Politics & Current Affairs — April 25, 2011

Guantánamo Files Reveal Cold, Incompetent Stupidity

Obsessing over the injustices of Guantánamo Bay may become a surrogate for a wider hatred of America. But read the files and you'll realise that obsession is the only humane response.

bigthinkeditor

What’s the Latest Development?

The “nasty story of Guantánamo”, exposed today in The Guardian and The New York Times based on 759 leaked documents containing the words of the people who ran the place. The leaked files provoke horror not just at the physical things done to inmates but the cold, incompetent stupidity of the system, “in which to say you were not a terrorist might be taken as evidence of your cunning.”

What’s the Big Idea?

The leaks strip away even the cynical but persuasive defence: “it was harsh but it worked and it kept the world safe.” The documents reveal that in reality Guantánamo didn’t work, much of the time. What stands out is not some new horror from the secretive steel-barred compound, but the chaos and confusion. It is no surprise that the files record that one in seven of those detained developed psychiatric illness.

Neuropsych

Rhyme as reason: The cognitive quirk that makes bad advice seem wise

Beer before wine and you'll feel fine? Well, it depends.

Starts With A Bang

The better way to measure cosmic time

For some reason, when we talk about the age of stars, galaxies, and the Universe, we use "years" to measure time. Can we do better?

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Hard Science

Why a James Webb Space Telescope mystery doesn’t (necessarily) break cosmology

The JWST's observations of well-developed galaxies early in universal history may coincide with accepted astronomical theory after all.

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“Cultures of growth”: How small changes can build stronger, more successful teams

Psychologist Mary C. Murphy explains why growth-mindset teams outperform those centered around a lone genius.

Starts With A Bang

The Universe might never run out of hydrogen

The most common element in the Universe, vital for forming new stars, is hydrogen. But there's a finite amount of it; what if we run out?

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