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.

A digital countdown reading "0: MINUS" over an Earth view from space with scattered debris and sunlight illuminating the scene.
Experts answer 10 big questions about the nightmare scenario that could send us back to the pre-Space Age.
Portrait of a smiling man in front of a background featuring chemical structures and molecular models in green and blue hues.
MAPS founder Rick Doblin speaks to Big Think about the FDA’s rejection of MDMA therapy and the future of psychedelic treatments.
A bear attempting to catch a jumping fish near a waterfall.
5mins
“While society's been humming along and enjoying all these advances in agriculture and medicine, in the last 50 or 60 years, ecologists have learned a lot about how nature works. I've codified these into a set of rules called the 'Serengeti Rules.'”
how common is life
Earth is actively broadcasting and actively searching for intelligent civilizations. But could our technology even detect ourselves?
A person sits on a sidewalk near an escalator entrance, next to an overturned shopping cart on a metal grate.
An evidence-based policy movement is arming the fight with tools and programs that are more effective than ever before.
Map showing migration routes across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans to the Indian Ocean, with sightings marked by colors and dates.
In 8,000-mile journey, a male humpback ditches Colombia for Tanzania — however, scientists don’t know why he made the trip.
In the depths of space, a spiral galaxy twists like a cosmic Kraken, its bright core and distinct arms encircled by a sea of stars against the dark expanse.
Did the Milky Way form by slowly accreting matter or by devouring its neighboring galaxies? At last, we're uncovering our own history.
A person stands in front of a chalkboard filled with complex mathematical formulas, covering their face with their hands.
Confronting your "absolute stupidity" is a sign you're on course to learning something new and wonderful.
Known as orphaned planets, rogue planets, or planets without parent stars, these "outliers" might be the most common type of planet overall.
Illustration of a person standing on a ladder inside a large head with a maze-like brain exposed, symbolizing introspection or exploration of the mind.
When appraising human behavior, people tend to forgo the lessons of psychology in favor of assumption and anecdote.
Our galactic home in the cosmos — the Milky Way — is only one of trillions of galaxies within our Universe. Is one of them truly our "twin?"
Industrial landscape featuring large smokestacks and various structures of an oil refinery, some incorporating cutting-edge carbon removal technology, set under a cloudy sky.
The carbon market and offsetting system have created “carbon cowboys” and perpetuated forms of neo-colonialism and other inequities.
The letters "AI" appear with a glitch effect in multicolored pixels against a black background.
The cognitive scientist argues the current AI environment is failing us as consumers and a society. But it’s not too late to change course.
A digital illustration of a human brain with blue veins and a glowing light at the top, set against a black background.
“Neurotech is not just about the brain,” says Synchron CTO Riki Banerjee, explaining how their tech can help with paralysis, brain diseases, and beyond.
quantum gravity
Electromagnetism, both nuclear forces, and even the Higgs force are mediated by known bosons. What about gravity? Does it require gravitons?
Bright orange star surrounded by a dense field of smaller white stars in space.
Carl Sagan was far from the first to declare we are the children of ancient stars.
A metal ladder of misinference stretches into a round sky view, its rungs disappearing among the clouds against a dark backdrop.
Alex Edmans, professor of finance at the London Business School, warns us to be mindful of the incentives surrounding misinformation — including our desire to believe it.
In post-Soviet nations where ministers have a relatively high BMI, corruption tends to be high, too.
A person in a red shirt stands next to "Waves in an Impossible Sea," the 2024 science book by Matt Strassler. The background displays a blurred bookshelf.
Matt Strassler's journey into fundamental physics culminates in a brilliant explanation of the Higgs field. Enjoy this exclusive interview.