Words of Wisdom — March 25, 2015

Mary McLeod Bethune: The World Respects Power Above All Things

"We live in a world which respects power above all things. Power, intelligently directed, can lead to more freedom. Unwisely directed, it can be a dreadful, destructive force."

bigthinkeditor

Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) was an African-American educator and one of the preeminent civil rights leaders of the early-to-mid 20th century. In 1904, the education-focused Bethune founded a school for African-Americans girls in Daytona Beach, Florida. That school eventually became Bethune-Cookman University. She served on Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s “Black Cabinet” and was actively involved in organizations such as the National Association of Colored Women, the National Council of Negro Women, and the National Youth Administration. She died in 1955, one year and a day after the Brown v. Board of Education decision.

“We live in a world which respects power above all things. Power, intelligently directed, can lead to more freedom. Unwisely directed, it can be a dreadful, destructive force.”

Quoted from her last will and testament.

Strange Maps

America’s news deserts are growing

Most counties in the U.S. have only one local newspaper, often one that publishes weekly instead of daily.

Two people walking past a dark brick wall with numerous security cameras pointing in various directions.

The Present

Are smart cities a wise idea?

When Google runs a smart city, who owns the data?

Illustration of a young woman with closed eyes, smiling, next to a large, detailed eye and surrounded by vibrant, abstract elements and smiley faces.

Neuropsych

Eyes wide shut: Why closing your eyes intensifies psychedelic trips

A recent study suggests that exposure to visual stimuli can diminish the effects of psychedelic drugs.

Starts With A Bang

The big idea of Grand Unified Theories of physics

If the electromagnetic and weak forces unify to make the electroweak force, maybe, at higher energies, something even grander happens?

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.

The Future

Making microbots smart

What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?

Up Next

Words of Wisdom

No Political Society Can Deliver Us from Humanity’s Innate Fear

"No society has been able to abolish human sadness; no political system can deliver us from the pain of living, from our fear of death, our thirst for the absolute. It is the human condition that directs the social condition, not vice versa."