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
“Throughout time, we earthlings have all sort of come to the same points in the year, and the same points in life to mark…
Disparate cultures, who had no way of communicating, found the same moments to create ceremonies and traditions around. Birth, coming of age, death- and also the solstices and equinoxes. So many of our rituals and traditions are about processing change and coming to terms with who we are on this little, particular planet.”
Author
Bessel van der Kolk is a psychiatrist noted for his research in the area of post-traumatic stress since the 1970s. His work focuses on the interaction of attachment, neurobiology, and[…]
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Julia Galef is a New York-based writer and public speaker specializing in science, rationality, and design. She serves on the board of directors of the New York City Skeptics, co-hosts[…]
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Ari Wallach is an applied futurist and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. He is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperCollins and the creator[…]
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Featured Article
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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Left–Right, Back–Forth, Up–Down. What’s the fourth dimension?
Have you ever travelled alone?
What do you want to see more of?
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…
How are those New Years resolutions holding up?
This is a judgement-free zone.
Do you agree?
All Stories
Left–Right, Back–Forth, Up–Down. What’s the fourth dimension?
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Make it simple. Make it clear. Make it stick. Alan Alda on how to get everyone to understand your thoughts.
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“What you pay attention to, is your life.” Where do you place precious brain resources?
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“There’s a sense of crisis today that we did not have in the 1980’s or 90’s” — economist Tyler Cowen on progress in America.
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Why do so many cultures celebrate holidays at the same time of year?
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In 1965, six boys were stranded on an island. Fifteen months later, the survivors were rescued. How many were there?
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If your inner voice is cruel, try these steps to reclaim your mind.
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Think via Bayes’ rule to become more rational and less brainwashed.
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Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds dumb. Don’t fall for it, says Wired’s Kevin Kelly.
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We don’t need one Elon Musk. We need 8 billion empathic futurists.
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A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
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CRISPR’s gene drive can defy evolution. Here’s how, explained by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.
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The ultimate definition of trauma, explained by leading psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.
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To be happy, you have to become antifragile first. Harvard’s Tal Ben-Shahar explains.
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‘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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Is science destined to crack the code of consciousness—and how would we even go about it?
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From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
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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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Darwin, Descartes, and Maxwell all believed in these science ‘demons.’
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The concept is so complex that scientists still argue whether it exists or if it is an illusion.
Today’s young people are intelligent and kind, but they are overworked and burned out.
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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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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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An interview with CRISPR co-discoverer and Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna.
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“The very best arguments against God have been formulated by believers.”
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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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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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There is no evidence for God as a “big being.” Is God something else?
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When should we seek justice, and when should we forgive? A bishop explains.
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