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The image shows the book cover for "The Contemplative Leader" by Patrick Boland, with his name prominently displayed next to the text “an excerpt from” on a split pale blue and beige background.
Business
How “contemplative leadership” can help us face uncertainty with confidence
A contemplative approach to leading others can help us accept the tension of not always knowing how things will play out.
Patrick Boland
A solitary tree with a red swing hanging from one of its branches, set against a light, textured background, evokes a quiet sense of closure.
Mini Philosophy
The “Closure Machine”: How humans really see the world
When a tree becomes a swing.
Jonny Thomson
Two figures in dark robes bow deeply toward each other on a light background, evoking the spirit of naikan in a traditional Japanese ink illustration style.
Mini Philosophy
Ask these 3 “Naikan” questions for a happier, healthier attitude toward life
You are held, shaped, and sustained by a thousand invisible hands.
Jonny Thomson
A grayscale portrait of Caterina Fake is centered between an FDNY ambulance on the left and patterned designs with circular symbols on the right.
Business
Essential skills for “weird times”: How internet pioneer Caterina Fake keeps it real
Venture capitalist and Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake talks to Big Think about why AI won’t make the internet better, her influences beyond tech, and more.
Lucy Handley
A storytelling collage featuring a man inspecting barrels, a person holding a skull mask, another man observing the mask, and the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" in bold black and orange.
Business
Exceptional storytelling and the myth of superhuman AI
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Eric Markowitz
Abstract collage with a butterfly, brain sketches, graphs, and scientific diagrams overlaid with red, black, and beige shapes and textured patterns.
Neuropsych
Why the 21st century could bring a new “consciousness winter”
A conversation with neuroscientist Erik Hoel about the future of consciousness research.
Ross Pomeroy
Abstract illustration of a human figure with glowing neural-like lines and bright light concentrated around the head, set against a red and orange gradient background.
Thinking
A letter from the editor
Introducing Big Think's Consciousness Issue.
Stephen Johnson
Black and white close-up of an older man with glasses, a bushy mustache, and beard, resting his chin on his hand and looking directly at the camera.
Thinking
Daniel Dennett: Consciousness is no miracle. It’s a magic trick.
"For many people, the idea that consciousness is a set of tricks is offensive," the late philosopher told Big Think in 2012. "I think that's a prime mistake."
Jonny Thomson
Three circles show, from left to right, an oyster shell, a Vitruvian-style human figure, and a swirling spiral, linked together on a textured lavender background.
The Past
The philosophers who predicted “ultimate” forms of consciousness
Philosophers once prophesied that evolution would lead to minds far greater — and stranger — than our own.
Thomas Moynihan
A digital illustration of a hermit crab with a shell resembling a human brain, shown in two square sections over the shell.
Mini Philosophy
Think like a crow, choose like a crab: The animals inside our minds
A conversation about intelligence and consciousness with philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith.
Jonny Thomson
Five books on consciousness and philosophy are displayed upright in a row against a pale background with abstract black lines.
Books
5 brilliant books on consciousness
These expert-recommended books try to answer the questions of consciousness, from its fundamental nature to its role in human experience and the natural world.
Kevin Dickinson
A man and woman sit on a bed with two young children, sharing a quiet moment; the older child stands while the younger, cradled by the woman, embodies the precious gift of consciousness within the family.
Business
What brain surgery taught me about the fragile gift of consciousness
After the trauma of a high-risk medical procedure, Eric Markowitz discovered a kind of consciousness that lives not in thought — but in presence.
Eric Markowitz
A digital collage featuring a brain illustration, distorted human faces, signal towers, abstract waves, and scattered data points and text on a blue and gray background.
Neuropsych
Inside the search for a universal signature of unconsciousness
A universal signature could make surgeries safer — and help reveal what holds consciousness together.
Ross Pomeroy
A split image showing the left half of a frog and the right half of a chemical structure on a green and white textured background.
Neuropsych
“Pure awareness”: Inside the psychedelic that erases space, time, and self
5-MeO-DMT may offer a practical way to access and study consciousness in its most basic form.
Christopher Timmermann
Abstract illustration of translucent human figures standing in line, with a mix of a natural outdoor scene and geometric digital elements in the background.
Neuropsych
Why AI gets stuck in infinite loops — but conscious minds don’t
The overlooked reason why "AI consciousness" isn't coming anytime soon.
Anil Seth
A red door with a gold doorknob is floating in the middle of a blue sky surrounded by white clouds.
Neuropsych
What the stages of sleep reveal about consciousness
"Ordinary dreams are, perhaps, the clearest articulation of what it is like to be."
Rachel Barr
Abstract illustration featuring five circles with various designs connected by curved white lines on a purple and blue background, symbolizing science or interconnected concepts.
13.8
6 questions about consciousness with Annaka Harris
A conversation with Annaka Harris on shared perception, experimental science, and why our intuition about consciousness is wrong.
Adam Frank
John Candeto, in a white shirt, smiles while sitting outdoors near stone steps and green potted plants.
The Long Game
The John Candeto interview: Bigger dreams and the colossal effect of “power laws”
Fund manager and writer John Candeto is on a mission to decode the hidden patterns that drive extraordinary outcomes.
Eric Markowitz
Book excerpt promotional graphic showing the cover of "Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions" by L. David Marquet and Michael A. Gillespie, highlighting an Intel genius approach in leadership—an excerpt from.
Business
The best question a leader can ask: “What would my replacement do?”
To navigate a heavyweight corporate quandary, take a leaf out of Intel’s brilliant playbook — walk out, and return as your own successor.
L. David Marquet
A person stands facing a wall covered in sticky notes on the left; abstract blue and white sparkling patterns form a striking nexus on the right side of the image.
Mini Philosophy
The Nexus Method: How to make the most of what you learn
When your head is full of information, how can you actually make use of it?
Jonny Thomson
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