Technology & Innovation — May 5, 2010

Best and Brightest

Why do so many top Ivy League grads go to work for Wall Street firms like Goldman Sachs and McKinsey? James Kwak says it's because they offer well-paid, generic business training.

bigthinkeditor

Why do so many top Ivy League grads go to work for Wall Street firms? “The primary selling point of Goldman Sachs or McKinsey is that it leaves open the possibility of future greatness. … The idea is that you will get some kind of generic business training that equips you to do anything … and that you will get the resume credentials and connections you need to go on and do whatever you want.” The firms make it very easy for students to choose them, by holding campus events and actively recruiting them. Oh, and they offer plenty of money.

Strange Maps

America’s news deserts are spreading

Most counties in the U.S. have only one local newspaper, often one that publishes weekly instead of daily.

Two people walking past a dark brick wall with numerous security cameras pointing in various directions.

The Present

Are smart cities a wise idea?

When Google runs a smart city, who owns the data?

Illustration of a young woman with closed eyes, smiling, next to a large, detailed eye and surrounded by vibrant, abstract elements and smiley faces.

Neuropsych

Eyes wide shut: Why psychedelic trips intensify when you close your eyes

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

Starts With A Bang

The big idea of Grand Unified Theories of physics

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

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.

The Future

Making microbots smart

What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Evolving Threat

Analysts at the National Counterterrorism Center say the terrorist threat to America is becoming more decentralized and less deadly. But the terrorists are also harder to find.