Sam Harris says religious certainty is not only irrational, it's dangerous. He says believing in Allah or Jesus or the God of Abraham makes no more sense than believing in Zeus.
Intelligent. Optimistic. Curious.
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Before the Internet, a good memory wasn't just useful; it was prized as a sign of intelligence. And there were memory geniuses who developed mental tricks for storing information. Philosopher and novelist Simon Critchley delves into the fascinating history of the memory palace, which once promised almost God-like wisdom.
Anne Strainchamps reports on the women of Gee’s Bend. These Black quilt-makers formed a collective which has parlayed their traditional work into a highly successful and fashionable business.
Warren MacDonald lost both of his legs above the knee in a climbing accident. He refused to be defeated by the news and devoted himself to designing new prosthetic devices.
Frank Schaeffer grew up in a Swiss Evangelical commune, the son of a fundamentalist theologian. He and his father helped found the Religious Right and were part of its power structure for many years, Then Schaeffer recanted. Today he's a liberal democrat who describes himself as "an atheist who believes in God." He outlines his disenchantment with Evangelical politics.
Biologist Steven Austad is so confident human beings will soon live to be 150 years old that he’s bet on it with a colleague: Jay Olshansky, who says we’re already living way past our expiration date!
William Christenberry never intended to cross the path of the pain of others with his photos. He takes photos of simple buildings, mostly in Hale County, Alabama.
Susan Friedman tells Anne Strainchamps about her friendship, initiated and maintained via e-mail over the internet, with a young woman scholar in Iraq.
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