What is effective altruism? Philosopher Peter Singer explains Effective altruism isn’t just for the rich. Philosopher Peter Singer shares how we can all be better at doing “good.” ▸ 8 min — with Peter Singer
Business 5 “belonging rules” to help the “moveable middle” thrive Every organization has a power block of dutiful but unappreciated talent. Here’s an effective plan for engagement.
13.8 What is life? This basic question defies science The best answer we have is, “Life is matter with intentionality.”
Hard Science Particle physicists prove that antimatter doesn’t “fall up” Sci-fi enthusiasts have long hoped that a substance called antimatter might experience gravity opposite that of ordinary matter. It doesn’t.
Business The case against hiring people from Ivy League schools Get rid of the notion that the best employees come from Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
Starts With A Bang Is K2-18b an inhabited ocean world? Don’t bet on it Some fascinating observations of K2-18b have come along with horrendous, speculative communications. There’s no evidence for oceans or life.
Strange Maps Germany to legalize cannabis — but not here, there, or just about anywhere Legally smoking joints in city centers will require alertness and a keen sense of orientation — two things stoners are not known for.
The Past Herostratus: the man who destroyed an ancient wonder of the world His crime was so great, he was not only sentenced to death but his name was to be erased from memory.
Business How the “challenger brand” mindset can change the world When leaders connect enterprise ambition with the driving spirit of activism, everyone wins.
Starts With A Bang Astronomer Johannes Kepler solved life’s hardest problem: marriage How can you maximize the amount of love and happiness in your life? One of history’s greatest scientists found the answer: with math.
Thinking 5 philosophy books that shaped Chinese thought Dive into China’s profound intellectual legacy through five seminal texts that have shaped millennia of thought.
High Culture Are America’s distinct accents dying out? In Georgia, it’s becoming less common to pronounce words like “prize” as “prahz.”
Hard Science How Mars lost its magnetic field — and then its oceans Chemical changes inside Mars’ core caused it to lose its magnetic field. This, in turn, caused it to lose its oceans. But how?
Starts With A Bang JWST discovers the farthest gravitational lens ever A more distant galaxy liked the lens so much that it went and put a ring on it. Here’s the science behind this remarkable cosmic object.
Business Meet the Web3 “stakehodlers” revolutionizing capitalism A “stakehodler” has both a voice and a vote, an economic interest in how each network stewards important global resources.
Hard Science How the Moon is helping us confirm Einstein’s relativity This measurement is crucial to confirm that one of the assumptions of Einstein’s theory of gravity is valid.
Business 4 essential questions leaders must answer in the new “workforce ecosystem” Huge shifts in the workforce demand real-world changes in management practices; “command-and-control” no longer cuts it.
Neuropsych “Opposites attract” is a myth: You likely share many traits with your partner “When Harry Met Sally” lied to you.
The Well Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can illuminate the debate over generative AI Humanity is never fully in control of its creations. This lesson from Mary Shelley has remained relevant for over 200 years.
The Past Kinsey at 75: How the sexologist enlightened — then scandalized — American society There are issues with Kinsey’s data, but his books revolutionized Americans’ thinking about sex and sexuality.
Business How to avoid “death by LLM” Generative AI — driven by large language models — has the potential to destroy or supercharge most businesses. Now is the time to pivot.
Einstein failed to solve the Universe. Here’s what it would take to succeed. | Michio Kaku If Einstein couldn’t solve the theory of everything, could anyone? Physicist Michio Kaku explains what it would take. ▸ 6 min — with Michio Kaku
Starts With A Bang Ask Ethan: What were the “dark ages” of the Universe? The hot Big Bang was an energetic, brilliantly luminous event. Today’s Universe is alight with stars. But in between, the dark ages ruled.
Health Is iron the Achilles’ heel for cancer? Cancer cells hoard iron in unusually high quantities. Scientists have discovered how to leverage this to create safer cancer drugs.
Business Why the myth of the “alpha leader” should be debunked Successful alpha leadership is more about caring and healing than dog-eat-dog supremacy.
Thinking We asked Big Thinkers: “Is there life after death?” Here’s what they said. Will you die when your body dies?
Starts With A Bang Pulsars, not dark matter, explain the Milky Way’s antimatter An enormous amount of antimatter is coming from our galactic center. But the culprit probably isn’t dark matter, but merely neutron stars.
13.8 To find a new world, watch how a planet dances with its star Finding a tiny planet around bright stars dozens or hundreds of light-years from Earth is extremely difficult.
Business Don’t repeat Google’s mistake. “Agile innovation” can unleash and retain talent Talent wants to be free — but a safe company culture puts “the maze in the mouse” and shackles progress.
Neuropsych How to stop your amygdala from hijacking your emotions The amygdala can hijack your brain’s response if it recognizes past trauma in a current situation. To regain control, simply press pause.