Guest Thinkers — December 21, 2010

NPR: Morning Edition

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

Kelly McEvers of NPR has a piece on al–Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Yemen on Morning Edition this morning. It features both Thomas Hegghammerand myself talking about Saudi and Yemen respectively.

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

Map showing Copenhagen, Denmark’s projected 2080 climate as similar to Demigny, France today, with a red arrow connecting the two cities and climate details listed in pop-up boxes.

Strange Maps

Mapped: How hot your city will be in the 2080s

“Climate analog mapping” finds the place that is currently as warm as your city might be in 60 years.

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.

A green skull in the background appears to stare through a glass of champagne centered in the foreground, evoking Agatha Christie poisons, all set against a black backdrop.

Big Think Books

Murder, she measured: The impressive science behind Agatha Christie’s poisons

Kathryn Harkup, chemist and author of V Is for Venom, joins Big Think to discuss why Christie isn’t just a brilliant writer but a unique science communicator.

A woman, resembling a paranormal investigator, holds a rectangular glass dish above her eyes, which are illuminated by light shining through the dish in a dark setting.

Big Think Books

Why don’t Americans trust experts? Just ask a paranormal investigator.

For his new book, “The Ghost Lab,” Matt Hongoltz-Hetling spent time with paranormal investigators to understand their relationship with science and society.

Silhouette of a person carrying a cross in front of the United States Capitol building, symbolizing cross purposes between faith and politics.

Big Think Books

The price of Christianity’s “broken bargain” with democracy

An atheist’s case for why American democracy needs a more Christlike Christianity.

Up Next

Guest Thinkers

Reports of Arrest Greatly Exaggerated

I have little confidence in Mareb Press‘ sourcing for reports of the arrest of ‘Abd al-Malik al-Huthi. There seems to be much smoke and little fire.