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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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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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
“The very best arguments against God have been formulated by believers.”
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Some scientists see religion as a threat to the scientific method that should be resisted. But faith “is really asking a different set of questions,” says Collins.
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When justice isn’t tempered by something such as mercy, forgiveness, or nonviolence, efforts to make society more equitable often backfire.
There is no evidence for God as a “big being.” Is God something else?
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When should we seek justice, and when should we forgive? A bishop explains.
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Atheists are not immune from supernatural thinking.
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New research shows that having an attitude of gratitude is key to healthy relationships, and it can virally impact society.
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Just as there are many types of believers, there’s not only one type of atheist.
The emergence of life in the universe is as certain as the emergence of matter, gravity, and the stars. Life is the universe developing a memory, and our chemical detection system could find it.
From superstition to religion, we are surrounded by supernatural thinking. Is that a bad thing?
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Escape a mental rut by using nostalgia.
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“Supernatural thinking is actually an important part of being a complete human being.”
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People in the East and West really do think differently, especially when it comes to self-identity. Depending where you live, either associative or distinctive thinking will shape your sense of self.
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What inequality and populism look like in the brain, according to a neuroscientist.
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It might seem like science and faith are at war, but the two have a historical synergy that extends back in time for centuries.
He’s studied apes for 50 years – here’s what most people get wrong.
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Not an empathetic person? Here’s why that might be a good thing.
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Having trouble learning? A PhD engineering professor gives you one key tip.
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Pain makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. What’s puzzling is why so many of us choose to seek out painful experiences.