Big Think

Big Think Learn from the world’s biggest thinkers. Big Think is a knowledge forum. How?

You can find us at http://bigthink.com or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bigthink

Big Think is a multimedia knowledge company with a mission to help people get smarter, faster. To achieve this we create content on three different platforms, focused on three different outcomes:

1. Our free public website, BigThink.com, and our public YouTube channel help our global audience identify

and understand the big ideas that they need to know today. Through idea-driven video interviews with thousands of global thought leaders, including Eric Schmidt, Larry Summers, Oliver Sacks, Peter Thiel, Dr. Michio Kaku, and many, many more.

2. Our Mentor Subscription Content connects our world-class mentors with a global community of smart, driven users to teach the habits of mind and people skills they need to live happier, healthier, more productive lives.

3. Our Big Think+ professional development training content helps results-driven companies provide the knowledge and skills that will make their employees at every level more productive, engaged, motivated and happy.

OpenAI changed the game in artificial intelligence — but back in 2018 things looked very rocky. Here’s what happened.
06/26/2025

OpenAI changed the game in artificial intelligence — but back in 2018 things looked very rocky. Here’s what happened.

In 2018, Reid Hoffman received a panicky call from Sam Altman. Things were not going well inside OpenAI. “We knew what we wanted to do,” Altman said. “We knew why we wanted to do it. But we had no idea how.” Its people tried applying AI to video games, as DeepMind had already done, and devot...

It can be overwhelming to navigate the pains of life, but the iconic self-help author believes you can find yourself by ...
06/26/2025

It can be overwhelming to navigate the pains of life, but the iconic self-help author believes you can find yourself by answering just four questions

It can be overwhelming to navigate the pains of life, but the iconic self-help author believes you can find yourself by answering just four questions Pain is an inevitable part of life. But perhaps could suffering be optional if we’re empowered with the right tools. “The cause of all suffering i...

In "Enough Is Enuf," Gabe Henry traces the history of simplified spelling movements and the lessons they teach us about ...
06/26/2025

In "Enough Is Enuf," Gabe Henry traces the history of simplified spelling movements and the lessons they teach us about language.

In Dիulɥi 1768, Bendիɥmɥn Frɑŋklin sent ɥ most ɥniuzիuɥl letɥr. Nɋu, Frɑŋklin uɋz ɑn ɑvid trikstɥr ɥnd no streendիɥr tu pɥkiuliɥr missives. Az ɥ tiim, hii sɥbmitɥd ɥ dɥzɥn letɥrz tu hiz brɥђɥr’es nuzpeepɥr ɥndɥr ђɥ gɥiz ɥv ɥ midɥl-eedիd uido, ɥnd hii ii...

The effects were comparable to the known effects of an expecting mother smoking nine ci******es a day.
06/26/2025

The effects were comparable to the known effects of an expecting mother smoking nine ci******es a day.

While many people don't think its all that bad, a new study suggests you should lay off while expecting.

Warren Buffett noted that Berkshire Hathaway would “never depend on the kindness of strangers to stay in business.” Star...
06/25/2025

Warren Buffett noted that Berkshire Hathaway would “never depend on the kindness of strangers to stay in business.” Startups take note.

After meeting in a precollege summer program, Jesse Pujji and friends Chris Amos and Nick Shah launched a social media platform and brainstormed other ventures as college students. “None of our efforts went anywhere, so we all took jobs in consulting and investment banking,” says Jesse. “In my...

Evolution may have built our brains, but it didn't build them to find truth. So, how can we ever know what is true?
06/25/2025

Evolution may have built our brains, but it didn't build them to find truth. So, how can we ever know what is true?

Athena, goddess of reason and intelligence, looks over the blotchy, plasticine horde of humankind. “Are you sure?” she says to her companion. He’s sure. Prometheus, that mischievous, Zeus-bothering titan, loved the humans he had created. But he could only do so much with clay, and looking out ...

“CIA classifies their secrets according to different terminology. There's confidential secrets, there are secret level s...
06/25/2025

“CIA classifies their secrets according to different terminology. There's confidential secrets, there are secret level secrets, and then there are top secret secrets. And the way that they define each of these different levels actually has to do with the impact that would occur if the secret became public knowledge.”

What if every conversation you have is part of an invisible marketplace, and you’re giving away your most valuable assets for free? Former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante introduces the concept of the economy of secrets, where every withheld thought and every shared opinion carries leverage. In this...

06/25/2025

Understanding the planck length ft. Brian Cox

The “quantum long game” A meditation on quantum physics, creative endurance, and the unseen forces that shape what lasts...
06/25/2025

The “quantum long game”

A meditation on quantum physics, creative endurance, and the unseen forces that shape what lasts.

Read more:

A meditation on quantum physics, creative endurance, and the unseen forces that shape what lasts — in business and in life.

Rediscovering competition in an unexpected place helped her rewrite what was possible — and go on to win gold.
06/25/2025

Rediscovering competition in an unexpected place helped her rewrite what was possible — and go on to win gold.

Alana Nichols became an athlete at 5 years old. It started after her grandparents enrolled her in T-ball, when she hit her first home run and felt the thrill of running the bases. Since that moment, athletics have been a crucial part of her identity. As a little girl, Nichols played softball, basket...

Most of us think we're good listeners, but we're wrong — and it's ruining our relationships.
06/25/2025

Most of us think we're good listeners, but we're wrong — and it's ruining our relationships.

The story of our life unfolds through our relationships — with parents, siblings, children, friends, neighbors, colleagues, even strangers. These connections are our true wealth. Through engaging with these individuals, we forge our identity, who we are, and where we belong, and we make meaning fr...

06/25/2025

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

After a miscalculated backflip shattered her spine at 17, Alana Nichols feared her life as an athlete was over. But it was just the beginning of a historic Paralympic journey.

Address

New York, NY

Telephone

(212) 242-0615

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Big Think posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Big Think:

Shortcuts

Share

Category