The Latest from Big Think

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A woman in a red shirt watches a hand move a chess piece on a board, with a cat resting in a tree visible through the window behind them.
A cat doesn’t think; it just does. We could learn something from this.
Book cover for “A Brief History of Cities in 32 Inventions” by Jonn Elledge, featuring ancient city walls, roads, vehicles, and buildings on a lavender background.
The story of how one of civilization’s most enduring technologies became a picturesque relic.
An older woman sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop, with a scientific illustration of a virus superimposed on the left side of the image.
36mins
Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna co-invented CRISPR in 2012. She's spent the years since watching it cure disease, spark debate, and even solve health and climate issues. Here’s what it’s doing today.
Visualization of the timeline of the universe, from the beginning big bang to the present.
The Hubble "constant" isn't actually constant, evolving over both time and space. Will it ever become constant? That depends on dark energy.
kalam cosmological argument
Compared to the scale of the cosmos, a single human body might seem insignificant. But there's an entire Universe within each of us, too.
Black and white drawing of a globe labeled “Ancient Continent,” with chaotic red scribbles covering the lower half.
From banned books to modern classics, these satirical masterpieces show how humor and irony can help expose society’s deepest flaws.
Split screen showing an older man and a younger man, with a microscopic view of rod-shaped bacteria in the center.
38mins
Dr. Martin Blaser explains how modern life is wiping out the microbes humans evolved with, and what early antibiotics and diet may mean for our health.
Two small, boxy satellites joined by an artificial gravity cable in orbit above Earth.
A huge obstacle for human bodies in space is that we fare poorly in zero/reduced gravity. Can two rotating, tethered capsules overcome that?
A man in a black t-shirt and tan pants sits in a chair in front of a white backdrop, gesturing with his hands.
1hr 4mins
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Philosopher Jack Symes explores the space between devout religion and atheism.
The word “why?” in a black serif font, circled by a loose, hand-drawn red scribble, reflecting why we ask why.
In her new book, Why We Ask Why, cognitive scientist Tania Lombrozo turns the question "why" back on itself.
A smiling woman with shoulder-length gray hair wearing a blazer.
6mins
Everyone wants to know if AI will replace their job. Jennifer Doudna, co-inventor of CRISPR, has a clear-eyed take from inside the lab.
hottest planet
Despite being the innermost and most absorptive planet, Mercury "only" reaches 800 °F at its hottest. Venus is always hotter, even at night.
A man in a black t-shirt and jeans sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop, framed by a digital background of microscopic viral structures and binary code.
1hr 24mins
Blaise Agüera y Arcas argues that function defines life more than material does, and that AI belongs in the same story.
A wireframe digital hand representing AI consciousness reaches out from a computer screen to pet a black and white cat.
Our beliefs about AI consciousness may depend less on evidence and more on self-interest.
Book cover of “The Shortest History of Reality” by Geraint F. Lewis, featuring blue tones, white text, and an atom illustration on a red background.
Complexity may explain how billions of simple neurons give rise to thought, creativity, and consciousness.
An older man in a suit jacket and striped shirt wearing glasses, gesturing with his hand while speaking about IceCube neutrinos.
Back in 1988, Francis Halzen had what he called a "cute idea." His vision grew into the IceCube observatory, and earns the 2026 Nobel Prize.
Portrait of a man in a powdered wig and red coat, reminiscent of the new dark ages, looking intently at an open book.
As screens consume greater amounts of our time, we risk losing the habits of mind that helped us build the modern world.
Close-up of a rough rock surface with brown and green mineral fragments scattered and embedded within darker matrix material.
Strong, durable Martian concrete needs a mix of small-grained Martian sand and pure sulfur. NASA found the ingredients are already there.
A steaming, rocky geothermal crater with mineral deposits, surrounded by barren, yellowish terrain under a cloudy sky.
It has some researchers taking a second look at other hypotheses that have been proposed — and mostly discarded — in the past.