bigthinkeditor
Despite its social taboo, the use of hallucinogenic drugs in laboratory experiments has a robust history in the treatment of diseases like alcoholism and depression.
“Human charity is ultimately rooted in our compassionate feelings, and not in some rational, utilitarian calculations. We are not Vulcans.” The Frontal Cortex on why we help want to help others.
“The men are real. The girls are cartoon.” Increasing numbers of Japanese men are flocking to Atami, a city that promotes weekend date packages with one of three virtual girlfriends.
“Science fiction never imagined Google, but it certainly imagined computers that would advise us what to do.” A Times Op-Ed on whether or not Google will determine our futures for us.
Life expectancy continues to climb, but why aren’t we celebrating? As populations age the assumption is that their productivity declines, but we should rethink this foregone conclusion.
“How useful are global gatherings that invite great minds to share ideas and innovations in person?” From TED to Google to Aspen, organizers gather great minds to share their thoughts.
Is it true that more sensible decisions are reached by putting our heads together? Scientific American on studies that examine the effect of communication on problem solving.
“If Americans become too passive and entitled, the flames of entrepreneurial spirit will die down.” Dr. Jeffrey Cornwall says new economic policy will affect our entrepreneurial culture.
The bottle of wine you and your partner shared last night didn’t kill a single neuron in your head and, contrary to what you’ve been told, you are always using […]
Today is the last day of the Month of Thinking Dangerously here at Big Think, and in that spirit, we are presenting some more dangerous ideas from bioethicist Jacob Appel. […]
“More doctors are turning to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of their patient’s brains, but fears of possible seizures may be limiting its growth as a therapeutic tool.”
“The Iraqi population is suddenly mourning the departure of American troops, the once-hated occupiers, as fears of a civil war grow.” Spiegel reports on what is next for Iraq and its future.
“As the globe logs an unusually hot summer, Canada is boosting its presence in the warming and increasingly accessible Arctic.” The Wall Street Journal on emerging geopolitics.
“Despite the death of spam, e-mail hasn’t gotten much easier to deal with. That’s because our inboxes are inundated with legitimate mail.” Slate reports on Google’s new ‘Priority Inbox’.
As our knowledge of politics expands, we increasingly set out on our quest for social justice over the Internet, which often results in crazed and ineffectual debates in online forums.
“Being a child of a rock legend brings kudos, travel and famous friends—but fatherly wisdom and bedtime stories are rarely part of the deal.” The Independent reports on famous families.
In an interview with New Scientist, philosopher Slavoj Žižek says that ecology is the new opiate of the masses, the universe’s design is incomplete and Mother Nature is a ‘crazy b*tch’.
“If our’ sense of time is largely a cognitive illusion, then where does the illusion come from?” The Frontal Cortex blog follows neuroscientists looking for the nature of time from within the mind.
Scientists at MIT are working to synthesize bacteria found living in sea sponges on the ocean floor, which when in danger emit a chemical that has been shown to eliminate tumor cells.
“Mobile phones have been sold as business tools, fashion accessories and social organisers. But they can also be lifesavers.” The Telegraph reports on ten apps with tangible health benefits.
American workers are angry. So are their suffering customers. One of the problems with declining service may be that companies care most about the clients they don’t yet have.
Ross Douthat thought Glenn Beck’s star was fading but after attending his weekend rally is reconsidering. “It was a long festival of affirmation for middle-class white Christians.”
Acute Screen/Life Confusion, LOLpets Disorder, Generalized Trolling Compulsion, and Comments Derangement Syndrome. Just some of the online maladies you may suffer.
“One of the advantages of looking back on Asimov’s work from the remove of several decades…is that one can see how deeply enmeshed he was in the history of his own time.”
Richard Posner warns it’s not just Greece that risks seeing its government default on debt. The U.S. has dug itself in deep and also faces that possibility, he says.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki addresses the stoning of adulterers, the consequences of Western sanctions against Iran and the risk of a military strike.
Hoping for a workable alternative to using ‘he or she, him or her’? Dennis Baron says wordsmiths have long been coining gender-neutral pronouns, all to no avail.
“Nothing undermines the credibility of any sport more than the suspicion that what you are watching is in fact a fix,” intones The Guardian’s editorial as a new cricket scandal emerges.
As the waters recede, and the immediate crisis passes, the challenge will be to repair Pakistan’s infrastructure and catalyze its economic recovery, says the New Yorker.rn
Media consultant Frédéric Filloux rejects the notion that the internet has been taken over by mobile applications and that the web as we know it will soon be dead.