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.”
Talithia Williams, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and the Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College.
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2 min
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Talithia Williams, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and the Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College.
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3 min
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Dr. Lee Cronin was born in the UK and was fascinated with science and technology from an early age getting his first computer and chemistry set when he was eight[…]
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4 min
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Featured Article
If the “self” is not real, then we are slaves to a billiard ball universe, trapped in a nihilistic nightmare in which we cannot change our fate.
“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.”
All Stories
Science writer George Musser on the unsung role of friendship in science’s biggest discoveries.
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6 min
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We’ve all tried to win an argument by bringing up statistics that support our view. But here’s why that doesn’t work, according to a neuroscientist.
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6 min
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Kmele talked with a planetary scientist, a physicist, and a futurist, to understand how visionaries across disciplines are thinking about the future of our planet and humankind.
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36 min
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Filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, rock icon Steve Albini, and comedian Fred Armisen told Kmele how they make sense of the world — and leave their mark on it.
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32 min
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Consciousness isn’t just a problem for philosophers. On this episode of Dispatches, Kmele sat down with scientists, a mathematician, a spiritual leader, and an entrepreneur, all trying to get to the heart of “the feeling of life itself.”
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44 min
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Are we the stories we tell? Kmele sat down with legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, actor Terry Crews and psychologist Dan McAdams to discuss how humanity makes its meaning.
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36 min
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The Santa Fe Institute is a cradle of modern research. Our host Kmele meets some of the brilliant minds who work there.
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42 min
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Our host Kmele went inside Fermilab, America’s premiere particle accelerator facility, to find out how the smallest particles in the universe can teach us about its biggest mysteries.
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38 min
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Dispatches host Kmele Foster is on a journey to understand humanity’s role in the cosmos. His first stop? The Atacama Plateau in Northern Chile, home to the darkest deserts and largest telescopes on earth.
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35 min
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Yes, you CAN be a “math person” — as long as you follow these learning techniques.
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4 min
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“Resilience” is being able to withstand hardship; “antifragility” goes one step further.
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11 min
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If the “self” is not real, then we are slaves to a billiard ball universe, trapped in a nihilistic nightmare in which we cannot change our fate.
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We’re often ashamed to say, “I don’t know” — but this professional poker player thinks it’s one of our greatest strengths.
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7 min
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There are 3 key principles that separate a good conversation from a great one — and they’ll completely change how you communicate.
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6 min
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NASA’s Michelle Thaller explains what happens when the densest stars in the galaxy collide.
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5 min
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Humanity is never fully in control of its creations. This lesson from Mary Shelley has remained relevant for over 200 years.
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From marketing to social media, today’s world preys on your values. Here’s how to reclaim them and find true happiness.
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6 min
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A physicist discusses the boundaries of reality and experimentation.
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6 min
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Quantum wormholes are mathematically possible — but might also be physically impossible. Physicist Janna Levin explains Hawking’s famous information paradox.
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12 min
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Is true equality achievable — or even desirable? Go on a journey through the strange and unsettling “Land of Justice.”
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Do humans share one consciousness? This psychologist says yes.
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6 min
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Gravity defies quantum mechanics. What does that mean for a theory of everything?
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6 min
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This biologist built a living robot from frog cells — and it could hold the key to the future of regenerative medicine.
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8 min
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Ever wonder what would happen if we got sucked into a black hole? Turns out we could live in it for a while — if it was big enough.
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9 min
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How do “you” emerge from a collection of cells? A biologist explains.
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5 min
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Scientists can’t define spirituality. But we can study its healing effects, says this Columbia psychologist.
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6 min
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Spirituality declines, depression rises. Is there a link?
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9 min
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How the simple act of watching twilight can radically transform our perception of the world and our role within it.
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Evolution doesn’t fix things — it reinvents them. A biologist explains.
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5 min
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We know that humans are an intelligent species. But this biologist breaks down the intelligence of each of our cells — and it will blow your mind.
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8 min
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