Politics & Current Affairs — November 12, 2009

Controversy Brewing

Who are the “Tea Party” activists, and what do they hope to accomplish? Will their crusade purify American conservatism or factionalize it further? Former Republican House Minority leader Dick Armey, a key Tea Party supporter, offered his take at Big Think today.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Armey, who helped author the “Contract with America” in 1994, described how he believes the Republican Party has lost its way in the 15 years since. A onetime economics professor, he also proposed a path out of the current recession, which he faults the Obama Administration for perpetuating. His interview will be featured as part of Big Think’s special “Future of Conservatism” series next week.

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.

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