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.
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Featured Interviews
“If you want to live a life of meaning you have to choose, to some extent, a life of suffering…”
“You might wonder, ‘Why would evolution be so malevolent to curse us with pain?’ But there’s actually a perfectly good evolutionary argument for this.”
Professor of Psychology, Yale University
Schools ignore genetics—and that’s actually a bad thing
Kathryn Paige Harden
Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden is a tenured professor in the Department of Psychology at UT, where she leads the Developmental Behavior Genetics lab and co-directs the Texas Twin Project. She[…]
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How do elite performers automate their habits?
Wendy Wood
Wendy Wood is a social psychologist whose research addresses the ways that habits guide behavior – and why they are so difficult to break – as well as evolutionary accounts[…]
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Where science fails, according to a physicist
Jim Al-Khalili
Jim is a multiple award-winning science communicator renowned for his public engagement around the world through writing and broadcasting and a leading academic making fundamental contributions to theoretical physics, particularly[…]
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Featured Article
Why Einstein is a “peerless genius” and Hawking is an “ordinary genius”
You’ve heard of Stephen Hawking. Ever heard of Renata Kallosh? Didn’t think so.
“Understanding exceptional accomplishment is essential to discover and eventually nurture future talent…
As we become more nuanced in our appreciation of the hidden factors at play in success, and as we begin to expose the systemic biases that shape recognition, it’s worth rethinking who can or should earn the genius label, so that we properly recognize and encourage the (sometimes) hidden talent around us.”
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All Stories
Why I’m against empathy
Not an empathetic person? Here’s why that might be a good thing.
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How to turn information into intelligence
Having trouble learning? A PhD engineering professor gives you one key tip.
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Why a meaningful life is impossible without suffering
Pain makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. What's puzzling is why so many of us choose to seek out painful experiences.
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Should I have kids? A psychologist explains how to decide
Kids don’t always make you happier. Here’s why people have them anyway.
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Why you should want to suffer — just a little bit
There are two kinds of suffering. One is pure pain. The other makes life worth living.
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6 min
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Why Einstein is a “peerless genius” and Hawking is an “ordinary genius”
You've heard of Stephen Hawking. Ever heard of Renata Kallosh? Didn't think so.
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Should genetics be used to create social policy?
Eugenics is bad - but understanding DNA is good.
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Will we download our minds into new bodies?
According to author and entrepreneur Steven Kotler, at some point this century, we will confront the prospect of immortality.
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Why ignoring genetic differences between people exacerbates inequality
Science doesn't fit neatly into ideology.
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Schools ignore genetics—and that’s actually a bad thing
Almost all our school improvements fail. Here’s why.
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Nature vs. nurture, explained by a geneticist
“If 90% of children had ADHD and only 10% of children could sit still at a desk, how would we design school?”
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Your genes affect your education. Here’s why that’s controversial.
We all play the genetic lottery - and the outcome matters a lot.
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Are goals necessary? A habit scientist answers.
The US reduced smoking rates from 50% to 15% with a simple habit hack.
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Do black holes “bleach” cosmic history?
According to renowned physicist Christophe Galfard, physics can’t explain our universe - yet.
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Habits change your life. Here’s how to change your habits.
Willpower alone likely isn't enough to replace a bad habit with a good one.
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How do elite performers automate their habits?
Practice doesn’t actually make perfect. Here’s the willpower equation necessary for elite athletes and musicians.
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Hit peak performance with the power of habit
There’s a psychological reason you haven’t created healthier habits in your life.
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The secret habits that control your life
Habit-forming rituals are subconsciously controlling your life. Here’s how to master them.
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Are you a spectator to reality? Or are you its creator?
Signals from the environment, such as those detected by your sense organs, have no inherent psychological meaning. Your brain creates the meaning.
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Can quantum science supercharge genetics?
Are physicists about to decode a mysterious field of science that could have huge implications for your health?
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A mind-blowing explanation of symmetry
Basic and breath-taking – Dr. Frank Wilczek addresses symmetry’s critical role in nature’s laws and what we consider to be beautiful.
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Jim Al-Khalili: How our ancient sense of wonder drives physics deeper into the unknown
Popular media often frame scientists as having a cold, sterile view of the world. That couldn’t be further from the truth.
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Einstein’s beef with quantum physics, explained
Our world would be impossible without quantum mechanics — but we still don’t have a narrative of how it works.
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Where science fails, according to a physicist
Why are we here? What is everything made of? This theoretical physicist says science isn’t the right way to answer these questions.
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Can mathematics be spiritual? Ask Einstein
Mathematics and religion both embody awe-inspiring, eternal truths.
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How apologies save relationships
Dr. Amrisha Vaish explains the science of remorse, guilt, and an effective apology.
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System 1 vs. System 2 thinking: Why it isn’t strategic to always be rational
People believe that slow and deliberative thinking is inherently superior to fast and intuitive thinking. The truth is more complicated.
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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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