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.
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Featured Interviews
“Of all the words I know there’s no word that makes many of my colleagues more emotional and prone to foam at the mouth than the one I’m just about to say: consciousness.
A lot of scientists dismiss this as complete BS and as totally irrelevant and a lot of others think this is the central thing—you have to worry about machines getting conscious and so on. What do I think? I think consciousness is both irrelevant and incredibly important.”
Physicist
Bishop Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, and the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award winning documentary about the Catholic[…]
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Dr. Clay Routledge is a leading expert in existential psychology. His work examines how the human need for meaning in life influences and is influenced by different cognitive processes, self-regulation,[…]
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Frans de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist. He teaches at Emory University and directs the Living Links Center for the Study of Ape and Human Evolution, in Atlanta,[…]
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Featured Article
From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
“How we talk about society’s problems matters.
Invoking the notion of ‘tribalism’ for the world’s current problems is misleading at best and insulting at worst.”
Anthropologist
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Pessimism sounds smart. Optimism sounds dumb. Don’t fall for it, says Wired’s Kevin Kelly.
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We don’t need one Elon Musk. We need 8 billion empathic futurists.
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A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
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CRISPR’s gene drive can defy evolution. Here’s how, explained by Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna.
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The ultimate definition of trauma, explained by leading psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk.
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To be happy, you have to become antifragile first. Harvard’s Tal Ben-Shahar explains.
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‘Flow state’ is a peak performance mental state experienced by the world's highest achievers. Learn how it works in just 7 minutes.
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Is science destined to crack the code of consciousness—and how would we even go about it?
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From politics to culture, we blame “tribalism” for humanity’s problems. This explanation is entirely wrong.
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We all want to have a good, stable relationship with somebody, says Dr. Helen Fisher. So it's important to understand how intense romantic love affects our long-term goals.
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Darwin, Descartes, and Maxwell all believed in these science ‘demons.’
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The concept is so complex that scientists still argue whether it exists or if it is an illusion.
Today’s young people are intelligent and kind, but they are overworked and burned out.
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Enlightenment is a traditionally mystical and slippery concept, but when it is subjected to the rigors of empirical analysis, there is a lot to be learned about our brains and ourselves.
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Humans tend to hunker down in our own minds and trust what we already believe to be true. This emotion-based way of thought isn't often the best way to think about anything, and often leads to gridlock.
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An interview with CRISPR co-discoverer and Nobel Prize-winner Dr. Jennifer Doudna.
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“The very best arguments against God have been formulated by believers.”
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Some scientists see religion as a threat to the scientific method that should be resisted. But faith "is really asking a different set of questions," says Collins.
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When justice isn’t tempered by something such as mercy, forgiveness, or nonviolence, efforts to make society more equitable often backfire.
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There is no evidence for God as a “big being.” Is God something else?
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When should we seek justice, and when should we forgive? A bishop explains.
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Atheists are not immune from supernatural thinking.
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New research shows that having an attitude of gratitude is key to healthy relationships, and it can virally impact society.
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Just as there are many types of believers, there's not only one type of atheist.
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The emergence of life in the universe is as certain as the emergence of matter, gravity, and the stars. Life is the universe developing a memory, and our chemical detection system could find it.
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From superstition to religion, we are surrounded by supernatural thinking. Is that a bad thing?
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Escape a mental rut by using nostalgia.
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"Supernatural thinking is actually an important part of being a complete human being."
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People in the East and West really do think differently, especially when it comes to self-identity. Depending where you live, either associative or distinctive thinking will shape your sense of self.
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