The Best of Big Think

Bayesian search is based on a simple probability rule. It can help you find stuff you've lost, like your phone, wallet — or nuclear submarine.

«The point is that each time you acquire more information, the probability density function changes»

Inequality should be measured in terms of the time it takes for us to earn the money to buy the things we need.

«For every 1% increase in population, personal resource abundance increased by 4% and global resource abundance increased by 8%.»

When battles raged in ancient cities, their rocks blazed so brightly that they could be reoriented according to Earth's magnetic field.

When boredom creeps in, many of us turn to social media. But that may be preventing us from reaching a transformative level of boredom.

There will always be "wolf-criers" whose claims wither under scrutiny. But aliens are certainly out there, if science dares to find them.

Data shows that unconsciously processed images are distributed to higher-order brain networks. A popular consciousness theory needs revision.

Journalist Steven Kotler offers tips for how to reach a psychological flow state, granting peak mental performance.

«Curiosity can lead you to become passionate about something, which can in turn drive that thing to give you purpose. The activity itself becomes fulfilling. It is the means and the end.»

‘Flow state’ is a peak performance mental state experienced by the world's highest achievers. Learn how it works in just 7 minutes.

«Flow actually feels 'flowy.' More specifically, it refers to any of those moments of rapt attention and total absorption.»

When we set insurmountable and unrealistic goals, it's easy to get demoralized and just give up. Kaizen offers us another (better) way.

«There’s something wrong with each of us. Even if you tried to live a faultless, blameless, perfect life, there is always something left to criticize.»

Just because a thing is good doesn't mean that you need more of it. "Lagom" teaches us to appreciate that "just enough" is all we need.

«A “fulfillment wheel” is a way to measure balance across different aspects of life. Lagom is to be well-rounded and to take pleasure in that»

A concept known as "wave-particle duality" famously applies to light. But it also applies to all matter — including you.

There’s an enormous evolutionary advantage for flamingos to stand on one leg, but genetics doesn't help. Only physics explains why.

New research indicates that consciousness may rely on quantum mechanics. Perhaps the brain does not operate in a "classical" way.

Maybe our understanding of quantum entanglement is incomplete, or maybe there is something fundamentally unique about consciousness.

We have two descriptions of the Universe that work perfectly well: general relativity and quantum physics. Too bad they don't work together.

The quantum world defies our ability to describe it in words. Human experience does not prepare us for its weirdness and uncertainty.

At a fundamental level, only a few particles and forces govern all of reality. How do their combinations create human consciousness?

All the things that surround and compose us didn't always exist. But describing their origin depends on what 'nothing' means.

The observable Universe is 92 billion light-years in diameter. These pictures put just how large that is in perspective.

The real reason that we cannot travel faster than light speed is far more interesting than the textbook answer.

«On the bright side, now that you know about spacetime, the next time your boss gets on your case for just sitting there, you can tell them that they are being unreasonable. You’re moving as fast as possible.»

From Benjamin Franklin to Elon Musk, the most successful people in the world share one thing: they allocate time in the day to learning.

«5-hour rule.” In short, this is the rule where we spend one hour a day learning, reflecting, and thinking. The rule dates to Benjamin Franklin»

Any success formula must start with your values and life goals. Here are five ways to find those and set yourself up for success.

«Success isn’t a condition without failure; it’s the condition of overcoming failure and improving.»

Modern conditions have overwhelmed our brain's attention system, but research shows 12 minutes of mindfulness training a day can help.

«Similarly, a negative mood can signal that something is wrong. That unease can propel you to solve the problem and lift the emotional pall.»

It can be challenging to express your thoughts clearly. Alan Alda recommends three rules of three for effective and empathic communication.

«Maybe this sounds familiar: You’re expressing a difficult idea, thought, or feeling, and at the moment, it seems to be going well. Your audience is nodding at the appropriate beats. Your cadence has an uncharacteristic flow and eloquence. You even snuck in the world profligate and are 90% sure you used it properly. (Well, 80% sure. Definitely going to look it up later.)»

Listening to some songs can cause a powerful physiological response known as "frisson." What is it, and why does it happen?

«While it is understood that appreciation of beauty is central to what makes us human, it is not clear to researchers what»

From grandmasters to drug dealers, people who make deft use of "theory of mind" can remain several steps ahead of their rivals.

«Every social interaction is a game of chess, trying to get inside someone’s head to navigate what they are thinking or what they will do.»

Here's what research says are the most effective ways to get rid of bad habits and replace them with healthy ones.

«Habits form when you receive a reward for a behavior. And like Pavlov’s dogs, you might not even realize that you’re learning something new.»