Philosophy

Philosophy

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

inflation spawn parallel universes
When cosmic inflation came to an end, the hot Big Bang ensued as a result. If our cosmic vacuum state decays, could it all happen again?
A painting of a group of boats in a body of water.
Big Think spoke with historian Marc-William Palen about the egalitarian aims of the free-trade movement in past centuries.
A man in a suit is holding a pipe, presenting an air of sophistication.
Bertrand Russell shows us how to recognize emotional arguments smuggled into presumed statements of fact.
Two people holding a green star.
Esperanto was intended to be an easy-to-learn second language that enabled you to speak with anyone on the planet.
An illustration of a woman's head with lines drawn on it.
To hallucinate means you must first perceive.
Planets in varying sizes orbiting around a bright central star in a purple-hued cosmos, where life persists.
There are plenty of life-friendly stellar systems in the Universe today. But at some point in the far future, life's final extinction will occur.
A blue t-shirt with a yellow circle and arrow, representing the universe.
The second law of thermodynamics tells us that entropy always increases. But that doesn't mean it was zero at the start of the Big Bang.
A close up of a man with curly hair.
9mins
Actor, author, and director Jesse Eisenberg demystifies the role of anxiety and self-doubt in leadership.
A hand holding a light bulb with a thumbs down, symbolizing a rejection of new ideas.
What Shark Tank pitches, Sundance films, and unusual sandwiches show us about our choices.
A muscular, shirtless figure is shown pushing a large boulder upward against a dark, textured background.
4mins
When one path is blocked, a new one must be paved. How Einstein, Heisenberg and Gödel used constraints to make life-changing discoveries:
A person holding a match in front of a colorful background.
5mins
James Fadiman PhD, who has 60 years of experience in the field, believes they are.
Unlikely Collaborators
The cover of colorblind philosophy.
37mins
Coleman Hughes advocates for a colorblind America, presenting compelling arguments in favor of treating all individuals without regard to race.
A close up of a red blood cell containing stem cells.
Long overlooked, menstrual stem cells could have important medical applications, including diagnosing endometriosis
A man displaying conatus while running in the air.
We were not born to stagnate — the point of life (and work) is to go somewhere.
An image of a pop-culture city with a woman in the sky, representing future visions.
Do grim sci-fi scenarios crush our hopes for real-world growth? Author Michael Harris looks elsewhere to unblock the road to a better future.
Two men in suspenders standing next to each other in an office, possibly enduring the presence of a bad boss.
We can’t always change our horrible bosses — but we can transform the ways we interact with them.
An image of the earth with a mountain in the background, showcasing terraforming potential.
Whenever someone waxes poetic about terraforming alien worlds, it’s worth taking a moment to consider the ethical implications of the proposal.
A woman's feet in a hammock on the beach.
It may seem as though top performers are always on, but the secret to their success is taking the time to recharge.
A white lotus flower on a black background.
5mins
Enlightenment: After the ecstasy, the laundry. Why enlightenment is never an end in itself.