Guest Thinkers — February 22, 2011

Jeans for innovators

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Couldn’t pass this up. The small business community Ekaweeka has been featuring this YouTube video of a photo shoot for Innovator Jeans on its front page: young lovelies dance around in tight jeans on a windswept sandy beach to the tune of Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love.”

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

A silhouette of a crowned figure holding a scepter and a red bag, with various coins spilling out against a blue background.

Mini Philosophy

Why the people who actually drive history aren’t in the textbooks

Follow the money and you’ll follow history.

People in early 20th-century attire gather outside a building, as an intriguing green geometric pattern overlays the scene. This blend of classic and modern elements evokes the innovative spirit of AI art.

High Culture

The cinematograph, the “noematograph,” and the future of AI art

Hugo-winning author Ken Liu explores what early cinema and Chinese poetry can teach us about AI’s potential as a new artistic medium.

A retro computer displays a ghost on the screen as pixelated chains drift across the foreground, reminiscent of a scene from a Ken Liu short story. This digital haunt unfolds against a vivid orange background.

High Culture

“The gods will not be chained”: A short story by Ken Liu

The first in a series of short stories by the Hugo- and Nebula-winning author that inspired the cult hit “Pantheon.”

Abstract black and white artwork consisting of scattered and fragmented geometric shapes on a plain background.

Smart Skills

How to understand things

A brief guide to habits that separate deep understanding from superficial knowledge — and how to cultivate them.

An image of a cluster of galaxies, meaning science.

Starts With A Bang

10 thoughtful insights about the great cosmic unknowns

An in-depth interview with astronomer Kelsey Johnson, whose new book, Into the Unknown, explores what remains unknown about the Universe.

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“Japanese innovation” that’s actually from Finland, Korea or America

Apparently, young Americans have little or no idea of where the best innovation in the world is taking place. When in doubt, they simply assume innovative high-tech products come from […]