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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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What sets trauma apart from regular bad experiences? A leading neuroscientist explains.
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If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.
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Plato and Carl Sagan were wrong about the human brain, says a top neuroscientist.
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Your brain isn’t wired for happiness — but you can change that, explains Yale scientist Laurie Santos.
John Templeton Foundation
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You’ve heard about your "lizard brain." But what about the other two?
John Templeton Foundation
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No, emotions don’t happen TO you. Here’s what happens instead.
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Ancient societies revered dreams. Modern science tells us why.
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Geniuses and prodigies are captivating. But generalists rule the world.
John Templeton Foundation
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This network physicist is mapping the world's most significant data to create the most beautiful visualizations of information we have ever seen.
John Templeton Foundation
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Aimless wandering is essential for understanding yourself. Here’s why.
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Science has opened so many doors to humanity’s understanding of the world. Scientism shuts them. Here’s how to tell the difference.
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Forget AI. Gene editing is still our most powerful — and dangerous — technology.
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From DMT elves, to God, to the figures in our dreams — why are humans so obsessed with the supernatural?
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Humans, like animals, are driven by instincts. But we also have wants. Here’s what that means for our lives.
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This scientist made an algorithm to predict which artists succeed — all without even looking at their art.
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How World War II codebreaker Alan Turing invented modern AI.
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People say we are better off than ever. Are they right?
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How America became a fragile nation — and how it can get its resilience back.
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This is not your average dream interpreter. Nightmares, as explained by a neuroscientist.
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“If intelligence is the ability to respond to any argument, wisdom lies in knowing which parts of an argument to respond to.” Harvard debate coach Bo Seo explains how to argue better.