Latest Articles

Latest Articles

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

The discovery of the brain's "GPS," which netted three scientists the Nobel Prize for Medicine, will allow researchers to study the process by which dementia steals control of the body from the afflicted.
“If you love someone,” pop star Stingsang years ago, “set them free.” Sometimes the first rule of love is forgetting all the rules that constrain the object of one’s affection, […]
It’s been 78 days since my last blog post. It’s shameful to admit, but I wasn’t sure how else to break the silence.   Did I get lost on my […]
If you're hoping to wipe low-income fish from your dating pool, Luxy may be the app for you. Swipe right for a peek into his or her Swiss Bank Account.
There are two reasons why President Grímsson considers the Arctic the next major environmental, political, and economic playing field: climate change and the region's untapped natural resources.  
It might not sound impressive, but the physics behind it — and the power of its applications — are literally world-changing. Image credit: Orphek LEDs, via http://orphek.com/about/aquarium-led-lighting/. “Everyone must leave something behind when he […]
3mins
Theoretical physicist Alan Lightman suggests that our universe is one of many possible variations, leaving physicists at a cosmological dead end. Lightman’s latest book is The Accidental Universe: The World […]
5mins
Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the fifth President of Iceland, explains the perilous environmental situation in the Arctic in light of climate change.
On 18 September, Scotland voted to stay in the UK by 55% to 45%: a wider margin than most expected, but still close enough to warrant the constitutional re-think promised […]
Dollar A Day enables its subscribers to support a different non-profit organization every day — automatically. Subscribers are charged $30 each month (all tax-deductible) and the money is distributed evenly to a portfolio of non-profits registered in the U.S. 
The High Fidelity and Fever Pitch author recently told Cheltenham Festival attendees that no one should have to pridefully trudge through highbrow novels or force children to labor through books they find boring. Doing so sets a bad precedent.
Data and tech are invading sports arenas at a relentless pace with major emphasis being placed on advanced metrics. On one hand, incorporating new information can help revolutionize a sport. On the other, invasive testing could instigate a conflict between executives and athletes.
We are stardustWe are goldenAnd we’ve got to get ourselvesBack to the garden Oh, how those words from Joni Mitchell touched me in the Woodstock days. Listening to her sweet […]
There are countless opportunities in this world for one to give of him- or herself. And doing so, says WuDunn, helps more than just the receiver, even if it's not immediately apparent.
6mins
Sheryl WuDunn explains the complex worlds of charitable giving, volunteering, and altruism. WuDunn is the co-author of "A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunities."
Facebook recently announced that it will display warnings beside satirical content. In this post we look at the flaws and implications of recent research on the spread of false information on Facebook.
"What is a scientist after all? It is a curious person looking through a keyhole, the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on."
Earlier this year, doctors at the Wake Forest Institute of Regenerative Medicine successfully implanted lab-grown vaginas in four patients with underdeveloped sex organs. Now the team is looking to replicate that success with men via lab-grown penises.
Modern workers subscribe more and more to the axiom "time is more valuable than money." How will the business world acclimate to accommodate this trend?
With a planetary nebula, over 80,000 stars and a distance of only 10,000 light-years, it’s one of the most rewarding globulars of all! Image credit: R. Columbari, via http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?t=31833. “I […]