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Laurie Vazquez
Contributing Writer
Laurie writes about science and technology for Popular Science, TIME, and FiatPhysica. Her passion is figuring out how things work and explaining them in plain English. She is always on the hunt to find and share the coolest ideas out there, and is excited to do that for BigThink. When she's not doing that, you’ll probably find her playing video games, her viola, or writing science fiction radio plays for KSVR’s Radio Theater Project. You can also find her on Twitter @mslauriewrites.
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Romantic advice from some of humanity's biggest thinkers.
Elon Musk wants to put 1 million people on Mars in 40 years. The internet had questions. Here are his answers.
Of all the fictional ways humanity might possibly kill itself, zombies are the most likely. Here's the data to prove it.
Global warming is largely caused by carbon dioxide. Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory just figured out a way to change it into something better.
Cross 'multi-tasking ninja' off your resume, it's out, say Stanford researchers and other cognitive experts. Here are three tips for transitioning back to single-tasking.
Mark Zuckerberg insists the future of virtual reality will put "people first." The development trajectory of the technology tells another story.
A new study from Cornell University shows how metaphors influence our ability to be impressed by genius and uncovers a gender hook – it seems we prefer to conceive of male genius as an exciting idea explosion, and female genius as a long, hard labor of hard work.
How do we make fair contracts? These guys figured it out, and their work has implications in ethical and business questions about companies like Enron and privatized prisons.
131,000 people in the United States wait for an organ donation every single day. 10% of them will get one – unless we allow organ donations from drug deaths.
People tend to believe that learning in the style they feel best suited to makes them soak up information more efficiently. This study debunks that belief.
The question isn't, "Are you a narcissist?" — it's "Which type are you?"
Researchers at UCLA have found Grim Reaper DNA in 5% of the population. But there is a bright side – lifestyle choices go a long way in overriding a shorter genetic life expectancy.
Elon Musk has a pretty ambitious plan to get humans to live on Mars in 40 years. Here's the tech that'll make that happen.
According to Elon Musk, it'll only take between 40 and 100 years to achieve a fully self-sustaining civilization on Mars. Here's how.
Swiping a bank card and Venmo-ing your friends has made money more abstract than ever – and therefore so much easier to thoughtlessly spend. A proposed new tech device would make cash-free purchases tactile again.
The chicken you eat comes from birds that only live for 5 years and are susceptible to disease and inbreeding. Thank goodness Koen Vanmechelen bred a better one.
Job automation won't be as bad as we think, so we need to learn how to stop working and prepare so we're not dragged into the future kicking and screaming.
There's more to intuition than meets the eye.
A new study reveals that people naturally fall into 4 different personality types while making decisions: Optimist, Pessimist, Trusting, or Envious.
Female political aides in the White House have banded together and are using a combo-technique of amplification and 'shine theory' to make sure their voices are counted.