Knowledge
A gateway to global information and frontier science. Exploring the tools and theories that expand the boundaries of human understanding.
Essentials
Project Gutenberg: a library of 75,000 free classic books online, made by volunteers
Project Gutenberg is a long running online library that gives free access to classic books in digital form. It focuses…
Learning multiple new skills can produce test scores comparable to adults 30 years younger
Older adults who learn multiple new skills simultaneously can achieve cognitive performance similar to adults 30 years younger. A UC Riverside study found that 3 months of intensive learning improved memory, attention, and cognitive control, with gains maintained up to one year later.
Tools and Methods
Psychiatrist says introspection is our closest link to reality
Psychiatrist Grant Brenner argues that looking inward gives the most direct contact with reality because it skips the senses. Experiments show people often misreport their own minds, so a shorter path does not mean a more accurate one.
Google Scholar Labs helps researchers ask full questions
Google Scholar Labs lets users ask full research questions in plain English and find papers with short explanations. It may make early research easier, but it does not replace critical reading or guarantee complete coverage.
Why Western astrology uses 12 signs even though the sky has 13 constellations
Why tropical astrology adheres to 12 signs, like Aries and Pisces, even though astronomers have identified 13 constellations (including Ophiuchus) on the ecliptic.
BASE: search millions of free academic papers in one place
BASE is a scholarly search engine run by Bielefeld University Library. It gathers records from university repositories and other trusted…
Open Library: a free online library that lets you borrow books like a real library
Open Library is a public, open catalog run by the Internet Archive. Its goal is simple, one web page for…
Goodreads: choose what to read next with help from friends
Goodreads is a large, free website made for people who read books. Its goal is simple, to help readers discover…
Big Questions
Bookboon: a simple on demand library for workplace learning
“Access Bookboon” offers short eBooks, audio lessons, and live online classes that help people learn practical skills at work. Topics…
Obooko: download free, legal ebooks with no fees
Obooko is a website where readers can download ebooks in English at no cost, in PDF, EPUB, or Kindle formats.…
SpringerLink: access to more than 10 million scientific documents, books, articles, research protocols
SpringerLink is an online platform that brings together research journals, books, reference works and laboratory protocols, step by step methods…
Worldcat.org: a search for the contents of 20,000 worldwide libraries
Find out where lies the nearest rare book you need WorldCat is a global library catalog provided by OCLC, a…
The self might be an illusion or a quantum process, say experts
Sam Harris and Roger Penrose debate if the self is real. Harris calls it an illusion, while Penrose looks to quantum physics and split brains.
AI will speed up scientific research far more than most people expect
Google DeepMind’s Joëlle Barral argues that AI is about to change how science is done, not just how fast papers…