Desperately seeking references to books in pill form. Or liquid form. Or as a tasty spread. [more inside]
posted by Devoidoid on Aug 15, 2009 - 12 answers

I used to feel pretty confident with computers / IT in general (80s child). Now I need a boost to get back up to speed, especially digging around in the OS / filesystem. Recommend me a good book / website / hands-on project? [more inside]
posted by KMH on Aug 6, 2009 - 7 answers

What have you learned through your career, major, or specialization that you wish the general public knew? [more inside]
posted by Earl the Polliwog on Jul 2, 2009 - 211 answers

I just had an MRI and MRA in response to these issues, and the radiologist's report should be relayed to me in a day or two. I've already had one normal CT scan. I received a copy of all the images from this scan - should I look at them? [more inside]
posted by elektrotechnicus on May 29, 2009 - 10 answers

Looking for indepth online. Where do you go for indepth analysis and information? The online versions of most Current Affairs print magazines are known to me. I want more Glenn Greenwald, Daily Beast; Andrew Sullivan or Informed Comment. What are the best blogs out there for political and international analysis; not neccessarily UScentric? For instance where do I find out more about the convoluted craziness of Iran or Eritrea? There are a lot of highly intelligent, inquiisitive people around these parts; where do you go to find out what the informed opinion for your interests are? Please don't limit this to just political or current affairs; the best of anything is always worth reading.
posted by adamvasco on Apr 23, 2009 - 16 answers

Alternatives to the mainstream scientific method that have generated real, practical output. [more inside]
posted by ajp on Mar 17, 2009 - 27 answers

What are some easy, relatively quick ways to learn to write better, think clearer, and express myself better? [more inside]
posted by Bageena on Jan 28, 2009 - 24 answers

What are some other "intellectual" or though-provoking websites like: TED.com BigThink.org Fora.tv Also, what are, in your opinion, some of the best books in the following topics: -economics -investing -psychology -design -religion -self-help [more inside]
posted by meta.mark on Jan 16, 2009 - 27 answers

Quote/saying: Old grass on new green? Old knowledge on new grass? I can't remember! [more inside]
posted by Black_Umbrella on Dec 14, 2008 - 3 answers

How can I gain in-depth knowledge and experience in technical fields? [more inside]
posted by gadha on Nov 26, 2008 - 9 answers

Is it possible for somebody to be a true Renaissance Man these days, or has hyperspecialization taken us all as hostages forever?
posted by dcrocha on Nov 23, 2008 - 21 answers

Looking for good documentaries that are truly informative (i.e. a kind of textbook in movie format). What are the best documentaries you've seen that left you much more informed about basic history and human knowledge? [more inside]
posted by the other side on Oct 28, 2008 - 28 answers

How can I learn to select produce at the store? [more inside]
posted by k7lim on Oct 24, 2008 - 13 answers

looking for social science lectures and/or radioshow interviews [more inside]
posted by figTree on Oct 16, 2008 - 10 answers

How would you go about cramming for a general knowledge quiz? [more inside]
posted by so_necessary on Aug 21, 2008 - 16 answers

What are some of the more radical, yet reputable, universities in the United States? [more inside]
posted by brandnew on Jul 23, 2008 - 48 answers

Which causes or ideas have become more about the messenger than the message? [more inside]
posted by divabat on Jul 13, 2008 - 21 answers

i want something sort of like this, only more to my liking. recommendations, please. [more inside]
posted by gcat on Apr 17, 2008 - 4 answers

How do people become stupid? [more inside]
posted by sixcolors on Apr 14, 2008 - 85 answers

How has our understanding of Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, etc. changed in the last five years? [more inside]
posted by Orange Pamplemousse on Mar 24, 2008 - 15 answers

My son is almost 1.5 – I’d like to make him a life book [more inside]
posted by doorsfan on Feb 13, 2008 - 4 answers

What books give an overview of the countries or some countries of the world - but are not boring fact spewers? [more inside]
posted by markovich on Feb 6, 2008 - 16 answers

I'm looking for labels for ways of knowing, in particular, the kind of knowledge that you won't understand until you've experienced it. [more inside]
posted by mausburger on Feb 5, 2008 - 29 answers

Is there a word or phrase that describes the experience of learning there is an established academic definition for an idea you thought was yours alone? [more inside]
posted by Lownotes on Jan 3, 2008 - 20 answers

I'm looking for multisubject howto info: deeper than eHow, less crafty than Instructables, more detailed than videojug, that isn't dead like SoYouWanna. Any single field's resources are fine too, so long as they are on the net. Thanks.
posted by StrikeTheViol on Jan 2, 2008 - 3 answers

In fourteen hundred ninety-two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. Great, Columbus=1492, got it. What else you know? I'm looking for silly and/or clever ways to remember history. [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Oct 15, 2007 - 55 answers

I have a very good memory, which comes in handy at work when issues come up and I can recall the context and history. However, my colleagues have come to rely on my memory rather than developing their own knowledge or referring to other sources of information. How can I get them to leave me alone so I can get some work done? [more inside]
posted by cabingirl on Sep 12, 2007 - 27 answers

I've read "The Dangerous Book for Boys" and I generally love those kind of books (information about anything with guides on doing stuff). What other books are out there that are in a similar vein? I'm a 21-year-old girl but would rather not have a "girly" book.
posted by divabat on Aug 25, 2007 - 22 answers

I am looking for examples of secret / esoteric information and facts that changed your perspective on the world or caused you to say 'Now that's interesting, I haven't heard that before!'. For example, this recent thread contained information about ADM that opened my eyes to the subtleties of the sugar markets. A simpler example of the type of knowledge I am looking for are the interesting things that grocery stores do to increase sales. Or the unsubstantiated claim that more people speak English in China that they do in America. I am looking for interesting tid-bits of knowledge that you might find in books like The Tipping Point and Freakanomics. Something your Oxford educated, weed-smoking Uncle might whip out during a random conversation at a cocktail party.
posted by kaizen on Jul 16, 2007 - 62 answers

I'm about to receive a large chunk of code for a nearly code complete web app from several consultants and have been tasked with assuming the knowledge transfer. What questions do I ask? [more inside]
posted by furtive on Jun 27, 2007 - 4 answers

Medical professionals: how do you intellectually and emotionally cope with disease and death? [more inside]
posted by melissa may on Apr 2, 2007 - 20 answers

What is the name for the study of the organization of knowledge? [more inside]
posted by mjklin on Mar 5, 2007 - 27 answers

When is a little knowledge a dangerous thing? [more inside]
posted by lunchbox on Dec 17, 2006 - 50 answers

I am not stupid, but I know nearly nothing and will never change this fact. Help me accept this. [more inside]
posted by JokingClown on Nov 28, 2006 - 49 answers

How many ways can you store information? [more inside]
posted by clockworkjoe on Nov 14, 2006 - 18 answers

The world isn't flat and pluto isn't a planet. What are some other things that the majority of the population were taught, believed, or were led to believe that we have since found out otherwise? [more inside]
posted by FlamingBore on Oct 18, 2006 - 61 answers

Is there a book or website that details early attempts to assemble fossilized bone into animals/dinosaur skeletons? [more inside]
posted by R. Mutt on Sep 1, 2006 - 4 answers

Distributed knowledge management system: I'm working with a large internationally distributed non-profit group on the design and needs specification for a knowledge management system. What are the best technologies out there today? What are some of the key issues to think about? [more inside]
posted by mtstover on Jul 24, 2006 - 2 answers

What are these kinds of "smarts" called, and how can I help my friend get more of it? [more inside]
posted by pricklypear on Jul 7, 2006 - 26 answers

I would like to make a "scientific discovery", or otherwise contribute something (however useful, or not) to the body of human knowledge. What are some unanswered questions, or unexplained details of the world, or (most especially) developing fields of inquirey, that an amateur might seek to investigate with possibility of making progress into the unexplored? [more inside]
posted by -harlequin- on Jul 3, 2006 - 45 answers

A coworker is interested in broadening her general knowledge with an emphasis in History and Science. So, she's looking for a site she can set to be her home page where she can get bite sized chunks of interesting information (like 5 to 15 minutes at a time). Any suggestions? [more inside]
posted by willnot on Apr 4, 2006 - 11 answers

Imagine the standard post apocalyptic scenario - social order collapses, technology is set back hundreds of years, people are struggling to create something like a livable society again. What skills would make a person especially valuable in a situation like this? Bonus points for things that would be useful in everyday life now. [more inside]
posted by borkingchikapa on Mar 20, 2006 - 59 answers

What systems for organizing knowledge (other than the Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress) exist? [more inside]
posted by richard m on Feb 20, 2006 - 20 answers

What skill should I learn next? What should I know? I enjoy learning, so I'm looking for new things to learn -- ideally some kind of skill (ie., not facts about obscure revolutions in the 18th Century). [more inside]
posted by aramaic on Jan 1, 2006 - 68 answers

Cluetrain-Manifesto-like books ? [more inside]
posted by vincentm on Oct 23, 2005 - 5 answers

What do website owners know about me when I visit their website? [more inside]
posted by Ugandan Discussions on Sep 10, 2005 - 15 answers

PhilosophyPhilter. This is kind of obscure, but I'm hoping that someone has some ideas. Did the Greeks have equivalent concepts for what we call 'tacit knowledge,' that is between knowledge that is familiar, habitual, everyday and usually unspoken? If so, did they juxtapose it with 'explicit knowledge'? Thanks! [more inside]
posted by carter on Jun 28, 2005 - 13 answers

What are the wisest/coolest/most surprising wikipedia entries you've run across? I already know about the Heavy Metal Umlaut and Exploding Whale.
posted by Tlogmer on Jun 14, 2005 - 15 answers

I need a few hundred to a few thousand general knowledge or trivia questions that I can integrate into a application I'm writing. [more inside]
posted by Mitheral on Mar 11, 2005 - 8 answers

How can I become an expert at C++ quickly? I know that the real answer is "lots of experience and work", but I would appreciate some tips on how to get from here to there as efficiently as possible. [MI] [more inside]
posted by breath on Feb 5, 2005 - 24 answers