Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

The Losing Bet

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

My technical incompetence has forced me to re-post the announcement on the Losing Bet. For those in Washington and interested you can watch a trailer here. (Click on the announcement below to bring it to actual reading size.)

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

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.

A silhouette of a person with glowing orange eyes against a brightly lit office window exudes an aura of power, casting dramatic shadows that heighten the room's awareness.

Business

How leaders can avoid a power-driven descent from hero to villain

If you have any sort of power for any reasonable length of time, you will be changed by it — awareness of the effects is crucial.

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.

Grayscale image showing a flying object captured on radar screen with various data markings.

13.8

New UFO hearings continue an “endless loop” of sensation

Astronomer Adam Frank asks: With so many extraordinary claims, why can’t anybody produce the proof?

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.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Housekeeping

Given some of the comments that have shown up on the blog over the past few days, Waq al-waq has decided to disallow anonymous comments. While we encourage different views […]