Culture & Religion

The heralded economist and Harvard president emeritus explains why the price of oil is dropping in North America. He also discusses how American energy independence can’t be achieved just by reducing reliance on foreign oil.

Sexual assault on college campuses is worth discussing, but for all this talk, there needs to be a solution. One campus thinks it’s off to a good start, offering a course that educates men.

It’s tough to hear, but a shorter work week may not improve your job-life satisfaction. A recent study shows that there needs to be more than just a government reform to change office culture–corporations need to toe the line.

Jeremy England explains how simple physical laws make complex life more likely than not. In other words, it would be more surprising to find no life in the universe than a place like Earth.

For most employees paid time off is filled with skimming emails on the beach and dabbling in work. Employees no longer feel empowered by evenings away from the office–their personal time is no longer wholly theirs. But company priorities need to shift, lest they risk losses. 

Want to honor military veterans? Ditch the yellow ribbon and instead offer them opportunities to excel in a civilian career.

Somewhere between Guitar Hero and the do-it-yourself ethos of Rock ‘n’ Roll sits Rock Band Class, a ten-week course offered to anyone who wants to test their big dreams in front of a live audience.

Avocados may be in short supply come spring, causing prices to skyrocket and industries to import avocados from elsewhere. But consider where your food is coming from, and what lengths farmers are going to, to get it into your guacamole.

Adjust professors are always being asked to teach classes on subjects they’re not experts in. If you’re one of them, consider a peer-driven learning model that allows you to learn alongside your students.

Created during the 1980s to serve as a bridge between PG and R, the MPAA’s PG-13 rating has become a joke, says film critic Chris Klimek. He argues that shooting for a PG-13 rating promotes artistic conservatism and draconian content standards.

Worried about falling into a habit of prioritizing work over family? Sometimes what you need is an ally to hold your leash and make sure you don’t stray away from moments you won’t want to miss. 

The acclaimed self-help expert recently visited Big Think to discuss his new book and share stories about what wealth and generosity mean to him.

TV talk shows may have you believe that divorce rates are at an all time high–don’t believe it. Two-thirds of marriages are estimated to last till death in this new millennium.

Businesswoman and investor Barbara Corcoran shares her tips on amassing social capital by way of branding. This is the first video in a helpful Corcoran playlist focused on guiding small business owners and emerging entrepreneurs.

More emotional cues are communicated by the tone of your voice than by the words you are saying, and these emotional cues can make all the difference.

A scientific legend in his own time, James Watson was awarded the Nobel Prize for helping discover the structure of DNA. Tomorrow he will sell the medal for income at a Christie’s auction.

Christmas may be Jesus’ “birthday,” but, as any mother will tell you, his mother Mary really deserves the applause. Providing the humanity half to join with Christ’s divine side, Mary volunteered to play a part from the Incarnation to the Crucifixion to the Resurrection as everything from an active participant to an interested bystander, depending on your interpretation of Christian scripture. 

Knowing how to pitch a tent, cook over a campfire, and sell cookies door-to-door are fine community-building skills to have, but so is knowing how to be a digital entrepreneur. 

The takeaway is that to live a better life, one that is fuller and more richly human, we need not rely on having concrete reasons for our behavior but rather ideals which inspire our decisions.

An interview Chris Rock recently gave to New York Magazine demonstrates the comedian’s prescient views on race during a very reactionary time in the media landscape.

In a move described as an effort to prevent “cultural and linguistic chaos,” China’s State Administration for Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television has banned puns and other forms of “misleading” wordplay. Critics of this decision say the government is just trying to crack down on jokes about poor leadership.

The holiday season affords buyers a plethora of channels for acquiring their Christmas tree. Live or cut? Buy from a wholesaler or chop down your own? Deciding early will help you get the best tree for your needs.

Music may help build the great divide among culturally diverse children, according to a recent study. Researchers have brought hope to schools–a published study that shows playing music together may help integrate elementary-age migrant children into mainstream society

For many people, art museums feel like a foreboding foreign nation with a language all its own. Frederick Wiseman’s new documentary, National Gallery, offers an immersion class in how to speak fluent “museum.” 

Former NBA Commissioner David Stern discusses how diversity forms the foundation of the league’s recent growth and success. At one point, Stern was told the NBA was “too black to thrive.” Now, it’s as popular as ever.

Artificial sweeteners make it more difficult for your gut bacteria to digest sugars, increasing the chances of contracting type II diabetes. 

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is giving away free bitcoin as a way to encourage wider use of the software-based currency. 

People who can identify moments of emotional expression in others tend to earn a higher salary, according to a new study conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Bonn.

When we measure ourselves against someone in close geographical proximity, and if there is a history of close competition, we create a rivalry.

Biographer Walter Isaacson discusses the contributions of both Alan Turing and Ada Lovelace to modern computer philosophy.