What is your dangerous idea?
by John Brockman · first published 2007
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From Copernicus to Darwin, to current-day thinkers, scientists have always promoted theories and unveiled discoveries that challenge everything society holds dear; ideas with both positive and dire consequences. Many thoughts that resonate today are dangerous not because they are assumed to be false, but because they might turn out to be true. What do the world's leading scientists and thinkers consider to be their most dangerous idea? Through the leading online forum "Edge" (www.edge.org), the call went out, and this compelling and easily digestible volume collects the answers. From using med
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> If women’s pelvises were any bigger, they would not be able to walk and run well. That picked my interest so I dug deeper. The author cites p.252 of Brockman's "What is your dangerous idea?", which is an essay by Prof. Timothy Taylor called "The Human Brain is a Cultural Artifact". Sadly, even though its topic is indeed human brains and pelvises, the essay says nothing of the sort. So Prof.…
on “Evolutionary tension between larger brains and smaller pelvises in humans” ↗John Brockman often combines these into book form and sells them later. Look for it in a little while. Here's previous edge question compilations: What Is Your Dangerous Idea: http://amzn.to/fTgjYk And others: http://amzn.to/fkoFdv (yes, affiliate links) I have essys in two of them. :-)
on “What scientific concept would improve everybody's cognitive toolkit?” ↗