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

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Everything Articles Videos
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7mins
The Well
The strong force: holding our Universe together
Frank Wilczek is celebrated for his investigations into the fundamental laws of nature that have transformed our understanding of the forces that govern our Universe. In this video, the MIT […]
Frank Wilczek
The Well
Stanford anthropologist: On hearing the voice of God
"I am an anthropologist, and for years, I have spoken to people who have had these experiences."
Tanya Luhrmann
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of a man smoking a pipe, with red handprint-shaped smoke rising from the pipe against a yellow background.
5mins
The Well
How to think like an expert
Poker pro Maria Konnikova on how to recognize which details matter and master the science of deduction.
Maria Konnikova
A red-orange background with atom-like scribbles
The Well
How meaning emerges from matter
The answer to the age-old philosophical question of whether there is meaning in the Universe may ultimately rest upon the power of information.
Adam Frank
John Templeton Foundation
A painting showing a large open-mouthed face with miniature people and boats entering the mouth; the scene is dark and surreal.
5mins
The Well
Can we condition ourselves to be heroes?
Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky on the science of temptation, and the limitations of your brain’s frontal cortex.
Robert M Sapolsky
A circular pattern of overlapping purple and white spirals and loops appears against a black background.
3mins
The Well
This is what the fourth dimension looks like
Left–Right, Back–Forth, Up–Down. What’s the fourth dimension?
Brian Greene
Black and white sketch of a man in formal attire with short hair, bow tie, and jacket, facing sideways with arms slightly raised.
5mins
The Well
How to articulate your thoughts effectively
Make it simple. Make it clear. Make it stick. Alan Alda on how to get everyone to understand your thoughts.
Alan Alda
John Templeton Foundation
A black silhouette of a human head with a rectangular section cut out, revealing a profile face against a cloudy blue sky, symbolizes the limits of our attention span.
5mins
The Well
How to unlock your “peak mind”
“What you pay attention to, is your life.” Where do you place precious brain resources?
Amishi Jha
John Templeton Foundation
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5mins
The Well
Tyler Cowen: America is at a critical point in history
“There’s a sense of crisis today that we did not have in the 1980’s or 90’s” — economist Tyler Cowen on progress in America.
Tyler Cowen
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of Earth with labeled axes, equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and magnetic and geographic poles. Orange lines indicate Earth's tilt and rotation.
4mins
The Well
How Earth’s axis and rotation created human ritual
Why do so many cultures celebrate holidays at the same time of year?
Sasha Sagan
John Templeton Foundation
Close-up of two figures; one extends an apple towards the other near a tree trunk. The scene references the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
6mins
The Well
Are humans wired for conflict? Charles Darwin vs. “Lord of the Flies”
In 1965, six boys were stranded on an island. Fifteen months later, the survivors were rescued. How many were there?
Rutger Bregman
John Templeton Foundation
A man in a suit stands facing a mirror, but the reflection shows the back of his head instead of his face.
6mins
The Well
How to stop toxic self-talk, explained in 6 minutes
If your inner voice is cruel, try these steps to reclaim your mind.
Ethan Kross
John Templeton Foundation
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3mins
The Well
Bayes’ rule: A powerful thinking paradigm
Think via Bayes’ rule to become more rational and less brainwashed.
Julia Galef
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of a volcanic eruption with thick clouds of smoke, ash, and flowing lava rising from the volcano’s crater.
6mins
The Well
Stop chasing utopia. Create “protopia” instead.
Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds dumb. Don’t fall for it, says Wired’s Kevin Kelly.
Kevin Kelly
John Templeton Foundation
A whimsical vintage illustration depicts people in Victorian-era attire flying in futuristic airships and vehicles above a cityscape.
7mins
The Well
A futurist sets the stage for the next 1,000 years
We don’t need one Elon Musk. We need 8 billion empathic futurists.
Ari Wallach
Three shadow-like human figures appear in sequence on a textured, speckled background, with each figure becoming more distorted towards the top.
7mins
The Well
Are near-death experiences real?
A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
Dr. Bruce Greyson
Microscopic image of cells with red and green outlines and blue nuclei on a black background.
5mins
The Well
CRISPR: What will humanity create?
CRISPR’s gene drive can defy evolution. Here’s how, explained by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.
Jennifer Doudna
John Templeton Foundation
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7mins
The Well
What trauma does to your brain and body
The ultimate definition of trauma, explained by leading psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.
Bessel van der Kolk
John Templeton Foundation
Three purple coneflowers at different life stages: dried and dead, wilting, and fully blooming, shown against a black background.
7mins
The Well
The happiness paradox, explained in 7 minutes
To be happy, you have to become antifragile first. Harvard’s Tal Ben-Shahar explains.
Tal Ben-Shahar
John Templeton Foundation
Black and white engraving-style illustration of a human eye in close-up, with detailed lines depicting the iris, pupil, and eyelids—capturing the intense focus and clarity of the flow state.
The Well
Flow state: How to trigger the best performance of your life
‘Flow state’ is a peak performance mental state experienced by the world's highest achievers. Learn how it works in just 7 minutes.
Steven Kotler
John Templeton Foundation
Learn from the world’s biggest thinkers.
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