Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

No surprise here

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

This should not come as a surprise: the US and UK embassies have been closed, citing security threats.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula is going to retaliate, the only question is when and where.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Collage of classical art suggesting a theme related to somatic markers.

Business

How “somatic markers” can transform your decision-making

Ditch the old brain vs. heart assumptions, and instead think about a heart-led brain.

A black and white image of a bunch of spheres, symbolizing the multiverse concept discussed by scientists.

Starts With A Bang

How logic and reasoning can fail as scientific tools

In logic, ‘reductio ad absurdum’ shows how flawed arguments fall apart. Our absurd Universe, however, often defies our intuitive reasoning.

A group of cult members dressed in white participating in an outdoor gathering or ceremony under a partly cloudy sky.

Thinking

Are religions simply cults that have gone mainstream?

Or are cults the religions we find distasteful?

A digitally enhanced view of a crescent planet Earth with a galaxy in the background.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when planet Earth first formed?

The Earth that exists today wasn’t formed simultaneously with the Sun and the other planets. In some ways, we’re quite a latecomer.

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.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Tuesday Papers (Fighting in Iraq)

News Yemen has a piece that reports at least one of the 16 al-Qaeda suspects currently on trial spent time fighting in Iraq. There are summaries of the news in […]