Culture & Religion — September 19, 2009

Gary Vaynerchuk Crushes It

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Gary Vaynerchuk of Wine Library TV may be overtaking Robert Parker as the country’s most recognizable – and polarizing – wine expert. This weekend, watch him on BigThink.com giving a seven minute wine course, talking about overrated winemakers, and declaring that online social media is the next generation of business. After the jump, catch a sneak preview of Gary’s interview: he shares his foolproof techniques for impressing a dinner date while talking to a sommelier.

UPDATE: Gary is now live on the site. Aside from the above, Gary talks about his heroes, his career (including the moment he fell in love with wine), and more.

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Watch the ‘Googleburger’ Taste Test

The first lab-made burger has been dubbed by some the Frankenburger. It has also been dubbed the ‘Googleburger,’ since Sergey Brin, a co-founder of Google, funded the $330,000 experiment as a potentially transformative project for the benefit of humanity.

Politics & Current Affairs

A Tribute to a Departed Statesman

May Yahweh rest the Soul and Bless the Spirit of Senator Edward Ted Kennedy. Well done, thou good and faithful servant. He will always be remembered for his dedication to justice and the poor. Thank you, for being a part of this lifetime.

A man and a woman in ancient attire sit at a table indoors, engaged in conversation; beside the jug, roses, and scroll lies a small straw man figure.

Mini Philosophy

Daniel Dennett’s 4 rules for a good debate

What’s the point in fighting a made up monster?

A woman sits on a chair against a white backdrop, with yellow graphics of brain wave patterns in the background.

Move your body, grow your brain: the science of hippocampal neurogenesis

“We know that as little as 10 minutes of walking can improve your mood, getting that bubble bath with the dopamine, serotonin, endorphins going. Anybody can do that.”

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01:16:33 min

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with

Wendy Suzuki

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Was the Universe “timeless” before the Big Bang?

Here in our Universe, time passes at a fixed rate for all observers: one second-per-second. Before the Big Bang, things were very different.

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