In the beginning, genes weren’t needed.
Self-help gurus for the digital age.
April 7, 2023
Welcome to the inaugural Big Think crossword puzzle! Each week, we will feature a new crossword, and many of the clues will be based on content that you can read on Big Think. Good luck!
His plan to replace it with homegrown rice did not go well.
Expert Louise Perry discusses the idea of sexual disenchantment, the commodification of sex, and the impact of the online porn industry on society.
▸
6 min
—
with
From up close, the cracking sound of a thunderclap dominates. From far away, it’s more like a drawn-out rumble. Can science explain why?
We do not need to pause AI research. But we do need a pause on the public release of these tools until we can determine how to deal with them.
FIRE is a lifestyle that promotes extensive saving in order to retire early, despite the fact that early retirement is far from practical.
Just like with AI, people worried about job security and the spread of disinformation. Machines were destroyed and book merchants were chased out of town.
The biggest lingering question about GPT-4 isn’t if it’s going to destroy jobs or take over the world. Instead, it is this: Do we trust AI programmers to tell society what is true?
When someone attempts to make you afraid of something that hasn’t happened instead of a true, present danger, suspect this nefarious ploy.
Einstein called his idea “abominable,” but the world of physics came around to embracing the views of Georges Lemaître.
Kids are more anxious and depressed than ever. Is identity politics to blame?
▸
10 min
—
with
This was largely a philosophical question until 2005, when a surgical team in France performed the first partial face transplant.
Leading a scientific revolution is easy: you just have to succeed where the current theory fails while equaling its successes. Good luck!
When Mongol traders came knocking, Sultan Muhammad II shaved off their beards. Three years later, his whole empire was annihilated.
Ketamine-assisted psychotherapy utilizes a non-ordinary state of consciousness to heal.
At this event, you’ll be around to hear the eulogy.
Most of us only ever see a fraction of a full rainbow: an arc. But optically, a full rainbow makes a complete circle. Physics explains why.
Long-term research efforts have revealed alarming mental health trends.
Awe-inspiring moments can be found in our daily lives, and they have surprising benefits for our health and sense of well-being.
Climate and ecological changes, as well as disruptions to the food chain, were already killing off the dinosaurs.
You know that ghostly feeling that someone is nearby even though nobody is? It could be a trick of neural timing.
The next solar eclipse to occur over heavily populated areas is on April 8, 2024. For a spectacular show; here’s where the best views are!
A new AI lie detector can dive into their hidden thoughts and reveal “what language models truly believe about the world.”
Nevada has the fewest number of native-born citizens.
The study was small and didn’t include a placebo group, but there is reason to believe that the drugs really do work.
The ability to decode acoustic information from brain activity aids the development of brain-computer interfaces that restore communication in patients who suffer paralysis.