(Mostly) Really Deep Thoughts

If you asked the top 100 thinkers...

WHAT IS YOUR DANGEROUS IDEA?
The history of science is replete with discoveries that were considered socially, morally, or emotionally dangerous in their time; the Copernican and Darwinian revolutions are the most obvious. What is your dangerous idea? An idea you think about (not necessarily one you originated) that is dangerous not because it is assumed to be false, but because it might be true?

... what would you get? Some pretty compelling reading. This is what the Edge Foundation recently did and the results can be found here.

A few observations:

• When scientists and researchers write about their area of expertise, they really excel.
• When they talk about an area outside their sphere of knowledge, they often take rather silly positions.
• I don't understand modern physics. There are several posts about string theory, dark matter and multiverses that I just cannot comprehend.

Best Responses

Craig Venter writes about the sociatial impact of people realizing that much of our personality and behavior is dictated by our genetics.

Paul Ewald tells us about the golden age of medicine.

Oliver Morton writes about how our planet is NOT in peril... the human race, maybe... but not the planet.

Worst Responses

David Bodanis thinks that Western civilization is declining.

Geoffery Miller says that runaway consumerism is the reason why E.T.'s haven't reached-out and said hello.

Simon Baron-Cohen thinks our governing bodies should be more empathetic and not so manly.

Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi doesn't believe the market system is enough.