Surprising Science — July 11, 2010

Is Your Life Toxic?

"The world we live in is so overrun with environmental pollutants that it is next to impossible to keep oneself truly healthy." Sadhbh Walshe at The Guardian laments the lack of regulation.

bigthinkeditor

“The world we live in is so overrun with environmental pollutants that it is next to impossible to keep oneself truly healthy.” Sadhbh Walshe at The Guardian laments the lack of regulation. “A report released in the US earlier this year by the President’s Cancer Panel concluded that the risk of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated; that exposure to potential carcinogens is widespread; that the 80,000 or so chemicals used by millions of Americans in their daily lives (mostly inadvertently) are largely unregulated and that, to a ‘disturbing extent’, babies are being born ‘pre-polluted’.”

Strange Maps

America’s news deserts are growing

Most counties in the U.S. have only one local newspaper, often one that publishes weekly instead of daily.

Two people walking past a dark brick wall with numerous security cameras pointing in various directions.

The Present

Are smart cities a wise idea?

When Google runs a smart city, who owns the data?

Illustration of a young woman with closed eyes, smiling, next to a large, detailed eye and surrounded by vibrant, abstract elements and smiley faces.

Neuropsych

Eyes wide shut: Why closing your eyes intensifies psychedelic trips

A recent study suggests that exposure to visual stimuli can diminish the effects of psychedelic drugs.

Starts With A Bang

The big idea of Grand Unified Theories of physics

If the electromagnetic and weak forces unify to make the electroweak force, maybe, at higher energies, something even grander happens?

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.

The Future

Making microbots smart

What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?

Up Next

Technology & Innovation

The Coming Trade War

"When the world’s productive capacities exceed the buying power of the world’s consumers, every government wants to increase exports and discourage imports. That spells trade war."