Guest Thinkers — February 16, 2011

Video – Rethinking education

Scott McLeod

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‘We may need to seriously rethink the university and its future.’ [feel free to substitute ‘school’ for ‘university’]

Another thought-provoking video by Dr. Michael Wesch. Happy viewing!

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

A composite image showing a galaxy with red circles marking stars on the left and multicolored expanding rings with Earth on the right, all set against a grid background, illustrating concepts like Hubble tension studied by Wendy Freedman.

Starts With A Bang

Is the Hubble tension real? Exclusive interview with Wendy Freedman

Different methods of measuring the Universe’s expansion rate yield high-precision, incompatible answers. But is the problem robustly real?

A man in a suit looks at the camera with a neutral expression, set against a light green background with abstract black scribble accents.

Big Think Books

John le Carré’s son joins the Circus with his new book

With “Karla’s Choice,” Nick Harkaway had an impossible mission: maintain his father’s legacy while staying true to his voice.

A flowchart with a large question mark at the top leads to boxes containing photos, abstract patterns, and arrows connecting each step on a textured green background.

Smart Skills

When to quit: A simple framework for life’s toughest decisions

Annie Duke, a poker champion turned decision scientist, talks with Big Think about how to choose well under uncertainty.

A digital illustration showing a glowing blue particle on the left, evoking cosmic inflation, transitioning into a geometric, grid-like structure on a purple background on the right.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Does cosmic inflation violate energy conservation?

A few physical quantities, in all laboratory experiments, are always conserved: including energy. But for the entire Universe? Not so much.

A woman, resembling a paranormal investigator, holds a rectangular glass dish above her eyes, which are illuminated by light shining through the dish in a dark setting.

Big Think Books

Why don’t Americans trust experts? Just ask a paranormal investigator.

For his new book, “The Ghost Lab,” Matt Hongoltz-Hetling spent time with paranormal investigators to understand their relationship with science and society.

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