Latest Articles

Latest Articles

The newest essays, interviews, and features from Big Think.

The Web Payments group is working on an open standard protocol that would enable browsers to build in money exchange functionality.
The five types of territorial morphology
1. Today is Lee-Jackson day. It reminds us that Virginia was forced into a war it didn’t want by events initiated by the states of the deep South and President […]
A book about Michael Jackson was recently torpedoed in the court of online public opinion by a fan group in an act that some claim was an abuse of the company's customer review system.
This month a California law went into effect allowing hands-free sending and receiving of texts and e-mails while driving. Writer Eric Jaffe cites studies showing little improvement in safety.
Forget about teaching English abroad: China and other Asian countries are struggling to meet increasing demand for Spanish-language instruction, according to a new report.
"The situation Mexico is experiencing...is what has given the communities the legitimacy to say, ‘We will assume the tasks that the government has not been able to fulfill.'"
While Americans observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the historic swearing-in of President Barack Obama to a second term today, using the bibles of Lincoln and MLK, across the […]
Most people agree that our technology is getting smarter, but most don’t realize just how smart.
Good morning, everyone! It's a fresh new year, and the winds of change are blowing once again. This is my last post on Big Think. Effective immediately, Daylight Atheism is […]
Military service is compulsory for most Israeli youth, but a slight drop in participation has caused the current administration to create several promotional programs.
Not for the first time, health-conscious Recep Tayyip Erdogan attempts to influence citizens' eating habits by recommending that the popular staple be replaced with whole wheat bread.
With the global income gap continuing to widen, Oxfam International releases a statement that focuses on the rich rather than the poor.
A debate is raging between economists: Some say the world has picked the low hanging fruit of innovation while others say a new era of unimaginable innovation is yet to come. 
New research suggests that loneliness acts on the body similarly to physical stress by causing the inflammation of certain proteins associated with conditions like heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. 
A study which followed 200 British medical patients diagnosed with depression found that the use of self-help books, coupled with counselling sessions on how to use the books, alleviated depression. 
A new consumer study concludes that the happiness derived from anticipating a new purchase is often greater than the emotional benefits received from the material good itself.
Sadly, much of the passion and intimacy of new love is bound to fade. Still, there are concrete ways to maintain positive feelings and warmth in long-term relationships, say psychologists. 
4mins
How can we train our brains to think like Sherlock Holmes? This question occupies Konnikova's book, and her answer can be summed up in one word: mindfulness. Mindfulness is "staying […]
I just got back from leading a 9-day meditation retreat in the wild and cactus-filled desert of Arizona. And I feel exuberant, inspired, and powerfully awake to the presence of […]