Words of Wisdom — December 10, 2013

Emily Dickinson on Poetry

"If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry." - Emily Dickinson (born on this date in 1830)

bigthinkeditor

“If I read a book and it makes my whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry.” – Emily Dickinson (born on this date in 1830)

The Future

A general-purpose robot is entering the workforce

Named “Phoenix,” this AI-powered humanoid could be your next coworker.

a black and white photo of a person in a box.

High Culture

Forget Transylvania. Dracula was inspired by an Irish cholera epidemic

Bram Stoker’s mother survived a terrible cholera outbreak and recounted the ghastly scenes to her son years later.

A statue of a man sitting under a night sky filled with stars.

The Learning Curve

The 3 disciplines of Stoicism: A guide for living a life of meaning and intention

Philosophers Massimo Pigliucci and Greg Lopez discuss how Stoicism can help us gain perspective on our emotions and act with intention in the world.

a woman with red hair and yellow glasses.

Neuropsych

87 brain scans of people watching Hollywood movies unlock a “brain map” of social perception

A new study from Finland suggests that we all process the behavior of others using the same neural networks.

a painting of a boat floating on a body of water.

The Well

I’m “spiritual but not religious.” Here’s what that means for a physicist

Spiritual experiences can be explained in terms of a highly evolved brain. But they also can be extremely meaningful.

Up Next

The Coldest Place in the World

Researchers used thermal infrared sensors to pinpoint the record-setting pockets on a high ridge of the East Antarctic Plateau. The record low: minus 136 F (minus 93.2 C), set on August 10, 2010.