Culture & Religion — August 21, 2009

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A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

autoambulance

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A sea slug with a mottled appearance glides gracefully across the brown seaweed, its vibrant colors etching an unforgettable memory in the underwater landscape.

Neuropsych

What food comas in sea slugs teach us about memory

Memory takes effort, and our brains know it.

Jono Hey smiling outdoors with doodle art of a person and a star overlaid on the image.

Business

Better leadership in 3 “Sketchplanations”

Jono Hey — whose sketches have been shared by the likes of Bill Gates and Steven Bartlett — draws some of his most valued leadership insights.

The words "Cosmic Origins" appear in bold against a colorful, radiant explosion resembling a galaxy or cosmic event.

3 discoveries that change the way we think of the Universe

“Asking the question of, where did the entire universe come from, is no longer a question for poets and theologians and philosophers. This is a question for scientists, and we have some amazing scientific answers to this question that have defied even the wildest of our expectations.”

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22 min

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with

Ethan Siegel

Starts With A Bang

Surprising stars reveal second-closest supermassive black hole

Just 165,000 light-years away, the Large Magellanic Cloud is suspected to house a supermassive black hole. At last, evidence has arrived.

An aerial view captures two pairs of tennis players, akin to The Four Enemies, shaking hands at the net on a lush green court.

Mini Philosophy

The 4 types of enemies (and how to defeat them)

Buddhism has rules for slaying your enemies. But the real surprise is finding out who your enemies actually are.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Environmentalism 101:Contacting our Elected Officials

In a democratic society each person has a right to voice their suggestions and opinions in a polite way. Each voice is important whether you write to your mayor, your state representative or your U.S congressional representatives. Some tips for coming up with an idea plus a website with tips for writing to elected officials.