July 1, 2013

Should Congress Telecommute?

A proposal by Rep. Eric Swalwell, a freshman House Democrat, would allow Congress to vote remotely, the advantage being that they could attend to affairs in their home district instead of having to physically be in Washington D.C.

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Swalwell’s proposal would allow the use of such 21st century technologies as video conferencing.

Read more here.

What do you think?

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Starts With A Bang

Most planets in the Universe are orphans without parent stars

Known as orphaned planets, rogue planets, or planets without parent stars, these “outliers” might be the most common type of planet overall.

Illustration of a person standing on a ladder inside a large head with a maze-like brain exposed, symbolizing introspection or exploration of the mind.

Neuropsych

Is teaching psychology a waste of time?

When appraising human behavior, people tend to forgo the lessons of psychology in favor of assumption and anecdote.

A red number 5 with orange flames extending from the left on a dark background, symbolizing the fiery drive to improve company culture.

Business

5 ways to rapidly improve your company culture

Don’t become one of those organizations that slouches toward positive behavioral change — here’s how to move fast.

Starts With A Bang

Have we found a galactic “twin” of the Milky Way?

Our galactic home in the cosmos — the Milky Way — is only one of trillions of galaxies within our Universe. Is one of them truly our “twin?”

Industrial landscape featuring large smokestacks and various structures of an oil refinery, some incorporating cutting-edge carbon removal technology, set under a cloudy sky.

The Present

Not all forms of carbon removal are created equal

The carbon market and offsetting system have created “carbon cowboys” and perpetuated forms of neo-colonialism and other inequities.

Up Next

A Case for the Pursuit of Unhappiness

Is the pursuit of happiness, which we Americans will celebrate later this week, a worthy goal? Many have said no, on the grounds that happiness comes only to those who […]