Culture & Religion — March 24, 2010

Why We Drink and Drive

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Why do we act irrationally? Does free will exist? These are the questions that philosopher Alfred Mele sought to answer when he sat down with Big Think.The Florida State University professor delves into what makes us make bad decisions, such as drinking and driving, and why in some cases self-deception can be dangerous. Mele talks about what drove him to ask these questions in the first place: Aristotle, who explained why we often go out and party when we know we should be studying.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

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.

Animated characters observe a family walking in a snowy scene through a viewing screen, inside a control room.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: Is there such a thing as a “negative emotion”?

There’s little more infuriating in the world than being told to “calm down” when you’re in the midst of a simmering grump.

A person reminiscent of Daniel Dennett, known for his critical thinking, stands with raised hands, sporting a beard and glasses. He wears a gray blazer over a blue shirt against a neutral background.

The Learning Curve

3 brilliant critical thinking tools used by Daniel Dennett

The late philosopher suggested adding a couple of “Occam’s heuristics” to your critical thinking toolbox.

Fractal pattern with a bright white center and symmetrical, radiating lines on a black background, resembling an intricate dance of math and physics.

Hard Science

Why physics is unreasonably good at creating new math

The secret sauce is the real world.

A globe is encircled by golden barbed wire against a gray background, evocative of autocracy and symbolizing restriction or confinement with a sense of luxury.

The Present

Today’s dictators are united — but not by ideology

Modern autocracies operate “not like a bloc but rather like an agglomeration of companies,” says journalist and historian Anne Applebaum.

Up Next

Culture & Religion

Prepare to Be Offended

Satoshi Kanazawa, an evolutionary psychologist at the London School of Economics, came by Big Think today to share his unconventional wisdom about highly intelligent people and their preferences. Liberals, he […]