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His grandfather, a member of Oppenheimer’s atomic bomb team, foresaw the potential of nuclear energy to power cities — not destroy them.

In our Universe, all stable atomic nuclei have protons in them; there’s no stable “neutronium” at all. But what’s the reason why?

Michael Faraday’s 1834 law of induction was the key experiment behind the eventual discovery of relativity. Einstein admitted it himself.

No fate but what we make.

Nietzsche both wished he was as stupid as a cow so he wouldn’t have to contemplate existence, and pitied cows for being so stupid that they couldn’t contemplate existence.

Studio Ghibli movies celebrate the natural world using a very Japanese mixture of Shinto, Buddhist, and Daoist themes.

Even without the greatest individual scientist of all, every one of his great scientific advances would still have occurred. Eventually.

A brief guide to habits that separate deep understanding from superficial knowledge — and how to cultivate them.

From Brahms to Tchaikovsky, here’s a curated list of composers whose music has shaped the classical canon.

Late-night shows, developed during the “golden age” of TV, are no longer as relevant in the age of streaming services and Donald Trump.

Like some cold poison creeping up our veins, there’s a frisson in the stories and poems of Edgar Allan Poe.

This world map shows how the rest of the world LOLs. In France, you MDR; in China, you 23333.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge” is often taken to mean that your conceptions outweigh what’s real. That’s not what he said.

A new model of the Antikythera mechanism reveals a “creation of genius.”

According to literary theorist Mikhail Bakhtin, Dostoevsky’s talents were on par with those of William Shakespeare.

Talking to yourself seems to yield real benefits, from boosts in cognitive performance to improved emotional regulation.

Research suggests that emotional intelligence is more vital for success than IQ.

The answer to the age-old philosophical question of whether there is meaning in the Universe may ultimately rest upon the power of information.

Da Vinci dreamed up a helicopter 400 years before they actually existed. Now, engineers have brought his design to life, but with a twist.

Will and Ariel Durant were praised for their ability to look at the big picture without losing sight of its little details, even if they did miss some of them.

Just a small gesture or a thoughtful comment can often alter a situation, or people’s perceptions of it, in ways that relieve tensions and make them feel appreciated and included.

Being more creative doesn’t require a ‘Muse.’ It’s about pairing intelligence and imagination.

Labeling thinkers like Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs as “other” may be stifling humanity’s creative potential.

A computer that could decidedly pass Alan Turing’s test would represent a major step toward artificial general intelligence.

Some intellectuals use charisma and deception to obscure the holes in their arguments. Here is how to see through their smokescreen.

Society-changing ideas form through a three-stage process, argues author Michael Bhaskar.

Anything, good or bad, about Henry Ford can be contradicted — except his ambition and his work.

The Russian writer’s scorn went beyond a difference in taste; Leo Tolstoy virulently hated everything Shakespeare had come to stand for.

The Siege of Leningrad lasted over two years and claimed nearly a million lives. It also inspired writers to record the bleak conditions in which they lived.

As important as his Nobel Prize-winning technical accomplishments was his ability to communicate to the public.