Scientists and engineers are often perceived as living intellectual lives that are mysterious — simultaneously wondrous and arcane. The Brown University Presidential Colloquium Series, Thinking Out Loud: Deciphering Mysteries of Our World and Beyond, showcases profoundly creative and accomplished scholars who not only tackle some of the biggest “Big Questions” there are, but also skillfully communicate their inner visions to broad audiences. Our 2016-17 Thinking Out Loud Presidential Colloquium speakers consider a wide range of large, urgent and pervasive questions.