Curious Gigl

Dig into the experiment known as the lost wallet test, and find out the surprising results of this study of honesty.  --  Picture this: you’re working a shift in a hotel lobby when someone approaches the front desk. They found a lost wallet around the corner, but they’re in a rush and don’t have time to follow up. Looking at the wallet you see it contains a key, grocery list, about $13, and three business cards you assume belong to the wallet’s owner. So, what do you do? Dig into the infamous lost wallet experiment.

Explore the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy, and find out the key factors of becoming a successful freelancer.  --  A 2016 survey of freelancers in six countries found that those who freelance by choice– 70% of respondents– were happier than people in traditional jobs, specifically when it came to things like independence and flexibility in terms of where and when they work. So what does it take to be a successful freelancer? Explore the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy.

Where does quantum information go when it enters a black hole? Investigate the theories of the black hole information paradox.   

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Today, one of the biggest paradoxes in the universe threatens to unravel modern science: the black hole information paradox. Every object in the universe is composed of particles with unique quantum properties and even if an object is destroyed, its quantum information is never permanently deleted. But what happens to that information when an object enters a black hole? Fabio Pacucci investigates. 

 Lesson by Fabio Pacucci

Fabio Pacucci is an Italian theoretical astrophysicist and science educator, currently at Harvard University and at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. Wikipedia

Explore the technique known as the Socratic Method, which uses questions to examine a person’s values, principles, and beliefs.   

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Socrates, one of the founding fathers of Western philosophical thought, was on trial. Many believed he was an enemy of the state, accusing the philosopher of corrupting the youth and refusing to recognize their gods. But Socrates wasn’t feared for claiming to have all the answers, but rather, for asking too many questions. Erick Wilberding digs into the technique known as the Socratic Method. 

 Lesson by Erick Wilberding, 

Human beings and computers alike share the challenge of how to get as much done as possible in a limited time. Over the last fifty or so years, computer scientists have learned a lot of good strategies for managing time effectively — and they have a lot of experience with what can go wrong. Brian Christian shares how we can use some of these insights to help make the most of our own lives.  

Lesson by Brian Christian

Brian Christian is an American non-fiction author, poet, programmer and researcher, best known for the two bestselling books The Most Human Human and Algorithms to Live By. Wikipedia

Explore the strategies investors use to choose stocks and learn whether it’s better to be an active or passive investor. 

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 Every day, billions of stocks are traded on the New York Stock Exchange alone. But with over 43,000 companies listed on stock exchanges around the world, how do investors decide which stocks to buy? And what do individuals and institutions achieve by investing in stocks? Richard Coffin explores the tactics of different investing strategies.  

Lesson by Richard Coffin

Explore the economic strategy of quantitative easing, where a central bank purchases bonds in order to boost the economy.  

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 In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic rocked economies worldwide. Millions of people lost their jobs, and many businesses struggled to survive or shut down. Governments responded with some of the largest economic relief packages in history— the US alone spent $2.2 trillion on a first round of relief. So where did all this money come from? Jonathan Smith explores the strategy of quantitative easing. 

 Lesson by Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith is an English novelist, playwright, writer and teacher. A career English teacher, best known for his novels, he has also written many radio plays. Wikipedia

Dig into the 1947 Partition of India, when Britain split the region into two states, India and Pakistan, and the mass migrations and violence that followed. 

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 In 1947, the British viceroy announced that after 200 years of British rule, India would gain independence and be partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. What followed was one of the largest and bloodiest forced migrations in history: an estimated 1 million people lost their lives. What caused this violent aftermath? Haimanti Roy details the lasting legacies of the Partition of India. 

 Lesson by Haimanti RoY

Get to know one of the most infamous scientific rivalries in history, known as the Bone Wars, where two scientists competed to find dinosaur fossils. 

 After the California Gold Rush of 1848, settlers streamed west to strike it rich. In addition to precious metals, they unearthed another treasure: dinosaur bones. Two wealthy scientists in particular— Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope— competed to uncover these prehistoric monsters. Lukas Rieppel digs into one of the most notorious scientific feuds in history, known as the Bone Wars. 

 Lesson by Lukas Rieppel