Science and Tech

Science and Tech

Microscopic image of a small electronic component with clear details of its structure and connections against a gray background.
What would it take to create a truly intelligent microbot, one that can operate independently?
A striking view of a blue planet, similar to earth, seen from space with part of its surface illuminated by sunlight against a starry background.
Explore how the study of exoplanets is transforming our understanding of ocean formation.
A collage of various international banknotes featuring portraits of historical figures.
A physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher walk into a bar and discuss a framework for thinking better in the 21st century.
distant quasar
The Universe is expanding, and the Hubble constant tells us how fast. But how can it be a constant if the expansion is accelerating?
A vibrant space image showing a star-forming region with clusters of bright stars and colorful nebulas in shades of red and green.
Here's what recent DESI measurements suggest — and why it's too early to update conventional predictions about the Universe's distant future.
pulse light quantum tunnel barrier
In all the Universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon, the quantum of light, has an infinite lifetime. Or does it?
space expanding
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.
Food transport accounted for only 6% of emissions, but the production of dairy, meat, and eggs accounted for 83%
A digital artwork combining elements of a cityscape, printed circuit boards, and binary code, rendered in yellow and black tones.
"Stargate" could be used to train the world’s most powerful AIs.
Abstract background of glowing green binary digital code numbers signifying data or computing.
Making up false information is one of the biggest problems with AI, but there are no silver-bullet solutions.
A toothbrush with blue and white bristles, topped with a large dollop of minty toothpaste.
Claims circulating on the Internet — some from dentists' websites — suggest toothpaste isn't necessary for dental health. Is that true?
travel straight line
Is the Universe finite or infinite? Does it go on forever or loop back on itself? Here's what would happen if you traveled forever.
heavy neutral atom
No matter how good our measurement devices get, certain quantum properties always possess an inherent uncertainty. Can we figure out why?
Painting of Prometheus holding a flaming torch aloft.
"Hardcore History" host Dan Carlin recently spoke with Big Think about the history of humanity's drive to create — and whether or not we can control it.
Map of the united states indicating earthquake epicenters and areas where people reported feeling at least weak shaking, highlighting a magnitude 6.0 earthquake in central california on september 28, 2004, and a magnitude 5.8 earthquake in central virginia on august 23, 2011.
Across the subterranean United States, not all rocks were created equally.
There are so many problems, all across planet Earth, that harm and threaten humanity. Why invest in researching the Universe?
Implanting machine components into human bodies, argues one scholar, could make for a better society.
Artwork of a giant spider attacking a city, with buildings in flames and text in japanese.
Aliens are often portrayed in popular culture as humanoid. But in reality, intelligent extraterrestrials might take far stranger forms.
A hand holding a camera lens against a yellow background with shadow patterns, symbolizing problem-solving success.
What the breakthrough methods of laboratory research can teach the business world about brainstorming.
axions
The majority of the matter in our Universe isn't made of any of the particles in the Standard Model. Could the axion save the day?
A cluttered workspace with electronic components and a hand holding a card splattered with red liquid.
Forensics has reached the final frontier, and could be used to solve future space accidents—or crimes.
This map samples some of the digits that make up the DDC system, invented by the brilliant but flawed Melvil Dewey.
A person with a bandage on their arm after receiving an HPV vaccination, with a focus on a vial of the Gardasil vaccine.
More than 90% of sexually active men will be infected with human papillomavirus in their lifetime. The virus may reduce fertility.
cosmic epochs lookback hubble 13.8 billion
The Universe is 13.8 billion years old, going back to the hot Big Bang. But was that truly the beginning, and is that truly its age?
Two robotic arms sorting cans into a wire basket on a yellow background.
We may be on the brink of finally seeing human-level intelligence in an AI — thanks to robots.
Illustration of a person using a tablet in a modern office space interconnected with colleagues via virtual communication technology.
Susannah Fox, former chief technology officer for the HHS, explains how technology has empowered us to help fill in the cracks of the healthcare system.
Annotated map of the milky way's center in multiple wavelengths with identified regions and sources.
The center of the galaxy doesn't just host stars and a black hole, but an enormous set of rich gassy and dusty features. Find out more!
Although human beings arrived on Earth just ~300,000 years ago, we've transformed the entire planet completely. Here's how we did it.
Pressed and dried ginkgo biloba leaf with visible veins and a tear.
Well-preserved ancient plants and other finds at the Clarkia fossil beds hint at what kind of evidence any Martian life may have left behind.
A bright star illuminates the surrounding space with a spectrum of colors in a nebula.
From before the Big Bang to Voyager 1, particle physicist Harry Cliff takes us on a whiz-bang tour of the Universe's evolution.