The Nobel Prizes are the Olympic medals of the mind. They are supposed to go to individuals who deserve the very highest level of recognition for their achievements in the natural sciences, in literature, in economics, and in statesmanship and political activism promoting peace and human well-being. The prizes were established by the Swedish chemist, […]
Jennifer Michael Hecht Interview
Jennifer Michael Hecht is the author of three history books and two volumes of poetry. Her bestseller, Doubt: A History, demonstrates a long, strong history of religious doubt. Hecht’s The End of the Soul won the Phi Beta Kappa Society’s 2004 Emerson Award “for scholarly studies that contribute significantly to interpretations of the intellectual and […]
50 Top Atheists in the World Today
Atheists deny that God exists. Yet for an atheist to make our ranking of the 50 top atheists in the world—given in ascending order—it is not enough merely to deny that God exists. More is required. Certainty. To make our list, someone has to be very sure of him- or herself. No mere agnostics will […]
Gustavo Dudamel and El Sistema
Classical music lovers will probably know that Gustavo Dudamel is the recently appointed music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. But all those interested in education should take an interest in this remarkable young man. Mr. Dudamel, who is thirty years old, is certainly an excellent conductor. To see for yourself, watch this YouTube video […]
The 10 Best Forgotten Books
The famous books that everyone has heard of—War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, A Tale of Two Cities—are famous for a good reason. Namely, they are classics. Meaning that they are so well written and provide the reader with such a depth of insight into the human condition that they bear reading and re-reading, by […]
