The Latest from Big Think

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At long last, we’re getting a confrontation with ethics, with science, and with human frailty, not just the Federation at war. “You are… six years old. You are weak and helpless! […]
American clergy members get a tax break thanks to Code Section 107(2), which allows that “ministers of the gospel” exclude housing allowances from their taxable income.
7mins
The controversial author predicted the rise of Trump by placing "a ruthlessly ambitious, narcissistic, media-savvy villain sporting makeup and coloured hair" in his new book, written before the election. But can he explain the hate of knowledge that persists in the world today?
Everyone could be wearing a tDCS cap in 5-10 years, top scientist states.
How much free will do you actually have? This week's Comment of the Week is fantastic and raises an interesting debate. What do you think? 
Scientists are about to set new standards for the kilogram, ampere, mole, and kelvins.
A controversial discovery shows how Islam could have influenced the Vikings. 
4mins
Artificial Intelligence is already outsmarting us at '80s computer games by finding ways to beat games that developers didn't even know were there. Just wait until it figures out how to beat us in ways that matter.
Scientists realize that fish are sentient and intelligent, though unfortunately, they also get depressed.
Either possibility offers a tremendous existence, but philosophically, there’s so much more to think about. “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, […]
3mins
Do you really need a lot of stuff to be happy? Science says that the opposite is true.
Considering that the United States remains the world's only superpower, that begs the question: How informed are Americans when it comes to their country's vast global power?
Since hope appears to come from a physical place in the brain, scientists are hoping to figure out how it shields the rest of the brain from negativity. Really. 
Democracies can fail. They usually do. Van Jones on how America might become functional again. 
A woman wearing a burka or niqab will need to take it off on provincial property.
From the most beautiful to the most impactful, some of these are so powerful it’s breathtaking. “Truth in science, however, is never final, and what is accepted as a fact […]
Cosmic collision yields bullion by the billions.
A new study shows that psilocybin can "reset" the brain and put depression in the rear-view mirror. 
6mins
Concepts like hope, faith, and love have no material reality—save perhaps for neurons firing in the brain—yet they are the cornerstones of human well being.