Videos

What if we could find one single equation that explains every force in the universe? Professor Michio Kaku explores how physics could potentially shrink the science of the big bang into an equation as small as E=mc².

In his lecture, Professor Joel Cohen teaches you how demography can provide answers to the life or death questions caused by the world’s swelling population and dwindling resources.

Best-selling author Kabir Sehgal explores the future of money during the age of space tourism and explains why it’s better to pay attention to predictions of science-fiction than those of economists.

Khan Academy founder Salman Khan explains how always dreaming big and setting audacious goals got him to where he is today.

Actress and comedian Maysoon Zayid, who lives with cerebral palsy, says that the disabled are the largest minority group in the world, and the only one you can join at any time.

As religiosity plays a major role in American society, Barney Frank advises other atheist politicians not to draw too much attention to the word “atheist” because it is too often perceived as a repudiation of religion (and, therefore, American values).

Trolling isn’t just the actions of ornery black sheep on the web. Jonathan Zittrain explains that it’s a set of behaviors due to be studied more intently in the coming years.

Entrepreneur Peter H. Diamandis discusses his work with the new company Human Longevity Inc., which seeks to extend the healthy human lifespan.

Habits play a major role in determining our levels of happiness, explains best-selling author Gretchen Rubin.

Economist Thomas Piketty delves into several common misconceptions about free market economics and argues that strong public institutions are necessary for market regulation.

Microsoft Director of Search Stefan Weitz explains that the future of machine learning consists of teaching artificial intelligence to identify and patterns.

Arianna Huffington describes what she calls “the third women’s revolution”: a transformation of the world and its social values in order to suit both genders.

What were the first organisms to have sex? We may never know the answer, but as Bill Nye explains in this Big Think interview, scientists are very interested in why sexual activity remains so popular in nature beyond the obvious reproductive implications.

Jason Silva, host of National Geographic Channel’s “Brain Games,” calls marijuana legalization a huge win for civilization.

Former NASA astronaut Ron Garan explains how the cooperative lessons learned through space exploration are applicable in other realms of life.

There are 21 strategies for changing habits, says author Gretchen Rubin. The most fun is one that incorporates the usage of treats.

Salman Khan, founder of the Khan Academy, explains that the aims of online education don’t differ much from those of traditional learning.

Slavoj Žižek draws from examples in literature, film, and advertising to explain a phenomenon in which no sexual liaison is complete without a third element — an intruder, something like a fantasy.

Tightrope artist Philippe Petit explains the importance of teaching kids the power of intuition.

Higher and more equitable growth in the United States requires more public support for higher education, argues economist and best-selling author Thomas Piketty.

Former Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit explains how new forms of data science that explore causality can be used to assist people by diagnosing harmful behaviors.

Harvard Law Professor Jonathan Zittrain dissects the recent FCC net neutrality decision and asks whether it’s nearly as earth-shattering as many of us suppose.

When he watched his close friend, one of the toughest of the tough in his Navy SEAL basic training class, fall to pieces after deployment to Afghanistan, Eric Greitens knew he had to write a book on resilience.

Bestselling author Gretchen Rubin explains that habits are “like the invisible architecture of everyday life,” a topic she explores in her new book Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives.

Microsoft Senior Director of Search Stefan Weitz discusses the future of search technology.

Legendary dancer Carmen de Lavallade recounts the process that led to the development of her current project, the autobiographical theatre/dance show “As I Remember It.”

Tech expert Michael Schrage calls voicemail “an anachronism” whose time has come and gone. Could e-mail be next?

From a personal tutoring service for his young cousin, Salman Khan’s company Khan Academy has grown exponentially into a massive, global, online engine for learning.

In this lesson excerpt from Big Think+, video game designer Jane McGonigal walks you through the ways in which gaming can lead to positive outcomes in the workplace. By the end of it, you may just want to integrate gaming into your break space design or your next corporate retreat!

You have been predicted — by companies, governments, law enforcement, hospitals, and universities. In this lesson excerpt from Big Think+, Eric Siegel, author of Predictive Analytics: The Power to Predict Who Will Click, Buy, Lie, or Die, explains why these entities not only have the power to predict the future “but also to influence the future.” rn