Words of Wisdom — June 14, 2014

Van Gogh on Greatness

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh

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A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together.”

– Vincent Van Gogh

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

In the depths of space, a spiral galaxy twists like a cosmic Kraken, its bright core and distinct arms encircled by a sea of stars against the dark expanse.

Starts With A Bang

Devouring “the Kraken” led to the modern Milky Way

Did the Milky Way form by slowly accreting matter or by devouring its neighboring galaxies? At last, we’re uncovering our own history.

Image with a split view: the left half shows a black-and-white image of Earth, the right half depicts a grayscale crowd scene. Text overlay: "More Humans Are Better," with the number "3" in the top right corner.

The Present

The overlooked virtues of a crowded world

In a world of rising cynicism, a celebration of our capacity to create, adapt, and thrive.

A worker in a hard hat and safety vest adjusts equipment in a facility alongside large red machinery labeled "Jefferson Lab." The scene fades into concentric circles, as if drawn by the powerful collider, leading to a bright light.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Could we build a collider bigger than Earth?

The largest particle accelerator and collider ever built is the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Why not go much, much bigger?

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.

An image of the future of US astronomy with a large telescope inside a building.

Starts With A Bang

The future of US astronomy just dimmed by half

Ground-based facilities enable the greatest scientific production in all of astronomy. The NSF needs to be ambitious, and it’s now or never.

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