Scientia Salon is a webzine about science and philosophy. There is a very active conversation occurring there around these two BIG topics. Back in March, Massimo Pigliucci (founder and editor of the site) posted a “manifesto for 21st Century intellectualism. Here is a little taste . . . That problem, to put it plainly, is … Read more
Danny Dorling is the author of Inequality and the 1% (2014, Oct 7), and he recently spoke the The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (The RSA) about his new book. Even before birth, being born outside the 1% will have dramatic effect on the rest of your life: reducing life … Read more
Paul Roberts is the author, most recently, of The Impulse Society: America in the Age of Instant Gratification (September, 2014). Recently, he stopped by Google to talk about his book. According to the publisher’s ad copy for the book: It’s something most of us have sensed for years—the rise of a world defined only by … Read more
From Bookforum‘s Omnivore blog, this link collection looks at the role of religion in a post-secular world. The articles linked to here pose a tension between religious freedom and social freedom, which are often at odds (especially in the United States). A post-secular world society Sep 23 20143:00PM A new issue of the Journal for … Read more
A decade ago, this topic seemed relatively fringe and unlikely to appeal to very many people. Now, it seems this is almost becoming a movement. More and more people are identifying as asexual. This is an interview from Salon with the author of a new book on the topic, The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction … Read more
In this episode of Larry King Live, Gus Holwerda (film maker) Dr. Lawrence Krauss (American theoretical physicist) – who created the film The Unbelievers – were joined by Michael Beckwith (American new thought minister & author), Christian actor David A. R. White, and Jay Bakker (pastor, speaker and author). Nothing new here – but it’s … Read more
In Seattle, following the 1999 WTO protests, in which violence and riots were far too common, the police department increased their tactical response ability with military-style weapons, armor, and vehicles. Following the 9/11 attack in 2001, police departments, large and small, around the country were given surplus military gear to better equip them for possible … Read more
I came across this book kind of by accident yesterday, but it looks to be an important book (“Prescription drugs are the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer“). Peter C Gøtzsche is a Professor of Clinical Research Design and Analysis, and Director, The Nordic Cochrane Centre, and Chief Physician, Rigshospitalet and … Read more
Halfway through the year, almost, and there have already been some seriously good books published that will appear on a lot of top-ten lists in December. Some of those books are below, but there also a lot of books below no one will have heard of about side of their respective fields, books from academic … Read more
Jeremy Rifkin’s new book is The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, the Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism (2014). He is also the author of The Third Industrial Revolution: How Lateral Power Is Transforming Energy, the Economy, and the World (2011) and The Empathic Civilization: The Race to Global Consciousness in … Read more