Mind & Behavior

Mind & Behavior

Study the science of how we think, feel, and act, with insights that help you better understand yourself and others.

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 white shirt hugs a figure made of digital green and blue pixels—an evocative portrayal of the growing connection between humans and AI social skills—set against a pale background.
AI can provide short-term relief from social anxiety, but it can come at the expense of the social skills you’re trying to build.
A hospital bed sits in a forest clearing beneath a large, glowing white light, surrounded by trees and greenery.
What happens when transcendent experiences collide with a culture that lacks language for understanding them?
John Templeton Foundation
Map showing live camera locations across North and South America, Europe, and Africa, marked with blue numbered circles and black camera icons. The interface includes search and navigation options.
The world webcam map, a defunct format from Web 1.0, is a foil to today’s algorithmic internet.
Text reading “Big Think Members. Your Brain on Books. A Members-Only Live Event” over a torn paper effect and a blurred stack of books in the background.
1hr 2mins
Members
What’s happening in your brain and body while you’re lost in a great book?
A bearded man is surrounded by fantastical creatures and demons attacking him in an intricate, detailed, black-and-white engraving.
Great thinkers have long kept psychosis at a safe distance. But those asking the biggest questions may find it uncomfortably close.
A hand reaches toward figs on a tree; one fig and part of another are pixelated, as if obscured by an unseen agency, while the rest of the image remains clear.
The ability to see your options clearly and act on them has never been more valuable.
A man in business attire sits in an office chair with his hand covering his face, surrounded by red circles. One circle says “WORK WISE.”.
Once you decide what kind of person someone is, every interaction becomes supporting evidence. Here’s how to interrupt the cycle.
anti-gravity mirror
If you look into a mirror, you'll notice that left-and-right are reversed, but up-and-down is preserved. The reason isn't what you think.
A man wearing glasses and a sweater sits in a boat, holding a large fishing rod, with the open sea visible in the background.
How do you tell when intuition is offering you reliable information?
Three firefighters in full gear stand near a fire truck at dusk, with circular graphic elements overlaid on the image.
People whose jobs deal with actual emergencies are trained to slow down first. Here's how to borrow their strategies.
Book cover of "Inner Propaganda: Leading Hearts and Minds Through Turbulent Times" by Owen Fitzpatrick, featuring bold text on a red background with white rays and a crumpled paper effect, visually capturing the essence of inner propaganda at work.
Our brains are gambling addicts placing bets on what reality holds. And sometimes, they bet wrong.
A woman with dark hair looks upward with a neutral expression, soft light illuminating her face, and a blurred background with warm and cool tones.
10mins
How do you unlearn a story about yourself that the whole world seemed to agree on? Margaret Cho has been working on that answer for a long time. This is where she landed.
Unlikely Collaborators
Book cover for "Big Time Off: The Transformative Power of Sabbaticals and How to Take One" by DJ DiDonna, featuring a sky background, a red border, and bold lettering that highlights the concept of taking big time off.
The goal of a sabbatical shouldn't be to make you a better worker when you return. It's an opportunity to be a more fully realized person.
A man in a suit sits at a table, facing another person whose back is visible in the foreground, against a blue background.
When someone asks you a question they genuinely don’t know the answer to, hold on to them for dear life.
Stylized illustration of two purple eyes peering over a blue angular shape against a black background, evoking the intrigue found in stories with psychopathic protagonists.
These iconic literary characters shine a light on our enduring fascination with dangerous minds.