Guest Thinkers — July 22, 2011

Born to Run: Poll Shows NJ Voters Evenly Split Between Bruce Springsteen and Chris Christie

I’ve been trying to draft the Boss for years.

Finally, a survey by Policy Policy Polling shows that New Jerseyans are as likely to support Bruce Springsteen for governor (42%) as they are to back incumbent Republican governor Chris Christie (42%), with 16% undecided. Springsteen isn’t even running!

The people have spoken. Mr. Springsteen, I invite you to announce your candidacy on Focal Point.

a computer generated image of a human brain.

Thinking

The great free will debate featuring Michio Kaku and Steven Pinker

Who — or what — really controls your mind?

Building destroyed by the Halifax Explosion. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

The Past

The largest accidental explosion of all time

More than a century ago, Halifax suffered an accidental blast one-fifth the size of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

a collage of photos of a man with a hat and a book.

High Culture

6 great books with wildly unreliable narrators

Dive into the twisted truths and concealed realities told by literature’s most unreliable narrators.

a group of five matches on a pink background.

The Well

Signs you’re burned out — and how to bounce back

If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.

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7 min

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with

Laurie Santos

Starts With A Bang

The trick to instantly identifying JWST images

If you can identify a foreground star, the spike patterns are a dead giveaway as to whether it’s a JWST image or any other observatory.

Up Next

Technology & Innovation

Andrew Moss: Britain’s Top Engineer

Current C.E.O. of the British manufacturing firm Umeco, Andrew Moss believes his country can remain a relevant producer of high-tech goods in a range of contemporary industries.