Guest Thinkers — May 11, 2010

Plan B in the Gulf

Over the weekend BP’s latest effort at stanching the Deepwater Horizon oil spill failed. The New York Times asked five experts to weigh in on what might now be done.

bigthinkeditor

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

Over the weekend BP’s latest effort at stanching the Deepwater Horizon oil spill—placing a huge metal dome over the leak—failed. The New York Times asked five experts to weigh in on what might now be done. They suggested, among other things, that oil and gas companies stop outsourcing critical, high-risk operations; that the water around the spill be seeded with absorbent materials like cellulose fibers or animal hair to soak up oil; and that the oil slick not be hit with chemical dispersants.

The most surprising and impactful new stories delivered to your inbox every week, for free.

The image features the phrase "an excerpt from" on a red background next to the book cover of "Playful" by Cas Holman with Lydia Denworth, highlighting insights from play research.

Books

More than a game: How play helps wire our social brains

In this excerpt from “Playful,” Cas Holman surveys the research that brought the neuroscience of play into the mainstream.

A close-up of a spotted nudibranch with translucent, pointed cerata on a brown underwater branch against a black background, inviting reflection on the intricate nature of consciousness in marine life.

Books

What sea slugs can teach us about the nature of consciousness

In this excerpt from “One Hand Clapping,” Nikolay Kukushkin makes the case that neurons reveal how memory, meaning, and even consciousness emerge from the same biological roots in humans, sea slugs, and beyond.

A detailed black and white illustration of a toad on a green background, with the word "Car" written below it.

The Well

Even AI is self-censoring. Here’s why that matters.

If the people controlling AI are biased, the output will also be. Free speech scholar Jacob Mchangama makes the case for completely open-source AI.

▸

3 min

—

with

Jacob Mchangama

A soldier in camouflage uniform holding a Ukrainian flag stands amid rubble, facing a damaged building.

Books

How neuroscience is rewriting the story of war

In “Warhead,” neuroscientist and national security adviser Nicholas Wright explains how the brain navigates warfare and why it is our ultimate weapon (and instrument for peace).

Coastal Mediterranean village with white buildings, a sandy beach, colorful boats, and clear turquoise sea under a bright blue sky.

The Present

Seaflooding: How we could engineer the next Mediterranean

Bold megaprojects could turn dry depressions into thriving new hubs of life.

Up Next

Culture & Religion

The Godfather of Sci-Fi

Nathaniel Rich writes that Ray Bradbury’s best stories are “have a strange familiarity about them. They’re like long-forgotten acquaintances—you know you’ve met them somewhere before.”