Scientific thinking

Editorial illustration for Dialogue Magazine

For more than 25 years one idea has dominated scientific thinking about Alzheimer’s disease: the amyloid cascade hypothesis. It holds that the disorder, which afflicts about one in 10 Americans age 65 or older, is caused by a buildup in the brain of abnormal amyloid-beta protein, which eventually destroys neurons and synapses, producing the tragic symptoms of dementia. There’s plenty of evidence for this. First, the presence of sticky clumps or “plaques” containing amyloid is a classic…

Our brains are wired for both science AND art. Yana writes about how she creates cell-inspired beadwork that helps us think differently about trauma.

🔍 Copernicus: A revolutionary of heliocentrism and a believer in astrology ✨ 🌌 When you think of Nicolaus Copernicus, the glorious image of the "father of modern astronomy" comes to your mind. His On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres is like a bright star, illuminating the night sky of human thought. But did you know that this great pioneer of heliocentrism actually had an inextricable bond with astrology on the road of scientific exploration? 🔮 🌞 The proposal of heliocentrism was…

Chemistry Chalkboard

The Haggis-on-Whey World of Unbelievable Brilliance is McSweeney’s hilarious series of faux-science books. The latest volume, “Children and the Tundra,” is due out in May; it includes such edifying features as “Quick Fixes for the Growing Epidemic of Talking Child Syndrome,” “Snow Druids: Fact and Fiction,” and “Comparing Snow with Presidents Past and Present.” (Snow …

Are the tenants of science so well ingrained that you find yourself viewing the world through a relentless scientific lens? #science #epigenetics #research

A new study introduces "System 0," a cognitive framework where artificial intelligence (AI) enhances human thinking by processing vast data, complementing our natural intuition (System 1) and analytical thinking (System 2).

Neuroscientists from the Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) at UQ, may have found a way to silence the gene that feeds fear.

The smartest person in the world was Isaac Newton, a true polymath whose brilliance never has been, nor ever will be, surpassed.