The National Interest calls Bush’s memoir a record of how a dauphin took the world’s leading power and left it crippled. Is Bush’s legacy one with the nation’s?
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Responding to Zadie Smith’s recent criticism of Facebook, Jonah Lehrer says online networks are evidence of our humanity—our drive to be social with one another.
One frequent question I get is whether we can break the light barrier—because unless we can break the light barrier, the distant stars will always be unreachable.
A quick update on the ongoing eruption at Merapi in Indonesia – the death toll has now reached at least 141 since the eruption started on October 26th. This number is likely a low […]
In the wake of the Midterm elections, perhaps overlooked has been the defeat of California’s Proposition 23, an oil-industry backed measure that would have overturned the state’s legislation limiting greenhouse […]
A former New Zealand Member of Parliament is setting out on a new business venture that she feels will be very popular—a brothel for women. She has even done her […]
Today we’re happy to announce that all Big Think videos are now viewable on the iTouch, iPhone, and iPad. Simply access BigThink.com through your Safari browser and enjoy all of […]
In the wake of the global financial meltdown, economist Bernard Lietaer thinks communities should consider creating their own alternative currencies.
When it rains, it pours, my friends. The fall continues its volcanically noisy pace since late October as news comes in of ash explosions at Bulusan, the southernmost volcano on […]
By elections in Britain have not only become rarer – Members of Parliament tend to live longer these days, and are younger – but for the past decade have often […]
How did communism replace terrorism on the list of things Americans fear most and what’s behind Glenn Beck’s reawakening of the socialist ghost?
“You think 21st century culture is celebrity-obsessed? Try Mediterranean society at the dawn of the first millennium.” The L.A. Times reviews a new Cleopatra biography.
Travel writer and longtime Tanzania resident Frank Bures tells first hand of how communication and energy technology is giving Africa a brighter outlook than ever before.
“Why are slurs so offensive? And why are some more offensive than others?” asks Rutgers professor of philosophy and cognitive science Ernie Lepore.
An English professor uses Sherlock Holmes to teach her students not to separate academic knowledge from their own hard-earned experiential lessons.
“What follows is a partial agenda to raise economic growth and reduce the long run fiscal deficit.” Nobel Laureate Gary Becker has an economic plan for the U.S.
Tackling climate change and overcoming poverty are inseparable issues, say two renowned economists. The way to achieve both is through low-carbon economic growth.
“There will be no more transformative legislation; it will be all Obama can do simply to protect health-care reform from sabotage,” says Hendrik Hertzberg at The New Yorker.
Familiar idioms like ‘a thorn in your side’ and ‘the writing on the wall’ come from the King James Bible. An English linguist has recorded 257 such idioms from the text.
Shedding tears in public was once a sign of weakness and unreliability in men, but today the art of stoicism has been lost. Should we try to reclaim it?
I stood outside today, after reading the New York Times Sunday edition, and puffed on what was left of the stogie I’d started smoking when I began reading the paper. […]
For most art history students, the days of Dadaism and Surrealism seem like ancient history—two “-isms” buried beneath the quick succession of newer and newer “-isms” reigning ever since. Illustrator […]
Imagine being a soldier in Afghanistan today. Your platoon is attacked by a group of insurgents who set your outpost on fire. In the chaos and confusion, you step into a pile […]
Americans want change. The Republican victors in Tuesday’s election can certainly say they have a mandate to do what they said they would do. But it’s not at all clear […]
Guess what? Eating cheese isn’t just a mindblowing sensual pleasure, it’s also a patriotic duty. God bless America! The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending millions of tax dollars to […]
Not a lot of time for me today, but needless to say, there is still a lot of action at Merapi. I’ve opened this thread after seeing the 637 comments […]
Aggressive campaigns by colleges to boost their number of applicants gives the impression of exclusivity, but is this statistical allure harmful to education? Many say, ‘Yes’.
Author on economic sustainability Adam Werbach says environmentalists must embrace emerging technologies and engage corporations as part of its strategy.
The digital world and real world are becoming increasingly complimentary. A more efficient world with new social services is emerging, but is it a good idea?