Words of Wisdom — September 4, 2014

Abba Eban on the Lessons of History

Abba Eban (1915-2002) was an Israeli diplomat, scholar, and statesman. He was famous for, among many other things, his expert command of ten different languages. His insight and ability as an orator helped propel him to the rank of Vice President of the UN General Assembly in 1952.

“History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all other alternatives” ~Abba Eban, 1970

Take some time to watch the below interview between Eban and Mike Wallace, from a time when journalists did…. well…. journalism. Regardless of your opinion on the subject matter, you can’t deny Eban’s eloquent mastery of words and speech.

They don’t make ’em like that anymore.

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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