Guest Thinkers — September 5, 2010

A comment about comments and commenting

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

I know many of you have been a little frustrated by the transition here and especially your ability to leave comments effectively. I understand and appreciate your frustrations – any time there is a change like this, it isn’t really until the shakedown that real problems come out, and that is what we’re seeing. I can give you at least some guidance here if you haven’t figured it out already (however, it seems many of you have).

A lot of basic HTML works in the comment boxes:

Bold is allowed by or

Italics is allowed by or

A link is allowed using

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.

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?

People walking on a city street with steam rising from vents create a scene reminiscent of an omics exposome research study. A woman in a white beanie looks back as buildings and traffic form the vibrant backdrop.

Health

The next omics? Tracking a lifetime of exposures to better understand disease

Of the millions of substances people encounter daily, health researchers have focused on only a few hundred. Those in the emerging field of exposomics want to change that.

Starts With A Bang

How a nearby supernova could reveal dark matter

The last naked-eye Milky Way supernova happened way back in 1604. With today’s detectors, the next one could solve the dark matter mystery.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Is antigravity even possible?

Humans, when we consider space travel, recognize the need for gravity. Without our planet, is artificial or antigravity even possible?

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Chinese Climate Change

“Climate change could reduce key harvests in China by a fifth if the gloomiest scenarios prove true, according to a study on Wednesday.” Scientists say China is warming at a fast pace.