Latest Articles

Latest Articles

The newest essays, interviews, and features from Big Think.

Global Population Boom: Are People the Problem, the Solution, or Both? Professor Joel Cohen first asks and answers the question, “How did humans grow from small populations on the African […]
Of the many concepts of Judaism artist Mark Rothko took to heart, the idea of tikkun olam, Hebrew for “repairing the world,” penetrated the deepest. In Mark Rothko: Toward the Light in the Chapel, academic and a cultural historian Annie Cohen-Solal cuts to the heart of Rothko’s life and art and sheds new light on how both seemingly had to end at The Rothko Chapel (shown above), the Houston home of Rothko’s final works that he tragically didn’t live long enough to see himself. In this tightly focused new biography, Cohen-Solal shows us both how The Rothko Chapel culminates Rothko’s life-long mission to repair his world and how it continues to serve as a light of hope in our darkening world.
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Khan Academy founder Salman Khan explains how always dreaming big and setting audacious goals got him to where he is today.
Study finds that Rhode Island kids who were allowed to sip an alcoholic beverage were four times more likely to have been drunk by the time they reached high school.
Sex may be enjoyable, but in evolutionary terms, it's a very difficult way to reproduce.
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Actress and comedian Maysoon Zayid, who lives with cerebral palsy, says that the disabled are the largest minority group in the world, and the only one you can join at any time.
Changing up your routine by walking backwards may be enough to boost creativity, although it may also lead to a decrease in productivity.
Searching the internet gives people an inflated sense of knowledge, according to a recent study.
Some people have trouble making left-right distinctions. It's not a big deal, so long as you don't work in a medical profession.
The Roman philosopher had the following to say about ability and education: "Natural ability without education has more often attained to glory and virtue than education without natural ability."
A new study examines over a hundred rumors spread through over a thousand news articles in 2014 and investigates the role major news publications play in the spread of misinformation.
Playing video games provides some bonus points for the real world. In a recent study, researchers found gamers were better able to adapt and learn visual tasks.
In the spirit of April Fools' Day, researchers decided to put the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," to the test.
What the world’s most powerful collider found, and may yet still find. “Innovation is taking two things that already exist and putting them together in a new way.” –Tom Freston […]
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As religiosity plays a major role in American society, Barney Frank advises other atheist politicians not to draw too much attention to the word "atheist" because it is too often perceived as a repudiation of religion (and, therefore, American values).
Research suggests that making a new friend doesn't have to be anxiety-inducing, just bond over your shared social anxiety.
One in five students will experience 'exploding head syndrome,' a disruptive disorder caused by the auditory neurons firing at once, waking sleepers with a loud bang.
There exist many conflicting theories on the origins of the holiday, although the most compelling dates back to Pope Gregory XIII in 1582.
Data-driven solutions aren't going anywhere, but the public's perception of big data's value is bound to buckle beneath the weight of unrealistic expectations.