December 31, 2013

Visualizing a Quantum-Mechanical Wonderland

This mathematical fantasy landscape was created by expanding on the Mandelbrot set of fractals to three dimensions.

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

This mathematical fantasy landscape was created by expanding on the Mandelbrot set of fractals to three dimensions.

Image Credit & Copyright: Jos Leys (Mathematical Imagery), Ultra Fractal

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A blurred black-and-white image of an American flag, with the stars and stripes visibly distorted, subtly reflecting political polarization.

The Present

Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity

“We’re acting more like fans of a football team going to a game than a banker carefully choosing investments.”

Young child sitting on a couch, illuminated by the screen of a tablet they are holding in a dimly lit room.

The Present

Beyond screen time: Rethinking kids’ tech use with the “Goldilocks hypothesis”

The digital world will always entail risks for teens, but that doesn’t mean parents aren’t without recourse.

Two people sitting across from each other at a table in a diner, engaged in conversation. The table has plates of food and drinks. The background shows other diners in a black and white setting.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: Can you build an intellectual friendship with someone you’re attracted to?

Does Platonic love actually exist?

People say altruism is selfish. They’re not wrong

“If we didn’t find helping other people pleasurable, we wouldn’t be altruistic.”

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6 min

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with

Abigail Marsh

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Could a “copy” of me exist in the Multiverse?

Within our observable Universe, there’s only one Earth and one “you.” But in a vast multiverse, so much more becomes possible.

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