Culture & Religion

It seems the prospect of a two-tier Europe is growing stronger. But there is already a three-tier one, in fact. The European Union is about as united as a conference of anarchists.

The Obama administration regards Asia as the defining competition of the next century. But instead of looking east, the U. S. really needs to look south–it needs Latin America.

Economists’ long-held concept of the rational consumer, whose always acts in his or her self interests and whose tastes never change, has been sufficiently disproven by psychologists.

As a former Penn State faculty member, I am overwhelmed and outraged by the stories we are hearing out of Happy Valley.  My colleagues across the country continue to ask me why so many students have rallied in support of Coach Paterno, despite revelations that clearly suggest merely following the letter of a reporting policy is insufficient in a case alleged to be this egregious.  Are Millennials – at least the thousands chanting, “We want Joe” – missing a sensitivity chip?  

Let’s inject a little lifeblood into the 2012 presidential race. 

Relations between longtime foes Pakistan and India are thawing. Recent progress on trade normalization was welcomed in Washington as a step toward stability in South Asia.

Europe enjoyed a common currency regime 2000 years ago and the old Roman empire could teach us a thing or two about the euro and its flaws today.

Qaddafi was not the worst of the modern world’s dictators, but few were as vain and capricious, and in recent times only Fidel Castro reigned longer. What is his legacy in Libya?  

In a bizarre twist to Mexico’s drug war, an international group of online hackers has warned a drug cartel to release one of its members, or see its private details published.

Note: This blog was co-written by Asher Edelman and Stewart Waltzer. Yea for Europe (we hope)! On October 27 the European community announced the “solution” to sovereign debt and European […]

Robert Scoble on why it’s more interesting on Google+ than Twitter or Facebook: because it’s for finding, and talking with, the people who are interested in the same thing you are.

Winning a second term will be almost impossible for Obama without continued support from voters aged 29 and under—one key reason he needs a stronger social media strategy.

Margaret Cho, the “Patron Saint of Outsiders” reveals the secret to overcoming barriers. 

UNESCO could soon grant the Palestinians membership, a move that would see the U.S. resign and could spur a chain of similar situations. At what cost to the U.S.?

We now have the power to map the brain, peering into the human mind to decode words from silent thoughts. But what will human consciousness look like, if we ever finally catch a glimpse of it? Neuroscientist Joy Hirsch kicks off the debate.

The Family Meal, Ferran Adrià’s new cookbook, gathers thirty-one three-course meals that the chef created for nightly staff dinners at El Bulli. 

Ethan Philbrick performs one of the first pieces of music ever written for solo cello, by J.S. Bach.

4chan founder Christopher Poole, knwon for promoting the value of digital anonymity, on why the Web should recognise that, “We all have multiple identities. It’s not abnormal.”

Gender stereotypes that fueled the sexual revolution of the ’60s have been replaced by a new set, say University of Michigan researchers. In a new paper, they seek to debunk them. 

Photo Credit: Jennifer Dessinger Adam Gopnik calls Jonathon Keats “a poet of ideas, whose work always rests on a solid basis of scientific research and resolves in a startling, semi-serious […]

Psychologist Dan Ariely says Zappos’ policy of offering potential customer service employees $3000 not to take the job is money well spent. 

Making art, says Singer-Songwriter Josh Ritter, is half of the artist’s job. The rest is hustling on its behalf – making sure the world hears it. (Exclusive, in-studio performance at the end of the article)

Former Xerox C.E.O. and Chairman Anne Mulcahy says women should steer clear of companies that do not already have female board members. Is she right?

The man who changed the world: Apple founder Steve Jobs dies weeks after quitting as boss of firm he started in his garage. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg praises his “mentor and friend.”

Neuroaesthetics has adopted this distinction between art and non-art objects by seeking to identify brain areas that specifically mediate on the aesthetic appreciation of artworks.

The Kindle Fire itself isn’t groundbreaking as far as devices go, but it should provide the most convenient platform for accessing Amazon’s many services. It can succeed without killing the iPad. 

Now you can get a close-up glimpse of the Dead Sea Scrolls, those ancient manuscripts penned by a small Jewish sect, with a few keystrokes on your personal computer.

Empowering girls to become fearless women starts with “a changed paradigm about how we see young people in general… as leaders, as change agents who are moving our culture forward.” 

More women than ever are choosing to pursue a life in science, but high-ranking positions are still held disproportionately by men. What does it take to rise to the top – and why do so few make it?

Black and white thinking gives us a (false and temporary) sense of security and control over life’s uncertainties but in reality it narrows our vision and creates insecurity.