Words of Wisdom — December 13, 2013

The Value of Self-Questioning

“The one who comes to question himself cares for mankind.” ― Kenneth Patchen (born on this date in 1911)

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“The one who comes to question himself cares for mankind.”
― Kenneth Patchen (born on this date in 1911)

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Abstract collage showcasing two mirrored, sepia-toned portraits of an older man with wild hair and a mustache, surrounded by scientific equations on a patterned background. This piece invites viewers to ponder the right question amidst the chaos of creative thought.

The Long Game

Question: Are you asking the “right” questions?

Take it from Bezos, Musk, and Einstein — rethinking lines of inquiry can transform business, investing, and innovation strategy.

Diagram of the expanding universe concept with cosmic inflation, light cone, and time axis.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: What’s the deal with cosmic inflation and the Big Bang?

Almost everyone asserts that the Big Bang was the beginning of everything, followed by inflation. Has everyone gotten the order wrong?

A person lies in bed reading a book, wearing a white blouse, in a painting with soft, muted colors.

High Culture

ChatGPT is great at summarizing books. But will AI ever write a true work of literature?

With the right prompts, large language models can produce quality writing — and make us question the limits of human creativity.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Why are inertial and gravitational mass equivalent?

The mass that gravitates and the mass that resists motion are, somehow, the same mass. But even Einstein didn’t know why this is so.

A deep space image showing numerous galaxies of different shapes and sizes scattered across a dark background, with many stars and cosmic objects, including the ancient Methuselah star, also visible throughout.

Starts With A Bang

Is the “Methuselah star” really older than the Universe?

The Universe is precisely dated at 13.8 billion years old, but astronomers claim the Methuselah star is 14.5 billion years old. What gives?

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