“You spot them pretty quickly… Put 15 people in a room and the chances are that there will be two of them. Thirteen will make the effort. The other two will be bigots and proud of it.”
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The first time you see a painting by Giuseppe Arcimboldo, you probably don’t know what to make of it. It’s clearly some kind of joke, but what kind? When you […]
When I wrote that the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy would come up for a vote, I said that it was unlikely to be repealed. What I should have […]
This month, federal regulators vindicated Dr. Maria New, a leading pediatric endocrinologist who studies prenatal treatment for congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a hereditary disease that exposes the fetus to excessive […]
By studying the neural networks in the brain, scientists have constructed computer-based models that mirror the brain’s complex biological networks.
I’m putting out the last call for questions about Mt. Hood magmatism for Dr. Adam Kent of Oregon State University. He has offered to take your questions about his recentNature […]
TO have lived away from Britain and then to return is to realise that Britain is an increasingly parochial country, and one in which what passes for media debate is […]
There’s speculation all over the Web today about what seems at first to be an unexpected survey finding from the Pew Research Center: Even after controlling for education, Atheists, agnostics, […]
“Canadians have a reprehensible habit of making fun of just about everything,” says novelist Margaret Atwood. In her Big Think interview, she tries to explain Canadian humor, asking us, “What […]
The NASA Earth Observatory has posted two images of erupting volcanoes this week, so I thought I’d spotlight these systems: Barren Island, India:This image captures the volcano in the Indian […]
Our memory peaks at the age of 30, and then it declines gradually with time. But if we train our brains to stay more active and focused, they can remain healthier longer.
Last week, I introduced a series about a Colorado ballot initiative that would amend the state’s constitution to define a person under the law as “a human being from the […]
For Washington, DC area readers, talks this Thursday evening and Friday afternoon may be of interest. Details below. For directions and a map of American University, go here. Panel on […]
It’s kind of hard to live in Atlanta and not write a few words about Eddie Long, the pastor of the metro area’s own New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, who […]
“A massive new project to scan the brains of 1,200 volunteers could finally give scientists a picture of the neural architecture of the human brain.”
“My suspicion is that most of us would be quite surprised by the things our grandchildren will condemn us for.” The Economist’s Democracy in America blog on moral progress.
“More polling evidence is in: Californians support Proposition 19, the statewide ballot initiative to legalize marijuana.” The Atlantic’s Chris Good on the prospect of legalization.
A new book by a practicing physician details the extent to which pharmaceutical companies determine what the public sees as the medical profession in action.
“The 400 richest Americans are worth almost $1.4 trillion, while record numbers join the poverty rolls and Democrats punt the tax-cut vote.” Robert Reich on wealth disparity.
“European Union officials are furious with a new US fee mandatory for most travelers from Europe. The EU is now considering introducing a similar fee for American travelers.”
“Although we currently assume that the only way to improve is to constantly practice, research demonstrates that we can also improve through mere exposure.”
“When it comes to the big questions, why should we have to either deny God or believe? Surely good science doesn’t so restrict us.” The New Scientist’s David Eagleman explains.
“So-called geothermal power has been around for more than a century. What will it take to heat up this energy source?” Scientific American on the promising power source.
“A federal law is needed to cover threats against free-speech rights. Across media and geographies, Islamic extremists are increasingly using intimidation to stifle free expression.”
Who gets to say who owns our libraries, and what are the risks embedded in making a library profit-driven? The New York Times choice to give Library Systems and Services […]
GOP senate hopeful Sharron Angle will see your lunacy and raise you. These days it’s fashionable to claim that vaccination is a Big Pharma/Big Government conspiracy to cause autism. Angle […]
Design and innovation powerhouse IDEO is known for using design thinking and keen behavioral insight to reinvent object, products and systems that touch our daily lives. Most recently, they envisioned […]
The United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) has announced that it will consider drafting protocols for what to do when we finally make contact with extra-terrestrial civilizations in […]
Borders are to maps what icing is to cakes. Tracing their course between countries and across continents is a source of great enjoyment for the cartophile, as is contemplating their […]
As the world grows more interconnected, support for developing countries should be an even bigger concern, says former Irish President Mary Robinson. A failed state like Somalia, which lacks any […]