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History & Society

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A man in a suit sits in front of a large NASA logo sign, symbolizing the determination to defy charter limits and push the boundaries of space exploration.
Starts With A Bang
NASA chief to defy agency’s charter, terminating science
NASA's 1958 charter's top priority was, "the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space." Is this how it ends?
Ethan Siegel
A grayscale portrait of David Senra is centered on a collage background featuring a marble statue, abstract black-and-white swirls, and purple book spines.
Business
The David Senra interview: “Use history as a form of leverage”
The host of the Founders podcast joins Big Think for a chat about success, obsession, business genius, human nature, and more.
Tim Brinkhof
Starts With A Bang
Ask Ethan: Did life begin when the Universe was room temperature?
The Universe was born incredibly hot, and has expanded and cooled ever since. Could life have begun back when space was "room temperature?"
Ethan Siegel
A collage with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER," featuring a hand holding money, coins, and a windowed building, all tinted in pink and black tones.
Business
Money as the dark matter of the Universe
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
A hand pulls a green book from a library shelf, surrounded by tsundoku—the gentle art of collecting more books than you can read—with the silhouette of a person formed from the bookshelf and books.
Neuropsych
What our shelves of unread books teach us about ourselves
The Japanese practice of "tsundoku" bestows joy and lasting benefits to those who make books an important part of their lives.
Kevin Dickinson
Two men in suits sit side by side, each holding a white cup and saucer, with only their torsos and hands visible—one could easily imagine Aaron Hurst sharing a thoughtful conversation over coffee.
Business
How “6 points of connection” can repair our shared trust
Social entrepreneur Aaron Hurst explains why the decline of social connection is the greatest challenge of our time — and offers a roadmap for restoration.
Aaron Hurst
A man with a bald head and beard sits on a chair with arms resting on his lap, in front of a yellow rectangle with black lines and dots extending outward.
Big Think+
4 requirements for high performance
Why talent alone isn’t enough to achieve your goals.
Josh Browning
A woman sits in a Victorian-style room, reading a large book of classic books. She is surrounded by bookshelves, decorative objects, and a curtained window letting in natural light.
Books
7 literary classics you can read in a weekend
These short books offer insights and meditations on timeless themes, without the time commitment.
Kevin Dickinson
Collage with a man in a suit, stacked mugs, an upside-down creature, dice, and the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top on a dark grid background—hinting at the power of intuition amid surreal imagery.
Business
The importance of intuition and the limits of rationalism
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
A person wearing a wide-brim hat and vest crouches beside a tree stump covered with various fungi, gazing in wonder at the fascinating growths in the green forested area.
Mini Philosophy
3 ways to find and invite more wonder
Wonder is like a guest you haven’t planned for.
Jonny Thomson
Two tall, rectangular scientific instruments, including a NASA nuclear reactor prototype, stand on the rocky lunar surface with Earth visible in the background against the blackness of space.
Starts With A Bang
What a nuclear reactor on the Moon really means for NASA’s future
There are real concerns with long-term power generation on the Moon; nuclear could be the answer. But for NASA, will the cost be too high?
Ethan Siegel
An older man with white hair and a suit receives a document from another man in a robe during an event, as several people look on in the background. In the age of viral misquotes, capturing such moments accurately becomes ever more crucial.
High Culture
Einstein didn’t say that: How viral misquotes evolve and replicate
From Einstein to Twain, Garson O’Toole investigates the truth behind your favorite — and often misattributed — quotes.
Kevin Dickinson
Bogumil Baranowski, dressed in a dark suit, white shirt, and patterned tie, stands and smiles in front of a plain light blue background.
The Long Game
The Bogumil Baranowski interview: “Treat everyone with care”
The investment advisor and host of the Talking Billions podcast explores childhood curiosity, building networks through kindness, and more.
Eric Markowitz
A hexagonal telescope with a gold exterior and an open, black interior is shown against a black background, highlighting NASA habitable worlds observatory science.
Starts With A Bang
NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory: the future (or end) of NASA science
At the end of July, hundreds of scientists convened to plan NASA's upcoming astrophysics flagship mission. Will the US allow it to happen?
Ethan Siegel
Map showing Copenhagen, Denmark’s projected 2080 climate as similar to Demigny, France today, with a red arrow connecting the two cities and climate details listed in pop-up boxes.
Strange Maps
Mapped: How warm your city will be in the 2080s
“Climate analog mapping” finds the place that is currently as warm as your city might be in 60 years.
Frank Jacobs
Five World War I soldiers in uniform stand and sit near sandbags in a trench, with a sign reading "Surrey Lane" visible in the background—evoking camaraderie amid the Ring of Fire on the front lines.
Books
Not just the Western Front: “Ring of Fire” rediscovers WWI’s global story
Historians Alexandra Churchill and Nicolai Eberholst reexamine the pivotal conflict from a grassroots perspective.
Tim Brinkhof
A digital collage with overlapping purple-tinted images, including a traditional building and a sculpture, explores panpsychism under the title "The Nightcrawler" on a black grid background.
Business
On consciousness, AI, and panpsychism
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
A man in historical clothing nails a document featuring a cartoon animal face—a nod to popular memes—to a wooden door, while two others watch.
Mini Philosophy
What makes a meme take off? The 3 rules of virality
One does not simply make a meme go viral.
Jonny Thomson
Pixelated grayscale close-up of an AI prince's face with strong contrast and visible mosaic-like squares.
Business
Leadership philosophy: Why Machiavelli’s “virtù” fits hand-in-glove with AI
Author and geopolitical strategist Paulo Cardoso do Amaral urges us to ask: Will we shape AI with wisdom, or will AI reshape us with strategy?
Paulo Cardoso do Amaral
A man with a bald head and gray goatee smiles at the camera. Above his head, a thought bubble filled with red scribbles hints at the inner thoughts of John Amaechi.
Books
John Amaechi shares the 6 books that changed his thinking
The psychologist, educator, and former NBA player discusses the professional volumes and childhood stories that shaped his life and his approach to it.
Big Think+
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