Technology & Innovation — October 22, 2009

Media News Update

Orion Jones

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A report calls for publicly funded journalism.

Meanwhile, a Colorado newspaper is seeking a pot critic.

9 out 10 readers won’t pay for online news.

And the Barnes & Noble e-reader offers subscriptions to 20 newspapers.

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

David Perell, in a short-sleeve white shirt, sits in front of a blurred background with plants, looking slightly to the side.

The Long Game

The David Perell interview: How to resonate in the “age of engagement”

You no longer need an army of followers to stand out as a writer — “one great piece is all it takes,” says Perell.

Man in a dark shirt smiling against a purple background with black scribbles and a white rectangle, reminiscent of "The Year of Living Biblically," embracing the chaos with serene humor.

Books

What happens when you follow the Bible literally for a whole year?

A.J. Jacobs looks back at what he learned about religion, himself, and modern American culture during “The Year of Living Biblically.”

Starts With A Bang

The importance of caring about the truth

You don’t need to be a scientist or a philosopher for facts, reality, and the truth to matter. The alternative is simply known as bullshit.

Black-and-white photo showing a disc-shaped object with a shadowed underside, floating in a blank sky—an iconic image from the UFO craze.

Books

Science fiction, Project Blue Book, and the beginnings of the UFO craze

In this preview from “The Saucerian,” author Gabriel Mckee explains how the combination of fantastical stories and obscure bureaucracy launched the “space age of the imagination.”

An astronaut stands proudly on the moon's surface near scientific equipment and a lunar lander, as the American flag waves in the background, symbolizing a pioneering USA nation.

Starts With A Bang

Science’s value, unlike NASA, cannot be destroyed by politics

After drastic cuts to the NIH, the FDA, the NSF, and the DOE, NASA science faces down its smallest budget ever. All of society will suffer.

Up Next

Surprising Science

Darwin and Dawkins

The irrepressible Richard Dawkins visited Big Think today and spoke about genes, God (or the lack thereof), evolution, and great unanswered questions in his field from how consciousness evolved to […]