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For a substantial fraction of a second after the Big Bang, there was only a quark-gluon plasma. Here’s how protons and neutrons arose.

A small percentage of people who consume psychedelics experience strange lingering effects, sometimes years after they took the drug.

Awe makes us feel smaller but also more connected to life and each other.

Research has shown the benefits of mindfulness, but the current mindfulness craze cannot deliver on its overhyped promises.

A computer that could decidedly pass Alan Turing’s test would represent a major step toward artificial general intelligence.

Volcanic activity caused the end-Triassic mass extinction 200 million years ago. The dinosaurs survived and rose to dominance.

A new study refutes some of the claims recently made about the value of napping.

Take it from teamwork gurus behind Apple and Star Wars — a new kind of psychological incubator will allow your creativity to flourish.

Is immortality a tantalizing possibility or a philosophical paradox?

Today, our observable Universe extends for 46 billion light-years in all directions. But early on in our history, things were much smaller.

Beyond stars, galaxies, and gravity, studying the fundamental workings of nature reveals widely applicable lessons for learners everywhere.

About the project The goal of driving more progress across the world—scientifically, politically, economically, socially, etc—is one shared by many. And yet, debates about the best way to maximize progress […]

The multi-leveled constructions of metaphysics are the collective workings of a fantastical virtuality. Did you get that?

The challenges of setting out in a new direction can be overwhelming — but we can learn to navigate the inflection moments.

Due to a crust of carbon, the absence of oxygen, and constant bombardment from meteorites, the planet Mercury may be littered with diamonds.

Millennia ago, philosophers like Anaximander grasped that nature is the ultimate recycler.

Pugs are funny and cute, but that is because we have bred them intentionally to have debilitating genetic mutations. Is that ethical?

The Universe is expanding, and the Hubble constant tells us how fast. But how can it be a constant if the expansion is accelerating?

All of the matter and radiation we measure today originated in a hot Big Bang long ago. The Universe was never empty, not even before that.

This week, Big Think is partnering with Freethink to bring you amazing stories of the people and technologies that are shaping our future.

From smartphone envy to life dissatisfaction, the root cause of much unhappiness is that we are wired to imagine how things could be better.

We are still new at this.

A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

This week, Big Think is partnering with Freethink to bring you amazing stories of the people and technologies that are shaping our future.

Grandmasters and drug dealers have one thing in common: They are many steps ahead of their rivals.

Many atheists think of themselves as intellectually gifted individuals, guiding humanity on the path of reason. Scientific data shows otherwise.

Theoretical physicist Leonard Mlodinow offers three strategies for relaxing your cognitive filters to give your brilliant ideas time to shine in the spotlight of the conscious mind.

Viruses, it turns out, can block one another and take turns to dominate.

At the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society in Michigan, retrieving sunken vessels is the order of the day. Here’s how they do it. 

Creating a culture of innovation requires champions and cheerleaders at every level and in every function within an organization.