Latest Articles

Latest Articles

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

A painting of a praying woman with clasped hands and an upward gaze appears through the outline of a keyhole, set against a black background, evoking an air of mysticism.
It makes no sense to talk about a “religious life” and a “public life” — there is just life.
A person sits behind bars at a desk with a computer in a dimly lit setting, suggesting restriction or confinement.
7mins
“The simplest, most powerful way to reinforce work, not jobs, is to ask people to do something different.”
levitation
With the right material at the right temperature and a magnetic track, physics really does allow perpetual motion without energy loss.
A slot machine displays various icons, including brains, cherries, a clover, and the number seven—an homage to Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s work—with two brains and a seven visible in the central row.
Stuck on a hamster wheel of mindless social media scrolling? Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff explains how to consciously redirect your reward system.
A man slumps in a chair, eyes closed, as small monkey-like creatures torment him with various objects in a room near a fireplace and table.
In "The Headache," Tom Zeller Jr. explores one of the human brain's most enduring, and painful, enigmas.
Halftone close-ups of a person's smiling mouth and eyes, with a small silhouette of people climbing a hill—evoking the adventurous spirit of Brad Feld—set against abstract backgrounds.
A conversation with the legendary VC on his latest book, his work at Techstars, and why “give first” is more than a motto — it’s a mindset.
bounce ball
Whether you run the clock forward or backward, most of us expect the laws of physics to be the same. A 2012 experiment showed otherwise.
Granite memorial stone for John F. Kennedy, surrounded by trees and located on a paved area with steps. Inscription dedicates the site from the people of Britain to the United States.
The JFK Memorial at Runnymede provides a link between America's and Britain's founding documents.
Book cover with yellow background and red border, titled "After the Idea" by Julia Austin, with subtitle "What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup," highlighting stellar hires, and featuring a red exclamation mark.
If you want the best shot at long-term success, it can pay to supplement hot-shots with seasoned industry veterans.
A person in a long, light-colored garment leans forward with their head pressed against a brick wall against a red background.
7mins
From trepanning to lobotomies, humans have long struggled to manage emotion. Today, we have better tools. Psychologist Ethan Kross shares what actually works, and why.
every square degree
When the Hubble Space Telescope first launched in 1990, there was so much we didn't know. Here's how far we've come.
A man with long curly hair sits on a chair in a white hallway, surrounded by illustrated documents, maps, and notes taped to a gray wall.
1hr 3mins
“The public really doesn't realize that they are much closer to CIA spies than they think they are.”
Green abstract image with floating, glowing funnel-shaped objects and spherical wireframe shapes evokes a black hole universe, all set against a misty green background with ethereal light streaks.
Once you cross a black hole's event horizon, there's no going back. But inside, could creating a singularity give birth to a new Universe?
Union soldiers in blue uniforms escort prisoners past a burning building with a large hole in the wall while smoke and flames rise, during the American Civil War.
Before becoming America’s most infamous assassin, John Wilkes Booth was a magnetic actor who was beloved by audiences and courted by critics.
A collage featuring an open book, a light source, and images of the moon captures post-AI wisdom, with the title "The Night Crawler" at the top.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
F = ma fall up
From high school through the professional ranks, physicists still take incredible lessons away from Newton's second law.
Two people sit on a deck at night, illuminated by red light, looking up at a star-filled sky with mountains silhouetted in the background.
It’s something to wrestle and live with, says behavioral scientist Arthur Brooks.
A painting depicts compassionate leaders, as a person in a blue robe carries an injured figure on a brown horse, set against swirling blue and yellow brushstrokes in the background.
The benefits of compassion in the workplace are manifold — but leaders should retain an intentional focus on mental, emotional, and physical balance.