For the vast majority of history, people freaked out about eclipses. Ancient peoples in particular often could not rationally explain eclipses. Unsurprisingly, it was not uncommon to say the eerie, celestial phenomena foretold doom: floods, pestilence and famine. The earliest record of an eclipse we have comes from clay tablets unearthed from the ancient Sumerian
READ MORE
You know the doomsday movie scenarios: An army of robots we’ve made to serve us decides to enslave or even replace the inefficient, refractory human race, and to that end wages a pitiless war of extermination on us. But is all that mere sensationalism? It would be flippant to dismiss the possibility. As science writer
READ MORE
It’s safe to say that Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi is one of the most revered figures of the twentieth century. His method of patient, peaceful resistance to British colonial rule proved both wise and effective. He said many beautiful things, demonstrated powerful discipline, and was a deeply spiritual man. The full picture of Gandhi goes beyond
READ MORE
Lawrence Summers, the former treasury secretary to Bill Clinton, wrote a blog in the Washington Post Thursday taking universities to task for the increasing lack of tolerance and civil discourse on campuses. He pointed out that this lack of tolerance is particularly unsettling because the “hypersensitivity” to alleged discrimination seems, well, selective: It has seemed
READ MORE
The best way to help a kid climb out of poverty and into the middle class is through a college education, right? At least, that’s what we’ve been told. But in our quest to get more impoverished kids into college, have we actually doomed them to a life of greater poverty? That’s a question explored
READ MORE
There’s lots of talk these days about how children’s lives are far too structured. Children (the narrative goes) need time to run, play, imagine, and have freedom to do things on their own. Beverly Cleary, famous author and creator of Ramona Quimby & Co. agrees. She recently made several comments on the state of childhood
READ MORE
Most Read from past 24 hours
Most Read from past 7 days
Most Read from past 30 days
Most Read of All Time
Most Read from past 24 hours
Most Read from past 7 days
Most Read from past 30 days
Most Read of All Time
Most Read of All Time
Most Read of All Time
