Stephen Johnson
Managing Editor, Big Think
Stephen Johnson is the Managing Editor of Big Think. Formerly a long-time contributor to Big Think, he is a St. Louis-based writer and editor whose work has been featured in U.S. News & World Report, PBS Digital Studios, Eleven Magazine, and The Missourian.
A Toronto-based startup that sells customizable temporary tattoos has received $10 million in Series A funding from venture capitalists, the company’s chief executive officer announced Tuesday.
The Department of Justice has reached a settlement with Defense Distributed in a landmark decision that will enable the controversial organization to publish CAD files of firearms on its DEFCAD website.
As a result of warming seas, at least 10 types of sharks currently found in warmer areas will likely be found in British waters in coming decades.
A Chicago lawmaker says UBI is not only a way to ensure people still get paid as automation displaces their jobs, but that it’s also a safeguard against the inevitable sociopolitical strife that would follow.
Restaurants are increasingly less likely to accept paper currency, a trend that likely protects businesses from theft but also makes it harder for low-income people to shop.
A growing body of research suggests that healthy sleep habits might be effective in preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
A new medical imaging device uses technology developed by particle physicists to produce full-color, 3D images of the human body.
A team of international scientists has pinpointed the cosmic source of a ghostly subatomic particle called a neutrino, marking the beginning of a new era in astronomy.
Forbes recently claimed Kylie Jenner is “set to be the youngest-ever self-made billionaire.” But some questioned whether “self-made” is an accurate description of her fortune.
“Please consider this a commitment that I will fund fixing the water in any house in Flint that has water contamination,” Musk tweeted.
In the 2018 World Cup, England’s team was aided by an unconventional team member: a psychologist who equipped players with tools to navigate the mental and emotional sides of the game.
A new study published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters provides even more reason to think Ross 128 b, the second closest exoplanet to Earth, could harbor life.
A new study on virtual embodiment explores the “surprising plasticity of the brain’s body representation,” and suggests that virtual reality representations can improve cognition.
The 12 boys and their soccer coach who were trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand have all finally been rescued, ending an 18-day ordeal that gripped local and international onlookers.
President Donald Trump on Monday nominated 53-year-old Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to replace Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s seat on the Supreme Court, a pick that could establish a solid conservative majority in the court for years to come.
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has been working for years to preserve the estimated 10,000 videos of nuclear bomb tests made by the U.S. government during the Cold War.
Tech inventor Elon Musk has developed a “tiny, kid-size submarine” that could help rescue the four boys and their soccer coach who remain trapped in a flooded cave in Thailand.
Psychopathy is a “wildly misunderstood corner of mental health research,” according to the author of a new study on psychopathy and attention mechanisms in the brain.
Tech titan Elon Musk is sending engineers from two of his companies to help the Thai government rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach who’ve been trapped in a cave for nearly two weeks.
Facebook disclosed to Congress last week that it gave 61 companies special access to user data in 2015, a revelation that differs from the social media company’s past claims.
Chris Hughes earned nearly half a billion dollars after co-founding Facebook. Now he’s arguing for fairer wages in the form of a $500 monthly ‘social dividend’ for low- and middle-class Americans.
Some psychiatrists want the American Psychiatric Association to end its controversial Goldwater Rule, which prohibits members from airing opinions on the mental health of public figures.
“No longer do we want ambiguity. No longer do we want this kicked down the road,” said Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló.
A new experimental program in New Jersey offered treatment, not stigma, to low-level drug offenders arrested during one week in June—and the results are encouraging.
Amazon announced on Thursday it had signed a deal to acquire PillPack, an online pharmacy that organizes prescription medication by the dose and delivers it to customers.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, 81, announced on Wednesday his upcoming resignation, marking the end of a three-decade tenure on the high court.
In a historic upset, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a young democratic socialist of Latina descent, has defeated political veteran Joe Crowley in their party’s congressional primary in New York City.
After widespread criticism of Facebook’s handling of election meddling, fake news and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, investors are growing increasingly frustrated at the company’s leadership.
The decision, supported in the majority opinion by the court’s conservative justices, is a victory for nationwide religious groups and a defeat for the mostly liberal state.
A fresh take on the decades-old Drake equation incorporates new factors and greater uncertainty, suggesting a high likelihood that humanity is alone in the universe.