Activities that give us pleasure activate the same areas of the brain such that, for some, taking cocaine is analogous to giving to charity. Pleasure is a powerful motivator for action.
All Articles
Studies show that people who believe that intelligence can improve with time and effort are more likely to bounce back from failure than those who view their abilities as fixed. Why?
In a culture obsessed with efficiency, mind-wandering is often derided as a lazy habit. But our minds lose track frequently and daydreaming, if cultivated, can pay dividends.
The scientific study of dreams is known as oneirology. Rather than being concerned with what dreams mean, it is more interested in the processes that give rise to dreams.
Thanks to advances in computing power over the last few years, it is now possible to scan someone’s brain and get a reasonable idea of what is going through his or her mind.
So my post on whether or not higher education is worth it got a lot of responses, mostly negative. Many of the respondents chimed in through email and want to […]
Creating an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arab world is the next logical step in consolidating the political gains of the Arab spring and stabilizing the region’s volatile economic environment. That’s […]
When my sister married a man she had only known for nine months, seventeen-year-old me thought that was a bad idea. “Why not live together first?” I asked. Because, she […]
When I tape a radio segment for WEAA’s AFRO/FIRST EDITION with Sean Yoes, I usually gather more information than we have time to cover. Yesterday was no exception, when I […]
The X Prize Foundation will offer a $10 million prize to the first team that significantly boosts the speed and accuracy of D.N.A. sequencing, which could open wide new medical horizons.
There’s a very good chance that generating food from traditional farming and livestock practices will not be able to keep pace with the world’s population boom.
“The $2.6 trillion the United States is spending on health care is too much, and we can reduce it without rationing or sacrificing quality,” says Ezekiel Emanuel, M.D.
The holy grail of blood research, man-made blood, will soon be tested on humans. Within a decade, it could supply much of the world’s need, saving countless lives around the globe.
A growing body of research suggests that laughter can really benefit your health. From improving immune function to lowering blood pressure, a good guffaw is good medicine.
Are you a Big Thinker? Are you a Serial Thinker? Are you always the first person to offer your opinion? Then there’s a good chance you’re an Ice Breaker. You […]
To be a successful investor, you don’t want to be jumping from one company to the next. Instead, William Ackman says, pick a company that you can own forever.
The technologies that contribute to automation are likely to follow an exponential pattern, which means that more industries will start to lose jobs at an astounding rate as machines get […]
It’s always exciting news for us at Big Think when one of our own has published a new book. Today we are excited to spread the word about Mark Seddon’s […]
How can individual employees as well as managers create a more pleasant work environment? Thinking positively and giving to others are two good places to start.
–Guest post by Sarah Merritt, American University doctoral student. As we begin to look back at the Iraq war in hindsight, it is clear that more scholarship needs to focus […]
Listening to Mozart won’t make your child a mathematician, but Shakespeare can help make her more social.
The next Scientific Revolution is already underway. And it may make it possible for you to celebrate your 150th birthday, says Sonia Arrison.
Born in Moscow, Teichberg moved with his parents to Queens and later attended Princeton. After trading derivatives on Wall Street, he now spends his resources fighting the industry.
The principle of presidential campaigns run by Ross Perot, Steve Forbes and now Herman Cain is that politics are broken and only a business leader can repair them. True?
While WikiLeaks had the ability to transform political institutions, its creator’s personality often overshadowed the information it released. Is Assange simply too rebellious to lead?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel proved instrumental yesterday in brokering a deal with banks to write down Greek debt and create a continent-wide bailout fund.
What is the link between innovation and the science fiction imaginary?
Like many urban rivers, the South Platte in Denver is not always easy to get to. City officials have done a fair job of creating walking and biking paths along […]
If one walks into any school in the United States, it is obvious that digital technologies are pervasive. It is impossible not to see students using laptops or netbooks, tablets […]
Note: This blog was co-written by Asher Edelman and Stewart Waltzer. Yea for Europe (we hope)! On October 27 the European community announced the “solution” to sovereign debt and European […]