Our Sun only arose after 9.2 billion years of cosmic history: with many stars living and dying first. How many prior generations were there?

Nearly 30 would be "nones" — an amorphous group that spans from zealous atheists to the vaguely spiritual.

“As a reporter, you can look into the eyes of the people you're talking to and try to evaluate what they're thinking when they say what they say. But you are not really gonna get into their brain. There's only one artistic form that allows you to do that. “

Since the time of Galileo, Saturn's rings have remained an unexplained mystery. A new idea may have finally solved the longstanding puzzle.

If AI is modeled only on human intelligence, will it inherit only human ways of seeing the world?

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:

When Jesus was crucified, it led to even more followers. When books are banned, people flock to read them. Humans are fascinated by the forbidden, which is why censorship – especially in the digital age – doesn’t work. Jacob Mchangama explains.

As the Universe ages, it continues to gravitate, form stars, and expand. And yet, all this will someday end. Do we finally understand how?

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

From here on Earth, looking farther away in space means looking farther back in time. So what are distant Earth-watchers seeing right now?

You may actually be on the same wavelength.

Sleeping better helps you think better, which helps you live better. Three experts explain why quality sleep is imperative to brain function, problem solving, communication, and more.

Philosophers rarely change their minds. These thinkers did — often at social and professional cost.

Proposed over 2000 years ago by Democritus, the word atom literally means uncuttable. Revived in 1803, today's "atoms" can indeed be split.

Life's "in-between" stages pack unique cognitive benefits — if you know how to tap into them.

“The media is 10x more likely to describe experiences of being alone as negative, as compared to positive.” Psychologist Ethan Kross shares how reframing the idea of loneliness can help us feel more peace when we’re on our own.

If you think of the Big Bang as an explosion, we can trace it back to a single point-of-origin. But what if it happened everywhere at once?

John Amaechi's journey from British bookworm to NBA player and organizational psychologist reveals that high performance requires vision, grit, and the recognition that success is often a collective effort rather than an individual achievement.

Barbara Oakley, instructor of a popular MOOC, offers strategies for enhancing learning skills by leveraging insights from neuroscience and cognitive science, addressing the challenges posed by our brain's hardwiring in changing habits and acquiring new skills.

High-conflict personalities, characterized by predictable behaviors, create drama in relationships, but by recognizing these patterns in ourselves and others, as suggested by lawyer and therapist Bill Eddy, we can effectively navigate these challenging situations.

Deepak Chopra and Harvard neurobiologist Rudolph Tanzi advocate for "radical well-being," emphasizing that optimal health relies on proactive measures—such as sleep, nutrition, exercise, and emotional regulation—rather than reactive responses to health issues.

In this expert class, writer Maria Konnikova explores how Sherlock Holmes's rational sleuthing techniques can be applied to real-world science, enhancing our understanding of memory, creativity, and problem-solving.

Ian Bremmer advocates for strategic thinking in a rapidly changing world by broadening perspectives, engaging with diverse viewpoints, and understanding root causes, while also stressing the need for personal authenticity and connection to effectively tackle global challenges.

As generative AI sparks diverse opinions on its implications for humanity, Ethan Mollick suggests we shift our focus to understanding AI's capabilities and potential applications, emphasizing experimentation to enhance our skills and foster a responsible partnership with technology.

Former NBA player Shane Battier, known for his resilience and team-boosting skills rather than standout statistics, uses his basketball journey to highlight the fundamental principles of effective productivity regimens.

Charlene Li emphasizes that instead of mastering specific social media tools, leaders should prioritize engaging their audience through strategic listening, informed priority-setting, and effective communication, as social media platforms will continue to evolve.

The decades-old movement to diversify workplaces has yielded mixed results, as NYU Law professor Kenji Yoshino suggests that companies often impose restrictive definitions of diversity, and advocates for fostering connections with those who feel pressured to suppress their identities for acceptance.

Behavioral economists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky won the Nobel Prize for mapping the human mind's irrational decision-making biases, and now, with insights from Julia Galef of the Center for Applied Rationality, we can learn to avoid these pitfalls.

Economist Larry Summers suggests that instead of judging decisions by their outcomes, we should evaluate them based on the rational process used to develop strategies, considering all relevant costs, benefits, and consequences.

Best-selling author Gretchen Rubin emphasizes that achieving lasting change requires not only commitment but also an understanding of habit formation, encouraging us to take initial steps toward a healthier future.