Surprising Science — February 18, 2011

The Biggest Misconception About Weight Loss

Marc Bessler

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Fat is not necessarily bad for dieters, says the obesity expert.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A gloved hand grips a vaccine-loaded syringe, framed by a red-tinted portrait of a historical figure in the center and a grainy black-and-white landscape on the right.

Thinking

Everyday Philosophy: When should you try to change your friend’s beliefs?

“I have a friend who thinks vaccines cause autism,” writes Nina. “What can I do?”

A robotic hand and a human hand reach towards each other, with a glowing DNA helix in the background, symbolizing humanity's last exam in the intersection of technology and biology.

Starts With A Bang

Why “humanity’s last exam” will ultimately fail humanity

A crowdsourced “final exam” for AI promises to test LLMs like never before. Here’s how the idea, and its implementation, dooms us to fail.

Black and white photo of a man centered on a split background; the right side features a map dotted with Airbnb logos, while the left showcases a digital pattern, symbolizing tactical leadership navigating the complex landscape of modern accommodations.

Business

Tactical leadership: The “Navy SEALs” of Airbnb

Airbnb’s CBO, Dave Stephenson, joins Big Think for a chat about elite-team leadership, “founder mode,” the Taylor Swift effect, and more.

A blurred black-and-white image of an American flag, with the stars and stripes visibly distorted, subtly reflecting political polarization.

The Present

Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity

“We’re acting more like fans of a football team going to a game than a banker carefully choosing investments.”

A grid of 15 photos depicts an elderly man with varying levels of digital distortion. He wears a hat in some images and has prominent facial lines and a mustache in all pictures.

The Future

“Model collapse” threatens to kill progress on generative AIs

When AI eats its own product, it gets sick.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

House Votes to Defund Planned Parenthood, Title X

The Party of Spite strikes again. The Republican-controlled House voted Friday to de-fund not only Planned Parenthood, but all Title X funds for clinics that perform abortions: If the resolution […]