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, […]
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“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 […]
Did Harvard Business School contribute to the financial crisis that stunned the world for the past few years? Former dean Jay Light says it’s possible that HBS—and business schools generally—may […]
Big Think today features a new set of interviews with NIH director Francis Collins, perhaps best known as the former director of the Human Genome Project and for his books […]
Sometimes I think “entitled” is the new “uppity.” It’s the new all-purpose put down for anyone who seems too aware of their own power. By way of backstory, college journalism […]
Two insightful articles in the New York Times this past week highlighted the very nascent trend of using technology as a philosophical concept to educate children. Kevin Kelly wrote about […]
The National Review and conservative commentators such as Ross Douthat describe the GOP’s Pledge as “bolder” and more align with conservative values than 1994’s Contract with America. Yesterday, in critiquing […]
Busy weekend (well, mostly grading, but that does eat time like you wouldn’t believe), so here are some quick hits from the news file: Busy Indonesia: As people begin to […]
On this rainy Monday morning … Let’s hop in the Wayback Machine and head to the year 2009. Back in May of that year, we spent a lot of time […]