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
“Of all the words I know there’s no word that makes many of my colleagues more emotional and prone to foam at the mouth than the one I’m just about to say: consciousness.
A lot of scientists dismiss this as complete BS and as totally irrelevant and a lot of others think this is the central thing—you have to worry about machines getting conscious and so on. What do I think? I think consciousness is both irrelevant and incredibly important.”
Physicist
Why ‘turning the other cheek’ is fundamentally misunderstood
Bishop Robert Barron
Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, and the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award winning documentary about the Catholic[…]
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Why our minds crave the supernatural
Clay Routledge
Dr. Clay Routledge is a leading expert in existential psychology. His work examines how the human need for meaning in life influences and is influenced by different cognitive processes, self-regulation,[…]
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95% of your behavior is primate behavior
Frans de Waal
Frans de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist. He teaches at Emory University and directs the Living Links Center for the Study of Ape and Human Evolution, in Atlanta,[…]
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Featured Article
Humans are not “tribal”
From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
“How we talk about society’s problems matters.
Invoking the notion of ‘tribalism’ for the world’s current problems is misleading at best and insulting at worst.”
Anthropologist
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The trick is where to draw the line.
What's an imperfection you love, in someone or something?
Each week, our resident philosopher and editor Jonny Thomson gives context to the interview & quote of the week in our email newsletter. For more from Jonny, subscribe through the…
A reminder to practice gratitude today.
What's one thing you do each day to wake up and center yourself in the world?
Chances are, there will always be someone who can run a faster mile than you, someone who can bake a better cake than you. But no one will be a…
A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
George Eliot is the pen name of Mary Ann Evans, a novelist, poet, journalist, translator, and one of the leading writers of the Victorian era.
All Stories
Are near-death experiences real?
A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
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CRISPR: What will humanity create?
CRISPR’s gene drive can defy evolution. Here’s how, explained by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.
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What trauma does to your brain and body
The ultimate definition of trauma, explained by leading psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.
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The happiness paradox, explained in 7 minutes
To be happy, you have to become antifragile first. Harvard’s Tal Ben-Shahar explains.
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Flow state: How to trigger the best performance of your life
‘Flow state’ is a peak performance mental state experienced by the world's highest achievers. Learn how it works in just 7 minutes.
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Why consciousness is one of the most divisive issues in science today
Is science destined to crack the code of consciousness—and how would we even go about it?
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Humans are not “tribal”
From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
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The science of love with Dr. Helen Fisher
We all want to have a good, stable relationship with somebody, says Dr. Helen Fisher. So it's important to understand how intense romantic love affects our long-term goals.
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The 3 “demons” that haunted legendary scientists
Darwin, Descartes, and Maxwell all believed in these science ‘demons.’
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Time: Do the past, present, and future exist all at once?
The concept is so complex that scientists still argue whether it exists or if it is an illusion.
I study America’s youth. Here’s what I found
Today’s young people are intelligent and kind, but they are overworked and burned out.
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How enlightenment permanently alters your brain
Enlightenment is a traditionally mystical and slippery concept, but when it is subjected to the rigors of empirical analysis, there is a lot to be learned about our brains and ourselves.
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Why confirmation bias kills your brain
Humans tend to hunker down in our own minds and trust what we already believe to be true. This emotion-based way of thought isn't often the best way to think about anything, and often leads to gridlock.
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10 years on, a spin-off use for CRISPR: Infectious disease testing
An interview with CRISPR co-discoverer and Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna.
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3 arguments against God, explained by a Catholic bishop
“The very best arguments against God have been formulated by believers.”
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Is religion a threat to science?
Some scientists see religion as a threat to the scientific method that should be resisted. But faith "is really asking a different set of questions," says Collins.
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Why a strict sense of justice hinders progress toward a fairer society
When justice isn’t tempered by something such as mercy, forgiveness, or nonviolence, efforts to make society more equitable often backfire.
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Can God exist in a scientific world?
There is no evidence for God as a “big being.” Is God something else?
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Why ‘turning the other cheek’ is fundamentally misunderstood
When should we seek justice, and when should we forgive? A bishop explains.
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The power of gratitude, explained
New research shows that having an attitude of gratitude is key to healthy relationships, and it can virally impact society.
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These are the 4 types of atheism
Just as there are many types of believers, there's not only one type of atheist.
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I’m a chemist, and I’m building a universal robot to make life and find aliens
The emergence of life in the universe is as certain as the emergence of matter, gravity, and the stars. Life is the universe developing a memory, and our chemical detection system could find it.
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Why do we believe in the supernatural?
From superstition to religion, we are surrounded by supernatural thinking. Is that a bad thing?
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Nostalgia is a deeply misunderstood phenomenon
Escape a mental rut by using nostalgia.
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Why our minds crave the supernatural
"Supernatural thinking is actually an important part of being a complete human being."
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Philosophies of self: East-West distinctions
People in the East and West really do think differently, especially when it comes to self-identity. Depending where you live, either associative or distinctive thinking will shape your sense of self.
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The incredible neuroscience behind the culture wars
What inequality and populism look like in the brain, according to a neuroscientist.
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I am an astrophysicist. I am also a Christian.
It might seem like science and faith are at war, but the two have a historical synergy that extends back in time for centuries.
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