Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

Early Reports

I caught the tail end of a report on al-Jazeera this morning about the happenings in the south – it did not look good. News Yemen is reporting at least one protester killed in clashes with security forces in Aden, but much of the news from today is still yet to be reported.

I’ll be on the road (or rather tracks) much of the day and away from the computer, so you are on your own. For those in Washington, feel free to come by Carnegie at 12:15 for the talk on security and Yemen.

Starts With A Bang

The idea that matter is mostly empty space is mostly wrong

Practically all of the matter we see and interact with is made of atoms, which are mostly empty space. Then why is reality so... solid?

Strange Maps

America’s news deserts are growing

Most counties in the U.S. have only one local newspaper, often one that publishes weekly instead of daily.

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The Present

Are smart cities a wise idea?

When Google runs a smart city, who owns the data?

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Neuropsych

Eyes wide shut: Why closing your eyes intensifies psychedelic trips

A recent study suggests that exposure to visual stimuli can diminish the effects of psychedelic drugs.

Starts With A Bang

The big idea of Grand Unified Theories of physics

If the electromagnetic and weak forces unify to make the electroweak force, maybe, at higher energies, something even grander happens?

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