Guest Thinkers — February 16, 2011

Nearly 1 in 3 HuffPo Education posts references ‘Waiting for Superman’

The documentary film Waiting for Superman debuted on September 24, 2010. To date it has only grossed $2.7 million at the box office.

Just in case you were wondering, however, between September 24 and October 20 there have been 246 posts made in the Huffington Post Education section. Of those posts, 76 of them (31%) have referenced the film in one way, shape, or form. The percentage of celebrity and/or politician posts at HuffPo that have referenced the film? Much, much higher.

A Google search brings up nearly 25 million results. In contrast, a search for NBC’s recent Education Nation series only brings up about 120,000.

What do you think is going on here? An outsized impact for a small documentary?

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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Are smart cities a wise idea?

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

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

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