Culture & Religion — April 7, 2009

Dear Zachary Shtogren

All type, no talk.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Is BT still considering a get-together, meeting of the minds, convention, pizza party or something? I bet a lot of experts would show up and there would be some good discussion/debate? I just hope there’s pizza.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Starts With A Bang

How to make peace with the weirdness of quantum mechanics

Our classical intuition is no good in a quantum Universe. To make sense of it, we need to learn, and apply, an entirely novel set of rules.

Arms burdened with a large stack of papers, folders, and rolled-up documents, a person exemplifies toxic productivity. Their black bag hangs precariously from their arm as they navigate the weight of their workload.

The Learning Curve

How to break free from your “toxic productivity” cycle

Psychotherapist Israa Nasir explains how a “value-aligned life” can help us crush our goals — without being crushed by the need to accomplish more.

The Present

Microplastic overload: Is cutting production the only realistic way to curb pollution?

On November 25, U.N. members will meet in South Korea to cap off a series of meetings aiming to reduce global plastic pollution.

Silhouette of a person against a blue background, overlaid with white node and line networks.

Thinking

Mechanized minds: AI’s hidden impact on human thought

While we’re busy wondering whether machines will ever become conscious, we rarely stop to ask: What happens to us?

A silhouette of a person with glowing orange eyes against a brightly lit office window exudes an aura of power, casting dramatic shadows that heighten the room's awareness.

Business

How leaders can avoid a power-driven descent from hero to villain

If you have any sort of power for any reasonable length of time, you will be changed by it — awareness of the effects is crucial.

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Politics & Current Affairs

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