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History and Society
An interview with Lisa Kaltenegger, the founding director of the Carl Sagan Institute, about the modern quest to answer an age-old question: "Are we alone in the cosmos?"
From the earliest stages of the hot Big Bang (and even before) to our dark energy-dominated present, how and when did the Universe grow up?
At a fundamental level, only a few particles and forces govern all of reality. How do their combinations create human consciousness?
A human hand has the power to split wooden planks and demolish concrete blocks. A trio of physicists investigated why this feat doesn’t shatter our bones.
Although social paranoia is more common than clinical paranoia, studies suggests that American society isn’t any more conspiratorial than it has been in the past.
In the murder trial of Dan White, the defense touched on diet as a cause for White's actions. It has become known as the "Twinkie defense."
A poignant, 2,000-year-old burial in northern Italy could be the latest evidence of an ancient friendship.
Consumer debt shapes American lives so thoroughly that it seems eternal and immortal, but it’s actually relatively new to the financial world.
Beer before wine and you'll feel fine? Well, it depends.
For some reason, when we talk about the age of stars, galaxies, and the Universe, we use "years" to measure time. Can we do better?
The JWST's observations of well-developed galaxies early in universal history may coincide with accepted astronomical theory after all.
Sometimes you just want to hear, "I know what it's like."
Life arose on Earth very early on. After a few billion years, here we are: intelligent and technologically advanced. Where's everyone else?
Six visionary science fiction authors on the social impact of their work.
Total eclipses are a product of a strange and almost eerie cosmic coincidence — one that makes Earth an even rarer world in the galaxy and, by proxy, in the Universe.
Our Universe requires dark matter in order to make sense of things, astrophysically. Could massive photons do the trick?
Throughout the world, traditional political organizations are increasingly seen as dysfunctional. But can democracies live without them?
Practically all of the matter we see and interact with is made of atoms, which are mostly empty space. Then why is reality so... solid?
Most counties in the U.S. have only one local newspaper, often one that publishes weekly instead of daily.
From Taoism to hedonism, philosophers have devised all sorts of ways to live your best life.
A physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher walk into a bar and discuss a framework for thinking better in the 21st century.
Nicole has been dating someone for a while but it's not working out from her point of view. Is sudden radio silence an ethical option?
Irene is on a bus with her young kids when two men come on, cussing like sailors. Should Irene step in and say something?
Rich is brilliant at his job. He completes work in half the time of his coworkers. Should he have to sit at his desk just as long?
“Dune: Part One” screenwriter Eric Roth spoke with Big Think about the challenges of bringing Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic to the big screen.
Yes, the Universe is expanding, but if you've ever wondered, "How fast is it expanding," the answer isn't in terms of a speed at all.
Claims circulating on the Internet — some from dentists' websites — suggest toothpaste isn't necessary for dental health. Is that true?
24mins
Mating, monogamy, and maximizing your sexual potential explained by 3 sex experts.
Since 1962, humanity has been sending messages into space with the intent to make contact with intelligent extraterrestrials. Are those efforts worth the risks?