Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

At least they came

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Instead of talking about how Reuters came late to the party let’s embrace the fact that they came at all. (Anyone with the reference?)

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Starts With A Bang

Ask Ethan: Why do scientists avoid the possibility of God?

When it comes to our Universe’s origins, scientists discuss the Big Bang, cosmic inflation, and other theories. Why doesn’t “God” come up?

Five World War I soldiers in uniform stand and sit near sandbags in a trench, with a sign reading "Surrey Lane" visible in the background—evoking camaraderie amid the Ring of Fire on the front lines.

Books

Not just the Western Front: “Ring of Fire” rediscovers WWI’s global story

Historians Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst reexamine the pivotal conflict from a grassroots perspective.

Starts With A Bang

Laniakea, our home supercluster, is already being torn apart

On the largest scales, galaxies don’t simply clump together, but form superclusters. Too bad they don’t remain bound together.

A man in historical clothing nails a document featuring a cartoon animal face—a nod to popular memes—to a wooden door, while two others watch.

Mini Philosophy

What makes a meme take off? The 3 rules of virality

One does not simply make a meme go viral.

Aerial view of people walking on a paved surface, casting long shadows behind them in bright sunlight.

The Present

Most social trends aren’t what they seem

Our minds crave simple, linear narratives. But society rarely follows a straight line.

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Clashes in Hudaydah

Al-Sahwa and other Yemeni newspapers are reporting clashes between Yemeni security forces and al-Qaeda suspects in Hudaydah. (One warning note: over the next several days we will inevitably see a […]