Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

New Column

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

It what is easily the most exciting Yemen-based news of the day (cue tumbleweed), I have a new column out about the dangers of comparing Yemen to Afghanistan/Somalia. It would have been better were it longer, or if was just a pithy, Wilde-esque statement.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

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.

People walking on a city street with steam rising from vents create a scene reminiscent of an omics exposome research study. A woman in a white beanie looks back as buildings and traffic form the vibrant backdrop.

Health

The next omics? Tracking a lifetime of exposures to better understand disease

Of the millions of substances people encounter daily, health researchers have focused on only a few hundred. Those in the emerging field of exposomics want to change that.

An older man with white hair and a suit receives a document from another man in a robe during an event, as several people look on in the background. In the age of viral misquotes, capturing such moments accurately becomes ever more crucial.

High Culture

Einstein didn’t say that: How viral misquotes evolve and replicate

From Einstein to Twain, Garson O’Toole investigates the truth behind your favorite — and often misattributed — quotes.

Silhouettes of three people in red stand on a podium made of white cubes, evoking the spirit of ranked choice voting, with blue circles against a dark grid background.

The Present

Can ranked-choice voting heal our poisoned politics?

The electoral reform also known as instant-runoff voting promises bridge-building and broad appeal instead of culture war and gridlock.

Collage with a hand holding a pen, hand grasping a light bulb for idea generation, and graphs depicting optimization.

Business

How to create an “idea generation assembly line”

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

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Guest Thinkers

Investing in Yemen

One thing your buddies at Waq al-Waq like to do is talk about the broad scope of Yemen, including its economy. I’m sure you’ve all heard that it is: not […]