Guest Thinkers — July 26, 2011

New York Owl Felled By Herpes

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

City investigators have determined that a great horned own found dead in Inwood Hill Park last month succumbed to avian herpes.

The virus is not transmissible to humans.

[Photo credit: Great horned owl by Vicki’s Nature, Creative Commons.]

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

The head of a man and a woman are shown side by side in a research study focused on ketamine and depression.

Neuropsych

A vaccine for depression

Ketamine’s remarkable effect bolsters a new theory of mental illness.

A clock, believed to be the first in America, showcased beside a book.

Starts With A Bang

The physics of why the first clock in America failed

A clock, designed and built in Europe, ran hopelessly at the wrong rate when brought to America. The physics of gravity explains why.

A group of cyclists riding down the road.

Health

Why the first rule of cycling club is “shave your legs”

Don’t argue with science. Just do it.

An illustration of a man with glasses in front of a colorful background.

Smart Skills

Innovation chief says “pressure test” your pet hypothesis. It’s guaranteed to be wrong.

His grandfather, a member of Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb team, foresaw the potential of nuclear energy to power cities — not destroy them.

a vase sitting on top of a wooden table.

The Past

What did ancient people eat? Scientists find new clues in old pottery

On the menu: stews, cheese, and fermented drinks.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Yemen Update

While I’ve been busy thinking and blogging about drones these past few weeks, things on the ground have continued to evolve even if there hasn’t been a great deal of […]