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Most of you won’t believe this, but I’ve actually gotten several requests to say more about Alexis de Tocqueville’s Democracy in America, rightly called the best book ever written on […]

Now that August, Big Think’s month of thinking dangerously, is over, we’d like you to give a thumbs up or a thumbs down to 10 of the radical ideas we presented.

While reusable bottles and tap water filters are by far the best alternative to bottled water, they can be, to use the highly scientific term, a hassle. To address this, […]

Now that AGU is behind us and that I’ve waded through a lot of grading (over the weekend: 4 sets of labs and one each of papers and homework), I […]

Amongst the weaponry of the Spanish Inquisition were such diverse elements as fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope, or at least that’s how the […]

Over on Jon Frimann’s Iceland Volcano and Earthquake Blog, there has been a lot of talk about the activity under Vatnajökull (see map below), the largest glacier on Iceland and […]

I’m a big fan of Paul Buchheit, the guy coined “Don’t be evil” and created both Gmail and Friendfeed. Now he’s working at Facebook, cooking up exciting things I’m sure. […]

The Czech dissident Jan Prochazka was spied upon for years by the Communist government in Prague, but he didn’t let this inhibit his conversation. He spoke to his friends as […]

Metropolis, Illinois, a tiny town with a grand name, is a distant echo of this area’s planned greatness

I went from the paintings, prints and poetry of John Lennon to the paintings and prints of William Tolliver in twenty four hours this weekend. Friday night, instead of parking […]

While we still haven’t quite discovered the fabled Fountain of Youth, a major breakthrough was recently made toward the goal of eternal life. Scientists at Harvard Medical School have discovered […]

Britain’s two most celebrated scientists have teamed up to discuss all of life’s big issues: the unity of life, ethics, energy, Handel—and the joy of riding a snowmobile.

The Washington Monthly’s Steve Benen pointed out a striking contrast Monday between what the Senate Republican leadership and the Senate Democratic leadership say their priorities are. Here’s Senate Minority Leader […]

Katrin Bennhold of the New York Times has a heartwarming piece for anyone planning a New Year’s Eve hookup. According to Bennhold’s friends, consenting to any sex with a dude […]

When the decision-makers at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery decided to drop David Wojnarowicz’s 1987 video “A Fire in My Belly” from their exhibition Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American […]

Optimism about a cure for HIV/AIDS is the highest it’s been since David Ho pioneered the Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment (HAART) drug cocktail in 1996.  Just last week, the powerful […]

Traditional communication campaigns seek to raise awareness, change behavior, or change policy. The FrameWorks Institute, in contrast, seeks to fundamentally reframe how Americans understand social issues, and through this new […]

I have a ton of respect for Facebook’s product team, they consistently launch innovative products that pull their users, often kicking and screaming, into more engaging experiences. This requires two […]

House Democrats are in trouble. Even with substantial majorities in both houses of Congress, Democrats have been unable to get the economy back to operating at full capacity. Whatever the […]

“Ellington had many of the traits one associates more readily with the founders of religious orders or political movements than with lone artists absorbed in self-expression.”

No one has a crystal ball, but some predictions that I made in recent years are coming into sharp focus with every scientific advance. For starters, every year, more organs […]

Congress is unlikely to pass any serious climate change legislation now that the Republicans have retaken the House. If you doubt that, consider the leading candidates to replace Rep. Henry […]

Today, Mike and I collaborated on the best bug ever filed. You can see it in it’s original glory here, or read the “edited for ease of reading” text version […]

For many in the Labour Party, the promotion of Ed Balls to Shadow ­Chancellor was as inevitable as it was long overdue. I was among many party members who argued […]

A website will analyze your emails and chats and estimate how well you are in sync with your partner, frenemy or whoever.

One of the frustrations that comes with a new and interesting idea is the large number of people who will tell you that you’re actually saying something old and familiar. […]

In the future, we may manufacture the products that we used to buy at the store right in our very own homes. We may also find ourselves buying products that […]

Feminist attorney Jill Filipovic takes a closer look at the sex crime allegations against Julian Assange of wikileaks. I think the post strikes exactly the right balance between being skeptical […]

This week, the global cities of Bogota, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Milan celebrate “Social Media Week,” with events and seminars focused on the use of digital media for building […]

“Mr. Allen, who has made most of his recent films overseas where it’s easier for him to secure financing, says ‘You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger’ is a good title for the United States.”