Words of Wisdom — July 18, 2014

Frost on the Best Way Out

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

bigthinkeditor

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

“The best way out is always through.” – Robert Frost

A weekly newsletter featuring the biggest ideas from the smartest people

A hand reaching toward a glowing point with abstract geometric lines and dots extending from the fingertips, set against a dark background.

Books

Why you should avoid the “find your passion” myth

Nurture your passions instead.

A vintage-style illustration of a celestial scene, echoing science fiction by scientists, features a textured black planet and a whimsical moon with an eye, all enclosed in a pale green border against a starry background.

Books

5 classic science fiction novels written by scientists

What happens when scientists “write what they know”? Some amazing science fiction stories.

A satin bowerbird stands on the ground, artfully surrounded by blue objects like an artist's palette, with dried twigs in the background, a testament to nature's evolution.

The Past

The surprising evolutionary link between bowerbirds and human art

In his book, “Birds, Sex and Beauty,” Matt Ridley explores why learning isn’t always nature versus nurture.

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.

A computer-generated image of a bright celestial object with an accretion disk, possibly representing what the sun looked like when it was born.

Starts With A Bang

What was it like when the Sun was born?

It took 9.2 billion years of cosmic evolution before our Sun and Solar System even began to form. Such a small event has led to so much.

Up Next

Surprising Science

Can Ketamine Treat Depression?

Around 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression. The World Health Organization reports that depression is the leading cause of disability. It is a serious clinical problem, and leading treatments, […]