Respite

My postings will be greatly reduced over the next few weeks as I work on a couple of projects that will leave little time for blogging. However, I have been […]

by

Gregory Johnsen

December 21, 2010

Get the Big Think newsletter on Substack

My postings will be greatly reduced over the next few weeks as I work on a couple of projects that will leave little time for blogging. However, I have been assured that Brian will post regularly, and I will do my best to drop by from time to time to see how things are going.

Enjoy the respite from my ramblings and play nice.

Gregory Johnsen

Near East Studies Scholar, Princeton University

Monthly Issue April 2026

The Energy Transition

In this monthly issue, we examine how our understanding of energy — and how we source and use it — is evolving.

1 video 11 articles

Two hands surround a glowing, illustrated sun with a human face, against a green background with radiating lines.

Related Content

Elon Musk, SpaceX, and the rise of “sovereignty as a service”

As SpaceX slashes launch costs, governments are gaining new capabilities, while potentially outsourcing their sovereignty to Musk's private empire.

by Quinn Slobodian & Ben Tarnoff

The left side reads "an excerpt from" on a light green background; the right displays the "Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed" book cover, featuring white smoke rising against a blue sky.

The Strait of Hormuz is today’s energy chokepoint. China is tomorrow’s.

As the global economy moves beyond oil, the strategic importance of the world’s most critical hydrocarbon chokepoint is likely to decline rapidly.

by Frank Jacobs

World map showing global oil reserves, rare earth elements deposits (yellow dots), and major shipping routes and chokepoints, with oil reserves highlighted by pink circles of varying sizes.

What if the real driver of your health isn’t genes or diet — but energy flow?

A Columbia researcher argues that everything from stress to aging comes down to how energy moves through your body.

by Jasna Hodžić

Abstract illustration of a person running, shown in silhouette with layered, wavy bands of green, blue, black, and yellow in the background.

Mind & Behavior

Why rest alone doesn’t restore energy

Your energy doesn’t work like a battery — and treating it that way may be why you still feel tired even after a break.

by Anne-Laure Le Cunff

Illustration of a person lying inside a low battery icon, using a phone with a yellow screen, against a dark blue and black background with neon accents.

Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.

© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.