Smarter Faster

with Alex Berezow ● Thu 7 April, 2022 Salutations Big Thinkers, There’s a holiday for everything. Today, April 7, 2022, is National Coffee Cake Day, something I certainly can get behind. It also happens to be National Beer Day as well as National Alcohol Screening Day. I’m not sure how that works. Can you celebrate both at the same time? These are the sorts of questions that keep me awake at night. Lo and behold, it is also National No Housework Day, which means you have time to read this newsletter! This week, we feature a video with Jamie Wheal explaining how you can unlock your brain’s ancient pleasure centers; an article on how Earth will end (four times!); and another article on the relationship between quantum mechanics and Buddhist philosophy. Read on, Alex THE BIG QUESTION   When will Earth come to an end? Just like organisms, stars have life cycles. They are born, they live for a while, and then they die. This is bad news for the planets that call these stars home, as their fates are inextricably tied to that of their stars. Our sun is no exception to the rule. As a result, our planet will be toast — literally. No matter how we define “the end,” there are four different ways that Earth will cease to exist as we know it. LEARN MORE Popular Radical new “Flying-V plane” aims to transform flight Is iron the Achilles’ heel for cancer? The subtle art of language: Why artificial general intelligence might be impossible New technique detects 95% of early-stage pancreatic cancer THE BIG IDEA   5 ways to unlock your brain’s ancient pleasure centers Are you feeling down and out? A bit in the doldrums? Jamie Wheal might have some advice for you. In his book, Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That's Lost Its Mind, he discusses how to tap into your brain’s ancient “pleasure centers.” From deep breathing and music to “taboo” experiences, he encourages people to reclaim their inspiration. WATCH NOW 13.8   What does Buddhism offer physics? The view that science and religion are forever at odds is beginning to fade away. In fact, a full appreciation of both can help a person form a robust worldview. Though he admits that science could never prove Buddhism to be true, astrophysicist Dr. Adam Frank explains how quantum physics and Buddhist philosophy have much in common. EXPLORE 13.8 Live smarter When you eat matters: How your eating rhythms impact your mental health What are emotions? Neuroscientific research on animals may finally settle the debate 10 of the greatest classical composers of all time Is violence always wrong? A hands-on ethics lesson from Will Smith slapping Chris Rock Alex Berezow is the executive editor of Big Think. He holds a PhD in microbiology and has over a decade of experience in science journalism.