Computerworld this week reported on the launching of a new social media site called Big Think, a new Web 2.0-style site that bills itself as a conduit between global thought leaders and the public. This site has quickly been tagged as YouTube for Intellectuals.

Organizers envision that the videos will serve as a launching pad for user-generated content on those topics lranging from alternative energy to subprime mortgages. For example, users can upload video in which they respond to an interview or add photos to support their position on a specific topic, according to Big Think. The interviews will be ranked based on their popularity with users.

Big Think co-founder Victoria Brown said in a statement:

“We live in a global age, and yet there is no central, global forum to exchange, discuss and debate the big issues and ideas of our time. Big Think is a needed social endeavor that will allow an engaged global audience to share the same platform as leading voices from around the world.”

Kristen Nicole, a blogger at Mashable, suggested that Big Think may be successful with its “mature appeal and seriousness about the content.

“Big Think has gathered professionally produced video content ripe with commentary from analysts and connoisseurs across an array of topics in order to get the ball rolling on a worldwide discussion of anything and everything under the sun,” she said. “It’s up to you as a user to finish the discussion. What you’re left with is a weighted crowd-sourcing model.”

One problem that Big Think will face is that its videos cannot be embedded to other sites, like YouTube videos. This makes them extremely difficult to share with friend on other social networks, or to even bookmark them. Without these basic web 1.0 features, Big Think will be in big trouble.

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