What is Big Think?  

We are Big Idea Hunters…

We live in a time of information abundance, which far too many of us see as information overload. With the sum total of human knowledge, past and present, at our fingertips, we’re faced with a crisis of attention: which ideas should we engage with, and why? Big Think is an evolving roadmap to the best thinking on the planet — the ideas that can help you think flexibly and act decisively in a multivariate world.

A word about Big Ideas and Themes — The architecture of Big Think

Big ideas are lenses for envisioning the future. Every article and video on bigthink.com and on our learning platforms is based on an emerging “big idea” that is significant, widely relevant, and actionable. We’re sifting the noise for the questions and insights that have the power to change all of our lives, for decades to come. For example, reverse-engineering is a big idea in that the concept is increasingly useful across multiple disciplines, from education to nanotechnology.

Themes are the seven broad umbrellas under which we organize the hundreds of big ideas that populate Big Think. They include New World Order, Earth and Beyond, 21st Century Living, Going Mental, Extreme Biology, Power and Influence, and Inventing the Future.

Big Think Features:

12,000+ Expert Videos

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Browse videos featuring experts across a wide range of disciplines, from personal health to business leadership to neuroscience.

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World Renowned Bloggers

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Big Think’s contributors offer expert analysis of the big ideas behind the news.

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Big Think Edge

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Big Think’s Edge learning platform for career mentorship and professional development provides engaging and actionable courses delivered by the people who are shaping our future.

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Looking at art leads to thinking about life

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C’mon, Get Happy!: Romero Britto’s “Happy!”

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about 3 years ago

“I am an optimist,” Brazilian-born artist Romero Britto writes in the introduction to his new book  Happy! “I know that isn’t a common trait to have these days, but I just can’t help myself.” When the blues strike you hard, the art of Britto—full of bold color and luscious textures—can soften the ...

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Watching Paint Dry: Alex Katz: Five Hours

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about 3 years ago

It’s usually a tie between watching paint dry and watching grass grow for the title of most boring thing to do ever.  Watching the paint dry and, more importantly, flow in Alex Katz: Five Hours , however, may be the most fascinating thing you’ll find yourself watching.  Renowned American portraitist ...

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The Untouchables: Groping the Art at the MoMA

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about 3 years ago

Marina Abramović’s exhibition The Artist Is Present , currently at the MoMA, has drawn a lot of attention this year, as her provocative work normally does. She’s perfected the art of attracting eyes to her work for decades. Unfortunately, some people have gone beyond just looking when it comes to ...

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Seeing Red: Alfred Molina as Mark Rothko

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about 3 years ago

“What do you see?” asks Alfred Molina as Abstract Expressionist painter Mark Rothko in John Logan’s two-character bio-drama, Red, which just began a run on Broadway after a successful tour in London. Ken, Rothko’s assistant played by Eddie Redmayne, stands in for all of us as we try to see the same ...

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Survivor Story: Carl David’s “Bader Field”

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about 3 years ago

Death challenges the strength of any family.  A suicide can tear a family apart.  Art dealer Carl David, fourth in a line of a four-generation family owned art gallery, recounts the death of his father Sam and the suicide of his brother Bruce in Bader Field, a touching memoir of life and art.  Art ...