Big Brains

Eve Ewing explains how race, history and ‘institutional mourning’ intersect in the largest mass public school closing in U.S. history.

Prof. Harold Pollack promotes ‘evidence-based optimism’ to tackle our most complex social issues—from finances to crime to health care.

A leading scholar on race and politics says some of our assumptions about millennials are all wrong.

UChicago cosmologist discusses discovery of gravitational waves and colliding black holes.

Kathleen Belew traces the history of white supremacy, from Vietnam through the Oklahoma City bombing

Economist discusses global energy, impact of air pollution on society and why scientists should talk clearly about climate change

In this alumni edition of Big Brains, David Axelrod discusses the midterms, the rise in divisive politics from Obama to Trump and why young people make him optimistic about our future

Physician and author gives advice to teach kids from day one and discusses her transformation to a social scientist.

UChicago neuroscientist describes a high-tech effort to map the brain’s trillions of neurons and understand what makes humans unique.

Prof. David Awschalom discusses how quantum technology could lead to breakthroughs in communication, encryption and medicine, and how he’s helping train the next generation of quantum engineers.