How to smell a weak argument coming Train for any argument with Harvard’s former debate coach, Bo Seo. ▸ 12 min — with Bo Seo
Starts With A Bang Ask Ethan: Can black holes really cause dark energy? Since its observation discovery in the 1990s, dark energy has been one of science’s biggest mysteries. Could black holes be the cause?
The Present The creepiness of conversational AI has been put on full display The danger posed by conversational AI isn’t that it can say weird or dark things; it’s personalized manipulation for nefarious purposes.
Sponsored Risk takers have “childlike” brains—and sometimes it’s a benefit Risk-taking isn’t inherently bad: It tends to build self-confidence when things work out, and resilience when they don’t.
Neuropsych When headache medications cause your headaches When migraine and tension-headache patients overuse their medications, they can actually trigger more headaches.
Hard Science “Nothing” doesn’t exist. Instead, there is “quantum foam” When you combine the Uncertainty Principle with Einstein’s famous equation, you get a mind-blowing result: Particles can come from nothing.
Starts With A Bang 3 independent proofs that quantum fields carry energy Are quantum fields real, or are they simply calculational tools? These 3 experiments show that if energy is real, so are quantum fields.
Hard Science An attempt to solve a quantum problem just deepens the mystery Recent measurements of subatomic particles don’t match predictions stemming from the Standard Model.
13.8 Edwin Hubble and a really big telescope: How cosmology was born It is a story with nebulous beginnings and no discernible end.
The Learning Curve What to do if your inner voice is cruel The golden rule of self-compassion: Treat yourself with the same kindness you treat others.
Personal Growth 7 thought experiments that will make you question everything From “Thompson’s violinist” to the “Experience Machine,” these thought experiments will throw your mind for a loop.
How to use note-taking for crystal clear focus This productivity hack comes with an asterisk, explains note-taking guru Tiago Forte. ▸ 4 min — with Tiago Forte
Starts With A Bang You absolutely must not attempt to shoot down spy balloons Even if a balloon flies directly overhead, attempting to shoot it down with a conventional firearm is stupid, ineffective, and dangerous.
High Culture The relatively unknown artists who produced masterpieces In the West, discussions of 20th-century painting are dominated by Warhol and Picasso, but trendsetting artists are found everywhere.
High Culture South African wedding goat and 4 other curious gift-giving traditions from around the world If you get married in South Africa, don’t be surprised if someone shows up to the ceremony dragging along a smelly goat.
The Future MIT scientists design AI that could predict rare disasters, like bridge collapses and rogue waves Catastrophes are difficult to predict because they are so rare. But AI using active learning can make predictions from very small data sets.
Starts With A Bang The cosmic reason behind planetary rings The secret ingredient is violence, and it just might indicate that “moonmoons” aren’t as uncommon as most astronomers think.
How America lost its mind — and how to get rationality back Washington University professor John Inazu tells us how we can make peace inside a raging culture war. ▸ 4 min — with John Inazu
Strange Maps Happy Valentine’s Day — in 10 maps! How to say “I love you” in Basque, the “most loving” cities around the world, and where most of America’s singles live — and so much more!
Neuropsych Your brain is wired to detect fear, outside of your conscious awareness Your brain may notice fearful faces, even if you don’t consciously realize it.
The Present The highest earning men aren’t especially intelligent. What explains their success? A study out of Sweden shows that the highest earning men are slightly less intelligent than those just below them on the economic ladder.
The Learning Curve Ease productivity overload with “niksen,” the Dutch art of doing nothing To do more, it sometimes pays to do nothing at all.
Neuropsych How reading fiction can make you a better person Instead of walking a mile in someone’s shoes, try reading a chapter in their book.
Starts With A Bang The Universe violates the perfect cosmological principle Generations ago, cosmologists asserted that the Universe might not just be the same in all directions, but at all times. But is that true?
Health “Brain-eating” amoeba beaten by old European drug The pathogen typically kills more than 90% of people it infects.
Hard Science Is there life on our Solar System’s icy moons? Extreme places on Earth may hold clues Some microbes can withstand Earth’s most inhospitable corners, hinting that life may be able to survive similarly extreme conditions on other worlds.
Neuropsych Steven Pinker: Linguistics as a window to understanding the brain “Language is the most distinctively human talent.”
Starts With A Bang Starts With A Bang Podcast #90 – How Galaxies Grow Up A fascinating 90 minute podcast between Dr. Ivanna Escala and Ethan Siegel on Starts With A Bang!
The Present World’s fastest “shoes” increase walking speed by 250% They cost $1,400 and will make you feel like you’re always on a moving sidewalk.
The Past The “deep state” secret police is full of uneducated, incompetent underachievers Whether in Russia or China, the secret police are defined by their unquestioning loyalty — as well as by their poor career prospects.