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When presidential debates become a media circus, it’s the voters who lose. But an alternative debate format would eliminate the kind of candidate-moderator feud that is dominating our political moment.
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For most of his adult life, George Takei had to hide his sexuality to protect his career as an actor. He came out when he was 68 years old and, contrary to his fears, his work and his life have since blossomed.
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8 min
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In prohibiting juvenile solitary confinement in federal prisons, President Barack Obama follows the advice of prison experts like Marie Gottschalk. Here she explains the “degrading and dehumanizing” harm caused by extreme isolation.
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The mission to explore Europa, the moon of Jupiter with twice as much seawater as Earth, has entered “phase B,” meaning the project now has funding from Congress.
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How you feel about your job is obviously an important indication. The other is whether your company encourages you to learn skills that will keep you — and the company — relevant.
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6 min
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If you believe in the myths that surround some of our most famous and beloved creators — Einstein, Jobs, or Edison, for example — you’re setting yourself up for failure.
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8 min
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As Carl Sagan told us, we and our apple pies are made of star stuff. But there’s something more: We are made of particles formed in the first moments of the Big Bang.
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The power of art to unite us across political divides is paramount, despite a tendency of artists to be leftists. Victoria Coates, art historian and foreign policy advisor to Ted Cruz’s 2016 Presidential Campaign, explains.
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When Eric Paley met the founders of SeatGeek, the online ticketing agency, he noticed immediately how they were intimately engaged in solving the small problems of their business.
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If you don’t have a perfect idea for a new business, don’t sweat it. Co-founder of the online ticketing service SeatGeek, Jack Groetzinger says all you really need is to find a stolid industry.
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Creativity is the result of toggling between two main modes of thought. So what exactly are these modes and how do we take the middle path?
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Bill Nye answers a question from Thomas: “Is there really an independent ego that is in control of my every thought and action?”
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If a rising tide lifts all boats, why isn’t America — a nation of such wealth and resources — a more egalitarian country? Actor Wendell Pierce says we’ve lost the true spirit of capitalism.
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A little-known scientific experiment, in which researchers reversed the aging process in rodents, was recently repeated by three major medical institutions. The results will make you think very differently about aging.
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The question of antimatter is a specter haunting the field of physics: Why is there more matter in the universe than anti-matter? Lawrence Krauss gives a surprising answer.
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3 min
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Jesse Ventura and Donald Trump were astute political observers during the 1980s. But Trump has taken the wrong lessons from history, says the former governor of Minnesota.
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Just the thought of money causes your brain to react in ways similar to being high on cocaine.
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What does it mean when someone calls you smart or intelligent? According to developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, it could mean one of eight things.
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Since the autism diagnosis first appeared in 1943, the world has become a much more welcoming place for people with autism, but it’s still not quite where it should be.
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Jason Silva offers a crash course on the tech-centric philosophy that seeks to overcome the limitations of humanity.
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Your brain creates all the narratives in your life, but it’s possible to train yourself to transcend the mind’s innate urge to storify everything.
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3 min
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A bevy of new research is proving wrong many of our preconceived notions about women and sexuality.
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Author and peace activist Maajid Nawaz argues that we too often treat radical Islam with kid gloves. While our good intentions make us sensitive to the Muslim faith, and keep us from labeling its violent members as radical practitioners, it does society a grave disservice.
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Big Think+ is a video-driven platform that catalyzes happiness and performance in professional environments by cultivating leadership, creativity, and self-knowledge. Learn more at edge.bigthink.com.
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What does it mean to be a “philosopher entrepreneur?”
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Don’t be afraid of making decisions, says entrepreneur Scott Belsky. Decisiveness — even when the decisions aren’t the “right” ones — is a sign of a true leader.
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Gun enthusiasts are worried their guns could get confiscated by the feds. Writer Michael Shermer explains why that’s not going to happen.
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Charlie comes to Bill with a question about the balance between the ethics of scientific concepts and those scientific concepts in and of themselves. In response, the Science Guy demonstrates how the two ideas — an idea and its ethical implications — are innately inseparable.
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The world was able to completely revolutionize warfare between the start of World War I and World War II. Who’s to say we can’t replicate that sort of rapid change over the next 20 years, except with a goal of improving the environment?
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You never know who your intern will become.
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