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In 1905, our conception of the Universe changed forever when Einstein put forth his special theory of relativity. Prior to Einstein, scientists were able to describe every “point” in the Universe with the use of just four coordinates: three to designate position for each of the three spatial dimensions, plus a time to indicate at which moment any particular event occurred. All of this changed when Einstein had the fundamental realization that every single observer in the Universe, dependent on t

Alan Love, philosopher and Director of the Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Minnesota, makes the historical case for why academic disciplines exist — and why they’ve outlasted their original purpose. Drawing on figures from Newton to Darwin to the Vienna Circle, Love traces how disciplinary structure was built to coordinate a growing scientific community, not to map reality. He describes what gets lost when the boundaries harden: collaborations that don’t form, que

I’m 17, ankle-deep in a muddy pitch, and screaming at the referee. I should note that he is a fully grown adult and technically outranks me. This cotton-headed ninny muggins has waved play on when I’m certain — certain — it was a foul, a hacking, and this incompetent fool is allowing murder in broad daylight. I won’t stand for it. I’m giving him the full benefit of my opinion on his eyesight, his understanding of the rules, how his dog does not truly love him, and I’m questioning not only his ch

One of the most enduring principles in the entire Universe is the cosmological principle: an outgrowth of the Copernican revolution. Copernicus, nearly 500 years ago now, hypothesized that the Earth occupied no special place in the Universe when he put forth the heliocentric picture, instead recognizing that Earth might be just an ordinary planet like all the others: revolving around the Sun. We’ve since expanded our view of the Universe substantially, and with it, our view of the cosmological p

In 2009, a community health worker in the bustling capital of Bamako, Mali, found a young boy at home who had become dangerously ill within a matter of hours. Recognizing he needed urgent medical care, she arranged for him to be taken to a health facility. The journey was five kilometers, but distance was only part of the challenge. The boy’s father carried him on foot, then into an ambulance, then back on foot to cross a river, then into another ambulance. “At that time, it was very difficult f

Leadership isn’t defined only by the biggest moments we face. It’s shaped in the moments between them: the first five minutes after a reorganization is announced. How a leader responds when priorities suddenly change. The silence after difficult feedback. These moments rarely make headlines, yet they quietly shape trust, culture, and momentum every single day. They’re where leadership is experienced. Because they carry consequence, nd the weight of those consequences is experienced as pressure.

Across cosmic time and space, stellar systems form. This image shows the Orion Molecular Clouds, the target of the VANDAM survey. Yellow dots are the locations of the observed protostars on a blue background image made by Herschel. Side panels show nine young protostars imaged by ALMA (blue) and the VLA (orange). Protoplanetary disks not only are rich in organic molecules, but contain species that are not often seen in typical interstellar dust clouds. For several million years after the protost

If you stand here on the surface of the Earth, whether at the north pole where the acceleration is greatest or at the summit of Huascarán where it’s the smallest, you’ll be pulled toward the center of the Earth with an acceleration of 9.8 m/s² : the acceleration due to gravity, or “ 1 g ” on the surface of the Earth. Sure, there are tiny variations that will ensue, as your distance from Earth’s center, the speed of the planet’s rotation beneath your feet, and the density and composition of Earth

Every marriage’s disintegration is marked by the same four warning signs that researchers John and Julie Gottman can spot before a couple even finishes their first sentence. The founders of the Gottman Institute break down decades of lab research on why relationships collapse, and what to look for in a partner so they can make it 50 years by your side. This video These 4 behaviors predict divorce with startling accuracy is featured on Big Think .

Three people are sitting on a bench: a wise man between two fools. One fool is called “Pointless.” They argue that the universe is cold and uncaring to human needs. We can try as hard as we want and plan as long as we can, but at the end of the day, the world will have its way. A bullet, a disease, a speeding truck, a single sentence from a powerful person — they’ll each determine our lives, so trying to plan is pointless. The other fool is called “Control.” They say we are in charge of everythi

When you look at the Sun, the light you’re seeing isn’t the light that’s being emitted right now. Instead, you’re seeing light that’s a little more than eight minutes old, since the Sun is some 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away, and light — although it’s fast — can only travel through the Universe at a specific speed: the speed of light. But what about gravitation? Everything on Earth experiences the Sun’s gravitational pull, but is the gravity that the Earth experiences as it orbit

Stress has a branding problem. Clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour argues that most of us have the wrong relationship with discomfort entirely, treating stress like a malfunction instead of what it actually is: a signal that we’re growing. This video Psychologist: The blueprint for developing a healthy relationship with your emotions is featured on Big Think .