future
Humans aren’t overpopulated. We’re aging and shrinking
Too few babies — not overpopulation — is likely to be a major problem this century.
Here are the top 10 jobs of the future
Say hello to your new colleague, the Workplace Environment Architect.
Brain mapping: explained
How can researchers map something as complex as the human brain?
Dyson spheres: The key to resurrection and immortality?
Creating an afterlife—or a simulation of one—would take vast amounts of energy. Some scientists think the best way to capture that energy is by building megastructures around stars.
‘A Glitch in the Matrix’ documentary explores the dark side of simulation theory
What happens when simulation theory becomes more than a fascinating thought experiment?
How sci-fi helps humanity avoid species-level mistakes
Technology of the future is shaped by the questions we ask and the ethical decisions we make today.
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5 min
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13.8: Why we’re here
Welcome to the 13.8 relaunch, a new Big Think column led by physicists and friends Adam Frank and Marcelo Gleiser.
Can scientists find the ‘holy grail’ of Alzheimer’s research?
Clinical trials at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research focus on stabilizing cognitive loss and alleviating the psychotic symptoms that change our loved ones.
Workplace disrupted – five themes that will define the future of work
The best time to start was yesterday, the second best is now.
Dark energy: The apocalyptic wild card of the universe
Dr. Katie Mack explains what dark energy is and two ways it could one day destroy the universe.
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9 min
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‘Designer baby’ book trilogy explores the moral dilemmas humans may soon create
How would the ability to genetically customize children change society? Sci-fi author Eugene Clark explores the future on our horizon in Volume I of the "Genetic Pressure" series.
How will we govern super-powerful AI?
The AI constitution can mean the difference between war and peace—or total extinction.
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5 min
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Michio Kaku: 3 mind-blowing predictions about the future
What lies in store for humanity? Theoretical physicist Michio Kaku explains how different life will be for your descendants—and maybe your future self, if the timing works out.
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15 min
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Meet the robot ‘dog’ NASA is sending to Mars
Boston Dynamics' notorious robot goes on an interplanetary mission.
5 big predictions for 2021
A deeper appreciation for science and less unnecessary spending could be in our future.
How ‘heat death’ will destroy the universe
The expansion of the universe is speeding up—contrary to what many physicists expected. A "heat death" is coming, but it's not what you think.
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7 min
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Believe in learners. Education that empowers people, empowers society.
For too many people, a poor education is a destructive barrier in their lives—a source of limitation rather than opportunity. Together, we can change this.
Mind uploading: Can we become immortal?
Is the quest to upload human consciousness and ditch our meat puppets the future—or is it fool's gold?
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14 min
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“Clean meat” approved for sale in Singapore
Singapore has approved the sale of a lab-grown meat product in an effort to secure its food supplies against disease and climate change.
The neoliberal era is ending. What comes next?
The next era in American history can look entirely different. It's up to us to choose.
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10 ways to prepare for the rise of intelligent machines – MIT study
A new MIT report proposes how humans should prepare for the age of automation and artificial intelligence.
Plato’s utopia and why you don’t want to live there
History's first utopia shows how far we've come.
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting Robots”
New book explores a future populated with robot helpers.
The forest of unread books: A future library in Norway
She was walking down the forest path with a roll of white cloth in her hands. It was trailing behind her like a long veil. It was sweeping needles, leaves […]
AI and robotics are revolutionizing restaurant kitchens—here’s how you can invest
Miso Robotics has already served up over 12,000 hamburgers.
The fastest drummer in the world is a cyborg
An accident left this musician with one arm. Now he is helping create future tech for others with disabilities.
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8 min
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Catching serial killers with an algorithm
This week, Big Think is partnering with Freethink to bring you amazing stories of the people and technologies that are shaping our future.
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6 min
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Will America’s disregard for science be the end of its reign?
Confirmation bias is baked into the DNA of America, but it may soon be the nation's undoing.
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25 min
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Teen popularity linked to increased depression in adolescence, decreased depression in adulthood
The results of this study showed depressive symptoms being highest in adolescence, declining in early adulthood and then climbing back up again into one's early 30s.
The surprising future of vaccine technology
We owe a lot to vaccines and the scientists that develop them. But we've only just touched the surface of what vaccines can do.
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