Culture & Religion
All Stories
“A drunk mind speaks a sober heart.” Really?
Should we take people's drunken behavior as evidence of their true character?
How China’s Monkey King changed Western literature
Journey to the West is rightly considered one of the most influential novels ever written, but the real reason for its success may be its charismatic poster-boy: The Monkey King.
A thief left her phone at the scene. The victim took over her social media, sparking a wild internet-sleuthing saga
What started as a viral case of public shaming has morphed into a dark story involving internet sleuths, a criminal network, and the suspicious death of a 62-year-old man in St. Louis.
Saving history: 3D laser scans preserve world heritage sites
From the Notre Dame to Buddhist statues, dozens of irreplaceable artifacts are destroyed every year by both man and nature.
Who was the most original philosopher?
Socrates is considered the "Father of Western Philosophy," but perhaps that honorific should go to Plato.
Wisdom of Daoism: why Yin-Yang is so much more than a tattoo
Harmony and moderation make for a happier life.
Vienna ranked world’s most livable city — for second consecutive year
Vienna leads as the most livable cities in the world.
Gary Shteyngart: reality catches up to dystopian fiction
Our modern-day Kafka on his new novel Lake Success and the dark comedy that in 2018 pretty much writes itself
Religion is about emotion regulation, and it’s very good at it
We need religion not to tell us what to think but to help us feel: it has evolved to manage human emotions.
How the Agricultural Revolution made us inequal
The history of trading equality for food.
New Ken Burns documentary models what American healthcare could be
It should get people talking ...
Growing up religious boosts mental and physical health, says Harvard
More than 5,000 teens were involved in this longitudinal study.
Six disastrous encounters with the world’s most hostile uncontacted tribe
From questionable shipwrecks to outright attacks, they clearly don't want to be bothered.
In Turkey, Darwin is being removed from textbooks
Some parts of the world are going backward right now. Where will it leave us?
The 7 new classifications of religious styles
The Pew Research Center has classified Americans into seven distinct religious types.
Nearly 30% of opioid prescriptions lack valid medical justification
The researchers in this study found that doctors are prescribing opioids even to patients who don't have any pain-related symptoms. Why?
Chinese government announces it will begin genetic testing of Olympic hopefuls
The Chinese government announced it will be genetic testing potential Olympic athletes for the 2022 Games. What could possibly go wrong?
Can we understand other minds? Novels and stories say: no
The way we represent other genders or ethnicities in literary fiction shows the limitations of our capacity for empathy and compassion.
Astrophysicist edged out of Nobel prize wins $3 million award for discovering pulsars
The astrophysicist Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell has been awarded a special Breakthrough prize for discovering pulsars in the 1960s.
Why tech billionaires are buying luxury doomsday bunkers in New Zealand
When the zombies come, when the bombs fall, or when biological warfare breaks, where will you go? If you’re a wealthy tech executive in Silicon Valley, odds are it’s New Zealand.
When and why do people become atheists? New study uncovers important predictors
The less that parents "walk the walk" about religious beliefs, the more likely their children are to walk away.
Flat-Earthers keep appearing. Here’s why this trend is troubling.
The hundreds of people that show up for flat Earth conventions are not the problem. What this type of thinking leads to is.
32-year study finds Australian students becoming more secular
Australian students are becoming more secular. American students are staying relatively the same.
Does one ethnic group own its cultural artefacts?
The idea that one culture ‘owns’ a particular heritage, or that certain practices are too culturally sensitive to be talked about, may create barriers between people.
Pope Francis is facing calls to resign after accusations he covered up sexual abuse
A former Vatican ambassador has accused Pope Francis and other church leaders of wittingly covering up sexual abuse, an unprecedented accusation that highlights escalating tensions within the Catholic Church.
The influence of gym class on adult exercise behavior is profound, new study finds
A study from Iowa State University draws a direct link between gym class and adult exercise habits.
Russian trolls are weaponizing the vaccine “debate” to divide Americans
A new study shows how bots and Russian trolls have been spreading misinformation and confusion on Twitter about vaccination in an apparent attempt to sow discord among Americans.
DMT makes your brain think it’s dying—and it’s completely wonderful
A new study compares the psychedelic DMT with near-death experiences.
Loved Crazy Rich Asians? Here’s 7 more films that changed Hollywood forever
Crazy Rich Asians is the first film to feature an all-Asian cast in 25 years. It is also a bonafide success, both financially and culturally. Inspired by its fanfare, Big Think looks at seven other films that shook American society.
Moral communities in an immoral culture: Why rural America feels left behind.
What causes the urban-rural cultural divide? According to this author, its how we view our communities.