Editor Ron Charles critiques a new book about Edgar Allan Poe and ponders over the writer’s popularity with audiences and his scorn from academics.
Tag Archives: Opinion
Top 10 Scariest Flicks of All Time
What are your scariest movies? Here’s a pick of the top ten scariest movies of all time. See if you agree!
Beauty Is in the Brain of the Beholder
Studies show that beauty exists as an abstract concept in the brain which implies it is a perception rather than a reality.
Order to the Chaos of Life: Isabel Allende on Writing
Chilean American author Isabel Allende answers the question why writers write. Read why she shows up every day to make her voice heard.
Why Air Force Cadets Ought to Study Philosophy
An admiral realized that the Air Force Academy studies in STEM subjects should be balanced with humanities courses. Find out why the Academy thinks these courses will help young people as they grow into adulthood and face present-day challenges.
As Life Slips By: Why Eye Movement Doesn’t Blur the Picture
A molecular “glue” has been discovered that builds the brain connections that keep visual images clear and still, even as objects or your eyes move.
How pickpockets trick your mind
The key to a successful pickpocket isn’t sleight of hand, but knowing about how our brains work, according to neuroscientist Susana Martinez-Conde.
The Don’s Don: J.R.R. Tolkien’s Beowulf translation finally arrives.
Katy Waldman, a correspondant for Slate, reviews J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf, published in 2014.
Iraq’s Cycles of Revenge
In this opinion piece, the editorial board of The New York Times argues that progress in Iraq has been interrupted by cycles of revenge between sects.
The Great Myth of Success
In this column, Inc. editor John Brandon offers an alternative framework to the definition of success.
Why we love ghost stories
Author Ilie Ruby recalls the thrills of hearing ghost stories around campfires and explores why it is we are drawn to them.
Gordon Parks exhibit offers intimate glimpse into segregation-era life for African Americans
In 1950, just before the Civil Rights movement, Gordon Parks took a series of photographs of Fort Scott, Kansas, his hometown, for Life magazine. Now on display in an exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, art lecturer Toni Pepe Den reviews the images.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Funny Civil War
In the second year of the Civil War, Nathaniel Hawthorne published an article in Atlantic Monthly outlining his unconventional views on the war. American Studies professor Cynthia Wachtell offers her opinion about the piece.
The Thrill of Being Scared Keeps Fright Industry Going
Read about why horror is always going to mean big business.
Interview: Alex Kotlowitz
Journalist Alex Kotlowitz has spent his career reporting on violence in Chicago. In this article he reflects on his 20-year career and gives advice on what he thinks can alleviate the city’s issues.
Overview
Every astronaut learns a great deal about the Earth and its place in the cosmos before going into space. But once they see the Earth from space, everything changes. Watch this short film to learn why.
Why do some of us love to be scared?
Are you a Thrillseeker? New research shows people differ in their chemical response to thrilling situations. Read about why some of us enjoy being scared, while others don’t.
Richard Branson on Taking Risks
Entrepreneur Richard Branson explains how he has improved his businesses through competition and record-setting pursuits, including an attempt to fly around the world in a balloon.
Our war-torn world needs a new mediating body to resolve conflicts
An author of the 2014 book The Fog of Peace: The Human Face of Conflict Resolution examines barriers to resolving conflicts in Syria and elsewhere in this opinion piece.
Shakespeare in Love
The 1998 film Shakespeare in Love, winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture, presented a fictionalized young William Shakespeare in the process of writing The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Get a sneak peek by reading legendary film critic Roger Ebert’s review.