Lost City of the Monkey God
How do you find an ancient Mesoamerican city under a dense and dangerous rainforest? Steve Elkins figured it out, and Doug Preston wrote a book about it…and now it’s the cutting edge of archaeology.
Superminds
All of us are part of a collective intelligence–from our communities, to our workplaces, to our governments. We talk to MIT professor Tom Malone about how artificial intelligence and information technology can make our group mind smarter–and more democratic.
Big data vs. the little virus
Lauren Ancel Meyers combines a deep knowledge of biology and statistics and biology to create models that help us deal with seasonal epidemics like influenza and major worldwide pandemics.
So, really…is there intelligent life beyond earth?
And what do we mean by “intelligence,” anyway? If there were, how would they get here, and why would they want to? We talk to astrophysicist Paul Davies about his lifelong exploration of these questions.
Shadows of Doubt: Stereotyping and prejudice in the US
Virtually everybody makes quick judgments about others based on insufficient information. But what are the consequences of those judgments in the criminal justice system–police, courts, and prisons? We talk to Barnard College – Columbia University and Santa Fe Institute professor Rajiv Sethi.
Healing from unspeakable trauma: a conversation with Dr. Bruce Perry
Until recently, mental health practitioners didn’t diagnose children with PTSD–they were thought to be “resilient,” and as a result generations didn’t receive the treatment they needed. Dr. Bruce Perry is one of the physicians responsible for challenging—and changing—that paradigm.
The Raft: a transatlantic social experiment
What would happen if you put eleven strangers on a raft at sea for three months? In 1973, an anthropologist did just that—and the results surprised him. 43 years later director Marcus Lindeen, built a replica of the raft and invited the survivors of the journey to share their memories of it.
Battling Bubonic Plague: rats, politics, and the advent of modern science
Around 1900, bubonic plague struck San Francisco and threatened to wipe out huge numbers of people. David K. Randall‘s new book, Black Death at the Golden Gate, tells the gripping story of the doctors who had both to fight the disease and convince the public of the threat.
In Memoriam: Murray Gell-Mann
Murray Gell-Mann was one of the brightest lights not only in physics but in all of science. A modern-day Renaissance man he had, according to current Santa Fe Institute president David Krakauer said Gell Mann, “a mind both cavernous and extensive — animated by the most intense fire of roguish curiosity that I have ever beheld.”
What is the internet doing to your brain?
Are you distracted, unable to read deeply or for more than a few minutes? Are you continually checking your devices? If so, you’re one of millions whose brains have changed because of our technologies. Nicholas Carr is one of the world’s leading experts on how this works–and what we can do.