Personal Growth — February 22, 2009

What’s in a name? A lot.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A rose by another other name may not smell quite as sweet, explains Greg Mankiw, who parses the real difference between a ‘nationalization’ of banks and a ‘pre-privatization’.

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

Life

Moving trees north to save the forests

As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.

A digitally enhanced view of a crescent planet Earth with a galaxy in the background.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when planet Earth first formed?

The Earth that exists today wasn’t formed simultaneously with the Sun and the other planets. In some ways, we’re quite a latecomer.

An AI-generated illustration of a man sitting at a desk, accompanied by thought-provoking poetry.

Thinking

Can AI write authentic poetry?

Cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity.

Composition of the dark energy prominence universe showing percentages of dark energy, dark matter, and visible matter.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when dark energy rose to prominence?

Early on, only matter and radiation were important for the expanding Universe. After a few billion years, dark energy changed everything.

A beach along the Great Lakes with waves crashing over rocks and sand.

The Past

How the Great Lakes formed—and the mystery of who watched it happen

Skilled hunters adapted to the changing landscape and left tantalizing clues to who they were.

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