Guest Thinkers — August 21, 2011

Teen Destroys $1.8 Million Chandelier with Croc

Lindsay Beyerstein

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Just goes to show that neither $1.8 million chandeliers, nor Crocs have any business existing.

[Photo credit: ellenm1, Creative Commons. For illustration.]

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Starts With A Bang

How to make peace with the weirdness of quantum mechanics

Our classical intuition is no good in a quantum Universe. To make sense of it, we need to learn, and apply, an entirely novel set of rules.

The Present

Microplastic overload: Is cutting production the only realistic way to curb pollution?

On November 25, U.N. members will meet in South Korea to cap off a series of meetings aiming to reduce global plastic pollution.

Collage of architectural designs: a detailed stone arch with sculptures reflecting ancient architecture, an ornate geometric pattern, and a faded image of the Taj Mahal.

The Long Game

Why every long-term investor should study ancient architecture

Magnificent time-tested buildings are filled with lessons in resilience and stability — and the benefits for investment strategy can be huge.

Silhouette of a person against a blue background, overlaid with white node and line networks.

Thinking

Mechanized minds: AI’s hidden impact on human thought

While we’re busy wondering whether machines will ever become conscious, we rarely stop to ask: What happens to us?

Yellow and black bird perched on a thin branch surrounded by green leaves.

The Present

How tech is turning science into a hobby

Off-the-shelf consumer technology is helping people pursue their interests — and advancing science at the same time.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Amazon Publishing Leaps Forward; HarperCollins Smells a Monopoly

For Amazon, a publishing program is the next logical step in its long-term business strategy. For the rest of the book industry, it’s cause for a bad case of nerves. […]