Paul Ratner
Big Think
Atlanta, GA, United States
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Past articles by Paul:
39 years ago, a KGB defector chillingly predicted modern America
A former KGB agent named Yuri Alexandrovich Bezmenov claimed in 1984 that Russia has a long-term goal of ideologically subverting the U.S. → Read More
A disturbing 1995 prediction by Carl Sagan accurately describes America today
In 1995, Carl Sagan published the book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, which describes a dystopian America. → Read More
28 ancient viruses unknown to science found in a Tibetan glacier
Scientists discover 28 surviving viruses in 15,000-year-old glacier ice on the Tibetan Plateau in China. The viruses are not believed to be harmful to humans. They could reveal insights into evolution and climate change. → Read More
Dogs know when people are lying
A study of 260 dogs found that, in some cases, dogs can tell when people are lying. The experiments involved giving dogs information about the location of food. The majority of the dogs did not follow false suggestions when they knew humans were lying. → Read More
Study finds new techniques for detecting dark matter
A new study proposes that Hawking radiation could be used to find dark matter in places like primordial black holes. So far, dark matter has not been directly observed. The research team also helped develop next generation of telescopes for hunting dark matter. → Read More
Pupil size surprisingly linked to differences in intelligence
Maybe eyes really are windows into the soul — or at least into the brain, as a new study finds. → Read More
Pupil size surprisingly linked to differences in intelligence
Researchers find a correlation between pupil size and differences in cognitive ability. The larger the pupil, the higher the intelligence. The explanation for why this happens lies within the brain, but more research is needed. → Read More
Ancient megalodon shark was even bigger than estimated, finds study
A school lesson leads to more precise measurements of the extinct megalodon shark, one of the largest fish ever. A new method estimates the ancient megalodon shark was as long as 65 feet. The megalodon was one of the largest fish that ever lived. The new model uses the width of shark teeth to estimate its overall size. → Read More
Is human consciousness creating reality?
Is the physical universe independent from us, or is it created by our minds, as suggested by scientist Robert Lanza? → Read More
Is the universe infinite?
Searching for the edge of the universe pushes the limits of our knowledge. The size of the universe is linked to understanding its shape and how much of it we can actually observe. New studies and going deeper into space will help us answer if the universe is infinite. → Read More
7 most notorious and excessive Roman Emperors
Roman Emperors were known for their excesses and violent behavior. From Caligula to Elagabalus, the emperors exercised total power in the service of their often-strange desires. Most of these emperors met violent ends themselves. → Read More
From 1.8 million years ago, earliest evidence of human activity found
Scientists discover what our human ancestors were making inside the Wonderwerk Cave in South Africa 1.8 million years ago. The evidence is the earliest found yet and advances our understanding of human evolution. → Read More
A historian identifies the worst year in human history
A Harvard professor's study discovers the worst year to be alive. → Read More
Scientists test how to deflect asteroids with nuclear blasts
A study looks at how to use nuclear blasts to prevent asteroids from hitting Earth. Researchers focused on the effect of detonating a nuclear device near an asteroid. They learned that varying the amount and location of the energy released could affect the deflection. → Read More
Humans still similar to first animals without heads, arms or skeletons
A new study finds genetic links between early oceanic animals and humans. These prehistoric animals had no heads, skeletons, legs or arms. The creatures were from the Ediacaran era, living about 555 million years ago. → Read More
Study reveals a "boring" era when Earth was flat, with no mountains
Research teams studied europium crystals to show that Earth was mostly flat in its middle ages, in a period of time known as the "Boring Billion". The planet had no mountains and little evolution of life. → Read More
Astronomers figure out why some galaxies are missing dark matter
A new paper presents a possible reason for why some dwarf galaxies appear to be missing dark matter. The researchers at the University of California, Riverside ran cosmological simulations to find the answers. They discovered some galaxies were stripped of dark matter through extreme tidal loss. → Read More
U.S. Navy controls inventions that claim to change "fabric of reality"
U.S. Navy holds patents for enigmatic inventions by the aerospace engineer Dr. Salvatore Pais. He came up with potentially revolutionary technology that can "engineer" reality, devising an ultrafast craft, a fusion reactor and more. While mostly theoretical at this point, the inventions could transform energy, space, and military sectors. → Read More
Why it's important to admit when you're wrong
Psychologists point to specific reasons that make it hard for us to admit our wrongdoing. → Read More
World's oldest work of art found in a hidden Indonesian valley
Archaeologists discover a cave painting of a wild pig that is now the world's oldest dated work of representational art. → Read More