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History and Society
From before the Big Bang to Voyager 1, particle physicist Harry Cliff takes us on a whiz-bang tour of the Universe's evolution.
Despite billions of years of life on Earth, humans first arose only ~300,000 years ago. It took all that time to make our arrival possible.
Some physicists are besot with the multiverse, but if we can't detect these other universes, how seriously should we take them?
Although mammals may be the dominant form of life today, we're relative newcomers on planet Earth. Here's our place in natural history.
On the morning of April 20, 1961, all conditions were "go" for an attempt at free flight. A man was on standby with a fire extinguisher. Just in case.
In the infant Universe, particle physics reigned supreme.
For billions of years on Earth, life was limited to simple unicellular, non-differentiated organisms. In a mere flash, that changed forever.
Known as the Great Oxygenation Event, Earth froze over as oxygen accumulated in our atmosphere, nearly driving all life extinct.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder has been a controversial diagnosis since it was first described, back in the 1940s.
Plagues, war, and genocide were literally frozen in time.
Dennis Klatt developed trailblazing text-to-speech systems before losing his own voice to cancer.
Volcanologists warn that magma-filled vents evolve over time, leading to an underestimation of the number that might erupt — especially those capable of the biggest explosions
Autocrats like Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin fear democracy, yet go to great lengths to present themselves as democratic leaders.
Even if you aren't in the path of totality, you can still use the solar eclipse to measure how long it takes the Moon to orbit Earth.
Joseph Campbell argued that nearly every myth can be boiled down to a hero’s journey. Was he right?
“Chicago May” was a classic swindler who conned her way around the world in the early twentieth century. She was also a sign of hard times.
A rift in thinking about who should control powerful new technologies sent the brothers on diverging paths. For one, the story ended with a mission to bring science to the public.
As the world warms, trees in forests such as those in Minnesota will no longer be adapted to their local climates. That’s where assisted migration comes in.
A small Ohio town tried to escape America’s addiction to rectangular grids. It didn’t last long.
The truth may be out there — but it’s not in these close encounters of the third kind.
The least exciting of all eclipses, a penumbral lunar eclipse, foreshadows the spectacular show that April 8th's total eclipse will bring.
NuqneH! Saluton! A linguistic anthropologist (and creator of the Kryptonian language, among others) studies the people who invent new tongues.
Or are cults the religions we find distasteful?
How would you feel about working like a Lutheran or a Cistercian?
Happiness is not a five-star holiday. It's often the result of struggle — and asking for help, as author Stephanie Harrison recently told Big Think.
No matter how you define the end, including the demise of humanity, all life, or even the planet itself, our ultimate destruction awaits.
New radiocarbon dating reveals astonishing insights.
To be successful, leaders would be wise to remember that AI isn’t a replacement for people; it exists to enhance their capabilities.
Philosophy isn't stuck in the past. Here are five texts to connect you with its ongoing dialogue.
The former Nintendo president has become synonymous with the backlash against layoffs — because, like a great leader, he focused on lifting people.