Are you drawn to Impressionism? Or more toward 3D computer art? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Or is it? Contrary to the old adage, there may be universal biological principles that drive art’s appeal, and its capacity to engage our brains and our interest.

Immanuel Kant, who coined the term genius in the 1700s, defined it as the rare capacity to independently understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person. Since then, the spectrum of abilities that we call genius has widened, but pivotal questions remain: What exactly is genius?

On July 4, 2012 the champagne flowed. The elusive Higgs boson—the fundamental particle that gives mass to all other particles—had been found. After generations of work, the last puzzle piece …

How do we develop a sense of who we truly are? Do we perceive ourselves as science defines us? While some scientists think our identities are a product of our …

Imagine a job creating interactive games that help people learn and communicate better. Meet technologist Katherine Isbister who does just that. Episode filmed live at the 2013 World Science Festival …

Brian Greene and Microsoft’s Chief Scientific Officer Eric Horvitz explore how AI may shape the future of fundamental scientific research. This program is part of the Big Ideas series, supported …