 | |
Type of site | Web portal |
|---|---|
| Created by | Victoria Brown and Peter Hopkins |
| URL | BigThink.com |
| Launched | 2007; 18 years ago (2007) |
| Current status | Active |
Big Think is amultimediaweb portal founded in 2007 by Victoria Brown and Peter Hopkins.[1][2] The site publishes interviews andround table discussions with experts from a wide range of fields. Victoria Brown is the actingCEO and Peter Hopkins is the acting president of the company.
The company was founded when Brown and Hopkins met while working withGoogle Video to digitize theVHS archives ofThe Charlie Rose Show in 2006.[3] They began contemplating how to organize information into "short-form intellectual videos targeting online audiences"[3] and envisioned "an online platform where the world's leading experts could weigh in on current issues".[4]
In 2008, they launched with onlyvideo content. The materials involve short clips but with enough content so that they foster thinking, learning, and debate.[5]
In 2009, they branched intoblogs and written content. Their first notable blogger wasMichio Kaku. Other personalities includeAngelina Jolie, who joined a panel of experts in a discourse over displaced children inIraq, andEsther Dyson who talked about the opportunities from space exploration.[5]
In 2012, Big Think startedlive-streaming and providing individual and companies with "real-time interaction with notable guests". The platform also serves as a resource for educators and researchers, facilitating online learning.[6] As of March 2012, the Big Think YouTube channel passed 20 million views, and the video archive of the website included more than 12,000 clips from more than 2000 of its designated experts.[4]
Big Think has created video series on "Courageous Collaborations", "Academic Freedom" and "Education Innovation".[when?][citation needed]
Big Think spun out other sites: Big Think Edge for Business and Floating University for Higher Education.[7][8]