Politics & Current Affairs — April 26, 2010

Palin’s Take

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has amassed a $12 million fortune in the past year. She is "a singular national industry," writes Gabriel Sherman.

bigthinkeditor

Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin has amassed a $12 million fortune in the past year. She is “a singular national industry,” writes Gabriel Sherman. “No one else has rolled politics and entertainment into the same scintillating, infuriating, spectacularly lucrative package the way Palin has or marketed herself over multiple platforms with the sophistication and sheer ambitiousness that Palin has shown, all while maintaining a viable presence as a prospective presidential candidate in 2012.”

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?

A technician in a clean suit inspects a large, segmented, hexagonal mirror inside a circular gray structure.

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.

A book titled "Cultures of Growth" by Mary C. Murphy lying on a dark blue fabric surface.

Business

“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?

Up Next

Technology & Innovation

Racking Up I.O.U.s

"Too much debt is always dangerous," write Paul Krugman and Robin Wells. It's dangerous when the government is borrowing from foreign governments, as well as when it does from its own citizens.