Stephen Johnson

Pain makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. What’s puzzling is why so many of us choose to seek out painful experiences.

A woman in Scotland was found to feel virtually no pain and report zero trace of any anxiety or depression.

Dogs tend to tilt their heads when they hear words they have learned, suggesting that the behavior is a sign of increased attention.

A 2012 study suggested that placing honesty pledges at the beginning of forms makes people more honest. That study included fake data.

Jung thought these autonomous entities live in your unconscious mind — often at a cost.

“When Harry Met Sally” lied to you.

The benefits of the psychedelic seem to last long after the trip wears off.

Katie Kermode — a memory athlete with four world records — tells Big Think about her unique spin on an ancient technique to memorize unfathomably long lists of information.

Arieh Smith, a New York City-based polyglot who runs the YouTube channel Xiaomanyc, talks language-learning with Big Think.

Dennis Klatt developed trailblazing text-to-speech systems before losing his own voice to cancer.