Latest

Text graphic displaying the words “The Latest” in large, bold, black serif font on a light background.
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1hr 25mins
"Virtually everything we're taught about sexuality for the first two decades of our lives is wrong."
The CMB has long been considered the Big Bang's "smoking gun" evidence. But after what JWST saw, might it come from early galaxies instead?
Microscopic view of green cyanobacteria chains forming spiral and linear patterns against a dark background, highlighting their role within the microbiome.
In "The Microbiome Master Key," Brett and Jessica Finlay argue that we need to stop waging war on all germs and start working with the microbes that make us who we are.
Collage featuring a snail, two hands gripping a baton symbolizing succession, and a boat, overlaid on a pink and black grid pattern with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
A magnifying glass focusing on concentric circles against a plain teal background.
19mins
"It's a very, very beautiful calculation, but it's the best example I know of the relationship between these rather abstract quantities perhaps and something that you can look at in a telescope."
Images show the planet Uranus. The left image highlights its bright rings, while the right image, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, depicts surprising details of glowing rings and a cloudy atmosphere. Discover more wonders in our solar system with these stunning visuals.
Once every 12 years, Earth, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune all line up, opening a window for a joint mission. Our next chance arrives in 2034.
A split image shows a hand with fingers crossed on the left, evoking the idea of a noble lie, and a person in military uniform saluting on the right.
This is my country and this is what we stand for. At least for now.
Infographic displays spacecraft names and missions around the Sun, planets, and moons, illustrating the current and planned science fleet exploring the Solar System.
Over the first half of 2025, the US has cut science as never before. This disaster for American science may be a gift to the rest of the world.
A young armored man consults an elderly bearded man holding a key and a staff, both seated and looking at an open book, as if exploring how stories teach philosophy.
Want to study philosophy but skip some of its heavier tomes? These five novels are a great place to start. (Existential despair guaranteed.)
Book cover for "Shoveling $H!T: A Love Story About The Entrepreneur's Messy Path To Success" by Kass and Mike Lazerow, featuring a shovel and dirt pile—highlighting every pivot masterstroke. Text reads “an excerpt from.”.
If your world-beating idea is not working you might need to change direction — and Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom provides the perfect case study.
A dense field of distant galaxies and bright stars against a black background, as captured in a JWST early galaxies deep space telescope image.
Originally, the abundance of bright, early galaxies shocked astronomers. After 3 years of JWST, we now know what's really going on.
Abstract illustration of tall, grid-patterned skyscrapers interspersed with textured blue marble-like panels evokes a sense of innovation, reminiscent of a blue ocean strategy, set against a light background.
When organizations focus on finding new markets, the returns can be spectacular — as a case study from Australia perfectly illustrates.
A historical illustration shows one man performing a medical procedure on another man’s chest using a metal instrument, both with serious expressions.
3mins
According to philosopher Meghan Sullivan, effective altruism may overlook the moral importance of seeing others as individuals. She explains how love should guide how we care for both present and future humans.
the night sky with stars and trees in the foreground.
Looking at a dark, night sky has filled humans with a sense of awe and wonder since prehistoric times. But appearances can be deceiving.
Silhouette of a person standing with hands in pockets, surrounded by concentric oval lines resembling tree rings that symbolize lifespan, in various shades of brown.
Living longer is only half the equation. Here’s how to stay healthier for more of those years.
A green skull in the background appears to stare through a glass of champagne centered in the foreground, evoking Agatha Christie poisons, all set against a black backdrop.
Kathryn Harkup, chemist and author of V Is for Venom, joins Big Think to discuss why Christie isn’t just a brilliant writer but a unique science communicator.
A woman in a pink suit sits on a chair against a white backdrop while U.S. dollar bills fall around her on a black background.
1hr 40mins
“Fraud never sleeps. It's really a global problem. Fraud is a trillion dollar problem, about $5 trillion today, with that number increasingly rising annually.”
The Vera Rubin Observatory is situated on a rocky hilltop under a clear, star-filled night sky, with distant mountains and a bright planet visible on the horizon, inspiring astronomers to solve puzzles of the universe.
In just its first 10 hours of observations, the Vera Rubin observatory discovered more than 2000 new asteroids. What else will it teach us?
A grayscale collage features a smiling woman, a silhouetted figure with outstretched arms, and the title "The Nightcrawler" at the top. Geometric shapes and architectural sketches, inspired by Shannon Vallor's work, are layered in the background.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
An illustration of a human brain tightly bound with red rope, set against a textured background with blue and brown patches.
21mins
"You can't possibly exaggerate how much better it is to live in a peaceful, orderly society, and to be wealthy, and healthy, and surrounded by people who you love."