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[…]
▸
3 min
—
with
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[…]
▸
3 min
—
with
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[…]
▸
2 min
—
with
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
Why do so many cultures celebrate holidays at the same time of year?
▸
4 min
—
with
In 1965, six boys were stranded on an island. Fifteen months later, the survivors were rescued. How many were there?
▸
7 min
—
with
If your inner voice is cruel, try these steps to reclaim your mind.
▸
7 min
—
with
Think via Bayes’ rule to become more rational and less brainwashed.
▸
4 min
—
with
Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds dumb. Don’t fall for it, says Wired’s Kevin Kelly.
▸
7 min
—
with
We don’t need one Elon Musk. We need 8 billion empathic futurists.
▸
8 min
—
with
A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
▸
7 min
—
with
CRISPR’s gene drive can defy evolution. Here’s how, explained by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.
▸
6 min
—
with
The ultimate definition of trauma, explained by leading psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.
▸
8 min
—
with
To be happy, you have to become antifragile first. Harvard’s Tal Ben-Shahar explains.
▸
7 min
—
with
‘Flow state’ is a peak performance mental state experienced by the world’s highest achievers. Learn how it works in just 7 minutes.
▸
with
Is science destined to crack the code of consciousness—and how would we even go about it?
▸
8 min
—
with
From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
We all want to have a good, stable relationship with somebody, says Dr. Helen Fisher. So it’s important to understand how intense romantic love affects our long-term goals.
▸
with
Darwin, Descartes, and Maxwell all believed in these science ‘demons.’
▸
7 min
—
with
The concept is so complex that scientists still argue whether it exists or if it is an illusion.
Today’s young people are intelligent and kind, but they are overworked and burned out.
Enlightenment is a traditionally mystical and slippery concept, but when it is subjected to the rigors of empirical analysis, there is a lot to be learned about our brains and ourselves.
▸
10 min
—
with
Humans tend to hunker down in our own minds and trust what we already believe to be true. This emotion-based way of thought isn’t often the best way to think about anything, and often leads to gridlock.
▸
with
An interview with CRISPR co-discoverer and Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna.