Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

More Radio

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Both Brian and myself have done some more radio interviews.

Brian was on the Takeaway this morning

And I was in an NPR piece from Jackie Northam last night. (I have actually done several radio interviews over the past several days so much so that one friend is close to being able to stand in for me, and I will post the audio as they become available.)

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Five modern philosophy books about the idea of justice on a pink background.

Thinking

5 books that shaped 21st-century philosophy

Philosophy isn’t stuck in the past. Here are five texts to connect you with its ongoing dialogue.

Comparison of early Mars with abundant water and a thicker atmosphere versus the dry and arid Mars of today, much like Venus, which also died in terms of its potential to support life.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when Venus and Mars both died?

In the early stages of our Solar System, there were three life-friendly planets: Venus, Earth, and Mars. Only Earth thrived. Here’s why.

An abstract composite image depicting where life began with mountainous terrain, chemical structures, and a monochrome inset of a cloudy sky.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when life first sprang forth on Earth?

Although early Earth was a molten hellscape, once it cooled, life arose almost immediately. That original chain of life remains unbroken.

A beach along the Great Lakes with waves crashing over rocks and sand.

The Past

How the Great Lakes formed—and the mystery of who watched it happen

Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were.

The Milky Way, a galaxy in space filled with stars, grew up.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when the Milky Way grew up?

Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is both completely normal and absolutely remarkable in a number of ways. Here’s the story of our cosmic home.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Translating Tariq al-Fadhli

Yemen is a confusing place and at times that confusion is used by certain people within the country to further their own agenda. Still, after reading stories like this and […]