Words of Wisdom — June 30, 2014

Rene Descartes on Good Books

"The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation with the noblest men of past centuries who were the authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts." - Rene Descartes

bigthinkeditor

“The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation with the noblest men of past centuries who were the authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.” – Rene Descartes

Thinking

Can you tell fact from opinion? Some languages sort it for you.

The language you speak plays an important role in how you evaluate truth.

Neuropsych

Could ultrasound blasts treat OCD and addiction?

OCD and addiction may result in part from improper “reward” pathways in the brain. Ultrasound can disrupt those pathways.

Neuropsych

The mystery of how “place cells” in the brain map out your physical environment

Your brain is remarkably good at mapping out physical spaces — even if it’s an imaginary space like Hogwarts. But how does the brain do it?

Starts With A Bang

The Universe is not symmetric

The laws of physics obey certain symmetries and defy others. It’s theoretically tempting to add new ones, but reality doesn’t agree.

Health

Which country is the best place to die?

Scientists ranked countries on their end-of-life care. The U.S. fared poorly.

Up Next

Surprising Science

New York Supreme Court: Towns Can Use Zoning to Ban Fracking

The New York Supreme Court struck a blow to the oil and gas industry today when it ruled that towns can use zoning ordinances to stop landowners from engaging in hydraulic fracturing, more colloquially known as fracking.