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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

“Now, Einstein came up with this wonderful idea…

that space and time are almost kind of like a fabric that connects everything in the Universe. And what gravity is, is gravity is kind of pulling and stretching on that fabric. And if you have two really massive things moving around each other very fast before they collide, say, two neutron stars, spiraling, spiraling in, they should actually make ripples in this fabric.”

Michelle Thaller

Assistant Director for Science Communication, NASA

When neutron stars collide

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Michelle Thaller

An illustration of a woman smiling on a yellow background.

Un-sabotage yourself with intrinsic motivation

Johann Hari is the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream, which is being adapted into a feature film. He was twice named Newspaper Journalist of the Year[…]

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A pink cloud with a ladder in the middle of it.

The weirdness of physics: Dreaming wildly with strict rules

Janna Levin is a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also director of sciences at Pioneer Works, a center for arts and sciences[…]

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An image of a black hole in space.

Quantum wormholes, explained

Janna Levin is a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also director of sciences at Pioneer Works, a center for arts and sciences[…]

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Featured Article

Two men standing on top of a mountain with a torch.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can illuminate the debate over generative AI

Humanity is never fully in control of its creations. This lesson from Mary Shelley has remained relevant for over 200 years.

“Shelley’s dystopian tale has managed to stay relevant since its publication. ...

It has a riddling, Zen koan-like quality that has edified and entertained readers for centuries, inspiring a range of interpretations. Recently, it has been making appearances in the heated debates over generative artificial intelligence, where it often is evoked as a cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific overreach. Some worry that in pursuing technologies like AI, we are recklessly consigning our species to Victor Frankenstein’s tragic fate.”

a woman with blonde hair wearing a black top.

Jennifer Banks

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Nature is never-ending.

Here's a friendly reminder that we live on a floating rock! Each week, our resident philosopher and editor Jonny Thomson gives context to the interview & quote of the week…

How will you make today count?

Let's share our successes!

What if the universe lost matter? | Janna Levin

From the poem "Dreams" by Langston Hughes.

There is really only a 'we' | Lisa Miller

“The mass of Mount Everest contained in a teaspoon”: NASA’s Michelle Thaller explores the densest stars in the galaxy.

All Stories

Two spiral galaxies in space.

When neutron stars collide

NASA’s Michelle Thaller explains what happens when the densest stars in the galaxy collide.

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5 min

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Michelle Thaller

Two men standing on top of a mountain with a torch.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein can illuminate the debate over generative AI

Humanity is never fully in control of its creations. This lesson from Mary Shelley has remained relevant for over 200 years.

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An illustration of a woman smiling on a yellow background.

Un-sabotage yourself with intrinsic motivation

From marketing to social media, today’s world preys on your values. Here’s how to reclaim them and find true happiness.

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A pink cloud with a ladder in the middle of it.

The weirdness of physics: Dreaming wildly with strict rules

A physicist discusses the boundaries of reality and experimentation.

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An image of a black hole in space.

Quantum wormholes, explained

Quantum wormholes are mathematically possible — but might also be physically impossible. Physicist Janna Levin explains Hawking’s famous information paradox.

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A statue of justice holding scales on a blue background.

Few of us desire true equality. It’s time to own up to it

Is true equality achievable — or even desirable? Go on a journey through the strange and unsettling "Land of Justice."

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A portrait of a woman with colorful hair.

What is shared consciousness?

Do humans share one consciousness? This psychologist says yes.

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An image of a spiral galaxy in space.

The problem with the theory of everything

Gravity defies quantum mechanics. What does that mean for a theory of everything?

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An image of a xenobot

Biohacking our way to health

This biologist built a living robot from frog cells — and it could hold the key to the future of regenerative medicine.

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An artist's rendering of a black hole.

A 9-minute journey inside a black hole

Ever wonder what would happen if we got sucked into a black hole? Turns out we could live in it for a while — if it was big enough.

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An image of a fetus in space.

The science of the “self”

How do “you” emerge from a collection of cells? A biologist explains.

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A woman's head silhouetted against a green background.

The false reality of loneliness

Scientists can't define spirituality. But we can study its healing effects, says this Columbia psychologist.

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A statue of a buddha sitting on top of a brick wall, with no head.

How we lost collective spirituality — and why we need it back

Spirituality declines, depression rises. Is there a link?

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An image of a sunset through a window.

The case for “dusking”: In a world of light and noise, embracing the dark can be healing

How the simple act of watching twilight can radically transform our perception of the world and our role within it.

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Marjolijn van Heemstra

A close up of a toad with the words evolution.

Why evolution is the Picasso of science

Evolution doesn’t fix things — it reinvents them. A biologist explains.

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An image of a green cell with blue dots on it.

Can cells think?

We know that humans are an intelligent species. But this biologist breaks down the intelligence of each of our cells — and it will blow your mind.

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A drawing of a man with a beard and a pot.

Respect alchemy. The crazy, criminal pursuit gave us modern science

Alchemy had its golden age in the 17th century, when it counted Isaac Newton and Robert Boyle among its adherents.

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a statue of a buddhist deity on a black background.

How spirituality protects your brain from despair

Modern life replaced spirituality with goal-setting — and it’s making us depressed. Here’s how to win back your happiness.

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a picture of a man with a hat and a tarot card.

Is atheism destroying the moral fabric of society?

The debate goes back at least 400 years.

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A painting of a person relaxing in the grass, with their dog by their side.

Hustle culture kills happiness. Here’s how to escape it.

Hustle culture is part of our DNA — but it’s making us unhappy. Yale psychologist Laurie Santos explains how to escape your inner drill sergeant and find peace in imperfection.

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a black and yellow image of a woman's head with a yellow background.

How your brain creates reality, explained by a neuroscientist

Your "social reality" isn’t an absolute reality. A leading neuroscientist explains why.

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Lisa Feldman Barrett

two hands reaching out to each other in front of a colorful background.

AI must be emotionally intelligent before it is super-intelligent

Sophia, the humanoid robot, is not just mirroring emotions; she's leading a revolution in emotional intelligence.

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Julia Mossbridge

an image of a bust of aristotle with a red background.

Why virtue is key to your happiness

Knowing your key strengths can make you happy in anything you do. Here’s how to identify them.

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an illustration of a hand holding a globe.

The hero of the Anthropocene has 8 billion faces — one of them is yours

The crisis of the Anthropocene challenges our traditional narratives and myths about humanity's place in the world. Citizen science can help.

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Mary Ellen Hannibal

a computer generated image of a human brain.

The neuroscience of trauma

What sets trauma apart from regular bad experiences? A leading neuroscientist explains.

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Lisa Feldman Barrett

an image of an alien flying over a pyramid.

Theology professor: “Ancient Aliens” is fantasy fiction for atheists

Gods and angels have been replaced with hi-tech extraterrestrials.

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Stephen Bullivant

a group of five matches on a pink background.

Signs you’re burned out — and how to bounce back

If you don’t feel better after the weekend, the “burnout paradox” could explain why.

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a painting of a landscape with mountains and rain.

Why the search for meaning is not a job for science — or religion

Unlock the paradoxes of life through poetic realism.

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Jennifer Michael Hecht

An evolutionary history of the human brain, in 7 minutes

Plato and Carl Sagan were wrong about the human brain, says a top neuroscientist.

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Lisa Feldman Barrett

a painting of a man standing next to a tree.

Eastern philosophy says there is no “self.” Science agrees

“Why are you unhappy? Because 99.9 percent of everything you think, and of everything you do, is for yourself — and there isn’t one.”

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