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Neuroscience
More than a game: How play helps wire our social brains
In this excerpt from "Playful," Cas Holman surveys the research that brought the neuroscience of play into the mainstream.
3 min
Is free will a fallacy? Science and philosophy explain.
Philosophy asks if free will is real. Neuroscience reveals why the answer is more complicated than we expected.
Unlikely Collaborators
How neuroscience is rewriting the art of war
In “Warhead,” neuroscientist and national security adviser Nicholas Wright explains how the brain navigates warfare and why it is our ultimate weapon (and instrument for peace).
17 min
The ancient origins of partnering and romantic love
“No matter what their gods were, what they did for a living, what they wore, the songs they sang, everything varies except love, and everybody loves.”
7 min
Addictions and habits, explained by a neuroscientist, a psychologist, and a journalist
Daily habits can help you thrive or quietly turn into addictions. The difference is how your brain handles cues, routines, and rewards. Three experts explain how to work with your wiring instead of against it.
Unlikely Collaborators
3 min
How humans create reality through language and beliefs
Language is a huge part of human development, even the language we keep to ourselves. Three experts explain how words and beliefs can change our brains and our lives:
Unlikely Collaborators
The sci-fi hypothesis that explains why you click with certain people
You may actually be on the same wavelength.
5 brilliant books to demystify the brain
Neuroscientist Rachel Barr shares her favorite books on the brain and how they shaped her approach to the field.
3 min
How to wait well, according to neuroscience and psychology
Modern culture has made us feel like there’s no time to be patient. Sarah Schnitker’s lab at Baylor University is researching how this often-forgotten virtue could improve our overall well-being.
Exceptional storytelling and the myth of superhuman AI
Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.
Why the 21st century could bring a new “consciousness winter”
A conversation with neuroscientist Erik Hoel about the future of consciousness research.
Inside the search for a universal signature of unconsciousness
A universal signature could make surgeries safer — and help reveal what holds consciousness together.
5 brilliant books on consciousness
These expert-recommended books try to answer the questions of consciousness, from its fundamental nature to its role in human experience and the natural world.
Daniel Dennett: Consciousness is no miracle. It’s a magic trick.
"For many people, the idea that consciousness is a set of tricks is offensive," the late philosopher told Big Think in 2012. "I think that's a prime mistake."
“Pure awareness”: Inside the psychedelic that erases space, time, and self
5-MeO-DMT may offer a practical way to access and study consciousness in its most basic form.
What the stages of sleep reveal about consciousness
"Ordinary dreams are, perhaps, the clearest articulation of what it is like to be."
6 questions about consciousness with Annaka Harris
A conversation with Annaka Harris on shared perception, experimental science, and why our intuition about consciousness is wrong.
3 min
The science of spirituality, and how it can change your brain
Humans have always had religion. What does this say about our minds? Reza Aslan PhD, Lisa Miller PhD, and Rob Bell MDiv explain.
Unlikely Collaborators
7 min
Use the Triple Check Method to jumpstart your brain
“Because of the efficiency worship that we have developed in our industrial age, we are now seeing procrastination as a character flaw rather than what it is, a signal that is worth listening to.”
18 min
Anxiety gives you an advantage. Unlock it with neuroplasticity
“Anxiety is focused on things that are important to you in life. That is the key.”
3 min
How and why your memories shift over time, explained by neuroscience
Your brain changes when you experience something, and it changes again when you remember it. Two neuroscientists explain what that means for memory, perception, and identity.
Unlikely Collaborators
7 min
Trauma, healing, and your nervous system explained
Three doctors break down brain function, somatic awareness, and how to recover from bad experiences.
Unlikely Collaborators
