Being sociable has its advantages—across more than 500 mammal species, animals that lived in social groups had bigger brains than those that lived by themselves.
All Articles
When you meet a paradox, you’ve got only two choices. One is to accept that the implausible is true; the other is to reject the conclusion, and explain why the argument is wrong.
The job of the media is not to protect the powerful from embarrassment. It is for governments to guard public secrets, and there is no national jeopardy in WikiLeaks’ revelations.
Five centuries ago, Gutenberg’s printing press was the new technology that swamped the world with data. What can we learn about our own times from the event?
Forcing countries to agree to emissions caps will never work, argue Ted Nordhaus and Michael Shellenberger. Instead, they say, the focus should be on technology innovations.
An introduction to Joomla was my birthday present to myself this year. If I had known the open source content management system was this good, I would have started using […]
I hope this puts to rest the notion that we would live in a liberal paradise had Hillary Clinton become president instead of Barack Obama…not to mention the notion that […]
Texas-based designer and builder Dan Phillips builds extraordinary low-cost homes out of reclaimed materials. In his witty and insightful talk from TEDxHouston, he showcases a dozen of his remarkable creations […]
Why are Republicans trying to block ratification of the new START? The original START—short for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty—was proposed by President Reagan to limit the number of strategic nuclear […]
An oft-heard homily—”It’s the thought that counts”—is put more lyrically by the Chinese—”To walk a thousand li and present a swan feather; the gift is light but the friendship is solid.”
Law schools are manufacturing more lawyers than America needs, and law students aren’t happy about it. The demand for lawyers has fallen off a cliff, reports Slate.
Social media have increased the volume of our communications yet diminished the substance of them. Neal Gabler reviews Facebook’s new initiative to replace email.
After a spontaneous flight to Washington, Elvis hand-wrote a letter to then President Nixon asking for a badge from the federal Bureau of Narcotics. Nixon gave him one.
A new wave of research into bullying’s effects suggests that bullying can leave an indelible imprint on a teen’s brain at a time when it is still growing and developing.
Seismic changes in the communist economy built by Fidel Castro are enriching some Cubans, scaring others, and sparking imaginations. Will the Caribbean gem shine again?
For a debate about religion and its influence on world politics and humankind you could do no better than Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens. The two met in Toronto to hash it out.
State Department cables obtained by The Atlantic detail a nuclear blackmail scheme executed by Libyan officials intent on wielding the power of their last cache of nuclear material.
While self-awareness may be unique to humans, we share a different kind of consciousness—phenomenal consciousness—with many animals, says philosophy professor Ned Block.
A surplus margin of military superiority does not buy increased national security, says Paul Pillar, director of graduate studies at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program.
Thanksgiving is the least commercialized major holiday. There are no special items to purchase, no material obligations, and no gift-exchanging.
It may seem crazy but virtual real estate is hot business these days. Last week, British businessman Jon Jacobs sold his Neverdie club in the virtual game Entropia for $625,000, a […]
If you were a sophisticated and up-to-the-minute science buff in 17th century Europe, you knew that there was only one properly scientific way to explain anything: “the direct contact-action of […]
A wedge issue is an issue which can be used to turn the different parts of a political coalition against one another. For the democrats, deficit reduction could turn out […]
Super-powerful desktop computers, video game systems, cars, iPads, iPods, tablet computers, cellular phones, microwave ovens, high-def television… Most of the luxuries we enjoy during our daily lives are a result […]
Age-of-consent laws presume that adolescents lack the maturity to make healthy decisions when it comes to sex.
Energy efficiency in the home, particularly the notion of the smart grid, has been a concept of increasing interest both by ordinary citizens and large-scale corporations in the energy sector. […]
At a time when digital shooting offers lower cost and greater artistic control, it’s fascinating to watch our most acclaimed filmmakers hasten the demise of actual film.
The royal nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton is welcomed by Britons—but most say they want a more modest affair that doesn’t drain the public purse.
They might be best known for space travel, but the folks at NASA are determined to shape the future of commercial aviation. The agency says airliners need to be greener.
Breathing other people’s tobacco smoke is the cause of one in every 100 deaths worldwide, but a risk over which its victims have no control, says the World Health Organization.