Coolplayers
Technology

What happens when we admit we don’t know?

2026-02-04 17:15
559 views
What happens when we admit we don’t know?

Champion curiosity, and you risk sounding like a kindergarten teacher or a journalism professor. We treat it as a trait for the young and unformed — something adults either already mastered or no long...

Big Think Home Open search Open main menu
  • Search Popular SearchesCritical thinkingPhilosophyEmotional IntelligenceFree Will Latest Videos Latest Articles
  • Topics

    Philosophy

    • Ethics
    • Religion
    • Flourishing
    • Knowledge
    • Philosophy of Science
    • Philosophy of Art
    • Language
    • Political Theory
    • Identity
    • Meaning & Purpose

    Science & Tech

    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Aerospace
    • Health
    • Geology
    • Computing
    • Engineering
    • Energy
    • Biotechnology

    Mind & Behavior

    • Psychology
    • Neuroscience
    • Decision-Making
    • Mental Health
    • Consciousness
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Personality
    • Relationships
    • Parenting

    Business

    • Entrepreneurship
    • Leadership
    • Finance
    • Marketing
    • Innovation
    • Strategy
    • Management
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Startups
    • Economics

    History & Society

    • History
    • Literature
    • Art
    • Music
    • Film
    • Progress
    • Culture
    • Sociology
    • Policy
    • Geopolitics
  • Videos Latest Videos View of a planet’s surface in the foreground with a red moon or planet and stars visible in the background against the dark space. Is there a Planet B? An astrophysicist answers.  with Sara Seager A lone silhouette of a person stands in a hazy, grainy environment, surrounded by darkness and indistinct shadows. What nihilism acknowledges that other philosophies don’t with Alex O’Connor A man with gray curly hair sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a modern room with brick walls, wooden floors, and two large windows. Steven Pinker: The mechanics of trust in money and relationships with Steven Pinker Bald man wearing glasses and a dark suit jacket sits against a plain white background, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression. The computing revolution that secretly began in 1776 with David Alan Grier A man in a black suit sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a modern brick-walled room with large windows and minimal furnishings. How the Industrial Revolution invented modern computing with David Alan Grier An older man with glasses and a light blue shirt sits and smiles while raising his hand with fingers spread, in front of a plain white background. Why modern fitness culture misunderstands human bodies with Daniel Lieberman See All
  • Columns MINI PHILOSOPHY with Jonny Thomson" text on black background with icons of pathways, scales, and a bird. Mini Philosophy A philosophy column for personal reflection. X-ray galactic center Starts With A Bang An astrophysics column on big questions and our universe. A black background with the symbols "B | T" in a box on the left and the word "BOOKS" on the right, with the first "O" replaced by an open book icon. Books A literature column to feed your curiosity. Abstract image featuring a human silhouette filled with various medical and neural diagrams, with brain scan images in the background. A small figure is walking towards the center, symbolizing the long game. The Long Game A business column on long-term thinking. Strange Maps A geography column on history and society. The Well A collection of essays and videos on life’s biggest questions. 13.8 A column at the intersection of science and culture.
  • Classes Featured Classes A collage featuring climbers helping each other, a pink compass rose, and a smiling man in a suit, all with a muted color palette. Members 7 videos How to Lead With Integrity Steve Stoute Founder and CEO, UnitedMasters and Translation A grayscale photo of a woman with hoop earrings, set against an orange background and overlaid on a black and white abstract digital pattern. Members 6 videos Transform Your Organization with AI Daphne Koller Founder and CEO of insitro. A bald man wearing a dark blazer and black shirt smiles slightly against a plain light gray background. Members 10 videos Unlocking Your Team’s Hidden Potential Adam Grant Organizational psychologist and author A four-panel image: a serving tray, a key symbol, a smiley face, and a smiling man in the bottom right corner. The colors are muted purple and beige. Members 6 videos The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara Restaurateur and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality A red-tinted image of a woman’s face is overlaid inside the shape of a purse, set against a black and yellow grid background. Members 12 videos How to Afford Anything Paula Pant Host, Afford Anything Podcast, Afford Anything A man wearing glasses and a suit, shown in a blue and pink halftone graphic style, looking directly at the camera. Members 7 videos True Ingredients of Successful Leadership Atul Gawande Professor and author Browse
  • More
    • About Big Think
    • Work with Us
    • Newsletters
    • Monthly Issues
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Our Mission
    • Get Big Think+ for Business
    • Freethink Media
    • View our Twitter (X) feed View our Youtube channel View our Instagram feed View our Substack feed
Sign In Membership
  • My account
    • My Classes
    • My Account
    • My List
    • Early Releases
    • Sign Out
  • Membership
  • Topics Back

    Philosophy

    • Ethics
    • Religion
    • Flourishing
    • Knowledge
    • Philosophy of Science
    • Philosophy of Art
    • Language
    • Political Theory
    • Identity
    • Meaning & Purpose

    Science & Tech

    • Physics
    • Biology
    • Aerospace
    • Health
    • Geology
    • Computing
    • Engineering
    • Energy
    • Biotechnology

    Mind & Behavior

    • Psychology
    • Neuroscience
    • Decision-Making
    • Mental Health
    • Consciousness
    • Emotional Intelligence
    • Personality
    • Relationships
    • Parenting

    Business

    • Entrepreneurship
    • Leadership
    • Finance
    • Marketing
    • Innovation
    • Strategy
    • Management
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Startups
    • Economics

    History & Society

    • History
    • Literature
    • Art
    • Music
    • Film
    • Progress
    • Culture
    • Sociology
    • Policy
    • Geopolitics
  • Videos Back Latest Videos View of a planet’s surface in the foreground with a red moon or planet and stars visible in the background against the dark space. Is there a Planet B? An astrophysicist answers.  30 years ago, we didn’t know other stars had planets orbiting them. Now, we may be on the verge of... A lone silhouette of a person stands in a hazy, grainy environment, surrounded by darkness and indistinct shadows. What nihilism acknowledges that other philosophies don’t "The thing that the nihilist recognizes is that the values he or she holds are not grounded in anything other... A man with gray curly hair sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a modern room with brick walls, wooden floors, and two large windows. Steven Pinker: The mechanics of trust in money and relationships "There is a big, powerful idea floating around linguistics and philosophy and economics and game theory." Bald man wearing glasses and a dark suit jacket sits against a plain white background, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression. The computing revolution that secretly began in 1776 "In the process of mapping the heavens, it doesn't take long to realize the data problem they generated." A man in a black suit sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a modern brick-walled room with large windows and minimal furnishings. How the Industrial Revolution invented modern computing "The process of systematizing, correcting errors, finding approximations, and making them work as civil systems that was what really drove... An older man with glasses and a light blue shirt sits and smiles while raising his hand with fingers spread, in front of a plain white background. Why modern fitness culture misunderstands human bodies "It's this modern idea of doing voluntary discretionary, physical activity for the sake of health and fitness." A man with short hair and a beard, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, sits indoors in front of a wooden wall. Why even the healthiest people hit a wall at age 70 "By keeping people biologically younger, we can enjoy a longer health span, a longer period of healthy life where we're... A woman sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a brick-walled room, with potted plants on tables on either side. The biggest myth about aging, according to science "This will help people take meaningful steps to slow the rate of aging and increase what we call their health...
  • Columns Back Columns MINI PHILOSOPHY with Jonny Thomson" text on black background with icons of pathways, scales, and a bird. Mini Philosophy A philosophy column for personal reflection. X-ray galactic center Starts With A Bang An astrophysics column on big questions and our universe. A black background with the symbols "B | T" in a box on the left and the word "BOOKS" on the right, with the first "O" replaced by an open book icon. Books A literature column to feed your curiosity. Abstract image featuring a human silhouette filled with various medical and neural diagrams, with brain scan images in the background. A small figure is walking towards the center, symbolizing the long game. The Long Game A business column on long-term thinking. Strange Maps A geography column on history and society. The Well A collection of essays and videos on life’s biggest questions. 13.8 A column at the intersection of science and culture.
  • Classes Back Featured Classes A collage featuring climbers helping each other, a pink compass rose, and a smiling man in a suit, all with a muted color palette. Members 7 videos How to Lead With Integrity Steve Stoute Founder and CEO, UnitedMasters and Translation A grayscale photo of a woman with hoop earrings, set against an orange background and overlaid on a black and white abstract digital pattern. Members 6 videos Transform Your Organization with AI Daphne Koller Founder and CEO of insitro. A bald man wearing a dark blazer and black shirt smiles slightly against a plain light gray background. Members 10 videos Unlocking Your Team’s Hidden Potential Adam Grant Organizational psychologist and author A four-panel image: a serving tray, a key symbol, a smiley face, and a smiling man in the bottom right corner. The colors are muted purple and beige. Members 6 videos The Secrets of Unreasonable Hospitality Will Guidara Restaurateur and Author, Unreasonable Hospitality A red-tinted image of a woman’s face is overlaid inside the shape of a purse, set against a black and yellow grid background. Members 12 videos How to Afford Anything Paula Pant Host, Afford Anything Podcast, Afford Anything A man wearing glasses and a suit, shown in a blue and pink halftone graphic style, looking directly at the camera. Members 7 videos True Ingredients of Successful Leadership Atul Gawande Professor and author
  • My Account Back
    • My Classes
    • My Account
    • My List
    • Early Releases
    • Sign Out
  • Sign In
  • Membership
  • More Back
    • About Big Think
    • Work with Us
    • Newsletters
    • Monthly Issues
    • Events
    • Careers
    • Our Mission
    • Get Big Think+ for Business
    • Freethink Media
    • View our Twitter (X) feed View our Youtube channel View our Instagram feed View our Substack feed
View our Twitter (X) feed View our Youtube channel View our Instagram feed View our Substack feed Search Popular SearchesCritical thinkingPhilosophyEmotional IntelligenceFree Will Latest Videos Latest Articles Learn from the world's biggest thinkers.
  • Videos
    • Latest
    • The Big Think Interview
  • Columns
    • Mini Philosophy
    • Starts with a Bang
    • Big Think Books
    • The Long Game
    • Strange Maps
    • 13.8
    • The Well
  • Sections
    • Philosophy
    • Mind & Behavior
    • Science & Tech
    • Business
    • History & Society
  • Classes
    • Class Library
  • Subscribe
    • Membership
    • Free Newsletters
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Work with Us
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Sale
    • Accessibility
    • Careers
View our Twitter (X) feed View our Youtube channel View our Instagram feed View our Substack feed © Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

Related Articles

Valve is revisiting Steam Machine pricing and release timing due to "rapidly" increasing memory and storage shortages

Valve is revisiting Steam Machine pricing and release timing due to "rapidly" increasing memory and storage shortages

650 views

 Steam is giving some players refunds for Ashes of Creation, which had the biggest MMO Kickstarter campaign ever, after leadership resignation and mass layoffs

Steam is giving some players refunds for Ashes of Creation, which had the biggest MMO Kickstarter campaign ever, after leadership resignation and mass layoffs

394 views

 How India repositions its trade diplomacy via EU, US negotiations

How India repositions its trade diplomacy via EU, US negotiations

799 views
Previous
Playing in flatland
Next
Yes, JWST should take the deepest deep-field image ever