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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:
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"Resilience" is being able to withstand hardship; "antifragility" goes one step further.
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We’re often ashamed to say, “I don’t know” — but this professional poker player thinks it’s one of our greatest strengths.
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There are 3 key principles that separate a good conversation from a great one — and they’ll completely change how you communicate.
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NASA’s Michelle Thaller explains what happens when the densest stars in the galaxy collide.
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From marketing to social media, today’s world preys on your values. Here’s how to reclaim them and find true happiness.
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A physicist discusses the boundaries of reality and experimentation.
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Quantum wormholes are mathematically possible — but might also be physically impossible. Physicist Janna Levin explains Hawking’s famous information paradox.
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Do humans share one consciousness? This psychologist says yes.
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Gravity defies quantum mechanics. What does that mean for a theory of everything?
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This biologist built a living robot from frog cells — and it could hold the key to the future of regenerative medicine.
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Ever wonder what would happen if we got sucked into a black hole? Turns out we could live in it for a while — if it was big enough.
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How do “you” emerge from a collection of cells? A biologist explains.
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Scientists can't define spirituality. But we can study its healing effects, says this Columbia psychologist.
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Spirituality declines, depression rises. Is there a link?
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Evolution doesn’t fix things — it reinvents them. A biologist explains.
John Templeton Foundation
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We know that humans are an intelligent species. But this biologist breaks down the intelligence of each of our cells — and it will blow your mind.
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Modern life replaced spirituality with goal-setting — and it’s making us depressed. Here’s how to win back your happiness.
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Hustle culture is part of our DNA — but it’s making us unhappy. Yale psychologist Laurie Santos explains how to escape your inner drill sergeant and find peace in imperfection.
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Your "social reality" isn’t an absolute reality. A leading neuroscientist explains why.
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Knowing your key strengths can make you happy in anything you do. Here’s how to identify them.