Philosophy

Philosophy

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

In all the known Universe, Earth is the only planet known to have native life. What should guide us in expanding humanity beyond our world?
A collage with graphs, a flower, a container ship, and a hand giving a thumbs-up—hinting at lucky investors—overlaid with the title “THE NIGHTCRAWLER” in bold letters at the top.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
A small person stands at the base of a large staircase with the words "IT STARTS HERE" in bold black letters on a yellow background.
14mins
"Being aware of your mindsets is the difference between living a conscious life, where you're making choices in accord with what you actually want and going where you actually wanna go, versus being on autopilot and having those mindsets subconsciously drive all of your decisions."
A large black question mark with the words "live the questions" overlaid in cursive font, set against a beige background with red abstract lines.
"Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms, like books written in a truly foreign language."
Barry Ritholtz, a man in a suit and tie, stands confidently before a blue zigzag line on a light backdrop.
Barry Ritholtz — market commentator, founder of Ritholtz Wealth Management, and podcast host — shares what really trips investors up.
black hole baby universe
Perhaps no existential question looms larger than that of our ultimate cosmic origins. At long last, science has provided the answers.
Colorful abstract depiction of a human silhouette surrounded by layered, radiant patterns in various colors against a textured background.
From religious iconography to modern mysticism, the human aura has been a subject of fascination across centuries and cultures.
Collage of a snarling wolf, a stock market graph, and abstract shapes, overlaid with the bold text "The Night Crawler" hints at de-extinction possibilities.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
uranium oxide oklo nuclear reactor
Planets can create nuclear power on their own, naturally, without any intelligence or technology. Earth already did: 1.7 billion years ago.
An older man with a white beard sits in a room, wearing a light blue shirt, hands clasped together. Bookshelves and artwork are visible in the background.
One of the most original and optimistic thinkers in America sketches some big ideas about what's possible with AI in the next 25 years.
A hint of pessimism drips from the upside-down mint ice cream cone melting on the asphalt, a sweet reminder that some delights are meant to slip away.
Pessimissts are never disappointed, but are they also kinder?
People in early 20th-century attire gather outside a building, as an intriguing green geometric pattern overlays the scene. This blend of classic and modern elements evokes the innovative spirit of AI art.
Hugo-winning author Ken Liu explores what early cinema and Chinese poetry can teach us about AI's potential as a new artistic medium.
Diagram of the universe's expansion with grid patterns and cosmic elements, framed by "Consensus or Crisis?" in white text on black background. This visual encapsulates how cosmology changed from 2000 to 2025, highlighting key theories and discoveries.
25 years ago, our concordance picture of cosmology, also known as ΛCDM, came into focus. 25 years later, are we about to break that model?
A smiling person in a black and white photo is set against a vibrant, Spotify-themed background with abstract patterns and shapes.
Spotify's Co-President, CPO and CTO chats with Big Think about the science of discovery, Swedish innovation, C-suite podcasting, and more.
Several microphones facing forward against a blue background with the text "Agents of Conflict" above them.
11mins
"These days, no national news network is trusted by more than half of American adults. And that's a problem."
planetary nebulae
In around 7 billion years, we expect the Sun to run out of fuel, dying in a planetary nebula/white dwarf combination. Is that for certain?
Split-panel collage of illustrations with partial faces of four historical figures, featuring diverse expressions and art styles, separated by colored lines. Each face reveals a hint of misunderstood philosophy, inviting viewers to ponder the unseen depths behind their enigmatic gazes.
That Nietzsche quote might not mean what you think it does.
A person sitting on a chair with legs crossed in front of a white backdrop in a spacious room with wooden floors and large windows.
32mins
"Plato would argue that sex in and of itself is not what true love is. Sex can reach a point where you are in union with that person, where you see behind their appearances and you see behind the flesh and you experience something which is more transcendental."
Two visualizations map the cosmos, displaying color-coded cosmic microwave background radiation. Blue and orange patches indicate temperature variations across a spherical and an oval projection.
It's difficult to project a sphere onto a flat, two-dimensional surface. All maps of the Earth have flaws; the same is true for the cosmos.