A recent article in the Wall Street Journal suggests that technology and, more specifically, time spent online might actually be helping people be friendlier, more empathetic, and in general, just […]
All Articles
King Farm in Rockville, Md., could be an example of ‘new urbanism’ and ‘smart growth’ but instead locals are opposing one of the key elements—a central shuttle train.
Word is China’s first full-fledged space station could launch this month. Is it part of a bid to become a world strategic power or a modest increment in space prowess without military meaning?
The “democratization” of space, including more involvement of amateur astronomers, is underway thanks to a ballooning and publicly accessible global astronomical database.
Pet owners are a unique breed. Even those that hadn’t wanted a pet often find themselves enthralled once they join the ranks of proud possessors of a furry (or not […]
President Obama and the Democratic National Committee raised $86 million through the first half of this year. With unemployment high and disposable income stagnant, Obama faces a tough road to […]
The Fukushima nuclear disaster has offered the world a lot of important lessons. We can only hope that one of the most important…a lesson that’s staring us all in the […]
Well, this is the first time ever that I’ve taken the “cultural studies” approach of featuring the themes of race, class, and gender in talking about a work of art. […]
In the information age, there is power in being able to reduce a complex problem into simple steps and take decisive action to make it happen. Seizing opportunity is simpler than it seems, says Mark Cenedella, founder of the TheLadders.
What a wonderful surprise it is for us to find today that Time magazine has rated Big Think number 1 in News & Info in its list of The 50 […]
Social media ‘flash mobs’ are becoming integral to the organization of protests. San Francisco officials shut down cellphone service to thwart a protest Thursday. What will happen today?
Google has purchased Motorola’s cellphone business for $12.5 billion but it has no interest in making phones. Instead, Google needs Motorola’s patents to defend Android from lawsuits.
If your Facebook friend, who has been married for 20 years, changes her status to “Interested in men and women,” does that mean she is a swinger? More interestingly, what […]
When breast cancer researcher Dr. Elizabeth Iorns created a free online marketplace for outsourcing scientific experiments, the goals was to improve the efficiency of research.
If what you do is repetitive, then your job is doomed, says physicist Michio Kaku. If your work involves creativity, imagination, experience, leadership, hey… there’s a bright future for you.
By targeting individuals rather than the abstraction known as the consumer market, the Internet has revolutionized commerce and advertising—but what about journalism?
Despite all the advice that author Bruce Feiler was given about ‘switching off’ and ‘unplugging’ during summer vacation, he found staying connected to the Web was a boon.
Over the past week, Jonathan’s Card became one of the more fascinating online social experiments ever conducted in full public view. The basic premise was simple – a single individual […]
For the past several weeks I’ve had severely limited internet access thanks to Itisalat and TE Data (two of Cairo’s least helpful internet providers), which has been responsible for the […]
It turns out that the phrase “a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle” did not originate with Gloria Steinem, but rather was inspired by another phrase: […]
Two straight lines connect Glastonbury to Armageddon
What better topic at a conference full of carnivores than how to deal with people who think you’re completely off base, if not criminally insane?
The fires have been dampened, the tottering ruins of wrecked buildings have been demolished. Gradually people have begun going about their business. Touchingly many of those who took the brunt […]
It’s been raining and gloomy since Saturday night. I think the change of weather is nice. I don’t mind. But my brain does. And whether or not I know it, […]
There was some news over the weekend about steaming hills on the Pacific coast of California near Santa Barbara. Now, that might seem very surprising to many as there aren’t […]
The September issue of the American Journal of Public Health is now available online featuring 8 studies and articles by an interdisciplinary set of experts, each examining the health risks […]
Just like mechanical innovation in the 19th century, the still-evolving computing and communication innovations of the 21st century will profoundly impact the world’s economy.
It seems that the volcanoes of Indonesia are restless this August – and this weekend was no exception. Two volcanoes made the news as unrest reached levels high enough for […]
The global economy is heading into ‘a new danger zone’ that will require strong policy action to restore confidence says Robert Zoellick, the president of the World Bank.
Palestinian leaders will push ahead with a bid for statehood at the United Nations next month despite U.S. opposition and warnings that the move will endanger future peace talks.