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.

Aerial aliens: Why cloudy worlds might make detecting life easier
Astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger spoke with Big Think about how "the colors of life" could leave detectable traces on distant planets.

Adam Frank

Three planets are silhouetted against deep space with a bright red star and nebula clouds in the background.
A colorful bar graph highlighting the crisis in cosmology.
The standard model of cosmology has a big new problem: Some galaxies seem to be too old.
A diagram of a galaxy with blue arrows suggesting the past hypothesis.
How do physicists solve a problem like entropy?
An image of a galaxy with a centrally-located star, illustrating the standard model of cosmology.
Cosmologists are largely still in the dark about the forces that drive the Universe.
a quantum cat on a blue background.
Though quantum mechanics is an incredibly successful theory, nobody knows what it means. Scientists now must confront its philosophical implications.
quantum entanglement qubit ER = EPR
Experiments tell us quantum entanglement defies space and time.
a man playing a violin in front of a piano.
To Einstein, nature had to be rational. But quantum physics showed us that there was not always a way to make it so.