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

1

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

2

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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Pub Crawl Posts

A round-up of books, big ideas, and what's next in publishing for young readers.

Pub Crawl

Andrew Karre: YA Lit is as Disruptive as Apple

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over 1 year ago

Andrew Karre, the editorial director of Carolrhoda, and two other Lerner Publishing imprints, wrote a blog this afternoon called #yamatters. It is arguably the most coherent distillation I’ve ever read about why young adult (YA) literature is a marketplace game-changer.  What’s the big idea?  ...

Pub Crawl

The Book Job: Did the Simpsons Get it Right?

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over 1 year ago

In case you missed it last Sunday night, the best Simpsons episode of this season so far (and arguably, the past few years) was posted on Hulu today. Publishing for young readers is squarely in the cross-hairs, and award-winning children's author Neil Gaiman (Coraline, The Graveyard Book) makes the ...

Pub Crawl

Publishing With Teeth: Megan Tingley & Twilight

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over 1 year ago

Breaking Dawn Part 1 , the latest film version of Stephenie Meyer’s bestselling Twilight saga sank a stake into the weekend box office pulling in an estimated $283.5 million worldwide. A monster share of the take ($72 million of $139.5 million domestically) was earned on Friday alone. Long before ...

Pub Crawl

Author Sara Zarr: Finding Inspiration in Failure

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over 1 year ago

Author Sara Zarr has big ideas. Her books tackle huge themes with beautiful, realistic prose that cuts to the heart of her characters. Last week on author Nova Ren Suma’s blog, Zarr posted about what inspires her to write.  You’d think she might be inspired by the fact that her first novel ( ...

Pub Crawl

Admit It: You Read Harry Potter

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over 1 year ago

Admit it: You read Harry Potter.  And even if you didn’t, you’ve been unable to escape the billboards, backpacks, and advertising the mega-grossing films have spawned. Maybe, under cover of night, you even purchased your very own vibrating broom.  Don’t worry. Your secret is safe. I’m not ...