Orion Jones
Managing Editor
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Steven Pinker’s 13 rules for writing better
The Harvard psychologist loves reading authors' rules for writing. Here are his own.
Drink alcohol for a longer life, say scientists, just not too much
Moderate drinking is associated with a longer lifespan in just about every population ever studied, says Dr. Claudia Kawas, professor of neurology at the University of California, Irvine.
Caffeine reduces brain blood flow. So how does it energize our minds?
While more controlled psychostimulants like amphetamines and cocaine facilitate a rush of blood to the whole brain, caffeine actually restricts blood flow overall.
Why President Trump wants a military parade in Washington D.C.
President Donald Trump has requested that the U.S. armed forces stage a parade in the nation's capital to feature America's military might. The timing and source of the request has drawn a mixture of opinion.
What the U.S.-Mexico border wall would look like in Europe
The size of the U.S.-Mexico border wall proposed by the Trump administration seems shockingly ambitious when overlaid onto a map of Europe.
SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket passes crucial test, launch date imminent
Tickets are on sale to view the launch of SpaceX's largest rocket, the Falcon Heavy, which carries with it humanity's ambition to land astronauts on the surface of Mars.
What cognitive abilities did Donald Trump’s mental assessment test for?
We break down the eight specific brain functions that were evaluated by the President's recent cognitive assessment.
Here’s What Puerto Rico Looks Like After Hurricane Maria
The US island territory of Puerto Rico, recently devastated by category 4 hurricane Maria, remains without electricity.
‘Populism Isn’t Bad. False Populism Is.’ Here Are This Week’s Top Comments
Here are this week's top comments on Big Think content from across the Web.
“Legal Doesn’t Equal Right.” Here Are This Week’s Top Comments
Here are this week's top comments on Big Think content from across the Web.
Non-theists believe less in ‘random evolution’ after viewing nature documentaries
According to a study recently published in the journal Emotion, being in awe of nature may make individuals less likely to accept scientific explanations for the existence of our universe.
These Numbers Tell the Story of Einstein’s Gravitational Waves
LIGO is celebrating apparent confirmation of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, specifically that space and time are really one unit that exist as part of a gravitational grid.
Are Syrians Like the Jewish Immigrants Fleeing Germany in 1939?
Anyone not wanting to accept Syrian refugees should really consider this historical analogy.
French ‘Anonymous’ Releases Names of Suspected ISIS Recruiters
The online vigilante group says it has located personal information belonging to ISIS recruiters living in Europe.
NASA Reveals How Mars Went from Habitable Planet to Barren Wasteland
NASA is getting really serious about its mission to land humans on Mars in the 2030s.
Food Addiction Is Real and Has ZERO to Do with Willpower
These findings are extremely helpful.
Birth Order Doesn’t Affect Personality, but It Does Affect Intelligence
Younger siblings generally have a lower IQ than their older brothers and sisters, according to three large national surveys from the US, UK, and Germany.
Why Human Babies Are Much Dumber than Animal Babies
Baby giraffes can stand within hours of birth and zebras can run in the first 45 minutes of life.
How Adult Coloring Books Can Bring Out the Artist in You
Coloring books for adults are an intriguing new hobby, breaking into the mainstream like the young-adult fiction boom before them.
‘Bridge of Spies’: The Coen Brothers’ Unintentionally Radical Script
Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Joel and Ethan Coen are bringing it all together.
Is There a Moral Problem with Taking Endless Selfies?
There are apparently some high-stakes moral implications to taking selfies.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Is Saying Very Presidential Things
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's comments are plainly spoken, aspirational, and cognizant of an American aesthetic. It's presidential material, actually.
Reproductive Rights Are a Philosophical Issue, Not a Religious One
A federal judge has dragged reproductive rights out of the mud of religion into the lofty heights of moral philosophy.
Truth Is Good, But Knowing Too Much Truth Is Harmful
The truth is a bitter pill to swallow, they say. Yet much of today's information economy is built on the premise that knowing more is better.
Banksy’s Dismaland: Here’s What Is Not to Love About It
The fantasies, institutions, and humans at Dismaland do not merely sometimes fail us — they are marked for death from the start.
All-Female Team Keeps Hunting African Poachers as Cecil Outrage Fades
The Black Mambas regularly face unpredictable safari animals and heavily armed poachers.
Like Athletes, Actors Use Steroids to Get Ahead. That’s Wrong.
Professional bodybuilders say the amount of muscle Jake Gyllenhaal gained in six months is impossible without the use of performance enhancing drugs.
College Professors Told to Fork Over Email Exchanges with Monsanto
In an unprecedented use of Freedom of Information laws, an anti-GMO group wants to read the emails of forty university professors with professional associations to biotechnology firms.
Netflix Offers Full Year of Paid Leave to Parents Who Want It
If you're a new mom or dad, it's a really good time to work for Netflix.
Ebola Vaccine Proves 100% Effective in Its First Trial
A vaccine that did not exist a year ago has proven 100 percent effective at preventing people who are at extremely high risk of infection from contracting the Ebola virus.