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Despite the apparent rise in people with no religion, the overall percentage of non-believers is expected to decline as a share of the world’s population, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center.

There is no direct evidence about what proceeds human consciousness, but there are stories from people who have been pronounced clinically dead.

In case you missed it from earlier this week, retired U.S. Congressman Barney Frank recently visited Big Think to discuss the rhetorical power of humor.

The Science Guy returns to Big Think to address his creationist critics and warn against the risks of denying evolution, the fundamental core of life sciences.

Some people believe generous welfare benefits make people more dependent — not so, according to researchers.

Elon Musk is the ambitious founder and CEO of SpaceX, a private company that has won more launch contracts than anyone else in the launch business. In this lesson excerpt, Musk explains his approach to innovation in the space race. The full lesson, available on Big Think+, offers strategies for identifying an industry worthy of disruption.

Centuries-old mindfulness breathing and meditation practices have become an increasingly popular fad, but do they really have the power to transform lives? A growing body of scientific evidence says they do.

As yoga reaches the mainstream, there are many who seek to use it as a control device, says author Shahram Shiva. He argues that young people are usually smart enough to see through the ruse.

It can boost your memory too.

Having greater intelligence can actually make you a more foolish person because intelligence breeds hubris, according to sociologists who study how intelligent people make life decisions.

Big Think expert Nicholas Negroponte believes that access to education is a human right. He also believes that the internet is integral to a 21st century education. Therefore, access to the internet is a human right.

What does it mean to be confident? Author and broadcaster Claire Shipman explains what surprised her most when researching confidence in both professional and nonprofessional contexts.

In his latest book Bold, Peter Diamandis notes that exponential entrepreneurs need to keep an eye out for emerging technologies — such as virtual reality — about to emerge in a big way.

Popping a Tylenol may do more than just alleviate that headache you’ve been suffering through; it may also be a potent solution for numbing emotions.

A new study has found that there are too many studies. So much that there’s an information decay happening in the minds of researchers.

Exploring and mapping the Universe? A great plan. But the math of spending billions on asteroid deflection doesn’t add up. “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the […]

The acclaimed self-help expert recently visited Big Think to discuss his new book and share stories about what wealth and generosity mean to him.

A recent New York Times op-ed advocating for student loan default has elicited a bevy of critical responses.

If you’re learning, you’re being taught, no matter who is doing the teaching or where the lesson is taking place (and conversely, if you’re not learning, you’re not being taught).

Biologist Edward O. Wilson explains how humans came to dominate all other large animals by adopting eusocial behaviors most often associated with insects.

Redesigning your office space can measurably improve morale as well as the flow of creative ideas, but it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

The acclaimed self-help expert recently visited Big Think to discuss his new book and share stories about what wealth and generosity mean to him.

Former Onyx CEO Tony Coles says that this philosophy of leadership “has influenced almost everything” he has done for the past decade. In this video, learn some of the key tenets of the servant leadership philosophy and how Coles applied it in his own work and career.

A new study concludes that some measures of intelligence peak much later in life than previously thought, like being able to accurately judge others’ emotions, explaining why we often think of older people as wiser.

Scientists predict the majestic glaciers that cap the Canadian Rockies will lose 70 percent of their volume by 2100.

Tech entrepreneur Brad Templeton returns to Big Think to discuss how Bitcoin disrupts the finance industry.

New and expecting parents can boost their baby’s development by playing games that exercise the young brain.

Does God give believers a mental health boost? Two psychologists argue that it’s just not so — atheists are just as emotionally stable as those with religion.

The author of The Internet is Not the Answer decries the free business model that has brought so much success to companies like Google and Facebook.

Mariam Sultana became her country’s first woman with a Ph.D. in astrophysics. This is her story, with an update on where she is now. Mariam Sultana, Pakistan’s very first woman […]