Guest Thinkers — February 22, 2011

The Olympics and Innovation

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

nThe cover story of the current issue of Business Week looks at how the Olympic Games have fostered innovation across a wide range of sectors and industries: “Sometimes innovation pops up in unexpected places—from ticketntechnology to starting guns. Makers of these goods hope to get an addednmarketing boost from their ties to the Olympics.”

Is it just a coincidence that GE – the parent company of Olympic Games broadcaster NBC – is mentioned prominently in the article?

[image: Business Week]

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Comparison of a star's image, Vega, as taken by the Hubble Telescope (left, with starburst pattern) and the JWST (right, with clear circular halo).

Starts With A Bang

JWST compels us to ask: what’s wrong with Vega?

The 5th brightest star in our night sky is young, blue, and apparently devoid of massive planets. New JWST observations deepen the mystery.

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Starts With A Bang

The biggest holes in NASA’s suite of observatories

NASA’s space telescopes and observatories bring humanity unrivaled science images and scientific discoveries. Here’s what should be next.

Two Guy Fawkes masks in a pixelated, digital art style with one mask smiling and the other frowning, set against a dark background with faint green patterns.

The Future

Will AI supercharge hacking — if it hasn’t already?

Hackers are in an arms race with cyber defenders. Will AI tip the balance?

A vintage computer mainframe with multiple interconnected units, cables, and knobs, displayed in front of a red background on a wooden floor.

The Past

The love letter generator that foretold ChatGPT

Alan Turing and Christopher Strachey created a ground-breaking computer program that allowed them to express affection vicariously when so doing publicly, as gay men, was criminal.

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Business

Why “holistic innovation” should be a mainstay of climate tech leadership

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