Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. Together, let’s learn from them. Welcome to The Well, a publication by the John Templeton Foundation and Big Think.
Featured Interviews
“We know that when people imbue their goals or relationships with sacred meaning, that they exert more effort and they benefit more from those relationships.”
Jacob Mchangama is a lawyer, human-rights advocate, author, podcast host, and founder and executive director of the think tank Justitia. He has written about free speech and human rights in[…]
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Ethan Kross is one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. An award-winning professor and bestselling author in the University of Michigan’s top ranked psychology department and[…]
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3 min
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Jacob Mchangama is a lawyer, human-rights advocate, author, podcast host, and founder and executive director of the think tank Justitia. He has written about free speech and human rights in[…]
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2 min
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Featured Article
Sikh American scholar and historian Simran Jeet Singh on helping kids imagine — and create — a more empathetic world.
“Empathy doesn’t just fully appear on its own. In large part, it has to be nurtured, and ages 1 to 6 is a prime window. While temperament plays a role, so does a child’s environment, including the people and stories they’re exposed to.”
All Stories
Alchemy had its golden age in the 17th century, when it counted Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle among its adherents.
Modern life replaced spirituality with goal-setting — and it’s making us depressed. Here’s how to win back your happiness.
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The debate goes back at least 400 years.
Hustle culture is part of our DNA — but it’s making us unhappy. Yale psychologist Laurie Santos explains how to escape your inner drill sergeant and find peace in imperfection.
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6 min
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Your “social reality” isn’t an absolute reality. A leading neuroscientist explains why.
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7 min
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Sophia, the humanoid robot, is not just mirroring emotions; she’s leading a revolution in emotional intelligence.
Knowing your key strengths can make you happy in anything you do. Here’s how to identify them.
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7 min
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The crisis of the Anthropocene challenges our traditional narratives and myths about humanity’s place in the world. Citizen science can help.
What sets trauma apart from regular bad experiences? A leading neuroscientist explains.
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6 min
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Gods and angels have been replaced with hi-tech extraterrestrials.
If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.
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7 min
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Unlock the paradoxes of life through poetic realism.
Plato and Carl Sagan were wrong about the human brain, says a top neuroscientist.
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“Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 percent of everything you think, and of everything you do, is for yourself — and there isn’t one.”
Your brain isn’t wired for happiness — but you can change that, explains Yale scientist Laurie Santos.
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9 min
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Spiritual experiences can be explained in terms of a highly evolved brain. But they also can be extremely meaningful.
You’ve heard about your “lizard brain.” But what about the other two?
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8 min
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No, emotions don’t happen TO you. Here’s what happens instead.
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9 min
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“Groupthink” gets a bad rap. In reality, we need groups to focus our thinking and to build on the ideas of others.
Ancient societies revered dreams. Modern science tells us why.
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