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Big Think
By bigthinkEducation
Big Think episodes
- What the darkest sky on Earth reveals about humanity | Dispatches from The Well Ep.1
Are the answers to humanity’s biggest questions written in the stars? Our host Kmele Foster is on a journey to find out.
Why are we here? What is our purpose? Are any of our scientific efforts actually adding up to important revelations? Does understanding our cosmic origins really contribute to humanity as a whole?We know what it’s like to be “street-level,” to understand our cities, our social behaviors, our day-to-day lives — but what happens if we look up? How does our understanding of humanity change when we raise our attention to the space beyond our skylines?These are the questions that our host Kmele Foster is exploring in this episode of The Well podcast. Helping Kmele along the way is Sean Dougherty, the director of ALMA Observatory in Northern Chile, home of Earth’s darkest skies and 50% of the world’s megatelecopes.If the answers to humanity’s questions are written in the stars, this observatory might be the one to translate them.--------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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43 min - We’re in a mass depression. Can spirituality help? | Lisa Miller
Diseases of despair are on the rise. Lisa Miller, a Columbia professor of clinical psychology, thinks spirituality could be a solution.
Clinical psychologist Lisa Miller discusses the loss of “spiritual pluralism” in the U.S., which she believes was caused by our removing religion from the public square over the last 40 years. This, she says, led to the disconnected society we live in today, where many young adults lack a strong spiritual core.Alongside this spiritual decline has been an uptick in diseases of despair: alcoholism, addiction, and suicide. However, Lisa suggests that we may be on the brink of a spiritual renaissance, with people waking up to the importance of spiritual exploration and connection in a world that demands rationality and productivity.Lisa identifies three crucial stages of spiritual emergence in life: emerging adulthood, midlife, and elderhood, during which individuals experience growth and a hunger to love more deeply and contribute with meaning. Miller emphasizes the significance of reconnecting with spirituality and understanding ourselves more profoundly to lead fulfilling and purposeful lives.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Lisa Miller:Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School.Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child----------------------------------------06:30-17
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14 min - Inside the Race to Decode Ancient Roman Scrolls | Casey Handmer for The Freethink Interview
Timestamps:
0:00: The library of Herculaneum
1:17: The Vesuvius Challenge
2:30: A unique approach
3:49: Deciphering ‘crackle’
5:01: Solving an ancient puzzle
Summary:
In AD 79, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried the Roman town of Herculaneum, home to the only surviving ancient library. The scrolls, carbonized by the disaster, remained unreadable for centuries. However, modern technology is changing that.
A team led by Brent Seales at the University of Kentucky has worked for 20 years to decode these scrolls. A competition, supported by Nat Friedman and later funded by Elon Musk, challenged researchers to develop AI-powered methods to "virtually unroll" and decipher the texts.
One participant, after weeks of studying CT scans of the scrolls, identified patterns resembling Greek letters. This discovery led to breakthroughs by others, including SpaceX engineer Luke Farritor and researcher Youssef Nader, who used AI to automate text recognition. Their efforts revealed 15 columns of ancient Greek text for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.
With further advancements, reading these scrolls could become significantly cheaper, unlocking lost knowledge from ancient Rome. Future excavations may uncover even more hidden libraries beneath Vesuvius.
Key Takeaways:
- AI and CT scanning technology are revolutionizing archaeology.
- Newly uncovered texts could double the known corpus of ancient Roman literature.
- Future excavations may reveal even more lost knowledge.
Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes-------------------------------------------06:30-17
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10 min - The Fermi Paradox has a potentially terrifying answer: The Dark Forest | David Kipping
"We've sent out one or two little messages, but we certainly aren't investing billions of dollars shouting out into the cosmos saying, "Hey, we are here. Come say hi.""
In the vast silence of the cosmos, one unsettling theory lingers: What if we're not alone, everyone else is hiding? The Dark Forest Hypothesis offers a chilling answer to the Fermi Paradox: intelligent civilizations may be out there, but they stay silent out of fear.Astronomer David Kipping explores the risks of shouting into the void, the psychology of cosmic survival, and whether alien civilizations might already know we're here.Chapters:-
00:00 The search for ET intelligence02:12 The Dark Forest Hypothesis02:30 The issue at the heart of METI resistance04:03 A risk quadrant06:28 Two-part communication07:36 The Pioneer Plaque09:32 Passive tech for communication11:53 A monument on the moon-------------------------------------About David Kipping:David Kipping is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University and the founding director of the Cool Worlds Laboratory, where he leads groundbreaking research on exoplanets, exomoons, and the search for extraterrestrial life. As a pioneer in the detection of moons around planets outside our solar system, his work has been published in prestigious scientific journals and has significantly advanced our understanding of distant planetary systems. Kipping employs sophisticated statistical methods to analyze data from NASA's Kepler and TESS missions, extracting subtle signals that reveal the properties of these distant worlds. Beyond academia, he created and hosts the popular Cool Worlds YouTube channel, which has attracted over 750,000 subscribers through its accessible explorations of cosmic frontiers and speculative astronomy. After receiving his PhD from University College London and holding positions at Harvard University, Kipping has established himself as a respected researcher who effectively bridges rigorous scientific investigation with compelling public science communication.----------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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19 min - Give up on happiness. Go hard at wonder | Monica Parker for Big Think+
**What if happiness isn’t the goal—but wonder is?** 🌌
In a world obsessed with positivity—where we chase happiness through job titles, self-help books, and even national constitutions—Monica Parker offers a radical shift: stop chasing happiness. Start seeking *wonder*.
Happiness, she argues, is often elusive and shallow. Worse, our obsession with it can lead to **toxic positivity**, robbing us of emotional depth. But *wonder*? It's messy, complex, and deeply human. It includes joy *and* fear, beauty *and* discomfort—like a butterfly breaking free from a chrysalis.
From nature’s goosebump moments to thought-provoking ideas and deep connections, Parker shows how wonder is everywhere—if we slow down enough to see it. Through “slow thought” practices like meditation, journaling, and sleep, we can awaken to wonder in our everyday lives.
She doesn’t claim mastery. Instead, she invites us to join her in choosing wonder—*over and over again*.
**Because in a chaotic world, maybe wonder—not happiness—is the emotion we need most.** 🌿✨
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10 min - 3 ways to defend your mind against social media distortions
**The Impact of Social Media & Attention** 📱🧠
- **Seductive Speed**: Technology allows opinions to spread quickly, captivating our attention. Social media places us in a world where we can compete for engagement even with people on the other side of the world, amplifying distractions. ⏳🔄
- **Attention & Memory**: Constant distractions hinder attention, preventing us from forming new memories. Every online interaction is like a “funhouse of mirrors,” distorting our sense of reality. 🎢
- **Identity Theft**: Data breaches expose our information, leading to risks like fraud, stolen identities, or being locked out of accounts. 🔐💳
- **Mimetic Desire**: Social media exposes us to millions of "models" to emulate, many of whom we can directly compete with. Mimetic desire occurs when we adopt others’ desires as our own, which can lead to unhealthy comparisons and endless cycles of envy. 🔄💭
- **External vs. Internal Models**: External models (e.g., celebrities) don't lead to direct competition, but internal models (e.g., friends, colleagues) are more relatable and can trigger rivalry. The key is understanding when desire for these models is healthy vs. Harmful. ⚖️👀
- **The Dopamine Trap**: Constant exposure to idealized lifestyles on social media can give us fleeting dopamine hits, creating unrealistic fantasies that don't bring lasting happiness. 🌟🌀
- **Social Media’s 'Democratic' Illusion**: Though social media seems like a space for free speech, it's dominated by a small, vocal minority, creating misleading perceptions about the majority. 🚨👥
- **Collective Illusions**: The manipulation of online engagement, like using bots to inflate support, can create false consensus, distorting real public opinion. 🕵️♂️🔍
- **The Offline Solution**: To escape the distortion of social media, it's essential to engage in real-life conversations with those around us—family, neighbors, and community members. 🌍💬
- **Mindfulness Training**: To counter distractions and reclaim our attention, practicing mindfulness for just 12 minutes a day can help strengthen focus, enhance awareness, and improve overall mental well-being. 🧘♂️🧠
**Key takeaway**: **Mindfulness + Real Connections = Better Attention** 🧘♀️🌟
Folllow this Podcast for daily Episode-----------------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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22 min - We could make every human on Earth rich and happy—if we decided to | Agustín Fuentes
The traditional measure of evolutionary success is a population's ability to continue, adapt and grow. By that measure, humanity has been a huge success: our population is only getting bigger, and for a lot of countries, so is our average life-span.
Biological anthropologist Agustín Fuentes takes issue with this measurement. In his view, the sheer number of humans living on the planet doesn't necessarily equate to success. In fact, the argument that humans are doing better than ever before is problematic, because it only considers a narrow perspective of Euro-American societies, ignoring other vast cultures and populations.Instead, Fuentes argues, evolutionary success for humans should be measured by our capacity for flourishing, which includes health, security, interaction, and well-being — and importantly, how this flourishing is distributed across our species.0:00 The overpopulation myth1:20 Niche construction, explained4:06 Human nature: Amazing and awful5:46 The “it’s just nature” myth----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Agustín Fuentes:Agustín Fuentes, a Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University, focuses on the biosocial, delving into the entanglement of biological systems with the social and cultural lives of humans, our ancestors, and a few of the other animals with whom humanity shares close relations. Earning his BA/BS in Anthropology and Zoology and his MA and PhD in Anthropology from UC Berkeley, he has conducted research across four continents, multiple species, and two-million years of human history. His current projects include exploring cooperation, creativity, and belief in human evolution, multispecies anthropologies, evolutionary theory and processes, and engaging race and racism. Fuentes’ books include Race, Monogamy, and other lies they told you: busting myths about human nature (U of California), The Creative Spark: how imagination made humans exceptional (Dutton), and Why We Believe: evolution and the human way of being (Yale).----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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10 min - I help people die – here’s what they’ve taught me about living | Alua Arthur
“I want people to know that their lives matter and that their deaths ultimately will too.” How a journey to Cuba made Alua Arthur confront her own mortality, and ultimately led her to her career as a death doula.
Alua Arthur, a death doula, never expected to find her calling in the space between life and death. Struggling with depression and a sense of not belonging, she was searching for meaning when a chance encounter in Cuba changed everything. After encountering death in her personal life, she began to confront her own mortality—and realize she wasn’t truly living. This moment, combined with the loss of her brother-in-law, set her on a path to becoming a death doula, someone who supports people through their final days. Now, she is an author, a (public speaker), and has dedicated her career to helping others embrace life by acknowledging its inevitable end.
Alua Arthur, a death doula, shares her journey from feeling like an outsider to finding purpose in helping others face death with grace. She describes struggling with depression while working as a lawyer, feeling disconnected from life. A transformative conversation with a terminally ill woman in Cuba made her confront her own mortality and realize the importance of truly living.
When her brother-in-law fell ill and passed away, it deepened her understanding of life and death. She then chose to become a death doula—providing emotional and logistical support to the dying and their loved ones. Through this work, she has learned to live with urgency, be fully present, and embrace herself as she is.
Key Takeaways:
- Facing death helps clarify what truly matters in life.
- Living fully means embracing every moment without holding back.
- Supporting people in their final moments can be a deeply healing and meaningful role.
- About Alua Arthur: Alua Arthur is a death doula, end-of-life care expert, and founder of Going with Grace, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals navigate the final chapter of their lives. After struggling with depression and identity, Alua found purpose in guiding others through the dying process with compassion and dignity. She has dedicated her life to empowering people to face death with grace, offering support to both individuals and their families.
Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes-------------------------------------------06:30-17
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11 min - How to be happier in 5 steps with zero weird tricks | Laurie Santos
Sometimes, it’s really hard to be happy. And there’s a reason for that: The human brain isn’t hard-wired for happiness. Why? Because happiness isn’t essential for survival. To make matters worse, our minds can deceive us when it comes to happiness, leading us to chase things that won’t make us happy in the long run.
To solve for this, Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos recommends a set of practices, dubbed “re-wirements.” These practices include prioritizing social connection, being other-oriented, focusing on gratitude and blessings, and incorporating exercise into our daily routine.By understanding the common pitfalls of our thinking and adopting new behaviors, we can achieve true happiness, and make it last. For Santos, happiness isn’t just a state; it’s an ongoing practice.0:00 Happiness? Natural selection doesn’t care.0:59 4 annoying mind features ruining your happiness3:33 5 ways to rewire your behavior for more happiness6:56 Listen to your negative emotions----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Laurie Santos:Dr. Laurie Santos is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Yale University. Her research provides an interface between evolutionary biology, developmental psychology, and cognitive neuroscience, exploring the evolutionary origins of the human mind by comparing the cognitive abilities of human and non-human primates. Her experiments focus on non-human primates (in captivity and in the field), incorporating methodologies from cognitive development, animal learning psychology, and cognitive neuroscience.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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13 min - The science of sex, love, and attachment | Dr. Helen Fisher: Full Interview
“Nobody gets out of love alive. We all suffer. We all have disappointments. It’s such a powerful brain system.”
Why do we fall in love with one person over another? The late biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher unpacks the evolutionary roots of romantic love, sex, and attachment.Using research derived from the ethnographies of hunter-gatherer societies and fMRI brain scans Fisher explains how love functions as a powerful survival mechanism.00:00:00 A life shaped by love and curiosity00:00:17 What was growing up like for you?00:00:47 When did you first learn about sex?00:03:30 What is the importance of sex in our lives?00:06:13 How did your family life lead you to study the brain?00:08:19 Is love supernatural?00:09:23 Love is a drive, not a feeling00:09:33 Why did humans evolve in a way other mammals did not?00:17:18 How did you conduct your FMRI studies?00:19:14 What did you find in your FMRI studies?00:21:30 Did you think about the reviewer who called love “supernatural”?00:21:54 Could you describe your next study?00:24:15 How can this information be used?00:26:12 How to make love last00:28:25 How can we maintain a long-term relationship?00:29:19 What is science doing to expand our understanding of love?00:30:13 What work do you do with Match.com?00:34:37 How is online dating affecting love?00:37:22 What is “slow love"?00:41:07 How are millennials approaching love?00:43:31 Are men and women different?00:53:59 Why are millennials different?00:55:16 Does this change from city to city?00:57:27 Does sex, love, and attachment always happen in that order?01:05:04 What are the findings of your work?---------------------------------------------------------------------About Helen Fisher:Helen E. Fisher, Ph.D. Biological anthropologist, was a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and a Member of the Center For Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University. She wrote six books on the evolution, biology, and psychology of human sexuality, monogamy, adultery and divorce, gender differences in the brain, the neural chemistry of romantic love and attachment, human biologically-based personality styles, why we fall in love with one person rather than another, hooking up, friends with benefits, living together and other current trends, and the future of relationships — what she called: slow love.Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes---------------------06:30-17----------------------------
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1 hr 14 min
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