The Well

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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.

in partnership with

The Templeton Foundation supports interdisciplinary research and catalyzes conversations that inspire awe and wonder.

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Ancient DNA just proved that ‘pure genetics’ don’t exist
The oldest bones in Britain share almost no DNA with anyone alive today. Here’s what that tells us about human history, genetics, and ethnic “homelands."

by David Reich

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Everything Articles Videos
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9mins
The Well
Embrace the “dark horse” mindset to find success
It has perhaps never been easier to feel as if you’ve fallen behind in life. From the anxieties of comparing yourself to others online to our fetishization of success, it […]
Sarah Robb O'Hagan, Michio Kaku, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Todd Rose & Alex Banayan
A close-up of a soap bubble reflecting bright, colorful windowpanes against a dark background.
7mins
The Well
Why belief is the most powerful disruptor
Find food, have sex, not die. That’s pretty much all we need to do — but why do we make it so complicated?
Agustín Fuentes
A black and red halftone illustration of a chess king piece on a solid orange background.
10mins
The Well
Two critical frameworks for mental mastery
Tim Ferriss has interviewed some of the most powerful thinkers in the world. This is what he learnt about how they operate.
Tim Ferriss
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6mins
The Well
These 5 great historical leaders had this one trait in common
History’s most remarkable leaders had this one trait in common. We can harness it too.
Nancy Koehn
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5mins
The Well
How humans evolved to be intelligent
We are ~99% genetically identical to chimpanzees. But there are three key traits that separate us.
Michio Kaku
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7mins
The Well
The strong force: holding our Universe together
Frank Wilczek is celebrated for his investigations into the fundamental laws of nature that have transformed our understanding of the forces that govern our Universe. In this video, the MIT […]
Frank Wilczek
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5mins
The Well
How to think like an expert
Poker pro Maria Konnikova on how to recognize which details matter and master the science of deduction.
Maria Konnikova
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5mins
The Well
Can we condition ourselves to be heroes?
Neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky on the science of temptation, and the limitations of your brain’s frontal cortex.
Robert M Sapolsky
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3mins
The Well
This is what the fourth dimension looks like
Left–Right, Back–Forth, Up–Down. What’s the fourth dimension?
Brian Greene
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5mins
The Well
How to articulate your thoughts effectively
Make it simple. Make it clear. Make it stick. Alan Alda on how to get everyone to understand your thoughts.
Alan Alda
John Templeton Foundation
A black silhouette of a human head with a rectangular section cut out, revealing a profile face against a cloudy blue sky, symbolizes the limits of our attention span.
5mins
The Well
How to unlock your “peak mind”
“What you pay attention to, is your life.” Where do you place precious brain resources?
Amishi Jha
John Templeton Foundation
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5mins
The Well
Tyler Cowen: America is at a critical point in history
“There’s a sense of crisis today that we did not have in the 1980’s or 90’s” — economist Tyler Cowen on progress in America.
Tyler Cowen
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of Earth with labeled axes, equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, and magnetic and geographic poles. Orange lines indicate Earth's tilt and rotation.
4mins
The Well
How Earth’s axis and rotation created human ritual
Why do so many cultures celebrate holidays at the same time of year?
Sasha Sagan
John Templeton Foundation
Close-up of two figures; one extends an apple towards the other near a tree trunk. The scene references the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
6mins
The Well
Are humans wired for conflict? Charles Darwin vs. “Lord of the Flies”
In 1965, six boys were stranded on an island. Fifteen months later, the survivors were rescued. How many were there?
Rutger Bregman
John Templeton Foundation
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6mins
The Well
How to stop toxic self-talk, explained in 6 minutes
If your inner voice is cruel, try these steps to reclaim your mind.
Ethan Kross
John Templeton Foundation
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3mins
The Well
Bayes’ rule: A powerful thinking paradigm
Think via Bayes’ rule to become more rational and less brainwashed.
Julia Galef
John Templeton Foundation
Illustration of a volcanic eruption with thick clouds of smoke, ash, and flowing lava rising from the volcano’s crater.
6mins
The Well
Stop chasing utopia. Create “protopia” instead.
Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds dumb. Don’t fall for it, says Wired’s Kevin Kelly.
Kevin Kelly
John Templeton Foundation
A whimsical vintage illustration depicts people in Victorian-era attire flying in futuristic airships and vehicles above a cityscape.
7mins
The Well
A futurist sets the stage for the next 1,000 years
We don’t need one Elon Musk. We need 8 billion empathic futurists.
Ari Wallach
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7mins
The Well
Are near-death experiences real?
A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
Dr. Bruce Greyson
Microscopic image of cells with red and green outlines and blue nuclei on a black background.
5mins
The Well
CRISPR: What will humanity create?
CRISPR’s gene drive can defy evolution. Here’s how, explained by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.
Jennifer Doudna
John Templeton Foundation
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