Philosophy

Philosophy

Examine life’s biggest questions, from ethics to existence, with curiosity and critical thinking.

nasa merge black hole
Newton thought that gravitation would happen instantly, propagating at infinite speeds. Einstein showed otherwise; gravity isn't instant.
A red-tinted hand holding a marker draws basketball plays on a clipboard with a court diagram, against a blue and white background.
A good decision can blow up, and a terrible one can pay off.
Bald man with a trimmed gray beard wearing a light blue button-up shirt, seated and looking slightly to the side against a plain light background.
11mins
Our ability to build machine intelligence has outrun our ability to understand it. Professor Alan Love, director of the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, thinks biology can help close that gap.
A sunflower with a detailed close-up of its center, showcasing spiral patterns intertwined with mathematics. Fibonacci sequence and mathematical diagrams elegantly overlay a serene blue background.
The artistic and the mathematical mind are not so far apart.
finite or infinite
As far as we can tell, there's no limit to how far it goes on; only a limit to how far we can see. Could the Universe truly be infinite?
A single arrow with red fletching in motion, flying through a blue sky with wispy clouds.
7mins
We’ve been asking whether we have a purpose. Philosopher Alan Love says the better question is: what kind of purpose can we identify, document, and explain?
Impressionist painting of a young woman in a blue dress sitting on grass and reading a letter, with soft, colorful brushstrokes.
Books to expand your perspective on history, philosophy, space exploration, and more this year.
big crunch
Our Universe has a positive, non-zero value to the energy within empty space. Can we potentially save ourselves by considering vacuum decay?
A split image: left side shows an empty bench and rocking chair by a lake, evoking a sense of nostalgia; right side shows a person in a white shirt walking outdoors, partially obscured by a torn-paper effect.
The philosopher Svetlana Boym argues that "nostos" encourages people to reject the world as it is and seek to return to a better time — real or imagined.
A squirrel sits on a rock facing a standing bear in a forest setting, both animals appearing to observe each other closely.
People are almost always different to how we imagine them
universe bulk volume brane dimension
Mathematics is our language for quantitatively describing reality, but it can also take us to worlds that never were. Physics needs more.
A middle-aged man with glasses and a receding hairline, wearing a blue shirt, looks toward the camera against a plain white background.
15mins
We experience only one small slice of the ruliad. What’s the ruliad? Stephen Wolfram explains.
A man in a dark suit stands in front of a large sign that reads "SPIELBERG DISCLOSURE DAY" on a modern, metallic backdrop.
The movie gestures at one of humanity's biggest questions yet chooses to look away, writes Big Think producer Clark Frankel.
A collage featuring vintage papers, a sketch of Bartleby seated, a window frame, and colored circles on a dark background.
The ambiguity of Bartleby shows that opting out can be a form of resistance, retreat, or something harder to judge.
An illustration of a house in a forest, with part of a man's face drawn on one side—evoking transcendentalism—nestled among green trees and dark foliage.
How a culture of independence gave rise to a philosophy of self-reliance, solitude, and inner authority.
Illustration of a floating cat, cassette tape, pencil, bird, eraser, and a person standing on a hill—all symbols reflecting life's passion—set against a blue and white background.
Trying to solve one’s existential dread by finding a singular purpose is a game won only by not playing.
Three students sit at desks in a classroom, writing on paper. The focus is on the student in front resting her head as she writes, with two others visible working behind her.
Philosopher Gert Biesta on the real reason we should be wary of AI in education.
cosmic inflation
We used to think the Big Bang started it all. Then we realized that something else came before it, erasing everything that existed prior.
A man with short hair and a beard speaks while gesturing with both hands; he wears a black quilted jacket against a plain light background.
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"King" Willonius Hatcher, a comedian and AI storyteller, asserts that the AI revolution empowers creators to rapidly transform ideas into comprehensive projects—like pitch decks and marketing campaigns—allowing them to enhance their creative output while focusing on their core talents.