Science & Tech

Science & Tech

Explore the discoveries that reveal how the world works, alongside the technologies that extend, reshape, and sometimes challenge what’s possible.

Illustration of a human ear cross-section above, with a pink sound wave graphic on a red background below.
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Humans, unlike robots, can't produce identical results consistently, but Pulitzer Prize-winning author Charles Duhigg suggests we can channel our natural curiosity and creativity toward achieving our personal goals and passions.
A blue and green dot drawing of a woman looking through a microscope.
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This class explores human cognition and decision-making through insights from experts like Michio Kaku on magical thinking, Madhavan on systems-level thinking, Mlodinow on elastic thinking, Konnikova on deductive reasoning, and Summers on structured decision-making, promoting a scientific mindset for effective problem-solving.
A man in a suit walks on grass beside a long-haired dog, with faded images of a magic wand, a hat, and white doves in the blue-toned background.
A childhood spent under the spell of sleight-of-hand taught me skepticism, curiosity, and the habit of looking beneath appearances.
A smiling man with short dark hair wears a button-up shirt, standing in front of a purple, splattered-texture background.
Big Think spoke with astronomer David Kipping about technosignatures, "extragalactic SETI," and being a popular science communicator in the YouTube age.
black hole
All of the matter that we measure today originated in the hot Big Bang. But even before that, and far into the future, it'll never be empty.
Row of identical yellow rubber ducks in profile, lined up against a black background with abstract white dotted patterns, reminiscent of motifs explored by Susan Schneider.
A conversation with Dr. Susan Schneider on the AI risks we’re not talking about and why the fixation on AGI is misplaced.
As we gain new knowledge, our scientific picture of how the Universe works must evolve. This is a feature of the Big Bang, not a bug.
Black-and-white portrait of a man in a suit centered between a grid, network lines, and a swirling blue pattern evoking a hurricane, symbolizing the dynamic power of predictive intelligence.
Brian Gumbel — President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at Dataminr — explores the cutting edge of real-time information analysis.
most distant
The universe is filled with unlikely events, but it is also full of ways to fool ourselves.
Black and white illustration of a human brain with purple scribble circles and arrows pointing toward it on a light background, perfect for those interested in books about the brain.
Neuroscientist Rachel Barr shares her favorite books on the brain and how they shaped her approach to the field.
A woman sits at a desk covered with tall stacks of papers, reviewing and pointing to documents as she conducts a purpose-driven peer review in a busy office setting.
Just because a paper passes peer review doesn't mean that what's written, or what the author asserts, is true. Here's why it still matters.
A digital collage features the title "THE NIGHTCRAWLER," a robotic dog inspired by China tech, vintage storefronts, and abstract purple geometric shapes.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Multiplication table from 1 to 20, featuring pythagorean runs and perfect squares highlighted in yellow along the diagonal from top left (1) to bottom right (400).
It's not just an odd quirk of numbers that makes it true, but a deep mathematical insight that dates all the way back to Pythagoras.
Mars rover on rocky terrain, showing its camera mast, equipment, and six wheels against a dusty, reddish Martian landscape.
Organic compounds can form through simple chemistry alone — making the search for true biosignatures trickier than it seems.
LIGO Livingston
10 years ago, LIGO first began directly detecting gravitational waves. Now better than ever, it's revealing previously unreachable features.
ESO milky way
Questions about our origins, biologically, chemically, and cosmically, are the most profound ones we can ask. Here are today's best answers.
A book cover with white text and a lightning bolt, inspired by the bold vision of Mark Zuckerberg.
Even when leaders know disruption is a smart ­long-term decision, the pain of transition can produce a titanic shambles. Just ask Kodak.
a painting of a woman avidly reading a book.
Despite the claims of speed reading apps and programs, you actually have to read the book if you want to learn.
Two hands, one light and one dark, each holding a contrastingly colored molecular structure against a gradient background.
The fear of unleashing forces beyond control has haunted science for centuries.
Black and white portrait of Alex Osterwalder with glasses and facial hair, framed against a graphic background featuring striking orange, white, and beige geometric patterns.
Strategyzer CEO Alex Osterwalder on why entrepreneurs should take a leaf from Amazon’s innovation playbook.