Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. Together, let's learn from them. Welcome to The Well, a publication by the John Templeton Foundation and Big Think.
Featured Interviews
“The truth is, evolutionary history just isn’t a constant competition...
Actually, most animals spend as much time as they can relaxing, taking it easy or playing and enjoying themselves. This idea that everything is continuously battling for energy is nonsense. I spent most of the last 25 years documenting hunter-gatherers, as they took their worldview and tried to engage with our worldview in very uneven terms, and to try and make sense of their perceptions of work and our perceptions of work.”
Anthropologist
Michelle Thaller is an astronomer and Assistant Director for Science Communication at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
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Janna Levin is a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also director of sciences at Pioneer Works, a center for arts and sciences[…]
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Alva Noë is a writer and a philosopher who lives in New York City and Berkeley. His work focuses on the nature of mind and human experience. He is the[…]
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Featured Article
If the “self” is not real, then we are slaves to a billiard ball universe, trapped in a nihilistic nightmare in which we cannot change our fate.
“Common wisdom says we have a self and that self is the source of our free will, but...
the subject of the self is riddled with paradoxes. Because the mind has been categorized as something “nonphysical,” its definition alone places the self outside of physical cause-and-effect, and beyond the scope of science. However, as with many philosophical quandaries that involve the proposal of a thesis and the emergence of a counter-thesis (or antithesis, in the words of Hegel), a synthesis often emerges, reconciling seemingly disparate views into a more coherent and sensible perspective.”
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“We have this incredible drive in our culture to enumerate everything, to measure everything.” Should we be doing that with intelligence?
“Not only does Mother Nature not care about your happiness, she knows that we need lots of negative emotions to keep us alive.” Harvard happiness professor on why suffering IS…
“We wouldn’t be able to talk about minerals if it weren’t for the minerals themselves.” Mineralogist Bob Hazen explains how Earth’s rocks can teach us about our planet’s technicolor history.
Traditional definitions of wellbeing focus on the absence of mental illness or disease. But true wellbeing goes beyond that, says this neuroscientist:
The mind-blowing theory that everything is evolving—from minerals to music—explained in 3 minutes by a Carnegie scientist:
Finding meaning isn’t just personally fulfilling — it’s critical to our brain’s development, explains USC neuroscientist.
There’s never been more ways to connect with the people in our lives — so why are we lonelier than ever?
“Happiness is NOT about feelings.” Harvard happiness expert Arthur Brooks debunks the biggest myths about humanity’s most sought-after state, and explains how to actually get it.
All Stories
James Suzman lived with a tribe of hunter-gatherers to witness how an ancient culture survives one of the most brutal climates on Earth. His learnings may surprise you.
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Is information intrinsic in our universe? NASA’s Michelle Thaller explains.
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When one path is blocked, a new one must be paved. How Einstein, Heisenberg and Gödel used constraints to make life-changing discoveries:
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What is perception, really? Philosopher Alva Noë on why perception is a puzzling phenomenon:
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Science writer George Musser on the unsung role of friendship in science’s biggest discoveries.
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We’ve all tried to win an argument by bringing up statistics that support our view. But here’s why that doesn’t work, according to a neuroscientist.
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Kmele talked with a planetary scientist, a physicist, and a futurist, to understand how visionaries across disciplines are thinking about the future of our planet and humankind.
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Filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, rock icon Steve Albini, and comedian Fred Armisen told Kmele how they make sense of the world — and leave their mark on it.
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Consciousness isn’t just a problem for philosophers. On this episode of Dispatches, Kmele sat down with scientists, a mathematician, a spiritual leader, and an entrepreneur, all trying to get to the heart of “the feeling of life itself.”
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Are we the stories we tell? Kmele sat down with legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, actor Terry Crews and psychologist Dan McAdams to discuss how humanity makes its meaning.
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The Santa Fe Institute is a cradle of modern research. Our host Kmele meets some of the brilliant minds who work there.
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Our host Kmele went inside Fermilab, America’s premiere particle accelerator facility, to find out how the smallest particles in the universe can teach us about its biggest mysteries.
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Dispatches host Kmele Foster is on a journey to understand humanity’s role in the cosmos. His first stop? The Atacama Plateau in Northern Chile, home to the darkest deserts and largest telescopes on earth.
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Yes, you CAN be a “math person” — as long as you follow these learning techniques.
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“Resilience” is being able to withstand hardship; “antifragility” goes one step further.
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If the “self” is not real, then we are slaves to a billiard ball universe, trapped in a nihilistic nightmare in which we cannot change our fate.
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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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Humanity is never fully in control of its creations. This lesson from Mary Shelley has remained relevant for over 200 years.
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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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Is true equality achievable — or even desirable? Go on a journey through the strange and unsettling “Land of Justice.”
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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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