Personal Growth — February 22, 2009

What’s in a name? A lot.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A rose by another other name may not smell quite as sweet, explains Greg Mankiw, who parses the real difference between a ‘nationalization’ of banks and a ‘pre-privatization’.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A digital illustration of a human brain with blue veins and a glowing light at the top, set against a black background.

The Future

How Neuralink’s chief competitor is tapping into the brain without surgery

“Neurotech is not just about the brain,” says Synchron CTO Riki Banerjee, explaining how their tech can help with paralysis, brain diseases, and beyond.

Bright orange star surrounded by a dense field of smaller white stars in space.

The Past

How humanity discovered we’re all made of “star stuff”

Carl Sagan was far from the first to declare we are the children of ancient stars.

Person disguised as a ghost with sunglasses, sitting at an outdoor table.

Neuropsych

Why we ghost

The psychology of people who cut off all communication—and how that affects their partners.

A person in a red shirt stands next to "Waves in an Impossible Sea," the 2024 science book by Matt Strassler. The background displays a blurred bookshelf.

Starts With A Bang

“Waves in an Impossible Sea”: The 2024 science book of the year

Matt Strassler’s journey into fundamental physics culminates in a brilliant explanation of the Higgs field. Enjoy this exclusive interview.

Wind turbines on grassy hills under a clear blue sky.

The Future

Should we turn the electricity grid over to AI?

And can we run the grid of the future without AI?

Up Next

Politics & Current Affairs

Joe, The Plugger

The cross-cutting matrix of interests that defines our new global landscape is nicely represented in this commercial for the non-profit Citizens Energy featuring founder, and Kennedy family scion, Joe Kennedy […]