Someday we could have the ability to pay for a car to take us from point A to point B the moment we want to go.

Peter Diamandis wonders what fields have the potential to innovate with prizes like his creation, the X PRIZE.

There are three main reasons we need to go into space now, and one of them is to back up the biosphere.

A conversation with the Chairman and CEO of the X Prize Foundation.

David Remnick appeared on Meet the Press yesterdayto discuss his book on Obama. Among other things, he noted how careful the President is in understanding the need for nuance when […]

Today marks the fourth installment of Big Think’s series on business sustainability, sponsored by Logica. For the next nine Mondays (through June 8, 2010), we will release in-depth discussions with top European […]

Ted Leonsis says his 25 years as an entrepreneur and investor have shown him a link between pursuing happiness and achieving financial success in business.

Maia Szalavitz looks at research into the addictive quality of fattening foods, which suggests that long-term exposure to fattening items make users less likely to derive pleasure from them.

A state-government default would have all sorts of unpleasant consequences, writes James Surowiecki, but, luckily, U.S. states can count on help from the federal government.

Great competition doesn't always inspire greatness. When people compete against a superior peer at the top of his game, they often don't rise to the challenge. Instead, they often just give up.

John Plender looks at the concept of "moral hazard" — the idea that providing a safety net for the banking system during times of financial crisis will only encourage more risk taking later on.

George Prochnik writes that the ever-present background noise in modern society is more than annoying — it's actually harmful to our cardiovascular health and concentration, as well as our political discourse.

Jakub Grygiel gives eleven reasons why the study of classical history, and writers like Herodotus and Thucydides, are still vital to a modern education.

President Obama's challenge in taking on Wall Street is not unlike a similar challenge that was faced by President Teddy Roosevelt just over a century ago, write Simon Johnson and James Kwak.

Researchers have come up with a reason why sand grains can build up electrical charges as they collide with one another — sometimes to the point of creating lightning during dust storms and volcanic eruptions.

Scientists have figured out a new technique for revealing images of hidden objects which could one day allow doctors to see more precisely through the human body without surgery.

A story in the New York Times reveals that the rise of unpaid internships may be illegal: employers may be violating the federal guidelines which determine whether a position can […]

NAACP President Benjamin Jealous was thrilled (though not surprised) to see Barack Obama elected in 2008. And he’s willing to give Obama “wide latitude” during this first phase of his […]

When a bullet from the muzzle of a high powered rifle hits the flesh of a human target, the skin is instantly eviscerated by the speed of the bullet’s hot […]

It’s a common truth now that as much as we create our culture, our culture also creates us. Like Frankenstein’s monster acting with a mind of his own, culture eludes […]