April 16, 2012

What is Democracy?

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

For this week’s post I would like to ask a single question: What is democracy?

Please share your answers in the comments. I will feature what I think are the most interesting responses in next week’s post.

I look forward to your thoughts!

—

Image of The Parthenon courtesy of Shutterstock

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A wooden box filled with assorted old black-and-white photographs and postcards.

Neuropsych

What makes a memory real?

Changing the narrative on false memories might be surprisingly simple.

A large telescope is housed inside an observatory dome, surrounded by people.

Starts With A Bang

Starts With A Bang podcast #110 – Optical Interferometry

Interferometry gave us a black hole’s event horizon, but that was in the radio. What can we accomplish with a new optical interferometer?

Two Guy Fawkes masks in a pixelated, digital art style with one mask smiling and the other frowning, set against a dark background with faint green patterns.

The Future

Will AI supercharge hacking — if it hasn’t already?

Hackers are in an arms race with cyber defenders. Will AI tip the balance?

Collaged image of text and a black-and-white scene with a dinosaur and mountainous backdrop. The year "1950" is visible in the bottom left corner.

The Past

How the search for dinosaurs on Venus exposed a warning for Earth

Dinosaurs and other beasts were once thought to be the “undisputed masters” of Venus.

Three versions of a buttercup flower: left is yellow in visible light, middle is pinkish in ultraviolet, and right is colorless in infrared—a glimpse into the diverse sensory umwelt surrounding us.

Business

How “umwelt” can make you more creative and productive

If you’re out on a walk, you will see a different world than your dog, a bee, or an ant. Here are three reasons why that matters.

Up Next

Should Europe Put Its Royalty Out to Pasture?

An ill-timed African vacation (to shoot at elephants) has landed Spain’s royal family in hot water with the public. At what point do cultural traditions themselves become anachronistic?