Words of Wisdom — February 5, 2014

Marlowe on War

“Accursed be he that first invented war.” – Christopher Marlowe (born on this date in 1564)

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“Accursed be he that first invented war.” – Christopher Marlowe (born on this date in 1564)

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

A classical painting of the historical Jesus carrying a cross, with his face obscured by white scribble marks.

Big Think Books

Why historians can only give Jesus a one-sentence biography

The Gospels aren’t historical biographies but genre-defining works that blend myth, theology, and a promise of hope.

A colorful abstract painting is centered over a black-and-white collage of old newspaper clippings featuring portraits and articles.

Smart Skills

The creativity hack no one told you about: Read the obits

Reading obituaries can boost creativity by exposing you to distant ideas, fueling the associations that lead to unexpected breakthroughs.

Two faceless busts face each other. One, representing AI, has digital lines on its face, while the other exudes cognitive meaning with flowers and leaves emerging from its surface.

The Future

What AI’s sensory void tells us about thinking on “the road to meaning”

Cognitive neuroscientist and AI researcher Christopher Summerfield explores the differences, and similarities, of how AI and humans make meaning of the world.

A gloved hand holds a smoking test tube with tongs against a dark background.

The Future

How cryopreservation could end death as we know it

Other plans for the tech: organ banking and deep space travel.

An older man with white hair and a suit receives a document from another man in a robe during an event, as several people look on in the background. In the age of viral misquotes, capturing such moments accurately becomes ever more crucial.

High Culture

Einstein didn’t say that: How viral misquotes evolve and replicate

From Einstein to Twain, Garson O’Toole investigates the truth behind your favorite — and often misattributed — quotes.

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Words of Wisdom

Adlai Stevenson on Redemption and Forgiveness

“I believe in the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of ignorance.”- Adlai Stevenson (born on this date in 1900)