Latest Articles

Latest Articles

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

A person with hair floating upwards looks out of a spacecraft window at Earth, filled with hope as clouds and oceans shimmer below—a view reminiscent of the Artemis II mission’s journey.
NASA has just sent astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since 1972 with Artemis II. So why would we cut NASA and NSF science now?
A man sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a brick-walled room with arched windows; "B T" logo is visible in the top right corner.
1hr 8mins
Mark Manson, author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, argues that the entire self-help industry has been selling ephemeral highs: affirmations, visualizations, the relentless pursuit of feeling good. The research doesn't support it, and more importantly, neither does lived experience.
Chart illustrating the Standard Model of Elementary Particles, as found in the early universe, divided into quarks, leptons, gauge bosons, and the Higgs boson, with details on mass, charge, and generation.
Today, we have the Standard Model of particles with four fundamental forces governing them. But things weren't always the way they are now.
A colorful nebula with a bright center and symmetrical, wing-like clouds of gas and dust extends outward in space, as seen in a JWST reveal that uncovers stars and galaxies in the universe beyond.
Many facts are well-known to professionals, but are unappreciated or even rejected outright by the public. "How stars work" takes the cake.
a painting of a group of men standing next to each other.
From landscaped gardens to road systems, the Persians were among the first to create many things we still enjoy today.
Book cover titled "MUSKISM: A Guide for the Perplexed" by Quinn Slobodian & Ben Tarnoff, featuring a plume of smoke rising against a blue sky—a striking visual that hints at the enigmatic essence of muskism.
As SpaceX slashes launch costs, governments are gaining new capabilities, while potentially outsourcing their sovereignty to Musk's private empire.
A model of a human brain and a heart are shown side by side, connected by circular arrows indicating a relationship or interaction between them.
6mins
You've heard of the mind-body connection. But have you ever actually tried to understand your own? Three scientists break down the feedback loop running your brain and body — and what becomes possible when you learn to use it.
Unlikely Collaborators
universe bulk volume brane dimension
For decades, theorists have been cooking up "theories of everything" to explain our Universe. Are all of them completely off-track?
A photo of a woman with her face blanked out is taped to a background filled with handwritten writing. She wears a pink top and gold hoop earring, her hand resting near her collarbone.
"I will not reason and compare: my business is to create."
Antimatter rocket with a glowing blue exhaust travels through deep space, showcasing the marvels of interstellar travel amid distant galaxies and stars.
Our dream of journeying to other star systems has a big obstacle to overcome: the vast interstellar distances. Can antimatter get us there?
Night view of a city skyline with illuminated skyscrapers and a bridge, home to a self-healing power grid, all reflected in the water below.
A new generation of self-healing tools could make the U.S.'s aging power grid far more resilient against modern threats.
Illustration of server racks, a yellow high voltage warning sign, a green dollar symbol, and faint graphs in the background.
Data centers consume enormous amounts of power, but their steady demand could make the grid more efficient — and lower costs for everyone.
Illustration of a person lying inside a low battery icon, using a phone with a yellow screen, against a dark blue and black background with neon accents.
Your energy doesn’t work like a battery — and treating it that way may be why you still feel tired even after a break.
A fork holds a piece of lettuce, partially obscured by a bright yellow glow against a dark background.
A growing movement is trying to turn energy directly into food — reviving an old dream of escaping the violence and inefficiency of eating.
Abstract illustration of a person running, shown in silhouette with layered, wavy bands of green, blue, black, and yellow in the background.
A Columbia researcher argues that everything from stress to aging comes down to how energy moves through your body.
Illustration of Earth overlaid with a grid and energy types from the Kardashev Scale: Type I, II, and III, representing planetary, stellar, and galactic energy usage.
The famous framework ranks civilizations by energy use — but ignores a critical factor that can halt their progress.
World map showing global oil reserves, rare earth elements deposits (yellow dots), and major shipping routes and chokepoints, with oil reserves highlighted by pink circles of varying sizes.
As the global economy moves beyond oil, the strategic importance of the world’s most critical hydrocarbon chokepoint is likely to decline rapidly.
Book cover for "Anchored, Aligned, Accountable" by Aiko Bethea, featuring gold stacked stones on a blue background and a subtitle about transforming lives and work by overcoming the false urgency myth.
Our obsession with speed and productivity creates unnecessary pressure that quietly fuels burnout and anxiety.
A black-and-white photo of a person walking in profile, centered on a red background with multiple yellow arrows pointing outward in all directions—a striking design inspired by modern China.
A firsthand look at China’s material progress and clean-tech revolution -- and what could happen if we let an authoritarian state steer AI's future.
A hand holds up a small gold trophy against a dramatic sky with lightning and a burst of light, symbolizing victory when you lead with love.
When leaders embrace positive personal energy, everyone feels the benefits — in trust, innovation and creativity.