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Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. Together, let's learn from them. Welcome to The Well, a publication by the John Templeton Foundation and Big Think.


Featured Interviews

“Quite honestly, maybe you’re not using calculus every day of your life, but one thing that math teaches us is how to think critically. It teaches us how to be resilient and also improves our decision-making.”

A person with long dark wavy hair, wearing red glasses and a black top, smiles against a plain background.
Talithia Williams

Featured Article

“Common wisdom says we have a self and that self is the source of our free will, but...

 the subject of the self is riddled with paradoxes. Because the mind has been categorized as something “nonphysical,” its definition alone places the self outside of physical cause-and-effect, and beyond the scope of science. However, as with many philosophical quandaries that involve the proposal of a thesis and the emergence of a counter-thesis (or antithesis, in the words of Hegel), a synthesis often emerges, reconciling seemingly disparate views into a more coherent and sensible perspective.”

a man in a suit and tie posing for a picture.
Bobby Azarian

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Thank you all for an incredible summer! We’ve had a wonderful season sharing new original videos with some of the biggest thinkers of our time in science, philosophy, art, math,…
From nothing to everything: How zero changed our understanding of the universe, forever:
What would the world be like if we focused on “the inherent beauty of math,” rather than its technical aspects? A statistician reflects:
Statistician Talithia Williams on how math is the clearest path to understanding our existence.
How do scientists measure and define life in the natural world? Dr. Lee Cronin gives us a definition, in 4 minutes:
Algorithms dictate a lot more than your social media feeds. Here’s how to win back your agency.
“I’m not 100% comfortable saying that, but it’s fun.” Chemist Lee Cronin on his bold theory on the ever-expanding universe.
Our predetermined view of what we are capable of is severely limiting our human potential, says neuroscientist.

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