Philosophy

Philosophy

Examine life’s biggest questions, from ethics to existence, with curiosity and critical thinking.

So far, Earth is the only planet that we're certain possesses active life processes. Here's what we shouldn't assume about life elsewhere.
A man standing behind multiple microphones gestures while speaking to a crowd in an outdoor setting, with a group of people and a building in the background.
Famed activist Bayard Rustin constantly faced the dilemma of coordinating collective pursuits among diverse groups of people.
Black and white illustration of people in 18th-century attire at a dining table, overlaid with red-orange borders and white arrows indicating interaction among the individuals.
If philosophers really enjoy one thing, it’s a good debate — but not an argument.
Book cover of "Inheritance" by Harvey Whitehouse. The white cover features a vertical tear revealing a stack of people on one side and a green landscape on the other. Subtext reads "The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World.
Religion is a product of, and not a source of, our evolutionary moral dispositions.
A collage-style graphic features a man with a goatee, the title "The Nightcrawler," stock charts, and abstract shapes in orange and green.
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
A colorful, abstract scientific illustration with a central glowing sphere, circular patterns, and various lines and circles suggesting quantum connections or uncertainty data points, on a dark background with blue accents.
No matter how good our measurement devices get, certain quantum properties always possess an inherent uncertainty. Can we figure out why?
Image with a split view: the left half shows a black-and-white image of Earth, the right half depicts a grayscale crowd scene. Text overlay: "More Humans Are Better," with the number "3" in the top right corner.
In a world of rising cynicism, a celebration of our capacity to create, adapt, and thrive.
A collage featuring a detailed hand drawing, a scientific diagram of a circular interconnected pattern, and a black and white diagram resembling a microorganism on a blue background.
"What modern science has taught us is that life is not a property of matter."
first contact
Life arose on Earth early on, eventually giving rise to us: intelligent and technologically advanced. "First contact" still remains elusive.
An individual in a suit and orange tie gestures toward a firefighter in full uniform and helmet labeled "BUFFALO" with the number "27", as if acknowledging everyday miracles.
Is it ever possible for God to violate the laws of nature?
cosmic inflation
Many contrarians dispute that cosmic inflation occurred. The evidence says otherwise.
pulse light quantum tunnel barrier
In all the Universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon, the quantum of light, has an infinite lifetime. Or does it?
A white ladder leans against a white wall, leading up to a circular opening revealing a blue sky with scattered clouds.
A simple semantic device — invented by a forgotten senator — can help us break “the curse of knowledge.”
A painting of a group of people standing in front of a church.
The original principle of relativity, proposed by Galileo way back in the early 1600s, remains true in its unchanged form even today.
A tablet displaying the cover of the book "Nothing to Fear" by Julie McFadden, RN, lies on top of stacked books next to a pen and a cup of coffee on a white surface.
Hospice nurse Julie McFadden shares three examples where people hold off death, just for a bit.
A black background with the text "ARC PRIZE" in pixelated white and grey font. Two colored squares, one pink and one yellow, are placed above the letters "I" and "Z" in the word "PRIZE.
His $1 million ARC Prize competition is designed to put us on the right path.
A photograph of a Albert Camus on the left and an illustration of a volleyball with arrows indicating its dimensions on the right, set against a dual-colored red and gray background, evokes a sense of alienation.
How do you cope when joining a team shatters your confidence? Albert Camus and Harry Stack Sullivan can help.
A green die showing two and a gray die showing five are placed on a gray surface, perhaps hinting at a stroke of luck.
Unraveling the subtle mechanics of luck can help us better steer the wheel of fortune.
Cover of "The Nightcrawler" featuring a chart showing China's economic growth surpassing the rest of the world, with a pixelated face overlaid. Emphasizing second-level thinking, the "Et . business" logo is in the bottom right corner.
Welcome to the Big Think debut of The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.