Guest Thinkers — October 6, 2010

Sen. Jim DeMint Doesn’t Think Gays and Loose Women Should be Teachers

Lindsay Beyerstein

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

That’s funny, because I don’t think that bigots should be senators.

[Photo: Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons.]

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Starts With A Bang

The entropy of a closed system doesn’t always increase

The second law of thermodynamics is an inviolable law of reality. Here’s what everyone should know about closed, open, and isolated systems.

a close up of a cell phone near a keyboard.

The Future

The biggest problem with GPT-4 is philosophical: What is truth? And do we trust AI to tell us?

The biggest lingering question about GPT-4 isn’t if it’s going to destroy jobs or take over the world. Instead, it is this: Do we trust AI programmers to tell society what is true?

Neuropsych

Why a good sense of humor is an essential life skill

From health to leadership abilities, a good sense of humor can help improve many aspects of life.

Progress

‘We Are As Gods’ Explores the Legacy of Stewart Brand and the Critical Importance of Culture

An interview with filmmaker Jason Sussberg about his new film about Stewart Brand and the importance of culture in achieving progress.

The Present

Three powerful technologies we borrowed from nature

Three cutting-edge techniques – the gene-editing tool CRISPR, fluorescent proteins and optogenetics – were all inspired by nature.

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Technology & Innovation

Steven Rattner: Letting the Auto Industry Fail Would Have Been the “Economic Equivalent of an Atomic Bomb for the Midwest”

Financier Steven Rattner saved the U.S. auto industry. Or he didn’t. It depends on whom you ask. But either way, without government intervention last year, Rattner says the auto industry […]