Latest

Text graphic displaying the words “The Latest” in large, bold, black serif font on a light background.
5mins
There are only two events in the universe that defy the laws of physics: black holes and the Big Bang, and while scientists try to explain them, crucial evidence may be eaten up in the meantime.
8mins
Not all love is the same, says psychiatrist Dr. Gail Saltz. When your brain experiences romantic love, as opposed to maternal love, it exhibits signs of obsession, depression, and emotional stress.
3mins
Meditating will make you more open to a plant-based diet, says legendary music producer Russell Simmons, who calls eating meat "the biggest karmic disaster in the world."
2mins
Calculus was invented by Isaac Newton in the middle of the 17th century, so does a historically contingent event hold true everywhere in the universe, even near black holes? Bill Nye the Science Guy replies to a Big Think fan.
4mins
Humans do not experience life as a linear narrative, but storytellers from journalists to script writers typically tell us stories that way. 3D virtual reality is an opportunity to live stories the way we live life.
5mins
The history of industrialization is the separation of workers from their labor, and it continues today in the digital marketplace where online companies seek to replace human labor with algorithms.
3mins
We all need to purchase goods and services to live life in a modern economy, and how we get those goods and services is changing. As a global economic force, the PC is out and the smartphone is in.
4mins
Ancient Rome was a very different world from ours, so it does have any lessons to teach us? While we shouldn't model our behavior on any ancient society, Rome's treatment of immigrants is illustrative.
6mins
Many of the skills that make for good improvisational comedy also make for successful behavior in life: slow down, listen, be positive, and have integrity. Take it from longtime improv coach Chris Gethard.
4mins
We tend to think con artists are smooth talkers and persuasive sellers, but listening is their most important quality, says Maria Konnikova, who has written a new book on con artistry.
7mins
Why can't we marshal the enthusiasm we have for exploring Mars to solve problems on planet Earth? Bill Nye says we're natural explorers and that potential discoveries on Mars have captured our imagination.
5mins
Medical devices like pacemakers and insulin pumps will save many lives, but they also represent an opportunity to computer hackers who would use the Internet to cause havoc.
5mins
Asian philosophies have proven extremely influential in the United States, but are they being interpreted correctly? Frequently not, says Harvard China historian Michael Puett.
6mins
Companies like Facebook no longer depend on traditional economic exchanges to turn profit, so what does this mean for the consumer? When we're not paying money, we're paying in other ways, says Douglas Rushkoff.
5mins
Too many people understand meditation as a way to banish worldly thoughts, but your thoughts will never go away, says Jon Kabat-Zinn. You've got to observe them like a scientist.
6mins
Just about everyone engages in office gossip, or at least entertains those who do. Yet we all recognize gossiping as unprofessional behavior. Something's deeply wrong at work, says Robert Kegan.
5mins
When you are experiencing writer's block, more than your writing is blocked, says memoirist and novelist Augusten Burroughs. Here is his creative solution to get you writing again.
3mins
Understanding the shape of the Earth is all about its mass, says Bill Nye the Science Guy. If it weren't for all the water, rocks, metals, and lava on our planet, it might have an irregular form.
5mins
Terrorism in Europe is a generational problem, says Juliette Kayyem. While the US has effectively integrated immigrant communities into its national identity, European nations have not.
3mins
At some point this century, we will confront the prospect of immortality, says Steven Kotler. After our bodies die, it will be possible to upload our minds into a computer, and then download them into another body.