, or just a calculational tool? Einstein’s relativity overthrew the notion of absolute space and time, replacing them with a spacetime fabric. But is spacetime truly real?
13.8 How smoking-gun evidence for the Big Bang was found What began as an annoyance ended as a Nobel Prize-winning discovery about the Big Bang and the origin of the Universe.
Health The vicious cycle of food and sleep More than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep. Diet is an important, under-recognized culprit.
L&D strategy 5 best practices for developing a competency framework A competency framework is a way to align individual performance with organizational goals. Read on to learn how.
Starts With A Bang At last: astronomers catch a star eating its innermost planet Many planets will eventually be devoured by their parent star. For the first time, we caught a star in the act, eating its innermost planet!
The Present Americans are richer than ever. Here are 3 reasons why they aren’t happier Wealthier in resources; poorer in time.
Thinking Wittgenstein on wheels: Why the cycling counterculture embraced philosophy The deep-thinking oddballs of West Coast cycle racing valued mid-ride marijuana over sports science.
Strange Maps France is European champion in smoking le reefer The average age of cannabis users is increasing. Weed may fall out of fashion before it becomes legal everywhere.
Thinking What science can’t explain: The mysteries of Wikenigma Nobody knows where the word “penguin” comes from.