Author posts
How Language Can Make You a Time Traveler
The words we speak might actually help us see the future. Here's how.
The Cost of Blowing up the Death Star? The Biggest Recession in the Universe
This is not the outcome you're looking for.
Art of the Bill: How America Can Make Space Great Again
The US Air Force's Space Horizons Team wants to juice America's space program. Here's how.
Some viruses are more lethal for men than women, British researchers say
New research out of the University of London shows that some viruses are more likely to kill men than women. Here's why.
5 badass moments in space history you should know about
In honor of John Glenn, here are some of the most badass things that happened in space that you might not know about -- but totally should.
Would Pirates Make Good Politicians? Iceland's About to Find Out
When the rest of the world chooses nationalism, Iceland chooses radical change.
Google to Purchase 100% Alternative Energy Sources in 2017
Pedal faster, we need the juice! The tech giant is about to become the world's greenest company. Here's how.
4 tips to strengthen the force of your opinions
HINT: Don't just learn the opposite view. Argue it.
The 2 Biggest Challenges We Need to Solve Before Living on Mars
It seems inevitable that there will be a Mars colony, but the path there won't be easy. There are two key challenges ahead that will push innovation.
Why Artificial Intelligence Still Stinks at Pattern Recognition
Artificial intelligence (AI) is not nearly as smart as we want it to be. Because we are not nearly as smart as we want to be.
General "Mad Dog" Mattis's 3-point Plan to Make America Great Again
Retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis is known as “Chaos,” “Warrior Monk,” and “Mad Dog.” The names reflect his blunt way of speaking, and his ability to get results.
Fake news sites aren't the core problem. The media's diminished credibility is.
Why do people believe fake news? It's not because it gets shared all over Facebook; it's because they don't trust mainstream news. And Snopes agrees with them.
This Might Be The HIV Cure We've Been Waiting For
Some much-needed good news this week.
US Military Leaders Remind Trump That Climate Change Is a Global Threat
If anyone can convince Donald J. Trump to take climate change seriously, it might be the US military.
Fake News Is an Unpleasant Symptom of a Bigger Problem
Don't believe everything Google tells you. Facebook and Google are taking measures against fake news, but it's becoming clear that it's a symptom of a bigger problem.
3 Ways to Start Making America Great Again
It's not by burning people's pictures and wearing the flag as a cape, but by understanding ourselves better, and understanding the person beside you.
Three Ways America Can Be United Again - Through Decision-Making
3 Ways We Can Make America Great Again – Through Decision Making
Looks Like We're Making America Great Again. Here Are 3 Ways to Contribute.
Your 'big break' can happen at any point of your career, Boston researchers say
It takes "deliberate practice," though, to increase your odds of attaining success.
What Separates Trump and Clinton Supporters Isn't Education. So What Is It?
The polls are in, and what will be the deciding factor in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election is something a little more human.
NASA Needs Your Help to Study the Moon
If humans are going to explore the solar system, we need to figure out how to live in space. The best way to figure that out is on the Moon -- and you can help. Here's how.
How Big is the Pay Gap for Women in Tech? Pretty Big, According to These Infographics
It's worse -- and better -- than you think.
5 philosophers whose advice could make or break your relationship
Romantic advice from some of humanity's biggest thinkers.
Life on Mars: What We Learned From Elon Musk's Reddit 'Ask Me Anything'
Elon Musk wants to put 1 million people on Mars in 40 years. The internet had questions. Here are his answers.
How A Zombie Outbreak Might Actually Happen — and How to Protect Yourself
Of all the fictional ways humanity might possibly kill itself, zombies are the most likely. Here's the data to prove it.
Scientists Accidentally Create Simple Solution to Global Warming
Global warming is largely caused by carbon dioxide. Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory just figured out a way to change it into something better.
Why monotasking is the new multitasking
Cross 'multi-tasking ninja' off your resume, it's out, say Stanford researchers and other cognitive experts. Here are three tips for transitioning back to single-tasking.
Why the Future of Virtual Reality Might Not Be "People First"
Mark Zuckerberg insists the future of virtual reality will put "people first." The development trajectory of the technology tells another story.
Are You a Genius? Depends on Your Gender
A new study from Cornell University shows how metaphors influence our ability to be impressed by genius and uncovers a gender hook – it seems we prefer to conceive of male genius as an exciting idea explosion, and female genius as a long, hard labor of hard work.
What Contract Theory Is and Why It Deserves a Nobel Prize
How do we make fair contracts? These guys figured it out, and their work has implications in ethical and business questions about companies like Enron and privatized prisons.
Is It Time to Allow Organ Donations from Drug Overdose Deaths?
131,000 people in the United States wait for an organ donation every single day. 10% of them will get one – unless we allow organ donations from drug deaths.
Why Being Taught in Your Learning Style Does Not Make You Smarter
People tend to believe that learning in the style they feel best suited to makes them soak up information more efficiently. This study debunks that belief.
What can Instagram tell us about narcissists? A bit, actually.
The question isn't, "Are you a narcissist?" — it's "Which type are you?"
Why a Healthy Lifestyle Won't Help Certain People Live Longer
Researchers at UCLA have found Grim Reaper DNA in 5% of the population. But there is a bright side – lifestyle choices go a long way in overriding a shorter genetic life expectancy.
How Elon Musk Envisions Transforming Mars into Another Earth
Elon Musk has a pretty ambitious plan to get humans to live on Mars in 40 years. Here's the tech that'll make that happen.
Elon Musk Reveals Plan to Put 1 Million People on Mars
According to Elon Musk, it'll only take between 40 and 100 years to achieve a fully self-sustaining civilization on Mars. Here's how.
Why Feeling Our Currency Might Make Us More Responsible With It
Swiping a bank card and Venmo-ing your friends has made money more abstract than ever – and therefore so much easier to thoughtlessly spend. A proposed new tech device would make cash-free purchases tactile again.
What Happens When An Artist Thinks Like a Scientist? Better Chicken
The chicken you eat comes from birds that only live for 5 years and are susceptible to disease and inbreeding. Thank goodness Koen Vanmechelen bred a better one.
A World Without Work: Robotic Automation Won't Be as Bad as We Think
Job automation won't be as bad as we think, so we need to learn how to stop working and prepare so we're not dragged into the future kicking and screaming.
How do you make better decisions in high-risk situations? Be in tune with your body.
There's more to intuition than meets the eye.
Are You Envious or Trusting? Game Theory Can Tell You.
A new study reveals that people naturally fall into 4 different personality types while making decisions: Optimist, Pessimist, Trusting, or Envious.
"Amplification": The Clever Method Women in the White House Use to Be Heard
Female political aides in the White House have banded together and are using a combo-technique of amplification and 'shine theory' to make sure their voices are counted.
The secret to living past 100? Lots of sex. Also, rosemary.
1 in 10 people in Acciaroli, Italy are over 100 years old. Their secret to longevity? Their biology, diet, and the high-levels of friskiness among the elderly.
A 6-Step Infographic For Ending Pseudoscience
Don't believe every science study you read, because sometimes not even their authors believe them. Here are the issues corrupting good, honest science – and how to fix them.
Terrorism Vs. Natural Disasters: Which Costs More? Which Kills More?
Natural disasters claim many more victims than terrorism, so why is funding in Europe and North America so out of balance? This negligence makes Neil deGrasse Tyson "embarrassed for our species".
Want to raise a child genius? A study running for 45 years has suggestions.
Genius kids are caught in the Goldilocks oatmeal paradox – if there's too much heat on extracting their ability they suffer, but keep too cool a distance and they'll be wasted.
This Beautiful Infographic Shows How the Sun Controls Everything
It's pretty nifty.
How to beat the loneliness epidemic
1 in 3 people over the age of 65 live alone in the United States, and by age 85 it's 1 in 2. Loneliness is an epidemic. Here's how to fight it.
Mother Teresa: Are Saints As Perfect As They Used to Be?
Mother Teresa will be canonized this Sunday, September 4th. What does it take to become a saint, and is the Vatican mistaken to not address Mother Teresa's flaws?
Netflix is saving kids’ brains, one non-commercial break at a time
Want five or six extra days every year? Easy – choose streaming over network TV. Adults are sacrificing 130 hours, and kids 150 hours, to ads annually when they watch commercial programming.
Bill Nye's Getting a Netflix Talk Show! Here's Why You Need to Watch it
Look who went and got himself a talk show. Big Think's regular contributor Bill Nye will be on Netflix in 2017!
'I thought I saw a terrorist': How to manage false alarms, blind fear and panic
Rumors of a terrorist gunman escalated at LAX. A panicked crowd trampled an old woman, snapping her femur. In our best Dick Cheney voice: "If you allow blind fear to disrupt society, the terrorists have already won."
Why Seattle's Plan to Help Heroin Addicts Isn't Crazy
Seattle has a new plan to reduce HIV, drug overdoses, and stray needles: it wants to let addicts shoot heroin and smoke crack legally in monitored spaces.
Why the University of Chicago Opposes Intellectual "Safe Spaces"
According to letter sent to income college freshmen, the University of Chicago will not use trigger warnings or act as a safe intellectual space for students.
Are Strict Schools and Parents Creating Dishonest Children?
An intriguing new study inspires a psychotherapist to blame strict parents for creating little liars. But is she right?
Why Virtual Reality Games Will Be a Technological Revolution
Is virtual reality the future of gaming? They might be, if controllers like this are anything to go by.
How Ramen Noodles Became King of Prison Currencies
Move over, cigarettes: ramen is the new king of prison currency. A new study for the American Sociological Association found that inmates are using the cheap food as currency.
Army Vet Builds Cyborg Stingray: Guided by Lasers, Powered by a Rat Heart
This is a cyborg stingray. It’s as big as a penny, guided by a laser, and moves on its own when exposed to blue light. And it’s the brainchild of Kevin Kit Parker.
Exercising in City Air Makes the Effects of Pollution Worse
NYC health officials estimate that fine particulate matter, often inhaled while biking or running in the city, contributes to nearly 2,000 premature deaths and more than 6,000 hospital visits per year.
People who read live longer than those who don’t, Yale researchers say
The benefits of reading should not be understated, even when it comes to living a longer life. A new study finds that reading books in particular returns cognitive gains that increase longevity.
Tesla Autopilot Drives an Impaired Man to the Nearest Hospital, Saving His Life
Despite recent bad press, Tesla's autopilot likely saved the life of a man who experienced a severe medical condition while driving. He asked his car to drive him to the nearest hospital.
Can aging be reversed by getting blood transfusions from young people?
Vampires and the Fountain of Youth are living legends once again. New studies that hope to find youthful properties in the blood of humans under the age of 25. What could go wrong?
By middle age, obesity ages your brain an additional 10 years
The study was conducted by Cambridge researchers.
First Private Company Given Right to Land on Moon, Exploit Resources
In 2017, Moon Express will be the first private company to land on the moon. Its goal is to mine the moon’s resources and use the lunar surface as a stepping stone for exploring the rest of the universe.
Meet the 2016 Olympics Refugee Team That Will Inspire the World
One year ago, Syrian refugee Yusra Mardini was swimming for her life in the Mediterranean Sea, desperate to escape her war torn country. This week, she will swim for gold at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
2016 Presidential Election Uniquely Vulnerable to Voter Disenfranchisement
The 2016 Presidential election, between Hillary Clinton and Donald J. Trump, will be the first without key provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act to stop voter disenfranchisement.
What fear does to your brain — and how to stop it
According to neuroscience, fear is killing us.
More Evidence Points to Possible Martian Life — This Time in the Soil
New analyses of data gathered by the 2001 Mars Odyssey rover reveals that water molecules are bound up in the very soil of Mars.
Weird Weather Behavior: Winter Makes Us Love, Summer Makes Us Violent
We all know that sunny days make us happy -- but did you know that they also make us gamble? And that warm weather leads to both less sexual activity and higher incidents of depression?
Is This Where God Lives in the Brain?
Doctors ran a typical a brain scan on an epilepsy patient. As they were watching, the patient saw God. Here's what happened next.
What Made David Bowie So Creative? His Obsession with Art.
Sotheby’s will auction off 380 pieces from Bowie’s collection later this year. The collection is “eclectic, unscripted, [and] understated,” according to Sotheby’s European chairman Oliver Barker.
6 Types of Stories Scientifically Proven to Make You Emotional
How many kinds of stories are there? From Harry Potter, to Oedipus and Romeo and Juliet, scientists at University of Vermont use data modeling to figure it out.
The Science Behind Why Cops Kill Black Men - And How to Fix it
Police use the same mechanism to make split-second life-or-death decisions that we do. But that mechanism is kind of a racist idiot.
For the First Time Ever, Scientists Show That Eating Pasta Makes Women Skinny
A new Italian study shows that women who eat pasta are skinnier. But there's more to the research than that.
9 Abandoned Amusement Parks That Will Absolutely Creep You Out
Most amusement parks like Disney and Six Flags pride themselves on being family friendly attractions. These parks do not.
How One Video Game Helped Me Overcome Writer's Block
One writer’s journey through a video game that can only be completed by writing.
"Very Hot" Drinks like Tea May Give You Cancer - But Coffee Won't
The World Health Organization just reversed 25 years of warnings about coffee causing cancer - and unleashed a tidal wave of concern for tea drinkers.
Scientists Now Know How Many Trees You Need to See to Relax
How many trees do you need to see before you feel relaxed? Less than you think.
Here's Proof that Better Science Results in More Justice
A recent Supreme Court ruling declared that unintentional bias is not only real but harmful. That ruling not only validates the work of cognitive scientists, but paves the way for change.
What's Going to Kill You? Scientists Rank the Most Likely Causes - This Year
The Global Challenges Foundation released a Global Catastrophic Risk Report last week. The results aren't pretty. Or surprising.
Your cellphone won't give you brain cancer, Australian researchers say
A recent study out of Australia has crunched data over a 29-year timespan and found no correlation between cellphone usage and brain cancer. Hooray!
The Sinking of Boaty McBoatface — And Why It's a Big Problem
The arctic research ship that captured the heart of the internet will NOT be named Boaty McBoatface. And the public is not happy about it.
Why the word 'moist' makes you cringe
One psychologist’s quest to figure out one incredibly icky word
Why Boaty McBoatface Is the Best Thing to Happen to Science in a Long Time
When was the last time anyone cared about an Artic research ship? Exactly.
How to Spot a Creep (According to Science!)
Creepy is a hard thing to pin down. Thankfully, science has just done it. Here are the definitive characteristics of creepiness.
Lowline Park: What it is and Why You Need to Go
The Lowline is the world’s first underground park. Well, almost: it’s testing the science of growing plants underground on Manhattan’s Lower East Side - and it’s a literal urban jungle.
One Easy Way to Be a Scientist? Look at These Adorable Pics of Baby Penguins
Penguins in Antarctica are changing their migration patterns. Scientists aren't sure why -- and they need your help to figure it out. And you can do it from the comfort of your home.
What an Anti-Memory Is and How It Frees Your Mind
Wonder how your brain makes space for new memories? Scientists at Oxford just discovered how.
What happens to tattoos when you remove them?
If you've ever wondered what happens to a tattoo, the answer's more surprising than you think.
The Best Way for Kids to Learn Science Might be This Crowdfunding Site
The sooner you expose a baby to a second language, the smarter they’ll be
Just hearing two languages helps babies develop cognitive skills before they even speak. Here's how - and how you can help them develop those skills.
One Surprising New Fact About Chocolate That'll Make Your Day
Scientists in Australia have just discovered a link between dark chocolate and mood. And all they had to do was feed people chocolate for a month.
We’re One Step Closer to Making Limb Regeneration a Reality
Scientists have just discovered that newts regrow limbs differently as adults than as babies - which could finally pave the way for limb regeneration in humans.
7 Reasons Twitter Will Keep Making the World Better
As Twitter celebrates its tenth anniversary, we look back at how it's changed the world for the better. HINT: All of that world-changing goodness comes straight from its users.
The Birth Control of the Future Will Be for Everyone
Scientists at UC Berkeley could change the focus of the birth control debate, thanks to a discovery about sperm. And now that they know how it kicks into gear, they can make birth control for men.
A Quick and Dirty History of Artificial Intelligence
Between Microsoft's racist chatbot to beating the world GO champion, artificial intelligence has better things to do than whatever we're afraid of. Here's a recap of the highlights.
A Quick and Easy Guide to Understanding Scientists
Scientists don't always use normal words when explaining their research to the public. Here's a quick and easy to guide to understanding those words for people who aren't scientists.
Are You a Geek or a Nerd? The Difference Really Is in the Data
The words "nerd" and "geek" are often used interchangeably, as if they mean the same thing. They actually don't.
Laurie writes about science and technology for Popular Science, TIME, and FiatPhysica. Her passion is figuring out how things work and explaining them in plain English. She is always on the hunt to find and share the coolest ideas out there, and is excited to do that for BigThink. When she's not doing that, you’ll probably find her playing video games, her viola, or writing science fiction radio plays for KSVR’s Radio Theater Project. You can also find her on Twitter @mslauriewrites.
