Guest Thinkers — February 16, 2011

A major award

Scott McLeod

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Spotted in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania:

If you celebrate Christmas (or A Christmas Story), have a great day!

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A drawing of a dragon on a pile of gold, symbolizing hope.

High Culture

“Eucatastrophe”: Tolkien on the secret to a good fairy tale

For J.R.R. Tolkien, the single most important element of a fairy tale was the dramatic reversal of misfortune in the story’s ending.

Close-up of a semiconductor wafer with intricate microchip patterns and a reflective surface, illuminated by pink and blue lights.

The Future

Silicon chips are no longer sustainable. Here’s what’s next.

Behind America’s hunt for a superior semiconductor.

Diagram of atomic orbitals showing various shapes and labels, including s, p, d, and f orbitals, organized in a triangular structure with coordinate axes x, y, z.

Starts With A Bang

Why the number “1/137” appears everywhere in nature

One of the fundamental constants of nature, the fine-structure constant, determines so much about our Universe. Here’s why it matters.

A classical marble statue's head embodies Roman resilience, adorned with an orange construction helmet against a teal background.

Business

What we can learn about resilience from the Pantheon

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Digital illustration of a DNA double helix in red and blue, set against a black background.

The Future

Can we automate science? Sam Rodriques is already doing it.

“We can build AI scientists that are better than we are… these systems can be superhuman,” says the FutureHouse co-founder.

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