Guest Thinkers — September 22, 2009

Farewell, Summer 2009

Happy Equinox

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Today is the autumn equinox. Fall begins tonight, so: Goodbye, summer 2009. The photo: Brooklyn, September, 2009. By Michel Setboun, used with his kind permission.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Person holding an open, empty brown wallet with both hands, outdoors.

The Past

The deep and enduring history of universal basic income

While the concept stretches back centuries, it has garnered significant attention in recent decades.

A composite image shows the sun's path in the sky at different times of the year over a grassy landscape, with three arches of sun positions represented by dots, illustrating the earliest solstice.

Starts With A Bang

2024’s summer solstice is Earth’s earliest since 1796

On June 20, 2024, the summer solstice occurs at its earliest moment since 1796: when George Washington was President of the USA. Here’s why.

A man holding a transparent rectangular object up to his eyes, reminiscent of the analytical gaze of Robert and Frank Oppenheimer.

The Past

The atomic bomb, exile and a test of brotherly bonds: Robert and Frank Oppenheimer

A rift in thinking about who should control powerful new technologies sent the brothers on diverging paths. For one, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the public.