bigthinkeditor
The 21st century will not be dominated by America or China, instead it will be built on cities rather than states, predicts Parag Khanna, author of “How to Run the World”.
Promiscuity is an interesting subject. There was a time, in the United States at least, when there was a pronounced double-standard about “sleeping around”: women who had many sex partners […]
Director of the Washington office of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, Haris Tarin tells of the tolerant America his late immigrant father cherished, a tolerant America that is crumbling.
In an effort to gather data and make facilities more entertaining, some museums have deployed stealth observers to document patron reactions to how exhibitions are laid out.
Google CEO Eric Schmidt says that public figures of the future will have to contend with their own Facebook party photos. Should we expect name changes en masse as a solution?
“A slowdown or double-dip recession could put entrepreneurs to the test.” The Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship at Belmont University suggests strategies for surviving.
While the Taliban’s recent proposal to form a joint human rights committee is highly suspect, it does raise questions about how to count civilian casualties and equally how to prevent them.
“That early childhood experiences mould our adult sexual preferences—specifically, what turns us on and off, however subtle or even unconscious these biases may be—could be run-of-the-mill.”
A new study exposes public myths of energy conservation, such as turning off lights and hanging clothes up to dry. In reality, making machines more efficient saves more energy.
A new book that challenges the extent to which natural selection explains evolution has been attacked by biologists even though the book’s authors do not contest evolution itself.
A new contraception pill to be marketed as ‘Ella’, which can be taken several days after intercourse to prevent pregnancy, has been called ‘completely unethical’ by one gynecologist.
“Growth is different from consumerism,” says former Labor Secretary Robert Reich. Properly defined, growth is a measure of society’s well-being, not a code word for exploitation.
Our veterans are much more economically diverse than most people imagine, says Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “They’re not all broke and uneducated and from […]
“Winston Churchill is remembered for leading Britain through her finest hour—but what if he also led the country through her most shameful one?” Was the leader bloodthirsty?
“The world’s religions are more important for the questions they ask than for the answers they provide.” The view that esteems religion as a holder of eternal truths is shortsighted.
“The problem with our sensory world is that we put so much faith in it. We believe that we experience the world as it is, and that our sensations are an accurate summary of reality.”
Will Google survive the current turning point in Web-based technology? CEO Eric Schmidt thinks the end of searching is near and that computers will soon tell us what to do next.
A new digital camera unveiled today presents pictures in three dimensions without the use of special glasses. The photos can be printed or viewed on the camera’s digital display.
With federal interest rates already near zero, the Federal Reserve is using an unconventional tool called quantitative easing—buying large assets to inject more money into the economy.
“Do the world’s incarcerated have a responsibility to save the planet? The Washington State Department of Corrections seems to think so.” The Independent on environmentally friendly prisons.
Men financially dependent on their female partner cheat more often, while financially dependent women look elsewhere less frequently, says a study on income disparity and infidelity.
“The accusation that Israel has colonialist roots because of its connection to the British Mandate is ironic, since most of the Arab states owe their origins to European powers.”
“It is a widely held stereotype that children who grow up without brothers or sisters may be ‘oddballs’ or ‘misfits.’ But new research undermines that notion.” Only children adapt by their teens.
The economic recession of the past few years has had a real effect on the way fiction writers are writing, says novelist Rick Moody. Writers are more “desperate” than they […]
The New Yorker chronicles the artistic development of Bob Dylan parallel to his run-ins with The Beat writers in Greenwich Village, and particularly his lasting friendship with Allen Ginsberg.
“Are we making fewer discoveries than in the past? Can war make us cleverer? The answers lie in scientometrics, the field of research that puts scientists under the microscope.”
“To put it bluntly, the bean counters are out of their depth.” David Rieff says insistence on strict accountability in foreign aid programs means losing hearts and minds in Afghanistan.
America’s ability to sap its intellectuals, from Twain to King, of their true revolutionary fervor reaches an apex with Jack London. The beloved author lived a dark and revolutionary life.
Presidents Kennedy and Eisenhower differed in their view of the military. Kennedy advocated American dominance; Eisenhower, a more limited force. In which direction are we headed?
New polls from Gallup show that commuting adversely affects physical and emotional health. Those with longer commutes suffer back and neck pain and worry more than non-commuters.