The Latest from Big Think

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A man with glasses and a beard works on a clay sculpture using a tool, set against a collage of historical art images and decorative patterns inspired by traditional Pasto varnish techniques.
The revival of Pasto Varnish shows how living heritage can survive if knowledge is passed on in time.
An abstract illustration shows overlapping target patterns, tally marks, and a dart hitting the bullseye—capturing a kaizen spirit—with pink gridlines and muted beige, yellow, and red tones.
Kaizen taught me that tiny, consistent changes can be more powerful than dramatic overhauls.
A tortoise wearing a blue "1st Place" ribbon on its shell, posed against a plain light background.
Many top performers start behind — and overtake the early leaders later.
A person stands next to a large book titled "The Knowledge," symbolizing mastery of the city’s map.
One of the toughest vocational exams in the world requires candidates to memorize 25,000 streets in an area five times the size of Manhattan.
A yellow silhouette of a person dives above the snow-covered peak of a mountain against a dark sky.
For elite climbers, divers, and explorers, mastery can fuel an escalation loop in which identity and danger rise together.
A stylized human figure runs in front of a large, abstract eye, with geometric shapes and colorful patterns in the background.
Elite athletes train their “quiet eye.” What happens if the rest of us do the same?
Illustration of a man in a suit with two shadowy, muscular figures flexing in the background, reminiscent of Ethan Suplee's transformation, set against a blue abstract backdrop.
The actor learned control, endurance, and focus on-set. Those lessons became the foundation of his real-world fight with addiction and self-hatred.
A head with books on it.
Timeless guidance on communication, time management, creativity, and more from some of today’s most influential thinkers.
A person is seen in a hazy landscape, centered within overlapping geometric shapes and colorful patterns, with lightning streaks in the background.
The Stoic philosopher argued that most of life is outside our control — but the little we do control defines who we are.
Our great hope is that today's indirect, astrophysical evidence will someday lead to successful direct detection. What if that's impossible?
Illustration of two hands shaking, with basketballs and a digital pattern overlaying the hands on a green and beige background.
Practical guidance for navigating AI’s role in modern learning organizations.
A deep space image showing a field of distant galaxies with several regions zoomed in to highlight faint, small JWST objects.
Just like animals, galaxies often have bizarre, unusual, or even unique properties. But finding many, all at once, really does raise alarms.
A spinosaurus skeleton with tall back spines is shown in profile; its head is crossed out with a red scribble.
Ernst Stromer discovered Spinosaurus in Egypt. His fossils were destroyed in WWII, yet still shape how we imagine this mysterious dinosaur today.
Book cover of "The Way of Excellence" by Brad Stulberg, featuring a winding path through green hills and a testimonial quote by Steve Kerr on how to find success.
Too many rich and prominent people turn out to be egotistical jerks: Brad Stulberg argues for a more grounded path towards excellence.
Bald man wearing glasses and a dark suit jacket sits against a plain white background, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression.
25mins
"In the process of mapping the heavens, it doesn't take long to realize the data problem they generated."
moon landing Apollo 11
Our view of the world, the Universe, and ourselves can change with just one glimpse of what's out there. It's happened many times before.
Seven women in vintage swimsuits and swim caps, reminiscent of an Aaron Hurst photograph, stand in a line on the beach, kicking up one leg in unison with the sea in the background.
Disconnection is not a personal failure, but a systems challenge — and an opportunity for employers to strengthen our social fabric.
venus jupiter earth iss
Outer space begins just over 100 kilometers up, but what we can see extends for billions of light-years. Here's what all of it looks like.
A man with glasses reads a newspaper, with a glowing lightbulb illustration above his head, symbolizing an idea or realization.
Reading isn’t just writing prep; together, reading and writing help writers think and generate original ideas through extended cognition.