The World's Best Book Summaries
When should you have a baby? Should it be sooner rather than later? Everyone’s decision regarding if and when they want to start a family is different. But Meg Jay, the author of The Defining Decade, advises that everyone should be aware of their body’s limitations, and plan accordingly. Read more about what this means, and how to answer the question “when should you have a baby” for yourself.
How can you tell if a plant or animal is likely to be toxic? How have our bodies evolved to avoid toxins? The reason we’ve evolved a preference for variety in food is that too much of one type of food can lead to a buildup of toxins in the body. It may also be the reason why pregnant women tend to crave bland food in early pregnancy. Continue reading to learn how evolution protects against toxin exposure.
Why hasn’t evolution gotten rid of diseases and mental illness? How do genes impact health and disease? Unfortunately for humans, our bodies have evolved to prioritize reproduction above everything else. This means that diseases that affect us later in life are genetically ignored and mental illnesses that cause sexual aggression are prioritized. Keep reading to learn more about how genes impact our health.
What is the difference between science vs art? What does Robert Pirsig say about these differences in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, author Robert Pirsig explains the two life philosophies in science vs art. He conveys these through his ideas, and through the differing ideas of fellow travelers. Read more about the difference between science vs art in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
How does technology affect inequality? What can future technology give to the wealthy and take away from the poor? With the rise of technology, the inequality gap is becoming wider. There’s even speculation that advances in tech will eventually create a useless class, just like mass industrialization created the working class. Making matters worse, developments in biotech could enable wealthy elites to become biologically superior and turn into a separate species. Keep reading to learn how advances in technology contribute to inequality going forward.
What is the difference between complex vs complicated systems? How does the complexity of a system’s structure affect predictions about its future behavior? Systems and the environments in which they operate can be either complicated or complex. The main difference between complex vs complicated systems is that with the former, it is possible to extrapolate the outcomes if the starting conditions are known, whereas, with the latter, the outcomes are impossible to predict. Keep reading to understand the difference between complex vs complicated systems.
What is resilient thinking? How do you make a system resilient? The resilient thinking approach examines how complex interconnected systems can be managed in the face of shocks and unexpected disruptions. Making a system resilient comes from linking its parts in a way that makes it possible for them to reconfigure and adapt. Read about resilient thinking and how it has been applied to real-world problems.
What are the dangers of artificial intelligence? Could AI develop a will of its own, as seen in science fiction movies? The true dangers of artificial intelligence are quite different from what we see in movies, where robots come to develop free will and start running amok killing people. Robots themselves are as benign or as dangerous as the people who program them—and, in the hands of violent or power-hungry people, AI could bring devastation to humans. Keep reading to learn about the dangers of artificial intelligence.
What is the difference between the mind vs the brain? How do we know that the contents of the mind are generated by the brain? There is a fine line between the mind vs the brain. The brain is a physical organ, and therefore it can be studied externally, while the mind is the source of subjective experiences, and therefore it can only be observed internally. Experts assume that the mind is a product of the brain, but there’s no proof since you can’t peer into the mind using a brain scanner. Keep reading to learn about the mind vs
What is emergent intelligence? What are some real-world examples of the emergent intelligence phenomenon? Emergent intelligence is the way intelligent properties come to be as a result of the interactivity of many low-level processes. Some examples of emergence include the ant colony structure, the free market economy, and the human consciousness. Keep reading to understand emergent intelligence.