Unleash Your Inner Brainiac! 25 Top Blogs to Train Your Brain

Earning a doctorate--or completing any advanced degree program--involves talking the talk and walking the walk. Nothing keeps your finger on the pulse of the academic world like being tuned in to these blogs for the brainiac. Next time a hot topic comes up, you'll be ready to pontificate with the best of them. Log in, and start the next step in your online education with these hot blogs.

Right, Left, and Center: Best Political Blogs

Charles De Galle said, "I have come to the conclusion that politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." He's right--read these discussions of affairs of state, and you can join the political debate.

• The Washington Note: Some recent entries in this foreign policy blog include "Soft Power UK Style," "America's Relationship With Turkey Goes Far Beyond Israel," and "Where Have America's Grand Strategists Gone?"
• Reason Magazine: Hit and Run: Features "news, views, and abuse" by the magazine's staff, and recent content includes "Instapundit on Net Neutrality," and "Progressives Revolt Over Heath Care Deal."
• Drudge Report: Part gossip rag, part political insider, and all fun. Latest reads include "102-year-old Architect Spends 'Crap' Birthday; 'Nothing to Commemorate'" and "Pope Goes Green, Blames Man for Ecological Crisis."
• Wonkette: Appeals to those who like their info with a healthy dose of snark. Humorous entries include "Everyone In Washington Get A 'Gay Fiance' Before They're All Taken!" And "Oral Roberts, Dead as the Dickens."

For Scientists (Mad and Otherwise): Highest Rated Science Blogs

Isaac Asimov maintained that,"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny ...'" Get in on the world of discovery with these dialogues.

• Wired Science: News for Your Neurons: Recent entries include "Hacked Wiimote Makes Super Scientific Sensor" and "Hole in Ionosphere Reveals Clues About North Korean Missile Launch."
• Science Base: Interesting entries include "Thinking About Electric Vehicles," "SEVI and HIV," and "Party Tricks for Scientists."
• Everyday Scientist-Remarking on the Unremarkable: Hands-on articles include "How to Referee a Paper," "Avoiding Mistakes in the Lab," and "Evidence-based Medicine."
• Method: The Science of Reason: Rounds up the best science posts from blogs around the world. It's a quick way to get it all and get it fast.

For Writers, Editors, and Readers: Top Word Nerd Blogs

W. Somerset Maugham claimed, "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." For communicators extraordinaire, these blogs help you work your words like a pro and impress all with your clever literary references.

• The Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar: Features humorous examples of questionable grammar, such as these found in church fliers: "Don't let worry kill you off--let the Church help," and "For those of you who have children and don't know it, we have a nursery downstairs."
• You Don't Say: A blog by 23-year newspaper veteran John McIntyre, and amusingly details essentials for professional writers, such as the acceptability of the word "meep."
• After Deadline: A blog written by New York Times' editors. Its goal is "to better inform readers of the story behind each story." Its regular column "One of Those Things: Notes from the newsroom on grammar, usage and style" corrects common language errors found in the news.
• Columbia Journalism Review's Language Corner: A thorough, hard-core study of language and communication. Recent entries include "Singulars Bar--Pronouns and Nouns Need to Be Monogamous--and Non-sexist," "Just Because--Let Us Count the Reasons Why," and "Before the Beginning--Doing Away with Some Pre-fixes."

Fun and Games: Best "Take Your Brain to the Gym" Blogs

According to writer Dorothy Parker, "The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity." Like the rest of our bodies, brains like to play, and entertaining workouts make them stronger and healthier. Have some fun and stretch your cerebrum with these blogs.

• Luminosity: Reclaim Your Brain: Offers games to exercise your memory, increase your verbal fluency, improve your special recall, and more. Discussions include brain food and brain health.
• Brain Training 101: Provides brain exercises, brain teasers, and puzzles, articles about the best brain food, free IQ tests, cognitive fitness programs, and free brain games.
• Mental Floss: Full of amazing facts, brain games, and entries like "12 Things You Can Do on a Segway" and "Fried Lettuce, Slug Entrails, and Other Insomnia Cures."
• Sharp Brains: Contains brain teasers and tests plus articles on topics like stress management, ADD, and improving short-term memory.

Top Business and Finance Blogs

Famed English writer and activist Jonathan Swift said, "A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart." You want to be wise, don't you? You can be if you keep up with these business and finance blogs.

• Seeking Alpha: The largest and most comprehensive of the financial blogs. If you want to find articles from hundreds of sites, go to this one-stop-shop.
• Calculated Risk: Offers thoughtful and insightful commentary on the economy, housing, financial markets, and news. It's the site to tap for deeper understanding.
• Bad Money Advice: An irreverent personal finance site full of good sense and funny posts for laypeople. Popular posts include "Why Market Timing Is Hard: and "Cops and Regulators."
• Malcolm Gladwell's blog: Gives you all the quirky business insight you need to know. The author of Blink, The Tipping Point, and What the Dog Saw offers business discussion that includes a lot of social commentary.

The Art of Being Smart: Top Humanities Blogs

Sir Francis Bacon was the first to claim that, "Knowledge is power." And no education is complete without a tour of the liberal, performing, and fine arts. From philosophy to architecture, opera to pop art, these blogs are essential for those who value knowledge for its own sake.

• The Leiter Reports: A consistently top-rated philosophy blog. It's rather highbrow discussions take on subjects like the "moral responsibilities of intellectuals" and "philosophers for white supremacy."
• Gallery Driver: Offers an aggregate of the freshest art posts from over 50 art blogs. For a whirlwind tour of fine arts, check the summaries and click the posts that catch your eye.
• Aquarium Drunkard: Puts out the best music writing available today. News, reviews, downloads, and original commentary makes this site a "don't miss."
• History News Network: The product of a group of history bloggers at George Mason University. Go here when you want a blast from the past.
• Open Culture: Offers more than discussion. Go here for free classes in languages, the humanities, and more. Get free movies and attend open courses from Yale University.

The Internet is so much more than a means of communication or shopping, and its online education resources are almost unlimited. Try these 25 blogs and give your brain a complete makeover.

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