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Men who begin their online dating messages with “Howdy” have around a 40% better success rate than those who start with “Hey,” says Sam Yagan, CEO of dating site OkCupid, […]
As rapid prototyping technologies become more affordable and accessible, we could be creating more and more of the products we use every day in our homes.
“A startup called RockMelt on Sunday launched the beta version of an entirely new type of Web browser with an impeccable pedigree.” The Daily Beast reports.
“Blogging is an ego-intensive process.” The Atlantic’s Marc Ambinder says he will not miss the navel-gazing—todays is his last day as a blogger.
Military veteran and critic of American militarism, Andrew Bacevich says the future of American foreign policy is bleak should the long war against terrorism continue.
If Republicans want to slash the federal budget to reduce national debt, they should cut America’s massive military spending, says The Economist’s Democracy in America blog.
Universities and computer companies like I.B.M. are making progress on quantum computers, superfast machines that obey the laws of quantum mechanics.
The linguist turned activist says the U.S. is vocal about its commitment to peace in Israel and the Palestinian territories but that its actions suggest otherwise.
British scientists celebrate a groundbreaking experiment that generated temperatures a million times hotter than the Sun’s center, reports The Independent.
Given incentives like product discounts, consumers are proving eager to hand over mobile phone data to businesses that want to track their movements.
The National Interest calls Bush’s memoir a record of how a dauphin took the world’s leading power and left it crippled. Is Bush’s legacy one with the nation’s?
Responding to Zadie Smith’s recent criticism of Facebook, Jonah Lehrer says online networks are evidence of our humanity—our drive to be social with one another.
Today we’re happy to announce that all Big Think videos are now viewable on the iTouch, iPhone, and iPad. Simply access BigThink.com through your Safari browser and enjoy all of […]
How did communism replace terrorism on the list of things Americans fear most and what’s behind Glenn Beck’s reawakening of the socialist ghost?
“You think 21st century culture is celebrity-obsessed? Try Mediterranean society at the dawn of the first millennium.” The L.A. Times reviews a new Cleopatra biography.
Travel writer and longtime Tanzania resident Frank Bures tells first hand of how communication and energy technology is giving Africa a brighter outlook than ever before.
“Why are slurs so offensive? And why are some more offensive than others?” asks Rutgers professor of philosophy and cognitive science Ernie Lepore.
An English professor uses Sherlock Holmes to teach her students not to separate academic knowledge from their own hard-earned experiential lessons.
“What follows is a partial agenda to raise economic growth and reduce the long run fiscal deficit.” Nobel Laureate Gary Becker has an economic plan for the U.S.
Tackling climate change and overcoming poverty are inseparable issues, say two renowned economists. The way to achieve both is through low-carbon economic growth.
“There will be no more transformative legislation; it will be all Obama can do simply to protect health-care reform from sabotage,” says Hendrik Hertzberg at The New Yorker.
Familiar idioms like ‘a thorn in your side’ and ‘the writing on the wall’ come from the King James Bible. An English linguist has recorded 257 such idioms from the text.
Shedding tears in public was once a sign of weakness and unreliability in men, but today the art of stoicism has been lost. Should we try to reclaim it?
Aggressive campaigns by colleges to boost their number of applicants gives the impression of exclusivity, but is this statistical allure harmful to education? Many say, ‘Yes’.
Author on economic sustainability Adam Werbach says environmentalists must embrace emerging technologies and engage corporations as part of its strategy.
The digital world and real world are becoming increasingly complimentary. A more efficient world with new social services is emerging, but is it a good idea?
The European Union is considering introducing legislation that would enable people to request that all personal information stored about them online be permanently deleted.
Germany’s finance minister has sharply criticized the U.S. Federal Reserve’s decision to pump a further $600 billion into the country’s ailing economy.
America’s inadequate welfare safety net has forced its leaders to take gambles to tackle unemployment, says Will Hutton at The Guardian.
Having relationships used to be easy, says Susan Orlean at The New Yorker. Online networks have created new and complex folds in our social fabric.