Words of Wisdom — July 2, 2014

Jules Henri Poincare on Science

“Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house.” – Jules Henri Poincare

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“Science is built up with facts, as a house is with stones. But a collection of facts is no more a science than a heap of stones is a house.” – Jules Henri Poincare

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Ancient stone structure with stairs under a blue sky with scattered clouds, surrounded by vegetation.

The Past

A beginner’s guide to sociopolitical collapse

How (not) to end up in the ash heap of history.

Starts With A Bang

4 pervasive myths that cause us to abandon science

It’s not a gambit. It’s not fraud. It’s not driven by opinion, prejudice, or bias. It’s not unchallengeable. And it’s more than facts alone.

High Culture

Does science fiction shape the future?

Six visionary science fiction authors on the social impact of their work.

A man holding a transparent rectangular object up to his eyes, reminiscent of the analytical gaze of Robert and Frank Oppenheimer.

The Past

The atomic bomb, exile and a test of brotherly bonds: Robert and Frank Oppenheimer

A rift in thinking about who should control powerful new technologies sent the brothers on diverging paths. For one, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the public.

The Past

Islam has become less rational since its medieval Golden Age. What went wrong?

Once a cosmopolitan faith, Islam valued intellectualism and modernity. It was derailed by various geopolitical and religious forces.

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

John F. Kennedy on His Hopes for America

“I look forward to a great future for America – a future in which our country will match its military strength with our moral restraint, its wealth with our wisdom, its power with our purpose.” – John F. Kennedy