Politics & Current Affairs — March 3, 2011

Taking on the Obama Bubble

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

In his Big Think interview, the prospective GOP presidential candidate takes aim at what he calls the “fourth bubble,” i.e., government spending.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A metal ladder of misinference stretches into a round sky view, its rungs disappearing among the clouds against a dark backdrop.

The Learning Curve

How to disrupt misinformation with the “ladder of misinference”

Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School, warns us to be mindful of the incentives surrounding misinformation — including our desire to believe it.

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.

A person holds a smartphone and a book with an ornate cover, clasped together in both hands.

The Present

Silicon Valley’s obsession with AI looks a lot like religion

The tech world’s fixation on artificial intelligence has spawned beliefs and rituals that resemble religion — complete with digital deities, moral codes, and threats of damnation.

A collage featuring hands holding a plant, additional hands in sepia tone, a grid background, orange accents, and the text "Reclaim Meaning" with the number 4.

Thinking

How to reclaim meaning in a changing world

What if the barrier to a fulfilled life isn’t technology but culture?

Black and white portrait of a man with a thick mustache and short hair, looking slightly to the side.

Thinking

The case for Nietzsche’s “Overhuman” as a prophecy of superintelligent AI

“Could you create a god?” Nietzsche’s titular character asks in “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.”

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