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Even the French got upset.

Without Étienne-Joseph-Théophile Thoré, the genius of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer would have been lost to time.

In a world of rising cynicism, a celebration of our capacity to create, adapt, and thrive.

His greatest speeches were loaded with empathy.

Jeremy Johnson — co-founder of the talent network Andela — reflects on leadership in the age of remote work and AI.

Jimena Canales shares the “demons” that shaped computer science.

As the Manhattan Project headed for completion, German attempts to build a nuclear weapon had already been dismantled.

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.

The Fermi paradox (along with the subsequent Drake equation) is so difficult that even brilliant thinkers can make little dent in it.

Stories of child prodigies and the naturally gifted hide the fact that success is built on more than talent alone.

Neuroscience supports the notion that an escape from conventional perspectives can be a gateway to spectacular insights.

Descartes broke from the European philosophers who preceded him and devised a new way of considering humanity and the world.

The National Defense Education Act of 1958 meshed with white anxiety about the desegregation of schools.

Wolfgang Pauli was a brilliant, well-liked physicist and a scathing critic of balderdash.

Don’t take the prodigy pathway. Become a broad thinker instead.

Successful forgers are remembered as great conmen, not artists. This is strange, considering their forgeries fooled even the most seasoned critics.

Does it have a deeper significance — or is it just a number?

The truly talented are those who got to where they are despite preconceived expectations.

James Gleick, the author of biographies of Isaac Newton and Richard Feynman, discusses what they and other geniuses have in common.

We are wired to value things more when we work hard at attaining them — even if, objectively, they aren’t worth that much.

Why the best entrepreneurs should be more Obi-Wan Kenobi than Luke Skywalker.

A next-generation LHC++ could cost $100 billion. Here’s why such a machine could end up being a massive waste of money.

This collection of learning and development quotes serves as a reminder of the meaning and purpose behind this important work.

Big Think recently spoke with behavioral scientist and author Katy Milkman about what really motivates us and steers our behavior.

The ability to toggle between abstract and concrete thinking is a key differentiator of high-potential leaders.

Could it be culture?

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

What if your textbook lied to you?

Would you confess your crimes to a skeleton with “an unnatural ghastly glow”? One inventor thought you would.

Great genius is not born of lightning bolt-like moments of inspiration. In reality, perseverance plays the biggest role.