13.8

Two astronauts in spacesuits stand on a rocky, marbled pink surface, looking out into a dark star-filled outer space.
White numbers “168” in a bold font appear against a light gray background.
Where science meets the human story

We live in a scientifically dominated age. Nearly every aspect of modern life is shaped by science and technology, from medicine and space exploration to climate change, nuclear risk, and artificial intelligence.

Science is the source of our greatest hopes and our deepest fears. It drives progress, but it also raises profound questions about meaning, responsibility, and the future of civilization. In the 21st century, science cannot be separated from culture. The two are braided together, shaping our politics, our art, and our understanding of what it means to be human.

13.8 is a space for examining that relationship. Through essays and conversations, it explores the beauty, power, promise, and peril of science as a cultural force. If we want to understand our moment in history, this is where the inquiry begins.

with

Adam Frank is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Rochester, a leading researcher on stellar evolution, and the author of four books. He is the co-founder of 13.8, where he writes about science and culture.

Marcelo Gleiser is a professor of natural philosophy, physics, and astronomy at Dartmouth College and the author of five books. A recipient of the 2019 Templeton Prize, he is the co-founder of 13.8, where he explores science and culture.

Why organisms are more than machines
Sixty years ago, a little-known philosopher challenged how science understands life. His perspective is finding new relevance in the age of artificial intelligence.

Adam Frank

A split image explores the nature of life, with a gray rock on a dark background on the left and a colored microscopic view of a cell—hinting at intelligence—in vivid detail on the right.
Three planets are silhouetted against deep space with a bright red star and nebula clouds in the background.
Astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger spoke with Big Think about how "the colors of life" could leave detectable traces on distant planets.
A cylindrical space habitat with green landscapes and rivers, viewed from inside; two moons and a bright sun-like object are visible through large windowed sections.
NASA’s Caleb Scharf talks with Big Think about life’s long experiment in expansion.
A smiling man with short dark hair wears a button-up shirt, standing in front of a purple, splattered-texture background.
Big Think spoke with astronomer David Kipping about technosignatures, "extragalactic SETI," and being a popular science communicator in the YouTube age.
Abstract illustration featuring five circles with various designs connected by curved white lines on a purple and blue background, symbolizing science or interconnected concepts.
A conversation with Annaka Harris on shared perception, experimental science, and why our intuition about consciousness is wrong.
A man with short dark hair, glasses, and a goatee, wearing a blue jacket over a light shirt, stands in front of a beige, textured background.
The "Doctor Strange" director says mystery shifts your worldview — "not in a metaphorical sense, but in a deeply experiential one."
Illustration of two connected neurons with green and orange bodies, featuring detailed blue nuclei, against a black grid background.
A fresh view of intelligence — spanning living systems from bacteria to human civilization — challenges the idea that it’s merely problem-solving.
The Earth is partially illuminated against a dark space background, showing glowing city lights and a blue atmosphere.
A new SETI study shows how far the field of technosignatures has come.
Chemical structures over an image of a planet with a dark background, resembling a scientific illustration of molecular compounds in space exploration.
Life might be more common across the Universe than the "Hard Steps Model" suggests.
A person holds a sign reading "GLOBAL WARMING is a cruel hoax" with a dog standing nearby on a leafy ground.
Astronomer Adam Frank reflects on some responses to his recent appearance on the Lex Fridman Podcast.
Multiple country flags on poles against a clear blue sky, representing international diversity and unity.
The nation-state had a good run, but its usefulness may have come to an end.
A digital vortex with glowing cyan concentric circles and geometric shapes giving a sense of depth and motion.
The problem for galactic-scale civilizations comes down to two numbers.
An illustration of Galileo Galilei with a historical text and a lunar sketch alongside.
"I was stunned. Here in front of me was the original apparatus through which a new vision of the world was slowly and painfully brought to light."
A green and abstract background with connected molecular diagrams and labeled sections: "Building block" and "Assembly pool," with an "Assembly index: 8.
We need a "theory that explains the evolution of evolution," argues theoretical physicist Sara Imari Walker.
Grayscale image showing a flying object captured on radar screen with various data markings.
Astronomer Adam Frank asks: With so many extraordinary claims, why can't anybody produce the proof?
Close-up of multi-colored snowflakes on the left and a detailed view of a spiral galaxy on the right against a star-filled background.
How did life on Earth begin? Is there life on other worlds? An answer to either question will reflect heavily on the other. 
Green and yellow abstract scientific illustration depicting molecular structures interconnected with arrows, set against a dark background.
It's deceptively tricky to distinguish living systems from non-living systems. Physics may be key to solving the problem.
A collage features geometric shapes including a green triangle, a white sphere, a purple circle, and a white cube. Partially visible is a grayscale photo of a man wearing glasses.
By focusing on the role of human experience, we may uncover new insights on the fundamental structure of reality.
A detailed image of the moon with visible craters and surface textures, set against a dark sky filled with numerous stars.
Finding life beyond our Solar System requires understanding its host planet.
A black and white image of a curled fern leaf is centered on a black background with faint, star-like specks, capturing an ethereal beauty reminiscent of Sara Walker's scientific explorations.
In "Life As No One Knows It," Sara Imari Walker explains why the key distinction between life and other kinds of "things" is how life uses information.
View of Earth from space showing a partially illuminated hemisphere with detailed ocean and cloud patterns against a backdrop of stars.
In the 1970s, James Lovelock proposed that the biosphere was not just green scruff quivering on Earth's surface. Instead, it managed to take over the geospheres.