Search Results

Philosophers David Chalmers and Daniel Dennett argue over “philosophical zombies,” created to question the nature of human consciousness.

A pioneering study provides a detailed look at how the U.S. economy will suffer from climate change.

Does happiness require a rebellion against evolution?

President Trump wants to end “chain migration”. Is a merit-based system better?

In her book, Rise of the Necrofauna, Britt Wray reports on the ethics and science behind de-extinction. 

Spontaneous talk on surprise topics. “Vampire Chronicles” author Anne Rice on superstition, science, and why she thinks Freddie Mercury was a vampire.  

Spontaneous talk on surprise topics. Psychologist Paul Bloom wants us to abandon empathy as a guide to moral decision making. He’s probably right. 

The next-to-last episode of the first season is heavy on plot and character development, but packs a science and ethical punch, too. What do you do when, after a life-threatening journey […]

What it would take to make a ‘mirror Universe’ a reality. The idea of parallel Universes has been around for over 60 years now, giving a theoretically physical existence to all […]

One of inflation’s cofounders has turned his back on the idea. But practically no one else is following him. Is he right? This article was written by Sabine Hossenfelder. Sabine is […]

Despite accusations of racial stereotyping, most Dutch cities and towns keep the traditional blackface version of ‘Zwarte Piet’.

New research brings nuance to the concept of being nice by illuminating the personality traits that underlie it, dividing the quality into two related but distinct components.

In the aftermath of everything we’ve learned about what’s in the Universe, we can make much better estimates of how many alien civilizations are out there. In 1961, scientist Frank Drake […]

AI won’t really resemble humanoids. Instead, AI will create a world that countries and large companies can live in.

If you thought all we could see is all that’s out there, prepare to rethink everything you knew. “It’s hard to build models of inflation that don’t lead to a multiverse. […]

Spontaneous talk on surprise topics. Philosopher of mind Peter Godfrey-Smith on octopus consciousness, free will, and an extinct sea-worm he’d like to resurrect. 

There is no reason for science and faith to be hostile to one another. If you want to figure out how the Universe works, you have to ask. Not by asking […]

It really depends on who you ask, as one European poll found out. 

As medicine’s interest in psychedelic drugs increases,will a shamanistic brew join your therapist’s list of go to prescriptions? 

Should there be a ceiling to the ambitions of Silicon Valley? It seems like a decisive “no,” according to the people who want to build new societies online, atop the ocean, and on Mars. 

Homeopathic manufacturers take advantage of sick and vulnerable populations in criminal ways—and the FDA is, after much absence, starting to crack down.

In his latest book, Selfie, Will Storr explores the history of self-obsession, and wonders how we can fix it.

Either possibility offers a tremendous existence, but philosophically, there’s so much more to think about. “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, […]

Innovation training can help make your business more flexible and resilient to disruptive changes in your industry. Did you know that it can also help make your workplace more efficient? […]

Columbia professor Tim Wu came to the Big Think studio to talk about clickbait. What happened next will shock you.

George Bernard Shaw quipped that a rich man ‘does not really care whether his money does good or not, provided he finds his conscience eased and his social status improved by giving it away’. Was he right?

Can robots tell stories? In a way, yes. We’re far more likely to see robot nursery rhymes than a robot Shakespeare. 

What was going on in the world of health and strange bodily functions?  

To better understand our place in the world, check out these groundbreaking books. 

Aging lithium-ion batteries have Apple, and other phone makers, in a corner.