Latest Articles

Latest Articles

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

Bunny in a hot tub
The utilitarian “greatest happiness principle” has remained popular for two centuries — is it time for a rethink?
an astronaut contemplates a black hole
That scary swirling void from which nothing can escape is our perfect universal translation tool.
JWST CEERS 1 hour field
Many galaxies really are ultra-distant, but some are just intrinsically red or dusty. Only with spectroscopy can JWST tell which is which.
the interior of a large cathedral with chandeliers.
The cathedral is being explored as never before.
A black-and-white painting depicts a man with tousled hair, a mustache, and a suit with a tie, facing forward against a textured background.
8mins
What makes some scientists culturally significant, while others remain in obscurity? Well, there’s a science to it.
mauritius reunion ISS earth night
Mercury, Venus, and Mars are all uni-plate planets, and may always have been. Here's what's known about why Earth, uniquely, has plate tectonics.
a map of a city with red areas.
Parking lots are about one-fifth of all land in U.S. city centers, making them "easy to get to, but not worth arriving at."
a woman working on a laptop in a factory.
It is easy to underestimate how much the world can change within a lifetime.
An illustration representing a tense argument between a man and woman
Arguments don’t have to be about winning or losing; they can help us build trust despite disagreeing.
a pink brain with the words extend your mind.
3mins
No one is teaching us how to be online. That’s a problem.
a man in a lab coat holding a test tube
A blood test to diagnose mental illness is a "holy grail" of psychiatry.
a man sitting in front of a laptop computer.
To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies?
blue water lily illustration
Brian C. Muraresku, New York Times best-selling author of "The Immortality Key," unpacks ancient evidence for the widespread ritual use of psychoactive plants.
a black and white photo of an animal skull.
Researchers discovered something modern humans had never before seen—a flashy Neanderthal horn collection.
a star burst in the middle of the night sky.
We are about to learn a lot more about the most elusive of cosmic particles.
a blue brain with lightning coming out of it.
This is the latest study to confirm that the brain does not fully mature until at least the third decade of life.
a close up of a person with curly hair.
The curlier the hair, the cooler you are.
a couple of rhinos standing next to each other.
High-conflict people are found in all walks of life. Learning how to identify them, and what to do next, can save you much emotional turmoil.