psychology
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
In “Human History on Drugs,” Sam Kelly explores what the research can tell us about one of history’s most brilliant — and troubled — artists.
A mid-flight scare reveals how embracing death can bring purpose and meaning to everyday life.
Here in 2025, many of us claim to come to our own conclusions by doing our own research. Here’s why we’re mostly deluding ourselves.
In “The Gift of Not Belonging,” Rami Kaminski explains why group consensus may hinder the original thinkers who help advance society.
Annie Duke, a poker champion turned decision scientist, talks with Big Think about how to choose well under uncertainty.
For his new book, “The Ghost Lab,” Matt Hongoltz-Hetling spent time with paranormal investigators to understand their relationship with science and society.
The “primacy/recency effect” is used by celebrated movie-makers, Broadway composers, and restaurateurs — it can work for you too.
How we handle grief largely depends on our worldview. Here is how three famous philosophers handled the certainty of grief and despair.
The marketing guru outlines the current state of brand-building — and highlights four outstanding opportunities for the immediate future.
Many, from neuroscientists to philosophers to anesthesiologists, have claimed to understand consciousness. Do physicists? Does anyone?
According to Tolkien, fantasy requires a deep imagination known as “sub-creation.” And the genre reflects a fundamental truth of being human.
Nurture your passions instead.
Andreessen Horowitz cofounder Ben Horowitz thought that “blowing sunshine” was the right way to handle pressure — here’s how he corrected his mistake.
Reading obituaries can boost creativity by exposing you to distant ideas, fueling the associations that lead to unexpected breakthroughs.
A.J. Jacobs looks back at what he learned about religion, himself, and modern American culture during “The Year of Living Biblically.”
“For every PhD there is an equal and opposite PhD.”
Grandmasters and drug dealers have one thing in common: They are many steps ahead of their rivals.
From religious iconography to modern mysticism, the human aura has been a subject of fascination across centuries and cultures.
Spotify’s Co-President, CPO and CTO chats with Big Think about the science of discovery, Swedish innovation, C-suite podcasting, and more.
What can drugs teach us about consciousness?
Those who know who they are — and what they truly value — refuse to compromise their authentic direction to placate others.
Our brains cling to the bad. This method could help balance the scales.
Science writer Matt Ridley joins us to discuss how “Darwin’s strangest idea” makes us all a bit feather-brained (in a good way).
We manipulate constantly — but few of us want to be called “manipulative.” Here, ex-Google executive Jenny Wood redefines an unfairly maligned trait.
Your BS detector might not be as accurate as you think.
All scientific theories are limited in scope, power, and application, being mere approximations of reality. That’s why consensus is vital.