The observer changes everything, but what does that mean? “You can observe a lot by just watching.” –Yogi Berra In our everyday lives, things happen the way they happen, and whether […]
Search Results
You searched for: D A
When I first heard of Yossarian Lives, a website that bills itself as the metaphorical search engine, I thought “no way!” Good metaphors are inherently artistic and depend on a […]
How close to you sleep to your mobile phone? Is it connected to a charger on your nightstand or do you have a pillow for it right next to yours?
All meaning is relational (otherwise it’s potentially useless and unhealthy). That’s true for both senses of meaning, and Nozick’s “Pleasure Machine” shows why workable individualism must be relational. 1. Individualism’s […]
If you’re binge-watching through the night, chances are you’re not getting enough sleep. That means you’re probably not nearly as productive or happy as you should be during the day. Take a crash course in story structure and self-control in order to quash your addiction.
Bottling doesn’t necessarily result in a more severe explosion of negative emotion down the line. According to studies which gave participants pillows to punch, actively expressing your anger makes you more aggressive.
The densest, most massive objects in the Universe will live an awfully long time, but not forever. Here’s what happens to them. Image credit: Gemini Observatory/AURA illustration by Lynette Cook. […]
And what it might — and might not — give us useful insights into. Image credit: Karen46 of http://www.freeimages.com/profile/karen46. “The anthropic principle – the idea that our universe has the properties it does because […]
A hybrid potato that can reduce food waste and eliminate a suspected carcinogen in cooked potato products would seem to be an environmentalist’s dream. But the hybrid was created using biotechnology to blend potato genes from different varieties, so opponents of genetically modified food are fighting to keep this potentially beneficial product from ever reaching consumers.
PopWed Co. in Washington DC offers couples an inexpensive pop-up wedding free from the stress of large event planning. The company’s two employees officiate and photograph the intimate, public ceremonies — sometimes to the chagrin of local security guards.
Sometime over the next few weeks, Planck will release their new results. What will that mean for gravitational waves from inflation? “The paradigm of physics — with its interplay of data, theory […]
ABC News correspondent Dan Harris discusses how mindfulness helped him recover from an on-air panic attack.
The retired congressman discusses his long history as a supporter of marijuana legalization.
It might not sound impressive, but the physics behind it — and the power of its applications — are literally world-changing. Image credit: Orphek LEDs, via http://orphek.com/about/aquarium-led-lighting/. “Everyone must leave something behind when he […]
Architect Frank Gehry’s raised many controversial buildings over the years, but few as controversial as the middle finger he recently raised during a press conference in Spain. During a press […]
We’ve known for a very long time that our body language influences others. What we’re only now beginning to understand is how our body language alters the way we ourselves perceive the world.
Turns out that being nice to other people isn’t just good for the recipients of your kindness. According to the latest research, people who are generous and altruistic reap a […]
If you’re a recent college grad frustrated that the salary you needed to pay your private student loans never materialized, you have the sympathy of Daniel Altman, Big Think’s Chief […]
According to Duolingo founder Luis von Ahn, 800 million poor people around the world are trying to learn English to better themselves and improve their economic conditions. But most language lessons are expensive. His solution: Duolingo, a free app that runs on smartphones and computers.
Of the countless natural wonders dotting Iceland’s famous Ring Road, perhaps most notable are the country’s bountiful and majestic waterfalls. Iceland’s unique location and climate have made it home to some […]
High demand coupled with poor yields have top chocolate companies raising wholesale prices. The future of the industry is bleak as social, economic, and environmental factors could cause cocoa bean production to crash. Although this isn’t exactly an economical depression, that’s the emotion most chocoholics are feeling right now.
People in lab coats aren’t wizards, so why do we treat them as such? One writer argues that our botched understanding of science, and that we erroneously conflate it with truth, has led to myriad social problems.
Professional skateboarder Chris Cole explains how the sport channels a unique form of creativity that also contributes to the industry’s success as a whole.
Will Self argues that crowdfunding is doomed. He says eventually the crowd will wise up that people are really just begging for money. His argument is based on someone who […]
How do we know how old the most distant objects we see actually are? “Sometimes a person has to go a very long distance out of his way to come back […]
And how, if we manage to harness it on Earth, it could be the most accurate probe in all of scientific history. “We… are what happens when a primordial mixture […]
Our love of the one-time ninth planet holds the key to our drive for venturing out into the Universe. “I have announced this star as a comet, but since it […]
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranked Germany first and Mexico last in a rating of major economies and energy efficiency.
NASA released another 3D image. This time it’s of the Apollo 17’s Lunar Rover, parked in the Taurus-Littrow valley of the Moon. NASA explains: The color anaglyph features a detailed […]
“If only we’d stop trying to be happy we’d have a pretty good time.”- Edith Wharton