"If you're interested in human performance, what you want is something that's reliable and repeatable, and thus you want neurobiology because neurobiology gives you mechanism."

How can the brain — a piece of matter — love? Physics and chemistry explain the material world, but they can’t explain why it feels like something to be alive. This is the mystery of consciousness, according to these experts.

Neuroscientist Rachel Barr shares her favorite books on the brain and how they shaped her approach to the field.

“The sexual excitation system is the accelerator or the gas pedal, and it notices all the sex-related information in the environment.”

Despite the claims of speed reading apps and programs, you actually have to read the book if you want to learn.

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.

Everything you experience is filtered through your brain, and everyone’s brain is different. Neuroscientist Christof Koch explains how understanding this can deepen your connection to the world around you.

Biologist Tyler Volk PhD, psychiatrist Bruce Greyson MD, and palliative care physician BJ Miller MD, reveal how confronting mortality can improve the way we live.

A dialogue with Angus Fletcher — author of the bestseller "Primal Intelligence" — exploring the unique engines of human progress.

A neuroscientist, a psychologist, and a psychotherapist discuss how emotions are stories built from old experiences.

A conversation with neuroscientist Erik Hoel about the future of consciousness research.

A conversation with Annaka Harris on shared perception, experimental science, and why our intuition about consciousness is wrong.

"Ordinary dreams are, perhaps, the clearest articulation of what it is like to be."

The overlooked reason why "AI consciousness" isn't coming anytime soon.

A universal signature could make surgeries safer — and help reveal what holds consciousness together.

After the trauma of a high-risk medical procedure, Eric Markowitz discovered a kind of consciousness that lives not in thought — but in presence.

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.

A conversation about intelligence and consciousness with philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith.

Philosophers once prophesied that evolution would lead to minds far greater — and stranger — than our own.

"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."

Introducing Big Think's Consciousness Issue.

Humans have always had religion. What does this say about our minds? Reza Aslan PhD, Lisa Miller PhD, and Rob Bell MDiv explain.

For many of us, our imperfect vision compels us to wear corrective lenses to see properly. Here's what everyone should know about LASIK.

Many of us rely on emotional advice that doesn’t actually work. Psychologist Ethan Kross offers a smarter, science-backed approach to managing emotions with flexibility and perspective.

“There's a very pervasive belief that human nature is fundamentally selfish, but I know for a fact that that can't be true in part because my life was saved by a stranger a long time ago when I was 19.”

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

“Anxiety is focused on things that are important to you in life. That is the key.”

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.

Three doctors break down brain function, somatic awareness, and how to recover from bad experiences.