Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have discovered that a steady diet of cold, fast food is what caused the rapid growth of early supermassive black holes at the dawn of the universe.
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Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is putting up his own money to build the next Spruce Goose: A plane that will launch satellites—and eventually people—into Earth’s orbit from 30,000 feet.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote that Mitt Romney remains the likely Republican nominee in spite Newt Gingrich’s recent surge in the polls. The smart money over at the […]
It’s not just the Mediterranean tier of countries – Tunisia, Libya, Egypt – that are experiencing stirrings of new life across Africa. Throughout the African continent, formerly moribund nations like […]
The world’s top physicists announced yesterday that while no direct evidence has been found, hints of the particle’s existence are detectible at no greater than 127 giga–electron volts.
Last month, the TLC television channel premiered All-American Muslim, a reality show which follows several, from what I can see, fairly normal American families who happen to be Muslims. On […]
A frequently cited objection to widespread use of the Gardasil vaccine against Human Papillomavirus is that it will give children the message that it’s normal, expected and inevitable that they […]
Voter turnout in U.S. presidential elections tends to be lower than other developed democracies and relative to the number of eligible voters., Voter turn-out for those ages 18 to 24 […]
–Guest post by Yuwen Yang, American University graduate student. In January 2009, new voluntary pharmaceutical industry guidelines on marketing to physicians went into effect (David 2010), which emphasize disclosure and […]
The knock against many technology companies is they create too few jobs in their own countries. That complaint needs serious amending. Tech companies are creating plenty of jobs for robots.
Now that the silly season of American politics revs up for another presidential election, it’s a fair question to ask who will be the next great caricature? Nixon cast his […]
I’m finally getting around to talking about recent films. Two that had great promise but ultimately disappoint are J. Edgar and The Descendants. They both address the questions of virtue—particularly manliness […]
–Guest post by Xiao He, American University graduate student. Developments in Web marketing and social media provide new platforms and strategies for pharmaceutical companies to interact with investors. Among the […]
Of all the reactions to CERN’s announcement that scientists found only “tantalizing hints” of the so-called God Particle, the gossip site Gawker had the most amusing headline: Can Scientists Just Find […]
“To me, being a DJ and being the Director of the Media Lab are essentially the same thing,” says Joi Ito, Director of the MIT Media Lab.
One of the fastest growing verticals amongst edtech startups these days is definitely the social layer added on top of existing educational content. One of the first startups in that […]
Many of the cognitive tools (heuristics and biases) that we use for all sorts of decision-making also influence our choices about risk.
Instead of asking how digital technologies are transforming advocacy, is it more appropriate to ask how contemporary advocacy is transforming digital technologies?
A study has found that 48% of consumers feel overwhelmed by the relentless onslaught of new high-tech products. They also fear living in an ever- thickening cloud of radio waves.
The first QD televisions–like current flat-screen TVs, but with better color and ultra-thin displays–will be available in shops by the end of next year. And later, the roll-up version.
America’s anti-piracy bill, “OPEN”, is at least a useful starting point, unlike an earlier alternative, SOPA/PROTECT-IP, which was “blatant rent-seeking,” says Eric Goldman.
Assessing a momentous year for new technology, John Naughton says Twitter rules and BlackBerry crumbles, and warns politicians that silicone start-ups generate few local jobs.
If you’re in the north of England and you’re in a town ending in -by, you’re in former Danish-ruled territory [1]. If the toponym starts with beau- or bel-, it […]
“Why do men marry mean girls?” Rebecca asks me. She’s almost in tears, and my heart aches for her. Rebecca’s a beautiful, talented single New Yorker in her mid-30s who, […]
Newt Gingrich was almost right about the Palestinians when he said they were an “invented people” (though the difference between right and almost right, to paraphrase Twain, is the difference […]
UPDATED: 12.12 10:08 AM EST: If you were hoping for an early Christmas present, you will be disappointed. The discovery of the Higgs particle will not be confirmed until 2012 at […]
Candidates recognize the importance of creating videos for YouTube. A good video can go a long way towards marketing the campaign and building name recognition. But with this amazing opportunity […]
As we count down to the New Year, Big Think is surveying the ideas that will have the greatest impact in 2012. This idea was suggested by Big Think Delphi Fellow […]
Peer into any young American boy’s imagination, and you’ll likely find knights, soldiers, and pirates roaming about. That fact is a true today as it was a century ago. One […]
There’s a deep split in the European Union post the euro crisis summit. With Britain sidelined and other member states feeling steamrolled by Germany and France, what lies ahead?