The Well

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Ideas that inspire a life well-lived

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional?

Life’s biggest questions rarely have simple answers. That is precisely why they continue to occupy the world’s most thoughtful minds. The Well is a place to engage those questions, drawing on insights from science, philosophy, and the humanities.

Created by the John Templeton Foundation in partnership with Big Think, The Well brings together ideas that inspire deeper understanding and a more considered approach to living.

in partnership with

The Templeton Foundation supports interdisciplinary research and catalyzes conversations that inspire awe and wonder.

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Physics doesn’t explain the universe. Computation does.
What do the laws of physics, biological evolution, and your free will have in common? The same mathematical principle runs through all of them. Stephen Wolfram has spent 40 years finding it.

by Stephen Wolfram

A man sits on a chair against a white backdrop, gesturing with one hand. The background is yellow with abstract black lines and nodes connecting around him.
Everything Articles Videos
Illustration of a black hole in space with a glowing accretion disk and a stream of stars or gas being pulled toward it.
The Well
Do black holes “bleach” cosmic history?
According to renowned physicist Christophe Galfard, physics can’t explain our universe – yet.
Christophe Galfard
John Templeton Foundation
Four sequential diagrams of a figure skater performing moves within oval tracks, each position numbered from 1 to 58 on a blue background—visually illustrating how to change habits through step-by-step progress.
The Well
Habits change your life. Here’s how to change your habits.
Willpower alone likely isn't enough to replace a bad habit with a good one.
Elizabeth Gilbert
John Templeton Foundation
Two men in athletic clothing stand against a black background, with glowing light trails swirling around them—symbolizing the energy and persistence involved in forming habits through dedication and motion.
3mins
The Well
How do elite performers automate their habits?
Practice doesn’t actually make perfect. Here’s the willpower equation necessary for elite athletes and musicians.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
Line drawing of a person with one arm raised, swinging a tennis racket to hit an unseen ball—motion lines suggest the path of the racket and capture the power of habit in each practiced stroke.
The Well
Hit peak performance with the power of habit
There’s a psychological reason you haven’t created healthier habits in your life.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
A muscular figure pries open the jaws of a roaring lion lying on its back, depicted in a dramatic, dynamic scene with expressive brushstrokes—symbolizing the struggle of learning how to change habits.
The Well
The secret habits that control your life
Habit-forming rituals are subconsciously controlling your life. Here’s how to master them.
Wendy Wood
John Templeton Foundation
Two black-and-white illustrations blur reality: a woman sits on a chair, while another person’s head unexpectedly emerges through a hole in the floor beneath a nearby chair.
The Well
Are you a spectator to reality? Or are you its creator?
Signals from the environment, such as those detected by your sense organs, have no inherent psychological meaning. Your brain creates the meaning.
Lisa Feldman Barrett
John Templeton Foundation
A digital, wireframe illustration of a DNA double helix strand is displayed against a black background, evoking concepts from quantum biology.
The Well
Can quantum science supercharge genetics?
Are physicists about to decode a mysterious field of science that could have huge implications for your health?
Jim Al-Khalili
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of a nude male figure with arms and legs extended in two positions, inscribed in a circle and square, known as the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, exemplifying the law of symmetry in human anatomy.
The Well
A mind-blowing explanation of symmetry
Basic and breath-taking – Dr. Frank Wilczek addresses symmetry’s critical role in nature’s laws and what we consider to be beautiful.
Frank Wilczek
John Templeton Foundation
Silhouette of a person standing on a field at night, gazing at a clear sky filled with stars and glowing celestial objects, evoking the wonder described by Jim Al-Khalili.
The Well
Jim Al-Khalili: How our ancient sense of wonder drives physics deeper into the unknown
Popular media often frame scientists as having a cold, sterile view of the world. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sam Jarman
John Templeton Foundation
A black and white spiral clock with distorted numbers on a dark textured background, evoking the science of time and creating an illusion of time twisting inward.
4mins
The Well
How Einstein changed time forever
Is this video four minutes long? Not necessarily.
Jim Al-Khalili
John Templeton Foundation
A black and white painting of a man with wavy hair, a mustache, and a suit, depicted in a semi-realistic style, evokes the thoughtful air of someone pondering an interpretation of quantum mechanics.
4mins
The Well
Einstein’s beef with quantum physics, explained
Our world would be impossible without quantum mechanics — but we still don’t have a narrative of how it works.
Jim Al-Khalili
John Templeton Foundation
Close-up of a pencil and charcoal drawing showing a detailed human eye on the left side, with textured shading and geometric shapes in the background—capturing the beauty found where science fails to explain human perception.
5mins
The Well
Where science fails, according to a physicist
Why are we here? What is everything made of? This theoretical physicist says science isn’t the right way to answer these questions.
Jim Al-Khalili
John Templeton Foundation
math awe
The Well
Can mathematics be spiritual? Ask Einstein
Mathematics and religion both embody awe-inspiring, eternal truths.
Francis Su
John Templeton Foundation
A frayed rope pulled from both ends against a solid orange background, with strands unraveling on each side—capturing the tension felt when you’re learning how to apologize and mend strained connections.
The Well
How apologies save relationships
Dr. Amrisha Vaish explains the science of remorse, guilt, and an effective apology.
Amrisha Vaish
thinking fast slow
The Well
System 1 vs. System 2 thinking: Why it isn’t strategic to always be rational
People believe that slow and deliberative thinking is inherently superior to fast and intuitive thinking. The truth is more complicated.
Gordon Pennycook
John Templeton Foundation
A person in a red robe sits outdoors holding an hourglass, surrounded by greenery and a body of water, symbolizing predictions for the future.
The Well
Michio Kaku: 3 mind-blowing predictions about the future
What lies in store for humanity? Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku explains how different life will be for your descendants—and maybe your future self, if the timing works out.
Michio Kaku
John Templeton Foundation
A surreal painting ponders is time travel possible, with melting clocks draped over a tree, ledge, and abstract form in a barren landscape against distant cliffs.
The Well
Time travel is possible. Can we go back?
Theoretical physicist Brian Greene explores the potential particles of time and why we could, in theory, travel forward in time but not back.
Brian Greene
John Templeton Foundation
The Well
Atheism is not as rare or as rational as you think
Many atheists think of themselves as intellectually gifted individuals, guiding humanity on the path of reason. Scientific data shows otherwise.
Will Gervais
John Templeton Foundation
A digital illustration of a stereotypical alien figure, inspired by concepts of extraterrestrial life, featuring a large bald head, big dark eyes, and a small mouth on a pale yellow background.
5mins
The Well
What alien life could teach us about humanity
Dr. Sara Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, who is questioning the very nature of life and how we’re attempting to find it elsewhere.
Sara Walker
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of two hands touching or aligning a series of parallel lines and chevron patterns, all overlaid with a blue filter, evoking the precision and symmetry often found in mathematics.
5mins
The Well
Michio Kaku: Is God a mathematician?
Michio Kaku believes math is the mind of God.
Michio Kaku
John Templeton Foundation
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