Guest Thinkers — February 16, 2011

Heavy textbooks

Scott McLeod

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Hmmm… What’s in there that’s not available in at least a dozen places on the Web for free?

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.

An AI-generated illustration of a man sitting at a desk, accompanied by thought-provoking poetry.

Thinking

Can AI write authentic poetry?

Cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity.

A close up image of a group of pink bacteria on a black background.

Neuropsych

The growing link between microbes, mood, and mental health

Research suggests that to maintain a healthy brain, we should tend our gut microbiome.

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