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Ideas that inspire a life well-lived
Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional?
Life’s biggest questions rarely have simple answers. That is precisely why they continue to occupy the world’s most thoughtful minds. The Well is a place to engage those questions, drawing on insights from science, philosophy, and the humanities.
Created by the John Templeton Foundation in partnership with Big Think, The Well brings together ideas that inspire deeper understanding and a more considered approach to living.
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The Templeton Foundation supports interdisciplinary research and catalyzes conversations that inspire awe and wonder.
Why Einstein called awe the fundamental emotion
If you’ve gotten goosebumps when hearing a story about a stranger’s selfless heroism, or you’ve felt your chest swell at a concert, when the audience’s voice and the musician’s instruments align, you have felt awe. And, according to professor Dacher Keltner, who has spent his life studying it, it’s one of humankind’s most unifying traits:
Humans tend to hunker down in our own minds and trust what we already believe to be true. This emotion-based way of thought isn't often the best way to think about anything, and often leads to gridlock.
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An interview with CRISPR co-discoverer and Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna.
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“The very best arguments against God have been formulated by believers.”
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Some scientists see religion as a threat to the scientific method that should be resisted. But faith "is really asking a different set of questions," says Collins.
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When justice isn’t tempered by something such as mercy, forgiveness, or nonviolence, efforts to make society more equitable often backfire.
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There is no evidence for God as a “big being.” Is God something else?
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When should we seek justice, and when should we forgive? A bishop explains.
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New research shows that having an attitude of gratitude is key to healthy relationships, and it can virally impact society.
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Just as there are many types of believers, there's not only one type of atheist.
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The emergence of life in the universe is as certain as the emergence of matter, gravity, and the stars. Life is the universe developing a memory, and our chemical detection system could find it.
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From superstition to religion, we are surrounded by supernatural thinking. Is that a bad thing?
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"Supernatural thinking is actually an important part of being a complete human being."
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People in the East and West really do think differently, especially when it comes to self-identity. Depending where you live, either associative or distinctive thinking will shape your sense of self.
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What inequality and populism look like in the brain, according to a neuroscientist.
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It might seem like science and faith are at war, but the two have a historical synergy that extends back in time for centuries.
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