Words of Wisdom — July 30, 2014

Gandhi on Culture

“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi

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“No culture can live if it attempts to be exclusive.” – Mahatma Gandhi

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Colorful abstract depiction of a human silhouette surrounded by layered, radiant patterns in various colors against a textured background.

The Past

The long history of the human aura

From religious iconography to modern mysticism, the human aura has been a subject of fascination across centuries and cultures.

An older man with a white beard sits in a room, wearing a light blue shirt, hands clasped together. Bookshelves and artwork are visible in the background.

The Future

Kevin Kelly points a new way forward into the Age of AI

One of the most original and optimistic thinkers in America sketches some big ideas about what’s possible with AI in the next 25 years.

Illustrated bell curve depicting IQ distribution with meme characters at various IQ levels: 70, 100, and 130, representing different intellectual stereotypes.

Strange Maps

The story behind the internet’s most viral (and misunderstood) political meme

A study on the “moral circles” of liberals and conservatives gets drafted into the culture wars — with mixed results.

Map of Europe overlaid with an image of a contemplative monkey, set against a dark blue grid background.

Thinking

Is philosophy too Western for its own good?

Whether we should tear down philosophy’s Berlin Wall and let East and West finally merge depends entirely on what we think philosophy is—and what it’s for.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: What are the worst cosmic misnomers?

Historically, astronomers have often named things creatively, bizarrely, and often inaccurately. But which terms are the most egregious?

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