Guest Thinkers

For decades, holograms have been seen largely on the screen, in sci-fi movies and TV shows like “Star Wars” and “Star Trek.” The famed holodeck on “Star Trek” was used […]

A couple of updates on two of the volcanoes that have caught people’s attention right now! Oh yes, and sorry about the brevity of many of these updates lately – […]

Where once only two rocks marked a sleepy border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, recent days have witnessed an escalation in tension between the Central American neighbors over the tiny […]

Yesterday, the LA Times ran a feature describing separate communication efforts by the American Geophysical Union and a small band of climate scientists-turned-activists.  The effort by AGU seeks to engage […]

The Lyric Theatre in Shaftesbury Avenue, London was packed to overflowing last night with a galaxy of stars – and ordinary footsoldiers – who had all come to pay tribute to the late […]

“Blogging is an ego-intensive process.” The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder says he will not miss the navel-gazing—todays is his last day as a blogger.

The linguist turned activist says the U.S. is vocal about its commitment to peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories but that its actions suggest otherwise.

A quick update on the ongoing eruption at Merapi in Indonesia – the death toll has now reached at least 141 since the eruption started on October 26th. This number is likely a low […]

In the wake of the Midterm elections, perhaps overlooked has been the defeat of California’s Proposition 23, an oil-industry backed measure that would have overturned the state’s legislation limiting greenhouse […]

A former New Zealand Member of Parliament is setting out on a new business venture that she feels will be very popular—a brothel for women. She has even done her […]

Today we’re happy to announce that all Big Think videos are now viewable on the iTouch, iPhone, and iPad. Simply access BigThink.com through your Safari browser and enjoy all of […]

When it rains, it pours, my friends. The fall continues its volcanically noisy pace since late October as news comes in of ash explosions at Bulusan, the southernmost volcano on […]

By elections in Britain have not only become rarer – Members of Parliament tend to live longer these days, and are younger – but for the past decade have often […]

“You think 21st century culture is celebrity-obsessed? Try Mediterranean society at the dawn of the first millennium.” The L.A. Times reviews a new Cleopatra biography.

Travel writer and longtime Tanzania resident Frank Bures tells first hand of how communication and energy technology is giving Africa a brighter outlook than ever before.

I stood outside today, after reading the New York Times Sunday edition, and puffed on what was left of the stogie I’d started smoking when I began reading the paper. […]

For most art history students, the days of Dadaism and Surrealism seem like ancient history—two “-isms” buried beneath the quick succession of newer and newer “-isms” reigning ever since. Illustrator […]

Americans want change. The Republican victors in Tuesday’s election can certainly say they have a mandate to do what they said they would do. But it’s not at all clear […]

Guess what? Eating cheese isn’t just a mindblowing sensual pleasure, it’s also a patriotic duty. God bless America! The U.S. Department of Agriculture is spending millions of tax dollars to […]

Not a lot of time for me today, but needless to say, there is still a lot of action at Merapi. I’ve opened this thread after seeing the 637 comments […]

Author on economic sustainability Adam Werbach says environmentalists must embrace emerging technologies and engage corporations as part of its strategy.

Germany’s finance minister has sharply criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to pump a further $600 billion into the country’s ailing economy.

Environmentalism is all the rage, but which of our green dispositions really work? The Christian Science Monitor invites you to match environmental wits with Al Gore.

While popular culture emphasizes the role of scientific evidence in the criminal justice system, the role of forensic evidence still plays a minor role in the court room.

It is Kafka-esque, the Letter from Krasnokamensk Jail, circa 2010: The New York Times has run the Russian oligarch’s statement, the statement he delivered in front of his judge, and […]

With the 600+ comments over on yesterday’s post about Merapi, I thought it would be a good idea to open a new thread. A couple brief updates on the state […]

There are a couple brief articles that an eruption has occurred near the border region of Cameroon and Nigeria – in the state of Benue, which is midway along of […]

Research into the possibility of engineering a better climate is progressing at an impressive rate—and meeting strong opposition. The Economist reports.

What can be said of revelatory moments in life whose meaning seems beyond the reach of words? Should anything be said at all? Philosopher Roger Scruton on the ineffable.

Apparently you can teach some old dogs new tricks. In a piece by Digital Planet producer Colin Grant, artist David Hockney discusses his love affair with his iPhone and iPad […]