Is AI going to save us from our 9-5 or kill us all? In her interview with Tim Brinkhof, the Empire of AI author Karen Hao says there are two sides to the AI debate, and both are perpetuating the idea that AI is “inevitable, all-powerful, and deserves to be controlled by a tiny group of people.”

The illusion of consensus is powerful. Here’s why Laura Kennedy, author of Peak Notions, believes you should fight it. Read the full article: bigthink.com/thinking/the...

Is some pleasure bad? Jonny Thomson and Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek discuss separating pleasure from its source. Read the full article: bigthink.com/mini-philoso...

Our lives are filled with necessity. But what do we do with the remaining hours? Jonny Thomson interviews wildlife photographer Georgia Barker about the importance of passions and how to cultivate them. Read the full article: bigthink.com/mini-philoso...

Why has the public latched onto the narrative that AI is stalling? Louis Rosenberg argues that conversations about an "AI bubble" miss the big picture. Read the full article: bigthink.com/the-present/...

Is mind reading going from sci-fi to reality? Jonny Thomson interviews the neuroscientist and bestselling author Anil Seth about the science of mind reading. Full article: bigthink.com/mini-philoso...

Is it true that ambition and inner life must run on separate tracks? Read the full article: bigthink.com/the-long-gam...

Can “flying boats” offer a faster and more scalable path to improved urban mobility? Read the full article: bigthink.com/the-future/f...

"Every now and then, if you’re lucky, you’ll encounter a book that changes your life." Here are five books that have helped millions of people find perspective and live better: (1/7)

"Rose-tinted nostalgia for the preindustrial era has gone viral, strengthened by anxieties about our own digital era." — Chelsea Follett Read the full article: bigthink.com/the-past/deb...

Why we need to relearn how to fail | Jonny Thomson and Ryan Holiday Read the full article: bigthink.com/mini-philoso...

Disconnection is systemic — but volunteering may be the most scalable, evidence-based way to close the connection gap. Aaron Hurst — founder and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Connection — offers a bold new vision for community service. 🧵 (1/7)

"Science is being rebuilt from the ground up." Smrithi Sunil explores the movement that's rewriting how we do science. Read the full article: bigthink.com/the-future/p...

Why do useful terms often become empty buzzwords? Laura Kennedy explores how "conceptual stretching" can turn a rude coworker into a narcissist. Read the full article: bigthink.com/thinking/fro...

At Progress Conference 2025, Tyler Cowen asked OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, “If you could have more of one thing to have more compute, what would the one thing be?” Altman responded with a single word: “Electrons.” Full article: bigthink.com/the-future/p...

Common law has long balanced innovation and accountability. Can it do the same for AI? In this op-ed, Dean Ball examines how common law — the precedent-based system of judge-made rules — has historically balanced innovation and accountability.

Is a new progressive era on the horizon? In this op-ed, Peter Leyden explores how today’s mix of transformative technologies, extreme inequality, and rising populism closely mirrors the conditions that preceded America’s Progressive Era.

Want to be a better learner? Start by noticing how you think. Anne-Laure Le Cunff explains how metacognition — the ability to think about your thinking — can help you learn faster and make better decisions. Full article: bigthink.com/thinking/lea...

Do we get more progress from unlimited budgets… or tight constraints? Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic, argues that government-led “glory projects” ultimately hurt the aerospace industry they were meant to advance. Full article: bigthink.com/the-future/c...

Does progress happen by negotiating for incremental change or demanding absolute results? Jonny Thomson explores the complementary roles of pragmatists and purists in the history of activism.

Why do we still read the classics? Daniel Greco, professor of philosophy at Yale, uses coordination games to explain the power of the canon.

BIG NEWS: "The Engine of Progress" is live! In this special issue, we examine the nature of progress: what nurtures it, what stifles it, and what we can do to shape it more deliberately in the years ahead. Here's some of what's inside: 🧵 (1/7)

What’s one book that you believe changed the world for the better? We asked five experts who attended Progress Conference 2025 to share their picks. 🧵

What’s one change that would make social media feel more trusting to you? Wikipedia visionary Jimmy Wales shares his thoughts about the future of media, the promise of AI, and our need to

Are you an effective trailblazer? James Patterson and Patrick Leddin outline what makes an effective trailblazer and how anyone can step up to lead change.

What can magic teach us about science? Richard Cytowic, Professor of Neurology at George Washington University, shares his story of growing up with a father who was a magician and how it taught him skepticism, curiosity, and the habit of looking beneath appearances.

Why do you think we cry during moments of joy—what are those tears signaling? Steven Pinker, psychologist and author of "When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows", explores how social bonding may explain why only humans weep.

If AI steers us towards homogeneity, how do we keep our thinking original? Dr. Susan Schneider talks to Eric Markowitz about what she calls the “megasystem problem”: networks of AI models colluding in ways we can’t predict.

If death is part of how life renews, can we pursue longevity without freezing progress? Read the full article by Josie Zayner: www.freethink.com/opinion/immo...

Why you feel hungover without drinking | Goldie Chan Extroverts refill by connecting; introverts by disconnecting. What’s your go-to ritual for recharging?

How play helps wire our social brains | Cas Holman Rats still played even without most of their neocortex. If play is that primitive, what does that say about our culture’s obsession with being “serious”? Images: Stuart Boulton / Alamy

What sea slugs teach us about consciousness | Nikolay Kukushkin Chalmers says there’s a ‘hard problem’ of consciousness. Friston/Clark say the ‘hard problem’ is our belief in it. Which camp are you in—and why?

If humans went extinct, could we re-evolve? | Jonny Thomson & Toby Ord Would you find comfort or despair in the idea that something human-like might evolve again — long after we’re gone?

Why your best ideas come after your worst | Rachel Barr According to former Co-owner of The Onion, Scott Dikkers, the brain has both a Clown and an Editor — one generates ideas, the other judges them. Which one do you think runs your life most of the time?

5 ways immersion in art can make you happier | Marine Tanguy If art can measurably lower stress, sharpen thinking, and deepen empathy — why do we still treat it as a luxury instead of a daily necessity?

Why the whole isn't greater than the sum of its parts | Ethan Siegel @startswithabang.bsky.social If the list of things science can’t explain keeps shrinking…should we stop creating gods to fill the gaps?

If you want to be miserable, then spend your money like this | Morgan Housel If money can buy freedom, why do so many of us spend it on new forms of dependence?

Seaflooding: How we could engineer the next Mediterranean | Tomas Pueyo We have the tech to create new seas, should we?

Are young workers canaries in the AI coal mine? If AI eats away at entry-level jobs, where will the next generation get experience?

What can we learn from two of the greatest investors of all time? Eric Markowitz speaks with Alex Morris to distill lessons from Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger.

5 horrifying stories that double as philosophy lessons 🧵

Does drinking have evolutionary benefits? Philosopher Edward Slingerland argues that behaviors often dismissed as evolutionary “mistakes” — like masturbation, overeating, and drinking — actually serve deeper adaptive purposes. Read the full article: bigthink.com/mini-philoso...

How do you tell real breakthroughs from scams in a growing field like longevity? Andrew Steele, scientist and author of "Ageless", explains why longevity science is both the next revolution in medical science and a wellness fad. #Longevity

When has discomfort turned out to be a good thing in your life? Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff explains how to harness periods of uncertainty for growth. Read the full article: bigthink.com/smart-skills... #Neuropsych

What happens when we design a society where our bodies outlast our brains? Edd Gent explains why brain health has lagged behind increases in life expectancy, and what we can do about it. Read the full article: www.freethink.com/biotech/brai... #Longevity

If we build AI to think like humans, are we just teaching it to repeat our blind spots? Primatologist Christine Webb talks bias in AI and what we can learn from mosses. #Philosophy

How do we make the shift to seeing failure as an opportunity for learning? Acquire CEO Andrew Gazdecki talks "outrageous optimism", failure as signal, and overthinking. Read the full article by Tim Brinkhof: bigthink.com/business/why... #Business

Toxic positivity combines a belief that being optimistic will change an outcome with attempts to deny, minimize, and invalidate what teams are experiencing. Here are three major red flags that your boss is embracing toxic positivity: 🧵 #Business

When was the last time you truly changed your mind about something that mattered? Read the full article by Shai Tubali: bigthink.com/thinking/5-g... #Philosophy

What do you find helps you "click" with people? Read the full article by Jonny Thomson: bigthink.com/mini-philoso... #Philosophy