The Latest from Big Think

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Rising Star cave
Fittingly, the skull was found in the Rising Star cave of South Africa, itself located at a site known to UNESCO as the Cradle of Mankind.
inventions
From textiles and transportation to chemicals and microchips, a group of researchers proposes a new way to measure the impact of innovation.
nasa merge black hole
The latest gravitational wave data from LIGO and Virgo finally shows us the truth: there are no "gaps" in the masses of black holes.
Nietzsche painting
The German thinker wrote both treatises and songs. He approached each form of expression with the same level of interest.
free will
Many have argued that free will is an illusion, but science does not support that.
Two second graders learn by different approaches. One draws a picture, the other writes a paragraph.
Learning styles are supposed to help learners take ownership of their education, but research doesn’t back up this well-intentioned myth.
nuclear power
A report from MIT outlines a six-point plan to usher in a new age of nuclear power.
California condor does not need male to reproduce
Virgin birth – which involves the development of an unfertilised egg – has preoccupied humans for aeons. And although it can’t happen in mammals, it does seem to be possible in […]
how many planets
Based on the atoms that they're made out of, the innermost planet should always be the densest. Here's why Earth beats Mercury, hands down.
Although many dinosaurs never left the ground, they still possessed the basic structural framework for flight.
philosophy
Even some philosophers don’t think highly of philosophy, but we need it now more than ever.
How to protect earth from an asteroid
“Should they strike, each of them has an energy at impact equal to all of the nuclear weapons on Earth combined."
Tarim Basin mummies
Though these ancient settlers of China were culturally cosmopolitan, their DNA turns out to have been completely distinct from the communities with which they interacted.
tooth decay
A mouthwash solution containing ferumoxytol and a dye could treat, prevent, and diagnose tooth decay, according to UPenn researchers.
It had long seemed impossible that supermassive black holes could grow to such enormous sizes. But the biggest problem is now solved.
Relationship advice
A recent study illuminated surprising differences in how men and women seek help when struggling with relationships.
The history of resuscitation
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
hardened wood
Are hardened wood knives and nails coming to a store near you?
mimetic desire
Our social instincts can lead us to adopt models of desire that might not serve our interests.
elements
There are over 100 known elements in the periodic table. These 8 ways of making them account for every one.