Several weeks ago the editors at Foreign Policy asked me (and several other people, most of whom are much smarter than me) to participate in a survey on terrorism. The […]
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Some quick news updates on a cold Wednesday here in Ohio where I am buried in edits to a manuscript: Etna: Dr. Boris Behncke and the staff at the INGV […]
Before 2010 fades even further into the distance, I wanted to bring you Waq al-waq’s first (and possibly only) best of list. That is, my pick for the two best […]
One Earth Designs aims to ignite innovation across the socio-environmental spectrum among Himalayan agricultural and nomadic communities, working directly with local stakeholders to ensure each invention is of real practical […]
A new device worn on the arm or leg trains you to be aware of your brain function, so you can regain focus when you drift off at work, lose concentration on the back nine, or fall asleep at the wheel.
What are the real causes of social pathology—and can affluence actually be part of the problem? David Wilson says solving social ills by spending money rarely works.
In an extensive interview, the “Oracle of Omaha” discusses who might soon take his job and what he thinks the broader outlook is for the American economy.
The images, messages and stories of the multibillion-dollar pornography industry have seeped into and distorted our genuine sexual identities, says The Guardian’s Gail Dines.
When faced with decisions, our ability to make hunch evaluations varies considerably: Intuition can either be a useful ally or it can lead to costly and dangerous mistakes.
More than 30 years after NASA’s Viking landers found no evidence for organic materials on Mars, scientists say a new experiment on Mars-like soil shows Viking did, in fact, hit pay dirt.
If you’ve ever responded to tragedy by raging at God, you’re not alone. A new study finds that anger at God is a common emotion among Americans.
A renewable energy startup is making deals that are attracting business. The company helps its clients to get photovoltaics on the roof without putting them on the books.
Amazingly, your walking speed is just as good an indicator of how long you’ll live as your health history, smoking habits, and blood pressure combined.
Today’s super-rich are different from yesterday’s: more hardworking and meritocratic, but less connected to the nations that granted them opportunity.
Calling it “an insistent history that refuses to wait any longer to be told,” Lynn Hershman Leeson declares “WAR,” her acronym for the women’s art revolution begun in the 1970s, […]
I admit I was creeped out by this new paper, from the European Journal of Social Psychology, which reports that people primed to think about their ancestors performed better on […]
For most people, social networking consists of status updates, virtual cows, and bizarre Kanye tweets. But actor and philanthropist Edward Norton believes that social networking can truly change the world, […]
The same mechanisms that govern Crowdrise’s micro-fundraising will also “certainly” transform the way government interacts with the American people, NYU professor Jay Rosen told Big Think. Harnessing social networks for […]
The good news is, of course, is that the old are living longer and healthier than ever. But, as I explained, the news in not all good for us old guys in […]
We’ve found out the winner of 2010 Pliny for volcanic event of the year yesterday, so now let’s look back at the entire year in volcanic activity. It was a […]
In isolated villages and monasteries in northern Iraq, and in churches in Baghdad, Irbil and Mosul, it is still possible to hear Assyrian Christians talking and praying in ancient Aramaic, […]
As evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa explains during his Big Think interview, many of humankind’s most important psychological traits stopped evolving over 10,000 years ago. Today, many of our unconscious biases […]
If you’re a frequent user of Amazon, you probably enjoy the ability to buy an item with just one click. Amazon has all your credit card information stored in its […]
By allowing users to create and polish their personal brand, Facebook has become the magic mirror of our narcissistic and self-publicising era, says Philippe Rivière.
Philosophy has not kept up with modern developments in science, particularly physics, says Stephen Hawking. But are Hawking’s theoretical ideas not philosophical in their essence?
Mood rings famously are meant to change color to reflect the mood of the wearer. Some are cheap and ugly. Some are expensive and set in precious metal. All work using the same mechanics.
One of the biggest mysteries of physics could end with what scientists find 4,850 feet below the Black Hills of South Dakota, where a laboratory will replace a defunct gold mine.
Whether Goldman Sachs’ $450 million investment in Facebook will create another technology bubble depends on how and when emerging tech companies go public.
When we feel distant from our work—when it seems wonderfully far away—we are able to think about work in a new way. We have the breakthrough while on break, says Jonah Lehrer.
Smear campaigns work because people are more likely to believe misinformation about someone they see as different from themselves, sometimes even blatant lies.