Would Einstein Be in an Autism Program Today? Temple Grandin's Provocative Take | BIGTHINK+ Sep 29, 2024

Dr. Temple Grandin shares how we can unlock the hidden gifts of neuro-divergent minds.

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There are three types of thinkers. Which one are you?

Temple Grandin, author and professor of animal science at Colorado State University, recognized early in her life that her mind worked differently from those of her peers and colleagues. As a neurodivergent woman in a male-dominated field, Dr. Grandin reveals how this different way of thinking led to groundbreaking advancements in the cattle industry.

According to Grandin, there’s a major problem with the modern day overgeneralization of the word “autism.” Those diagnosed are put in one single category with no distinction between each specific case, ultimately preventing neurodivergent people from discovering their passions and contributing their unique perspectives to society.

The best way to approach this problem, says Grandin, is to understand the 3 most common types of thinkers: visual thinkers like herself, pattern thinkers, and word thinkers. If educators and employers consider these different types of minds, they can create environments that maximize each individual’s intellectual strengths. By embracing this diversity, we together can build a society where every person has access to success; where everyone has the education, employment, and lifestyles that will help them thrive.

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About Temple Grandin:

Dr. Temple Grandin is a renowned scientist, author, and advocate for individuals with autism and animal welfare. Grandin was diagnosed with autism at a young age, and despite facing significant challenges due to her condition, she persevered and went on to become one of the most prominent voices in the autism community.

Grandin's unique perspective as a person with autism has greatly influenced her work in animal science and husbandry. She is widely recognized for her innovations in the design of livestock handling facilities, which have revolutionized the industry by emphasizing the importance of humane treatment of animals. Her groundbreaking work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including being named one of TIME magazine's 100 most influential people in the world in 2010.

In addition to her contributions to animal welfare, Grandin is also an accomplished author, having written several books on animal behavior and her own experiences living with autism. Through her writing and public speaking engagements, she has become a leading advocate for individuals on the autism spectrum, promoting awareness, acceptance, and understanding of neurodiversity.

Grandin holds a Ph.D. in Animal Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently a professor at Colorado State University. Her work continues to inspire countless individuals around the world, challenging stereotypes and championing the rights of both animals and people with autism.

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Is your workout routine giving you a brain boost? This neuroscientist thinks it might | Wendy Suzuki Sep 29, 2024

Want to be more intelligent? Here’s why you should hit the gym, according to neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki Wendy Suzuki studies exercise's transformative effects on the brain. Drawing inspiration from animal studies, particularly those involving the growth of hippocampal brain cells in rats, she explores the possible connection between increased exercise and brain expansion. Suzuki also looks into the multifaceted relationship between exercise, sleep, cardiovascular function, and brain health.

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About Wendy Suzuki: Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She received her undergraduate degree in Physiology and Human Anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987, studying with Prof. Marion C. Diamond, a leader in the field of brain plasticity. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from U.C. San Diego in 1993 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before accepting her faculty position at New York University in 1998. Dr. Suzuki is author of the book Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better.

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The lost art of accomplishment without burnout | Cal Newport for Big Think + Sep 26, 2024

“How is it possible to do work that you’re proud of and not feel like your job is encroaching on all parts of your life?” Cal Newport, author of ‘Slow Productivity,’ explains.

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When the Knowledge Sector emerged in the mid 20th century, our best understanding of the word ‘productivity’ came from manufacturing, which led to us measuring productivity based on quantity produced per hour.

But in knowledge work, we’re not producing just one thing: We’re working on 7-8 different things at one time, that differ per worker. Our solution to this was to introduce a rough heuristic that author and professor Cal Newport has dubbed “pseudo productivity,” which uses visible activity as a crude proxy for useful effort.

More and more of our time is focused on performing this busyness rather than focusing on high-quality outputs, leading to burnout. Newport has a solution: An idea called ‘slow productivity,’ which is focused on the quality of items produced over time and based on three main principles.

Timestamps for easier navigation:-

0:00 - Burnout

0:50 - Slow productivity

1:35 - Pseudo-productivity

2:25 - Principle 1

3:32 - Principle 2

4:23 - Principle 3

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About Cal Newport:

Cal Newport is an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University who also writes about the intersections of technology, work, and the quest to find depth in an increasingly distracted world.

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Yascha Mounk: The Flaws in Identity Politics and Its Failure to Combat Injustice Sep 23, 2024

Is “identity synthesis” the remedy for racial injustice? This political scientist says no.

Yascha Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and host of “The Good Fight” podcast, explains how identity synthesis - an ideology based on treating people differently depending on their race, gender, or sexual orientation - can be quite harmful to society. He uses the example of racially segregated classrooms, claiming that it is human tendency to inherently side with someone in your “group” before you side with someone from another.

Mounk argues that identity synthesis will only further divide us, as it goes directly against the ideologies of Black American thinkers like Fredrick Douglas and Martin Luther King Jr, who fought avidly for equality in the United States.

By following this identity-first ideology, we may be reversing the work done by these social rights activists. Instead, we should lean further into their legacy of advocating for universal principles, where individuals are judged not by the categories they belong to but by their character and actions.

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About Yascha Mounk:

Yascha Mounk is a writer and academic known for his work on the crisis of democracy and the defense of philosophically liberal values.

Born in Germany to Polish parents, Yascha received his BA in History from Trinity College Cambridge and his PhD in Government from Harvard University. He is a Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at Johns Hopkins University, where he holds appointments in both the School of Advanced International Studies and the SNF Agora Institute. Yascha is also a Contributing Editor at The Atlantic, a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, a Moynihan Public Fellow at City College. He is the Founder of Persuasion, the host of The Good Fight podcast, and serves as a publisher (Herausgeber) at Die Zeit.

Yascha has written five books: Stranger in My Own Country - A Jewish Family in Modern Germany, a memoir about Germany’s fraught attempts to deal with its past; The Age of Responsibility – Luck, Choice and the Welfare State, which argues that a growing obsession with the concept of individual responsibility has transformed western welfare states; The People versus Democracy – Why Our Freedom Is in Danger and How to Save It, which explains the causes of the populist rise and investigates how to renew liberal democracy; and The Great Experiment - Why Diverse Democracies Fall Apart and How They Can Endure, which argues that anybody who seeks to help ethnically and religiously diverse democracies thrive has reason to embrace a more ambitious vision for their future than is now fashionable; and his latest, The Identity Trap - A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time, which tells the story of how a new set of ideas about race, gender and sexual orientation came to be extremely influential in mainstream institutions, and why it would be a mistake to give up on a more universalist humanism. Next to his work for The Atlantic, Yascha also occasionally writes for newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Foreign Affairs. He is also a regular contributor to major international publications including Die Zeit, La Repubblica, El País, l'Express and Folha de São Paolo, among others.

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Debunking the Myths of Success | Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michio Kaku & More - BIGTHINK Sep 23, 2024

You can’t predict success. But according to minds like Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michio Kaku & more, you can hot wire it.

It’s perhaps never been easier to feel as if you’ve fallen behind in life. From the anxieties of comparing yourself to others online to our fetishization of success, it can seem like everyone else is out there attaining their goals and feeling happy while you feel stuck.

The reality is that many people feel stuck — even those who present themselves as models of conventional success. So, what are some ways you can meaningfully work toward your goals, while also making sure that your goals are worth pursuing in the first place?

Todd Rose, the co-founder and president of the think tank Populace, offers a framework called the “dark horse” mindset. As a rejection of conventional wisdom about how to succeed, the mindset includes four main strategies: know your micromotives, know your choices, know your strategies, and ignore the destination.

Weighing in on those strategies and broader questions about success are other Big Think contributors, including Neil deGrasse Tyson, Michio Kaku, and Alex Banayan.

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Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 Introduction

0:43 What is a 'dark horse'?

1:20 Dark horse lesson #1: Know your micro-motives

2:09 Neil deGrasse Tyson's mindset

2:57 Dark horse lesson #2: Know your choices

3:12 Steven Spielberg's mindset

6:06 Dark horse lesson #3: Know your strategies

6:30 Michio Kaku: Eisenhower's mindset

7:42 Dark horse lesson #4: Ignore the destination

8:15 Sarah Robb O'Hagan's mindset

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Is Race Politics Poisoning Young Minds🧠? Coleman Hughes Weighs In - BIGTHINK Sep 22, 2024

Is race politics poisoning young minds? Coleman Hughes offers his argument.

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chapters:

0:00 intro

0:43 who is coleman hughes

5:02 what is race

8:37 social constructs

13:02 racism

15:34 colorblindness

18:27 the branding

21:03 building a colorblind society

22:34 schools vs learnings

30:44 colorblind policies

33:40 examples of colorblind policies

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Coleman Hughes is an American writer and podcast host known for his work on issues related to race, racism, and racial inequality. In this interview, we dive into the themes of his book, "The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America."

Hughes articulates a vision for a future where individuals are judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. Drawing from research and personal insights, he advocates for a society that embraces a colorblind ethos, aiming to dismantle divisive narratives and foster a more inclusive national identity.

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About Coleman Hughes:

Coleman Hughes is a writer, podcaster and opinion columnist who specializes in issues related to race, public policy and applied ethics. Coleman’s writing has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, National Review, Quillette, The City Journal and The Spectator. He appeared on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list in 2021.

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What Are the Odds of You Existing? 🧍✨ A Biologist Explains | Sean B. Carroll - BIGTHINK Sep 22, 2024

Compare coverage and stay informed on breaking news by subscribing through my link https://ground.news/bigthink to receive 40% off unlimited access through the Vantage subscription.

Humanity has two giant collisions to thank for its existence, explains biologist Sean B. Carroll.

When an asteroid landed on the Yucatan peninsula 66 million years ago, it turned our planet into a debris field of chemicals that, eventually, fostered human life. Sean B. Carroll, author and esteemed biologist, unpacks the consequences of this collision, and claims we, as a species, should feel fortunate that we’re on this planet at all.

This historical cosmic event, paired with the tectonic movement of Earth’s plates and the initiation of the Ice Age, ultimately led to existence as we know it today. Without these random, chance environmental and biological encounters, the development of life would have been stunted, or even entirely nonexistent.

Even the sequence of human conception is random and unlikely, Carroll explains, leading us to reevaluate our understanding of evolution, true survival, and the significance of each individual life.

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About Sean B Carroll

Sean B. Carroll is an award-winning scientist, author, educator, and film producer. He is Distinguished University Professor and the Andrew and Mary Balo and NIcholas and Susan Simon Chair of Biology at the University of Maryland, and an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He was formerly Head of HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, and led the Department of Science Education from 2010-2023. He is also Professor Emeritus of Genetics and Molecular Biology at the University of Wisconsin.

An internationally-recognized evolutionary biologist, Carroll's laboratory research has centered on the genes that control animal body patterns and play major roles in the evolution of animal diversity. In recognition of his scientific contributions, Carroll has received the Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Sciences, been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society, named a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and elected an Associate Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization.

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How Reality TV Stole My Childhood: Jack Osbourne's Story - BIGTHINK Sep 22, 2024

The Osbournes was MTV’s biggest show – and it almost cost Jack Osbourne his life. Here’s how his family’s reality TV fame stole his childhood, and how he’s been able to heal since.

Jack Osbourne grew up in the spotlight. His family’s hit show, The Osbournes, became MTV’s most-watched series of all time in its first season.

But the pressure of fame primed teenage Jack for a downward spiral. At the age of just 17, he was forced to navigate a turbulent adolescence overshadowed by public scrutiny, addiction, and a quest for normalcy amidst chaos.

This candid recount of early sobriety, the struggle with identity, and the eventual embrace of responsibility and fatherhood not only challenges our perceptions of celebrity but also highlights the resilience of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds.

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Jack Osbourne:

Jack Osbourne is well known for participating in reality TV shows with his celebrity family, like The Osbournes and Ozzy and Jack’s World Tour. Jack has also overcome and dealt with great difficulties in his life, such as dyslexia, drug addiction, an MS diagnosis, depression, various medical scares in his family, and more. His ability to bounce back from these challenges has served as inspiration for others undergoing difficulties in life. Jack uses his platform to advocate for people living with MS...

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Brian Cox Reveals How Black Holes Could Unlock the Universe's Mysteries 🪐🌌 | BIG THINK Sep 22, 2024

When black holes disappear, what happens to the stuff that fell in? Physicist Brian Cox explains. Brian Cox explains the significance of black holes in the quest for a quantum theory of gravity and a deeper understanding of space and time. According to Cox, black holes are intriguing because they challenge the compatibility of quantum theory and general relativity, creating a fundamental clash in our understanding of nature. Unifying these two pillars of physics is a major goal for theoretical physicists, and black holes are crucial in this pursuit. He also delves into the characteristics of black holes, describing the event horizon as a boundary between the external universe and the interior of the black hole. In conclusion, he says, black holes play a pivotal role in our understanding of the universe, pushing scientists to explore the nature of space, time, and the fundamental laws of physics. They offer a glimpse into something deeply hidden, potentially leading to a profound shift in our comprehension of reality.

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chapters:-

0:00 introduction

1:29 the idea of black holes

2:54 what a black hole looks like

4:07 the singularity

5:42 hawking radiation

7:10 black hole information paradox

9:42 quatum theory of gravity

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Why you should live an ARGUEMENTATIVE LIFE ⁉️| Bo Seo, debate world champion - BIGTHINK Sep 22, 2024

Our impulse to seek out agreement is stifling us, says world debate champion Bo Seo.

The ability to reach agreement with other people is a crucial skill, not only in your career and everyday life, but also in your close relationships. However, that doesn’t mean there’s no place for disagreement.

Many people tend to shy away from disagreements. After all, we often see media images of disagreements going out of control, whether it’s clashes between rival political parties or people feuding on social media. But there is a way to have enlightening and productive disagreements.

That’s one of the main takeaways from this Big Think interview with Bo Seo, an author, journalist, and two-time world champion debater. To Seo, a world where everyone agrees all the time would not only be worse off intellectually, it’d be boring.

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About Bo Seo:

Bo Seo is a two-time world champion debater and a former coach of the Australian national debating team and the Harvard College Debating Union. One of the most recognized figures in the global debate community, he has won both the World Schools Debating Championship and the World Universities Debating Championship. Bo has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, and many other publications. He has worked as a national reporter for the Australian Financial Review and has been a regular panelist on the prime time Australian debate program, The Drum. Bo graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University and received a master’s degree in public policy from Tsinghua University. He is currently a student at Harvard Law School...

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Debunking the Biggest Myth About Enlightenment | Robert Waldinger - BIGTHINK Sep 22, 2024

Enlightenment: After the ecstasy, the laundry. Why enlightenment is never an end in itself.

Ask people what it means to be enlightened and you’ll get a wide variety of answers. But according to Zen master Robert Waldinger, permanent enlightenment rarely — if ever — exists. In fact, we should be suspicious of those who claim to be “fully enlightened” beings.

Although some people claim to have acquired total enlightenment after experiencing some fantastic spiritual event, Waldinger believes this perspective of “acquisition” can be dangerous. Instead of viewing enlightenment as something you acquire, he believes it should be something you practice in each moment, like an activity or a habit.

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About Robert Waldinger:

Robert Waldinger, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and a Zen teacher and practitioner.

For the last two decades, Waldinger has been the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study, conducted over more than 85 years, has analyzed the entire lives of 724 families to determine the activities, behaviors, and dynamics that enhance a person’s life-long well-being. Waldinger has dedicated his career to examining these elements and discovering what brings true fulfillment to human existence.

He is the author of several books, including his most recent, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

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Is empathy always good? | Bill Nye, Alan Alda, Paul Bloom & more | Big Think Sep 20, 2024

Empathy is a useful tool that allows humans (and other species) to connect and form mutually beneficial bonds, but knowing how and when to be empathic is just as important as having empathy.

Filmmaker Danfung Dennis, Bill Nye, and actor Alan Alda discuss the science of empathy and the ways that the ability can be cultivated and practiced to affect meaningful change, both on a personal and community level.

But empathy is not a cure all. Paul Bloom explains the psychological differences between empathy and compassion, and how the former can "get in the way" of some of life's crucial relationships.

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TRANSCRIPT:

0:00 Intro

0:30 Bill Nye on the evolution of empathy

1:15 Alan Alda’s empathy exercise

4:52 Empathy in virtual reality

5:55 How empathy backfires

7:36 Empathy vs. compassion

- Why are we empathetic?

- It's something that we can foster and cultivate.

- But if you sink into that feeling and get lost in it then it's no longer a tool. It's something that's working against you.

- Empathy is exhausting. It is unpleasant. It is difficult. And it makes you withdraw.

BILL NYE: Why are we empathetic? Just consider what a tribe would be like, a tribe of humans, would be like without empathy, without ability to feel what someone else is feeling, without ability to see it from another person's point of view. You probably wouldn't be a very successful tribe. You wouldn't take care of each other. You probably wouldn't divide up tasks. You do this and I'll do that. I know that's hard for you, I'll do this. Well, I'm good at this. I know you're good at that, so you do that and I'll do this. I mean, imagine a tribe without empathy. So my claim, which is extraordinary at first, is not only are size and shape determined by the process of evolution but so are our feelings, and empathy is part of that. Our ancestors without empathy were not as successful.

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The Thrill Behind the Risk: Why Steve-O Kept Pushing His Limits - BIGTHINK Sep 20, 2024

You know Steve-O. Now meet Steve Glover, as the professional stuntman talks to us about pain, insecurity, and never finding contentment.

In this deeply personal and revealing interview, Steve Glover, better known as Steve-O, the daredevil entertainer known for his jaw-dropping stunts and unflinching willingness to face pain, shares the untold story of his journey from a childhood craving for attention to becoming an icon of wild antics and extreme performances.

Opening up about his struggles with alcoholism, the relentless pursuit of fame, and his battles with feeling 'not good enough', Glover offers an introspective look into the complexities behind the laughter and the screams.

With raw honesty, he discusses the pivotal moments that shaped him, the drive to document his existence through stunts, and the liberating power of sharing the secrets he once vowed to take to his grave.

This interview is not just a glimpse into the life of a professional idiot; it's a candid exploration of human vulnerability, the cost of fame, and the ongoing quest for self-acceptance.

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Steve-O:

Steve-O (a.k.a. Stephen Glover) was willing to do whatever it took to become famous, even if it meant stapling his ball sack to his leg. After failing miserably at the University of Miami and couch-surfing with friends, he decided that in order to further his goal of becoming a stuntman he would enroll in Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. But it was his relentless attention whoring that ultimately led to working with Johnny Knoxville on a new stunt-based reality show called Jackass.

In 2000, MTV aired the first season and the rest, as they say, is history. Since then, he's had continued success, as a New York Times best-selling author with the release of his memoir, 'Professional Idiot', as well as establishing himself in the world of stand-up comedy. With fourteen years of sobriety under his belt, Steve-O shows no signs of slowing down...

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How gratitude makes you more attractive | Sara Algoe | Big Think Sep 20, 2024

When someone says thank you, who is it for? According to Dr. Sara Algoe, expressions of gratitude have a positive effect on the person receiving the message, the person delivering it, and even those who witness the exchange. These types of social interactions are crucial for building lasting relationships with romantic partners, friends, and coworkers.

"When we say 'thank you,' we're sending a message to the person who just did something nice for us, that they are valued, that they're seen, that the thing that they did for us was worth doing in the first place," Algoe says.

Expressing gratitude is easy, and the research shows that the benefits far outweigh the effort.

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SARA ALGOE:

Sara Algoe is an associate professor of social psychology and the director of the Emotions and Social Interactions in Relationships (EASIR) Laboratory at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Algoe's research focuses on themes of emotions, relationships, and health psychology. She is particularly interested in how high-quality relationships contribute to the survival of our species, and the role that social interactions—such as giving, gratitude, and laughter—play in the bonds we form with partners, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances.

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TRANSCRIPT:

SARA ALGOE: When we get into a romantic relationship, it's all sparks, and flowers, and hikes, and coffees. But over time, the romantic couple gets into routines. And so what we've argued is that the moments of gratitude still matter, because when we say "thank you," we're sending a message to the person who just did something nice for us, that they are valued, that they're seen, that the thing that they did for us was worth doing in the first place.

NARRATOR: Thank you. We often take the power of it for granted, but it's fundamental to keeping your relationship healthy. And letting your partner know that you appreciate them can resonate throughout whole communities.

ALGOE: I'm Dr. Sara Algoe, and I study the emotions and social interactions that are at the heart of our very best relationships.

We do have really cool evidence from hundreds of video-recorded conversations where we had romantic couples in the lab. One person just picks something that their partner had done for them recently, and we had them express gratitude to their partner.

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The Truth About Male Inequality: Expert Insights | Richard Reeves - BIGTHINK Sep 20, 2024

Modern males are struggling. Author Richard Reeves outlines the three major issues boys and men face and shares possible solutions. Boys and men are falling behind. This might seem surprising to some people, and maybe ridiculous to others, considering that discussions on gender disparities tend to focus on the structural challenges faced by girls and women, not boys and men. But long-term data reveal a clear and alarming trend: In recent decades, American men have been faring increasingly worse in many areas of life, including education, workforce participation, skill acquisition, wages, and fatherhood. Gender politics is often framed as a zero-sum game: Any effort to help men takes away from women. But in his 2022 book Of Boys and Men, journalist and Brookings Institution scholar Richard V. Reeves argues that the structural problems contributing to male malaise affect everybody, and that shying away from these tough conversations is not a productive path forward.

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0:00 intro

1:35 Men in education

7:26 *Class matters

7:53 Men in the workforce

10:54 Men in the family

13:00 Deaths of despair

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About Richard Reeves: Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families. His Brookings research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility. Richard writes for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Guardian, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, and Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Dream Hoarders (Brookings Institution Press, 2017), and John Stuart Mill – Victorian Firebrand (Atlantic Books, 2007), an intellectual biography of the British liberal philosopher and politician.

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How zero gave us mathematical and philosophical power | Talithia Williams Sep 20, 2024

The abstract numeral that changed everything, according to mathematician Talithia Williams.

Before the introduction of zero, mathematics was a tangible subject, where numbers held weight and substance. With zero came the concept of a mathematical “nothing;” it turned our solid understanding of values into something theoretical.

This development, the addition of zero, led scientists to begin exploring more conceptual ideas, like dark matter and black holes. Without zero, we wouldn’t have discovered equations like E=mc², which fundamentally rely on the concept of nothingness and balance to describe the relationship between energy and mass.

Including zero and other abstract numerals like negative numbers, gave us the framework to think about the absence of things. This “nothing number” gave us access to a new layer of understanding, potentially even leading us to new solutions for problems that were unapproachable beforehand.

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About Dr. Talithia Williams:

Talithia Williams, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and the Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College. She develops statistical models focused on environmental issues, including a cataract model for the World Health Organization to predict surgical rates in Africa.

Known for making complex numerical concepts accessible, Williams inspires others through her dedication to STEM education. Williams has worked with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the National Security Agency (NSA).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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Discover the Supercomputer Living on Your Dog | Ed Yong - BIGTHINK Sep 20, 2024

Ed Yong explores the hidden features that make dog noses so incredible.

Many animals, from sharks to elephants, are champions of olfaction (smelling).

Dogs are the most famous. Through their sense of smell, dogs can tell which direction a person traveled and even can distinguish between identical twins.

Dogs can be trained to detect just about anything, including electronic devices.

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About Ed Yong:

Ed Yong is a Pulitzer Prize–winning science writer on the staff of The Atlantic, where he also won the George Polk Award for science reporting, among other honors. His first book, I Contain Multitudes, was a New York Times bestseller and won numerous awards. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, National Geographic, Wired, The New York Times, Scientific American, and more. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Liz Neeley, and their corgi, Typo.

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1The Journey of Music: How It Spreads in Just 5 Minutes | Michael Spitzer - BIGTHINK Sep 19, 2024

Expert Michael Spitzer explains how culture can “tune” your musical taste. Do humans have something like an instinct for music? The musicologist Michael Spitzer thinks so. As he points out, every person is born with an innate ability to recognize rhythm, beat in time to it, and to recognize and recall melody. Music-related abilities may be universal, but musical preferences and styles can differ greatly from culture to culture. In this Big Think video, Spitzer explores why cultures interpret music differently, and also whether the internet will have a homogenizing effect on music.

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Chapters

0:00 The musical instinct

1:13 How music is colonized and counter-colonized

3:58 Why music will never homogenize

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----------------

About Michael Spitzer: Michael Spitzer is the author of The Musical Human and professor of music at the University of Liverpool, where he leads the department’s work on classical music. A music theorist and musicologist, he is an authority on Beethoven, with interests in aesthetics and critical theory, cognitive metaphor, and music and affect. He organized the International Conferences on Music and Emotion and the International Conference on Analyzing Popular Music and currently chairs the editorial board of Music Analysis Journal. About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century. ► Big Think+ Make your business smarter, faster

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We could make every human on Earth rich and happy—if we decided to | Agustín Fuentes - BIGTHINK Sep 19, 2024

The traditional measure of evolutionary success is a population's ability to continue, adapt and grow. By that measure, humanity has been a huge success: our population is only getting bigger, and for a lot of countries, so is our average life-span. Biological anthropologist Agustín Fuentes takes issue with this measurement. In his view, the sheer number of humans living on the planet doesn't necessarily equate to success. In fact, the argument that humans are doing better than ever before is problematic, because it only considers a narrow perspective of Euro-American societies, ignoring other vast cultures and populations. Instead, Fuentes argues, evolutionary success for humans should be measured by our capacity for flourishing, which includes health, security, interaction, and well-being — and importantly, how this flourishing is distributed across our species.

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chapters:

0:00 The overpopulation myth

1:20 Niche construction, explained

4:06 Human nature: Amazing and awful

5:46 The “it’s just nature” myth

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This interview is an episode from ⁠@The-Well⁠, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ⁠@JohnTempletonFoundation⁠. Get Smarter Faster, With Daily Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers

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6 ways to heal TRAUMA without medication | Bessel van der Kolk - BIGTHINK Sep 19, 2024

6 ways to heal trauma without medication, from the author of “The Body Keeps the Score,” Bessel van der Kolk Conventional psychiatric practices tell us that if we feel bad, take this drug and it will go away. But after years of research with some of the top psychiatric practitioners in the world, we’ve found that drugs simply don’t work that well for many, and our conventional ways of healing trauma need to change. In recent years, experts in the study of trauma have been experimenting with ‘new age’ healing mechanisms that are making massive waves for trauma patients. Some of these new healing methods include EDMR, yoga, theater and movement, neural feedback, and even psychedelics. Many of these methods have proven to be more effective than conventional pharmaceuticals. But just like any other health regimen, what works for you might not work for your friend or neighbor. New age trauma therapy is all an experiment, and after enough experimenting, something can eventually work, healing your trauma in a unique and effective way. About Bessel van der Kolk: Bessel van der Kolk is a psychiatrist noted for his research in the area of post-traumatic stress since the 1970s. His work focuses on the interaction of attachment, neurobiology, and developmental aspects of trauma’s effects on people. His major publication, Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society, talks about how the role of trauma in psychiatric illness has changed over the past 20 years. Dr. van der Kolk is past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School, and Medical Director of the Trauma Center at JRI in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has taught at universities and hospitals across the United States and around the world, including Europe, Africa, Russia, Australia, Israel, and China. Check out Bessel van der Kolk's latest book, “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma”

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CRISPR: Can we control it? | Jennifer Doudna, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, & more | Big Think Sep 19, 2024

CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats) is a revolutionary technology that gives scientists the ability to alter DNA. On the one hand, this tool could mean the elimination of certain diseases. On the other, there are concerns (both ethical and practical) about its misuse and the yet-unknown consequences of such experimentation.

"The technique could be misused in horrible ways," says counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke. Clarke lists biological weapons as one of the potential threats, "Threats for which we don't have any known antidote." CRISPR co-inventor, biochemist Jennifer Doudna, echos the concern, recounting a nightmare involving the technology, eugenics, and a meeting with Adolf Hitler.

Should humanity even have access to this type of tool? Do the positives outweigh the potential dangers? How could something like this ever be regulated, and should it be? These questions and more are considered by Doudna, Clarke, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, psychologist Steven Pinker, and physician Siddhartha Mukherjee.

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TRANSCRIPT:

0:41 Jennifer Doudna defines CRISPR

3:47 CRISPR’s risks

4:52 Artificial selection vs. artificial mutation

6:25 Why Steven Pinker believes humanity will play it safe

9:20 Lessons from history

10:58 How CRISPR can help

11:22 Jennifer Doudna’s chimeric-Hitler dream

- Our ability to manipulate genes can be very powerful. It has been very powerful.

- This is going to revolutionize human life.

- Would the consequences be bad? And they might be.

- Every time you monkey with the genome you are taking a chance that something will go wrong.

- The technique could be misused in horrible ways.

- When I started this research project, I've kind of had this initial feeling of what have I done.

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Unlocking the Future: 3 Tools for Predicting 2122 | Peter Schwartz - BIGTHINK Sep 19, 2024

Peter Schwartz, the futurist behind Minority Report, explains 3 steps for predicting what comes next.

It's very easy to imagine how things might go wrong, but it's much harder to imagine how things might go right.

"Futurists" are those who study the future so that the people alive today can make better decisions for tomorrow.

It is impossible to get all of the predictions right. The point of futurism, however, is to envision multiple scenarios in which we can test our decisions so that we are ready for whatever actually occurs.

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This video is part of The Progress Issue, a Big Think and Freethink special collaboration.

In this inaugural special issue we set out to explore progress — how it happens, how we nurture it and how we stifle it, and what changes are required in how we approach our most serious problems to ensure greater and more equitable progress for all.

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About Peter Schwartz:

Peter Schwartz is an internationally renowned futurist and business strategist, specializing in scenario planning and working with corporations, governments, and institutions to create alternative perspectives of the future and develop robust strategies for a changing and uncertain world. As Senior Vice President of Strategic Planning for Salesforce, he manages the organization’s ongoing strategic conversation.

Peter was co-founder and chairman of Global Business Network. He is the author of several works. His first book, The Art of the Long View, is considered a seminal publication on scenario planning. Peter has also served as a script consultant on the films "The Minority Report," "Deep Impact," "Sneakers," and "War Games." He received a B.S. in aeronautical engineering and astronautics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York.

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Textiles: Humanity’s early tech boom | Virginia Postrel | Big Think Sep 18, 2024

Virginia Postrel, author of The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, describes how the pursuit of textiles has led to a vast variety of innovations throughout history. Notably, the launch of the Industrial Revolution started with the machines that mechanized the spinning of thread.

The term luddite, which has now come to mean “people who have [an] ideological opposition to technology,” started with textiles. The original Luddites of the 19th century were weavers who rioted when they began losing their jobs to power looms.

Postrel states that human beings throughout the world and across history independently discovered different processes for creating cloth. She goes on to say that “weaving is something that is deeply mathematical… It seems to be this kind of human activity that’s thinking in ones and zeros that’s anticipating our modern computer age.”

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VIRGINIA POSTREL:

Virginia Postrel is an author and speaker whose work spans a broad range of topics, from social science to fashion, concentrating on the intersection of culture, commerce, and technology. Postrel has also been a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The New York Times, and Forbes and its companion technology magazine, Forbes ASAP. Her latest book, The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World, examines the development of technology, industry, and commerce through the history of textiles, from prehistoric times to the near future.

Check out Virginia Postrel's latest book "The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World" at https://amzn.to/2RZwJu5

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Master These 5 Conversation Skills to Supercharge Your Rational Brain | Irshad Manji - BIGTHINK Sep 18, 2024

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Here’s how to end an angry conflict in 8 minutes, with @IrshadManjiTV. Educator Irshad Manji emphasizes that diversity is a fact of life, and it should be harnessed to unite society rather than divide it. Recognizing that humans tend to react defensively to opposing views, she offers five key skills to promote constructive conversations.

These include

1) taking deep breaths to facilitate rational thinking,

2) intentionally establishing common ground,

3) genuinely inquiring about the other person's perspective,

4) actively listening to learn rather than to win, and

5) encouraging further dialogue by asking "Tell me more."

Adopting these skills can lead to healthier outcomes in contentious conversations and foster collaboration. Ultimately, an individual's ability to engage in productive discussions depends on their motivation. It is essential to reflect on one's intentions, choosing between a genuine desire to solve problems or a need to assert moral superiority. Only by making the right choice can we hope to harness the power of diversity for the greater good.

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chapters:-

0:00 Our defensive brains

1:52 How ‘slam dunking’ backfires

3:05 The 5-part toolkit

3:27 Skill #1: Breathe deeply (give your brain oxygen)

4:06 Skill #2: Create common ground

4:40 Skill #3: Ask a sincere question

5:16 Skill #4: Listen to learn

6:15 Skill #5: “Tell me more”

7:31 The most uncomfortable question-

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About Irshad Manji: In Arabic, Irshad means “guidance.” My mission: to teach a critical mass of people the skills of moral courage — doing the right thing in the face of our fears. This mission has been a life-long journey. Growing up in a violent household, I made a commitment to use my education for good. That meant thinking for myself. At my Islamic school, I challenged dogma and got expelled at age 14. Later, studying Islam on my own, I made a truly surprising discovery: It’s possible to reconcile faith with freedom. That discovery led me to write two internationally best-selling books about reforming Islam. I recently launched my latest book, Don’t Label Me, about how to heal the Us-versus-Them divisions that are ripping apart America and much of the world. In all that I am and all that I do, I stand for the responsibility to ask questions — and the right to do so, free from fear.

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How to see math like art, so you can appreciate it fully | Talithia Williams Sep 18, 2024

If you’ve taken a math class, it’s likely you’ve asked yourself “What am I really going to use this for?” Mathematician Talithia Williams has the answer.

The key to understanding math outside of the classroom, Dr. Williams explains, is appreciating how beautiful it really is. Much like taking an art appreciation class, if one were to take a course that highlights the real-world applications of mathematics without the pressure of daunting calculations, complex equations, or graded tests.

According to Dr. Williams, taking a course like this would reveal the aesthetic qualities of numbers and their values, and could transform our perception of math from being a subject to pass to a tool for understanding the world.

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About Dr. Talithia Williams:

Talithia Williams, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and the Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College. She develops statistical models focused on environmental issues, including a cataract model for the World Health Organization to predict surgical rates in Africa.

Known for making complex numerical concepts accessible, Williams inspires others through her dedication to STEM education. Williams has worked with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the National Security Agency (NSA).

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Debunking the Debate: Is the Gender Pay Gap Really a Myth? | Richard Reeves - BIGTHINK Sep 18, 2024

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Author Richard Reeves debunks multiple gender pay gap myths, on both sides of the debate. The gender pay gap has narrowed significantly over the last few decades, with 40% of women now earning more than the median man. But the gap still exists. Why? The main driver is no longer discrimination but rather the different patterns of work between men and women, says Richard Reeves, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Women's earnings decline significantly after having children, as they take more time out of the labor market or work part-time during critical career development years. To further address the gender pay gap, Reeves argues that society should reduce the impact of time away from the labor market, redesign career ladders for more flexibility, and encourage shared parenting responsibilities. Policies such as paid leave for both parents and support for fathers' involvement in childcare are crucial to achieving true gender equality, says Reeve.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 What is the gender pay gap?

1:13 Is it caused by discrimination?

2:01 Is it a myth?

3:07 “The economic equivalent of being hit by a meteorite”

4:20 How to fix the parent gap

6:14 The deep problems of equality

-------------------------------------

About Richard Reeves: Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families. His Brookings research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility. Richard writes for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Guardian, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, and Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Dream Hoarders (Brookings Institution Press, 2017), and John Stuart Mill – Victorian Firebrand (Atlantic Books, 2007), an intellectual biography of the British liberal philosopher and politician. Dream Hoarders was named a Book of the Year by The Economist, a Political Book of the Year by The Observer, and was shortlisted for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice. In September 2017, Politico magazine named Richard one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. for his work on class and inequality.

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People say altruism is selfish. They’re not wrong | Abigail Marsh Sep 18, 2024

One of the reasons that many people argue that there is no such thing as “true altruism,” that people are never purely motivated to help other people for their own sake, is because, paradoxically, altruism is a source of enormous joy for those who help others.

Those who have made significant sacrifices for the benefit of others, such as donating a kidney, will attest to this. They’ll often say that it was one of the best decisions they made and would make it over and over if possible because of how happy it made them to help out the recipient. With this in mind, it’s easy to assume that nothing is ever truly altruistic because of the pleasure doing good can evoke.

Neuroscientist Abigail Marsh says that this perspective can be a bit puritanical. Marsh says that actually, the best part of altruism is the sense of joy it brings, because these feelings encourage people to engage with it more often. Here’s why that principal actually underscores altruism, instead of contradicting it.

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Navy SEAL Secrets: How to build an Unstoppable Warrior Mindset - BIGTHINK Sep 18, 2024

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Navy SEALs: How to build a warrior mindset | Big Think The fact that U.S. Navy SEALs endure very rigorous training before entering the field is common knowledge, but just what happens at those facilities is less often discussed. In this video, former SEALs Brent Gleeson, David Goggins, and Eric Greitens (as well as authors Jesse Itzler and Jamie Wheal) talk about how the 18-month program is designed to build elite, disciplined operatives with immense mental toughness and resilience. Wheal dives into the cutting-edge technology and science that the navy uses to prepare these individuals. Itzler shares his experience meeting and briefly living with Goggins (who was also an Army Ranger) and the things he learned about pushing past perceived limits. Goggins dives into why you should leave your comfort zone, introduces the 40 percent rule, and explains why the biggest battle we all face is the one in our own minds. "Usually whatever's in front of you isn't as big as you make it out to be," says the SEAL turned motivational speaker. "We start to make these very small things enormous because we allow our minds to take control and go away from us. We have to regain control of our mind."

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Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

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When Science Turns into Ideology | Agustín Fuentes - BIGTHINK Sep 17, 2024

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. In today’s information saturated digital landscape, discerning the truth has become an increasingly complex challenge. While many assert that science holds the factual truth, the line between science as a methodology and scientism — which asserts that scientific knowledge is more reliable and valuable than all other forms of knowledge — often blurs. When scientists exceed the boundaries of testable hypotheses, personal belief systems intermingle with empirical evidence, complicating our understanding of truth. Anthropologist Agustín Fuentes contends that human experiences are inherently messy and influenced by factors like racism, sexism, and historical contexts. He argues that a comprehensive understanding of human biology, history, culture, and evolution demands grappling with these complexities, the intricate dynamics of which often extend beyond the assertions of science. Fuentes’ vision for the future of scientific practice centers around diversifying voices, experiences, and methodologies. A more diverse group of individuals contributes to a richer understanding of the world, offering different perspectives and insights; no one scientist is the same. Embracing the complexity and messiness of the human experience fosters collaboration, creativity, and a holistic approach to knowledge. After all, science is conducted by humans — complex beings inextricably intertwined with their own biases and cultural narratives.

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0:00 Scientism as another belief system

1:23 The problem with reductive science

3:19 More diversity, more complexity

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Harvard's Top Stress Expert Shares How to Boost Your Resilience | Dr. Aditi Nerurkar Sep 17, 2024

Harvard physician Aditi Nerukar explains how to rewire your brain’s stress response to live a more resilient life.

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “pressure makes diamonds,” this video is for you.

Harvard physician Aditi Nerurkar was working 80 hours a week, and, despite what she was telling herself about resilience, the stress was taking a major toll. She explains how there are two different kinds of stress, aptly named “adaptive” and “maladaptive.” But how can you tell the difference between the two?

Dr. Nerukar explains that healthy, adaptive stress moves your life forward, while unhealthy, maladaptive stress wears you down and diminishes your productivity. When experiencing maladaptive stress, you may find yourself plummeting closer to burnout, or a complete shutdown. To combat these consequences, Dr. Neurkar offers two easily achievable methods for resetting your brain in high-stress situations.

Whether you're navigating a demanding job, balancing multiple life roles, or simply looking to improve your stress management, this information can help you thrive without compromising your well-being. Remember to slow down, take deep breaths, and regularly check in with yourself to ensure your stress remains healthy and manageable!

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Dr. Aditi Nerurkar:

Before becoming a Harvard physician specializing in stress, Dr. Nerurkar was a stressed patient looking for answers. When she saw a doctor for debilitating stress, she was told, “Try to relax more.” This dismissive response fueled her to study the effects of stress on the brain and body. Once she found her way out of her stress struggle, she vowed to become the doctor she needed during that difficult time.

This defining experience set Dr. Nerurkar on a path to help other stressed patients. “I discovered a startling finding in my research: even though stress plays a role in nearly 80% of doctor’s visits, only 3% of doctors offer stress management counseling. My work aims to close this gap.”

In her debut book, The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body For Less Stress and More Resilience, she takes a bold, solution-oriented stance, addressing the looming issue of stress that many doctors put on the back burner. Offering an actionable, practical, and science-backed approach to reimagining your relationship with everyday stress and burnout, The 5 Resets is a natural outgrowth and culmination of Dr. Nerurkar’s work, which has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Times of London and Oprah Magazine. She has appeared on The Today Show with Hoda and Jenna, Good Morning America, The Tamron Hall Show, The Mel Robbins Podcast and Diary of a CEO. She is a frequent keynote speaker with talks at the “Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit” and Harvard Business School’s Women’s Conference.

Named “100 Women to Know in America,” Dr. Nerurkar is a conversational expert, offering compelling, cutting-edge science through a voice that’s approachable and compassionate. “I wrote The 5 Resets to empower people in making meaningful change in their lives. I truly believe everyone deserves better mental health. We all have the power to take that first step towards a brighter future.”

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How America Lost Touch with Reality: Christian Utopias, Anti-Elitism, and the Media Circus | Kurt Andersen Sep 16, 2024

How America Got Divorced from Reality: Christian Utopias, Anti-Elitism, Media Circus

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Since a boat of religious fanatics with buckles on their hats hit the shores near Plymouth Rock and claimed that this was their utopia, America has always been a little bit crazy. It's this kind of wide-eyed "anything can happen if you believe" mentality that, at its best, can produce incredible art. But at its worst, it can be cruel and conspiratorial. We live in a country where people refuse to believe vaccination can help you and where a White House is spinning "alternative — but Kurt Andersen is here to say that this is nothing now. At the time of the Civil War, society had become split by two sides that refused to listen to each other. Back then, the political and social divide is stoked by a hyperbolic partisan media where anyone could publish whatever they wanted in a pamphlet without fact-checking. Sound familiar? It definitely should. Kurt's latest book is appropriately titled Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire.

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KURT ANDERSEN:

Kurt Andersen, host of Studio 360 on NPR, is a journalist and the author of the novels Hey Day, Turn of the Century, The Real Thing, and his latest non-fiction book Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History. He has written and produced prime-time network television programs and pilots for NBC and ABC, and co-authored Loose Lips, an off-Broadway theatrical revue that had long runs in New York and Los Angeles. He is a regular columnist for New York Magazine, and contributes frequently to Vanity Fair. He is also a founder of Very Short List.

Andersen began his career in journalism at NBC's Today program and at Time, where he was an award-winning writer on politics and criminal justice and for eight years the magazine's architecture and design critic. Returning to Time in 1993 as editor-at-large, he wrote a weekly column on culture. And from 1996 through 1999 he was a staff writer and columnist for The New Yorker. He was a co-founder of Inside.com, editorial director of Colors magazine, and editor-in-chief of both New York and Spy magazines, the latter of which he also co-founded.

From 2004 through 2008 he wrote a column called "The Imperial City" for New York (one of which is included in The Best American Magazine Writing 2008). In 2008 Forbes. com named him one of The 25 Most Influential Liberals in the U.S. Media. Anderson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College, and is a member of the boards of trustees of the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Pratt Institute, and is currently Visionary in Residence at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He lives with his family in New York City.

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How to DEBUNK DECEPTIVE EMOTIONS | Kristen Lindquist - BIGTHINK Sep 16, 2024

Your emotions do not reflect an irrefutable truth. Psychologist Kristen Lindquist explains how important that is for connecting across cultures.

When it comes to obtaining an objective understanding of the world around us, emotions may not be as reliable as we think, explains Kristen Lindquist, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Lindquist explores the concept of "affective realism," a term that describes how our feelings shape our reality, both of which are influenced by cultural nuances. She unravels the connections between emotions, culture, and the brain, challenging the notion that our emotional experiences always mirror objective truths.

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About Kristen Lindquist:

Kristen Lindquist, PhD. is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Her research seeks to understand the psychological and neural basis of emotions, moods, and feelings. Her on-going work uses tools from social cognition, physiology, neuroscience, and big data methods to examine how emotions emerge from the confluence of the body, brain, and culture.

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The CEO playbook: 3 critical tips from 1,000 INTERVIEWS | Adam Bryant for BIGTHINK+ Sep 15, 2024

Adam Bryant interviewed over 1,000 CEO’s. These are the 3 critical skills to running a company.

Adam Bryant was a journalist at the New York Times for nearly 18 years. In that time, he interviewed over 1,000 CEOs and found that each one had three key skills that keep their companies, their employees, and themselves, afloat.

According to Bryant, being a CEO isn’t all private jets and big checks. Since the pandemic, leadership has become even more challenging, as society has turned to companies for direction, support, and even solutions to global issues. Still, founders have found a way to thrive, thanks to these common characteristics

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Chapters for easier navigation

0:00 Intro

1:07 the actual truth about being a CEO

Critical Skills For CEO'S ↓

3:29 simplify complexity

4:00 being fully accountable

4:21 listening to stakeholders

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About Adam Bryant:

Adam Bryant joined The ExCo Group, a senior leadership development and executive mentoring firm, as managing director in 2017 after a 30-year career in journalism, including 18 years at The New York Times. In addition to his many roles there as a reporter and editor, he created the weekly "Corner Office" column, and interviewed 525 CEOs and other leaders over a decade. He has written four books based on the themes that emerged from Corner Office and from his four current interview series on LinkedIn with board directors, CEOs, CHROs and prominent Black leaders. His latest book, "The Leap to Leader: How Ambitious Managers Make the Jump to Leadership,” was published in July 2023 by Harvard Business Review Press. Adam is the senior adviser to the Reuben Mark Initiative for Organizational Character and Leadership at Columbia University...

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How to stop your secrets from hurting your MENTAL HEALTH | Michael Slepian - BIGTHINK Sep 15, 2024

Columbia professor Michael Slepian collected thousands of secrets. They all had 3 things in common.

How many secrets are you holding right now? If the answer is around 13, you're about average, according to research on the nature of secrets.

Secrets aren't all bad. Some are rather trivial. But sometimes, keeping secrets can weigh us down and cause psychological distress.

Michael Slepian, an associate professor at Columbia Business School, has spent years studying the nature of secrets, why we hold them, and which kinds of secrets people tend to deem the most serious.

As Slepian explains in this Big Think video, his research has revealed that secrets can generally be sorted into three domains. Gaining a better understanding of your secrets can help you improve your well-being.

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About Michael Slepian:

Michael Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He previously was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. from Tufts University. He is an elected fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, has received the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, and received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

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Is Science Coming to an End? | Sabine Hossenfelder - BIGTHINK Sep 12, 2024

Is science close to explaining everything about our universe? Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder reacts. In his 1996 book "The End of Science", John Horgan argued that scientists were close to answering nearly all of the big questions about our Universe. Was he right? The theoretical physicist Sabine Hossenfelder doesn't think so. As she points out, the Standard Model of physics, which describes the behavior of particles and their interactions, is still incomplete as it does not include gravity. What's more, the measurement problem in quantum mechanics remains unsolved, and understanding this could lead to significant technological advancements. Ultimately, Hossenfelder is optimistic that progress will be made in the next two decades, given the current technological advancements in quantum technologies and quantum computing

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Chapters:-

0:00 The end of science

1:33 The ‘Theory of everything’

3:11 The measurement crisis

4:29 Our quantum future

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About Sabine Hossenfelder: Sabine Hossenfelder is a physicist, author, and creator of "Science Without the Gobbledygook". She currently works at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy in Germany.

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“Drug use is your BIRTHRIGHT” | Dr. Carl Hart - BIGTHINK Sep 12, 2024

Columbia Professor Carl Hart breaks taboos surrounding drug use in America.

The U.S. was founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So, why does the government prohibit Americans from altering their state of consciousness with drugs it has deemed illegal? After all, drug prohibition has not only proven ineffective and unjust in many cases, but it also impinges on one’s right to live life as they see fit. It restricts liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Given these inconsistencies between principle and policy, what role should the U.S. government play, if any, in regulating mind-altering substances as we move forward into the 21st century?

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About Dr. Carl Hart:

Dr. Hart is an Associate Professor of Psychology in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Columbia University, and Director of the Residential Studies and Methamphetamine Research Laboratories at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. A major focus of Dr. Hart’s research is to understand complex interactions between drugs of abuse and the neurobiology and environmental factors that mediate human behavior and physiology. He is the author or co-author of dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles in the area of neuropsychopharmacology, co-author of the textbook, Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior, and a member of a NIH review group. Dr. Hart was recently elected to Fellow status by the American Psychological Association (Division 28) for his outstanding contribution to the field of psychology, specifically psychopharmacology and substance abuse.

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™

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Understand these 4 key concepts for a happier life | Arthur Brooks Sep 12, 2024

How does one become truly happy? Arthur Brooks, author and Harvard professor, explains.

Throughout his career, Brooks has pinpointed the essence of real happiness. His key insight? Happiness is not just a feeling, it’s a state of mind.

In this interview, Brooks shares three primary elements of well-being, and explains how each one – enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning – contributes to your own happiness factor. Enjoyment, he explains, involves more than mere pleasure—it’s about shared experiences and lasting memories. Satisfaction arises from overcoming challenges, and meaning comes from understanding life’s coherence, significance, and purpose.

Brooks further breaks down the pursuits that genuinely contribute to happiness: faith, family, friendship, and meaningful work. He stresses that happiness is not a final destination but a continuous direction. By focusing on these core aspects, we can build a fulfilling and happier life.

This interview is an episode from ‪‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

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About Arthur Brooks:

Arthur C. Brooks is a professor at both the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, where he teaches public and nonprofit leadership and management practice. Before joining Harvard in July 2019, he spent ten years as the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a well-known public policy think tank in Washington, DC.

Brooks has written 11 books, including the bestsellers "Love Your Enemies" (2019), "The Conservative Heart" (2015), and "The Road to Freedom" (2012). He writes a column for The Atlantic, hosts the podcast "The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks," and is featured in the 2019 documentary "The Pursuit." He also serves on the board of the Legatum Institute, a think tank in London.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Improve your critical inquiry skills in just 6 minutes | Alex Edmans for Big Think+ Sep 12, 2024

“People will claim that something is rigorous because it's by an authority figure or it's written in a book. But anyone can write a book.”

We often think the solution to misinformation is fact checking. But just checking facts is not enough. Even if a fact is 100% accurate, it could still be misleading – it could be a large-scale correlation when there’s no causation.

The solution to misinformation is not obtaining a PhD in statistics, London Business School professor Alex Edmans and author of “May Contain Lies” argues. We often already possess the discerning skills to distinguish truth within ourselves.

Misinformation is so prevalent today because we suffer from confirmation bias, or the idea that we have a certain view of the world and we will latch onto any piece of evidence that supports our viewpoint. When we inject skepticism into our thought process, we can overcome these biases.

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About Alex Edmans:

Alex Edmans is Professor of Finance at London Business School. Alex graduated from Oxford University and then worked for Morgan Stanley in investment banking (London) and fixed income sales and trading (New York). After a PhD in Finance from MIT Sloan as a Fulbright Scholar, he joined Wharton in 2007 and was tenured in 2013 shortly before moving to LBS.

Alex’s research interests are in corporate finance, responsible business and behavioural finance. He is a Director of the American Finance Association; Vice President of the Western Finance Association; Fellow, Director, and Chair of the Ethics Committee of the Financial Management Association; Fellow of the British Academy; and Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences. From 2017-2022 he was Managing Editor of the Review of Finance, the leading academic finance journal in Europe.

Alex has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos, testified in the UK Parliament, presented to the World Bank Board of Directors as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series, and given the TED talk What to Trust in a Post-Truth World and the TEDx talks The Pie-Growing Mindset and The Social Responsibility of Business with a combined 2.8 million views. He has written for the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Harvard Business Review and World Economic Forum and been interviewed by Bloomberg, BBC, CNBC, CNN, ESPN, Fox, ITV, NPR, Reuters, Sky News, and Sky Sports.

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"Will Civilization Collapse? | Kevin Kelly Explains - BIG THINK" Sep 12, 2024

WIRED founder Kevin Kelly explains why progress often looks like dystopia to the untrained eye.

Imagine that tomorrow, the world magically got 1% better. Nobody would notice. But if the world got 1% better every year, the "compounding" effect would be very noticeable — in the same way that compounding grows a bank account.

When technology solves a problem, it creates new problems. The solution is not less technology but better technology.

Kevin Kelly of WIRED magazine calls this incremental progress toward a better world "protopia." Protopia is a direction, not a destiny.

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This video is part of The Progress Issue, a Big Think and Freethink special collaboration.

In this inaugural special issue we set out to explore progress — how it happens, how we nurture it and how we stifle it, and what changes are required in how we approach our most serious problems to ensure greater and more equitable progress for all.

It’s time for a return to optimism.

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About Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly is Senior Maverick at WIRED magazine. He co-founded WIRED in 1993, and served as its Executive Editor for its first seven years. His newest book is The Inevitable, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller. He is founder of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily for 20 years. From 1984-1990 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a subscriber-supported journal of unorthodox conceptual news. He co-founded the ongoing Hackers’ Conference, and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. Other books by Kelly include 1) Out of Control, the 1994 classic book on decentralized emergent systems, 2) The Silver Cord, a graphic novel about robots and angels, 3) What Technology Wants, a robust theory of technology, and 4) Vanishing Asia, his 50-year project to photograph the disappearing cultures of Asia. He is currently co-chair of The Long Now Foundation, which is building a clock in a mountain that will tick for 10,000 years

-----------------------------------

About Big Think | Smarter Faster™

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The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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Train for any argument with Harvard’s former debate coach | Bo Seo - BIGTHINK Sep 12, 2024

Train for any argument with Harvard’s former debate coach, Bo Seo. Bo Seo, an author and two-time world debate champion, believes our public conversations are in crisis. To Seo, our arguing skills have collectively atrophied over recent decades, resulting in bad arguments that have caused many people to lose faith in the idea that productive disagreements are even possible. That's why Seo suggests a framework called RISA — which stands for "Real, Important, Specific, and Aligned" — to help people pick their fights more wisely and to give conversations the best possible chance of success. RISA helps individuals find a better way to disagree. Seo believes that by making a contract with the other party and reminding them of the rules, conversations can be productive, and disagreements can lead to progress

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Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 Why you’re losing your arguments

1:11 The making of a world champion

2:17 Intelligence vs wisdom

3:04 The RISA framework

4:29 Applying the RISA framework

6:23 Picking a good fight

7:46 Weak vs. strong arguments

9:21 Side-switch exercises

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more

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Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business

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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

Unlock Knowledge, Faster....

With Insights from the World's Leading Minds

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How math brings incredible meaning to everything in our universe | Talithia Williams Sep 12, 2024

What does math have to do with theology? According to Dr. Talithia Williams, a math professor and science communicator, quite a lot.

In just under three minutes, Williams explains how mathematics connects the natural world with deeper ideas of order and purpose. Math, she says, helps us make sense of everything from the migration of fish to the patterns we see in nature, uncovering the structure of our universe.

Dr. Williams believes math is more than just numbers—it’s a universal language that offers insights into our existence. This intersection of math, nature, and culture reveals something deep and profound about our lives and the purpose behind them.

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About Dr. Talithia Williams:

Talithia Williams, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and the Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College. She develops statistical models focused on environmental issues, including a cataract model for the World Health Organization to predict surgical rates in Africa.

Known for making complex numerical concepts accessible, Williams inspires others through her dedication to STEM education. Williams has worked with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the National Security Agency (NSA).

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Why Creationism Isn't Suitable for Kids: Insights from Bill Nye - BIGTHINK Sep 11, 2024

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The science of super longevity

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Creationism Is Not Appropriate For Children OVERVIEW: The school boards around the U.S. who’ve decided to teach children creationism, intelligent design, or whatever you choose to call it, are poking a stick in the eye of anyone who hopes to expand our understanding of the world around us. According to Bill Nye, evolution is such a fundamental scientific truth that…well, watch. If you dismiss evolution, Nye says, how can you get any of the followup questions right? The massive number of generations required for evolutionary changes make obvious the kind of time involved, lengthening the age of the earth from religion’s few thousand years to science’s billions of them. And that expanded view, argues Nye, makes so many other things make sense: If we’ve only been around a little while, for example, what’s the deal with those ancient dinosaur bones and fossils? A belief in deep time is so critical to our understanding of life, the earth, its processes, and the stars above us, that to deny it is to force oneself into settling for ever-more-implausible explanations of what we see around us. What’s got Nye even more chagrined is that it’s one thing to turn your own back on science, but when you pass that outlook on to your children, what’s at risk is nothing less than the creation of a generation whose basic premise—creationism—leads to and answers that just get wronger and wronger. Brilliant young minds consigned to scientific failure from the start. We’d hope for better from educators and parents. Just imagine the things these fresh, inquisitive minds could discover someday. BILL NYE: Bill Nye, scientist, engineer, comedian, author, and inventor, is a man with a mission: to help foster a scientifically literate society, to help people everywhere understand and appreciate the science that makes our world work. Making science entertaining and accessible is something Bill has been doing most of his life.

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The science behind ‘us vs. them’ | Dan Shapiro, Robert Sapolsky & more | Big Think Sep 11, 2024

From politics to every day life, humans have a tendency to form social groups that are defined in part by how they differ from other groups.

Neuroendocrinologist Robert Sapolsky, author Dan Shapiro, and others explore the ways that tribalism functions in society, and discuss how—as social creatures—humans have evolved for bias.

But bias is not inherently bad. The key to seeing things differently, according to Beau Lotto, is to "embody the fact" that everything is grounded in assumptions, to identify those assumptions, and then to question them.

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TRANSCRIPT:

0:00 Intro

0:30 Robert Sapolsky on the hardwiring of social creatures and the “runaway trolley problem.

4:53 Alexander Todorov on typicality and how we perceive faces.

6:46 Dan Shapiro on when tribe loyalty supersedes logic.

8:00 Amy Chua on the importance of grouping our identities.

8:47 Dividing into groups is inevitable,says Sapolsky, but how we divide is fluid.

10:44 Beau Lotto and Todorov discuss how our brains evolved for assumptions and the psychological functions of first impressions.

Our brain evolved to take what is meaningless to make it meaningful. Everything you do right now is grounded in your assumptions. Not sometimes, but all the time.

We are kind of hardwired to figure out the intentions of other people.

We turn the world into us's and thems. And we don't like the thems very much and are often really awful to them.

That's the challenge of our tribalistic world that we're in right now.

ROBERT SAPOLSKY: When you look at some of the most appalling realms of our behavior, much of it has to do with the fact that social organisms are really, really hardwired to make a basic dichotomy about the social world, which is those organisms who count as us's and those who count as thems. And this is virtually universal among humans. And this is virtually universal among all sorts of social primates that have aspects of social structures built around separate social groupings, us's and thems. We turn the world into us's and thems and we don't like the thems very much and are often really awful to them. And the us's, we exaggerate how wonderful and how generous and how affiliative and how just like siblings they are to us. We divide the world into us and them. And one of the greatest ways of seeing just biologically how real this fault line is is there's this hormone oxytocin. Oxytocin is officially the coolest, grooviest hormone on Earth because what everybody knows is it enhances mother infant bonding, and it enhances pair bonding in couples.

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"Inside the Making of Comic Legend Jim Lee" Sep 11, 2024

@JimLee, President, Publisher, and Chief Creative Officer of @dcofficial tells us how his childhood obsession with Superman changed his life. Jim Lee is synonymous with DC Comics now, but when he was first charting his path, his family pushed him towards medical school. In this interview, Jim shares how he reasoned with his parents and bought time to pursue his dream of being a comic book artist over the span of a gap year.

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About Jim Lee: Jim Lee, a world-renowned comic book artist, writer, editor and publisher, is currently Chief Creative Officer of DC (DC) and Publisher for the company. Known for his incredibly detailed and dynamic artistic style, Lee is one of the most revered and respected artists in American comics. A veritable legend in the industry, he has received numerous accolades and recognition for his work, including the Harvey Special Award for New Talent in 1990, the Inkpot Award in 1992, and the Wizard Fan Award in 1996, 2002 and 2003. Get Smarter Faster, With Daily Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers......

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You need data literacy now more than ever – here’s how to master it | Talithia Williams Sep 11, 2024

In a world where our decisions are increasingly influenced by data, understanding the information we encounter has never been more essential. Dr. Talithia Williams explains the case for data literacy.

Dr. Talithia Williams, a math professor and science communicator, shares her take on why understanding data is now more important than ever. Using examples like noticing targeted ads after a conversation, Williams shows how data shapes our everyday experiences. But she also warns of the dangers, like biases in data-driven models that can lead to unfair outcomes. While AI and machine learning offer powerful insights, it’s up to us to ensure these tools are used fairly and accurately.

Dr. Williams also emphasizes that by deepening our understanding of data, we can better navigate the challenges that arise in our daily lives. She encourages us to see data not just as numbers, but as a tool for making more informed, fairer decisions in our bewilderingly complex world.

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About Dr. Talithia Williams:

Talithia Williams, PhD, is a Professor of Mathematics and the Mathematics Clinic Director at Harvey Mudd College. She develops statistical models focused on environmental issues, including a cataract model for the World Health Organization to predict surgical rates in Africa.

Known for making complex numerical concepts accessible, Williams inspires others through her dedication to STEM education. Williams has worked with NASA, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the National Security Agency (NSA).

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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"How to Manage Your Emotions and Stop Passing Them On to Others | Cassandra Worthy" Sep 11, 2024

You might suppress your emotions when you walk through the door at work. But your colleagues can still feel them. Author Cassandra Worthy explains how to transform negative thoughts into positive ones. Cassandra Worthy, the author of Change Enthusiasm: How to Harness the Power of Emotion for Leadership and Success, believes that emotions can have a uniquely strong influence on our personal and professional lives. According to Worthy, emotions don't turn off when we walk into a business setting or turn on our laptops, and we can catch the emotions of those around us, both positive and negative. This phenomenon is called emotional contagion, and it can have a significant impact on our mood and productivity. Worthy suggests that suppressing emotions can lead to physical ailments and that it's important to acknowledge and transform them instead of ignoring them. Emotions can be transferred, transformed, or conserved, and by becoming more self-aware of our emotions, we can transform negative thoughts into positive ones. This transformation can help us reach our goals and fuel our personal evolution.

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chapters:

0:00 Emotional contagion at work

1:02 5 ‘signal emotions’ we suppress: Fear, frustration, anger, anxiety, grief

2:16 Can physics help? Conserve, transfer, or transform emotion

3:55 Unlocking self-awareness: The weeds and the soil

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About Cassandra Worthy: Cassandra Worthy is the world’s leading expert on Change Enthusiasm®. She is lighting the world on fire with her refreshingly unique take on not just ‘managing’ but growing through change. Her leadership development and consulting company Change Enthusiasm Global creates value at the intersection of change and emotion in the workplace. Worthy's mission is to bring this revolutionary and research-backed approach for embracing change and using it to propel you to new heights with people all over the world. She is trusted by clients around the globe including Google, Johnson & Johnson, Bank of America, Sanofi, Zoom, and Cisco. After spending nearly 15 years working as an executive within both Procter & Gamble and Berkshire Hathaway thriving through some of the biggest acquisitions ever recorded in the consumer packaged goods industry, Worthy decided to cultivate the mindset and tools she practiced to grow through these disruptions in a way that inspires, invigorates, and motivates others to grow through their greatest change challenges. Change Enthusiasm® has become much more than just a mindset, it's a worldwide movement.

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"The Most Powerful Way to Think About Money | Paula Pant - BIG THINK" Sep 11, 2024

Financial expert Paula Pant explains how you can afford anything, but not everything.

It's oh-so-easy to look at shiny, quickly rewarding options for your money as a ticket to financial independence. A big hit on the stock market; a hockey sticking cryptocurrency; an app that can put you on the path to easy street. But truly building financial independence is a life-long process, says Paula Pant, the host of the Afford Anything podcast. Think of your finances like a tree. While the leaves and fruit are grabby and exciting, they aren't where the tree's strength lies: that's in the roots. So too do healthy finances begin from a core base: figuring out what you value most, what you truly want to afford. From there, you can make the long term plans to see that come to fruition. With a stable, value-driven approach and some discipline, a world of freedom can open before you. You may not be able to buy everything, but you can buy anything.

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Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 Afford anything (not everything)

1:03 First principles thinking

2:30 Financial independence

3:35 Simple steps to independence

4:31 The 20% rule

5:18 Survive a scary economy

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About Paula Pant: Paula Pant is the host of the Afford Anything podcast, an award-winning show with more than 24 million downloads. It was named by the New York Times as one of “7 Podcasts Your Wallet Will Love.” She is also the founder of Afford Anything, a personal finance brand with more than 75,000 newsletter subscribers. She is a Knight-Bagehot Business and Economics Journalism Fellow at Columbia University. Pant is frequently featured in financial media including Money Magazine, the Washington Post, Oprah.com, CNBC, Fortune, Marie Claire, Marketplace Money, Men’s Health, Real Simple, Outside Magazine, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, and more. She’s spoken at the “Talks at Google” series and guest lectured at Georgetown University. She lives in New York City

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"How Design Shapes Our World: Unveiling the Hidden Power of Branding | Debbie Millman" Sep 11, 2024

Branding isn’t buzz — we’ve been doing it for thousands of years.

Up Next ► How Apple and Nike have branded your brain • How Apple and Nike have branded your ...

Design and branding are inherently a part of human nature. They serve as a way of signaling to others, non-verbally, who we are, what we believe in, and what is important to us.

There was a time when consumers were exclusively interested in a company's products — upgrades, different flavors, different colors.

But today, consumers want to know if the companies that they are buying from are worthy of their money. Do the companies practice good ethics? Do they have certain values? That's something that we have really never seen before.

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About Debbie Millman:

Named “one of the most creative people in business” by Fast Company, and “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, Debbie Millman is also an author, educator, curator and host of the podcast Design Matters. Debbie’s podcast, Design Matters is one of the first and longest running podcasts, and as host and founder, Millman has interviewed nearly 500 of the most creative people in the world over the past 17 years. Design Matters won a 2011 Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, in 2015 Apple designated it one of the best overall podcasts on iTunes, and in 2021 designated it one of their “All Time Favorite Podcasts.” In addition, the show has been nominated for six Webby Awards, and has been listed on over 100 “Best Podcasts” lists, including one of the best podcasts in the world by Business Insider and Vanity Fair.

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Why Progress Might Be a Myth: The Surprising Power of Rationality Revealed Sep 10, 2024

Is it better to be rational or optimistic? Steven Pinker explains.

There is no force in the Universe called progress. But there are plenty of natural forces that seem to only make it harder for us to make progress as a species, such as disease, the laws of entropy, and the dark sides of human nature.

So, what pushes humanity forward in the face of all these obstacles? To the psychologist Steven Pinker, the answer is rationality: When people use their reasoning skills and other cognitive abilities to help improve the lives of others, the result is progress.

From pseudoscience to religious extremism, irrational beliefs can cause real harm. That’s why Pinker argues that society would be better off if more people learned to be more rational.

Chapters for Easier Navigation:-

0:00 The bad news: reality

0:39 The good news: rationality

1:26 How rational are we?

3:04 Even Americans, though? (Rationality inequality)

4:45 The pinnacle of human rationality

5:45 How can you teach critical thinking? How?

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About Steven Pinker:

Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist who conducts research in visual cognition, psycholinguistics, and social relations. He grew up in Montreal and earned his BA from McGill and his PhD from Harvard. Currently Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard, he has also taught at Stanford and MIT. He has won numerous prizes for his research, his teaching, and his nine books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate, The Better Angels of Our Nature, The Sense of Style, and Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.

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Failure Doesn’t Matter—How You Fail Does | Amy Edmondson - BIG THINK+ Sep 10, 2024

There are three kinds of failure. Only one can help you have a better shot of succeeding in the future. Amy Edmondson, a Harvard professor recently named the #1 thinker in business and management at the Thinkers50 Awards, and author of RIGHT KIND OF WRONG explains.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 intro

0:45 basic failure

1:55 intelligent failure

2:46 learning from failure

4:55 overcome the fear of failure

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Amy Edmondson, a professor at Harvard Business School, explores the concept of failure and its connection to success. She challenges our prevailing cultural belief that success requires avoiding failure altogether and instead suggests that failing is a natural part of the path forward. Amy also shares her three types of failure and outlines four criteria for failing smarter.

About Amy Edmondson: Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011 and was ranked #1 in 2021; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019 and Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets. Edmondson received her PhD in organizational behavior, AM in psychology, and AB in engineering and design from Harvard University.

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Mixing human + animal DNA and the future of gene editing | Big Think Sep 10, 2024

As the material that makes all living things what/who we are, DNA is the key to understanding and changing the world. British geneticist Bryan Sykes and Francis Collins, director of the Human Genome Project, explain how, through gene editing, scientists can better treat illnesses, eradicate diseases, and revolutionize personalized medicine.

But existing and developing gene editing technologies are not without controversies. A major point of debate deals with the idea that gene editing is overstepping natural and ethical boundaries. Just because they can, does that mean that scientists should edit DNA?

Harvard professor Glenn Cohen introduces another subcategory of gene experiments: mixing human and animal DNA. "The question is which are okay, which are not okay, why can we generate some principles," Cohen says of human-animal chimeras and arguments concerning improving human life versus morality.

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TRANSCRIPT:

0:00 Intro

0:41 Bryan Sykes, What We Need to Know About Genes

3:24 Francis Collins, Linking Genes to Disease

8:39 Glenn Cohen, Crossing Human Genes With Animals

BRYAN SYKES: Genetics and DNA does get to the central issue of what makes us tick. It's perhaps too determinist to say that your genes determine everything you do. They don't, but, if you like, it's like the deck of cards that you're dealt at birth. What you do with that deck, like any card game, depends a lot on your choices, but it is influenced by those cards, those genes that you got when you were born.

What I've enjoyed about genetics is looking to see what it tells us about where we've come from because those pieces of DNA, they came from somewhere. They weren't just sort of plucked out of the air. They came from ancestors. And it's a very good way of finding out about your ancestors, not only who they are, but just imagining their lives. You're made up of DNA from thousands and millions of ancestors who've lived in the past, most of them now dead, but they've survived, they've got through, they've passed their DNA onto their children, and it's come down to you. It doesn't matter who you are. You could be the President. You could be the Prime Minister. You could be the head of a big corporation. You could be a taxi driver. You could be someone who lives on the street. But the same is true of everybody. I can see a time, long after I've gone but when, in fact, everyone will know their relationship to everybody else. It is possible, if anybody wants to do it or can afford it, you could actually, I think, draw the family tree of the entire world by linking up the segments of DNA. So you could find out in what way everyone was related to everybody else.

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"The Metaverse: A Golden Opportunity to Fix the Internet’s Mistakes | Matthew Ball - BIG THINK" Sep 10, 2024

Expert Matthew Ball explains how the Metaverse is a golden opportunity to fix the internet.

The Metaverse does not yet exist. At the moment, it is a vision of the future of the internet.

One problem facing its development is that current problems with the internet — like misinformation, privacy issues, and security breaches — have not been solved. Inside the Metaverse, these problems could be amplified.

Thankfully, developers, consumers, voters, and regulators have the power to implement change.

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About Matthew Ball:

Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, a diversified holding company which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games. Ball is also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and sits on the board of numerous start-ups. His first book, “The Metaverse and How it Will Revolutionize Everything”, was published in July 2022 and became an instant national and international bestseller. Ball is also an “Occasional Contributor” to The Economist, holds bylines at Bloomberg, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and wrote the August 8, 2022 cover story for Time Magazine.

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The real risks of psychedelics, explained by an expert | Dr. Matthew Johnson - BIGTHINK Sep 04, 2024

The real risks of psychedelics, explained by Johns Hopkins professor Dr. Matthew Johnson.

A pattern emerges when you compare the harmfulness of different types of psychoactive drugs: alcohol and hard drugs like heroin and crack cocaine rank as the most harmful, while psychedelic substances like psilocybin and LSD score as the least harmful.

It’s perhaps not too surprising. After all, psychedelic substances are generally non-toxic and medically safe to consume. The drugs do not come with the same kind of overdose risks that substances like alcohol and heroin do.

Still, psychedelics can have profound effects on the psyche. Bad trips are a real phenomenon. But bad trips are sometimes the result of an interplay between the drugs and the user’s environment. As explained by Dr. Matthew W. Johnson, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, the conditions under which someone experiences psychedelics can significantly influence the trip — for the worse or the better.

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About Matthew Johnson:

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment. In 2021 he received as principal investigator the first grant in 50 years from the US government for a treatment study with a classic psychedelic, specifically psilocybin in treatment of tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drug classes. He’s been Interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Fox News, Fox Business News, BBC and in Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind....

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Your Brain Shapes Reality, Not Just Perceives It | Lisa Feldman Barrett - BIGTHINK Sep 04, 2024

This interview is an episode from @The-Well , our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Our perception of reality is not an exact representation of the objective truth but rather a combination of sensory inputs and the brain’s interpretation of these signals. This interpretation is influenced by past experiences and is often predictive, with the brain creating categories of similar instances to anticipate future events. The brain’s categorization process extends beyond physical characteristics to include abstract, functional features. This ability allows humans to create “social reality,” where we collectively assign functions or meanings to objects or concepts that don’t inherently possess them, such as the value of money or the concept of borders and citizenship. The brain’s capacity for imagination, drawing from past experiences to create something entirely new, is a double-edged sword. While it allows for creativity and innovation, it can also lead to difficulties in staying present.

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Chapters:-

0:00 The debate over reality

0:57 Objective reality

3:54 Social reality

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About Lisa Feldman Barrett: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists in the world, having published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior. She is the recipient of a NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and from the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies. She is the author of How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and more recently, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.

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"ADAPT TO SUCCEED" A CEO’s guide on how to thrive in the changing world | Chip Conley - BIGTHINK Sep 02, 2024

He revolutionized hospitality, twice. Chip Conley, co-founder of Modern Elder Academy, shares his secrets to being able to evolve in an ever-changing world.

Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre and former Airbnb executive, reflects on the dynamics of age, wisdom, and curiosity in the ever-evolving world.

In this Legends interview, Conley shares his experiences challenging conventional norms in the hospitality industry, navigating the dot-com boom and bust, and embracing the role of a "modern elder" at Airbnb.

Conley offers a thought-provoking exploration of the ways curiosity and wisdom intersect. In a world that's rapidly changing, discover why being open to new mindsets is not just an option but a key to longevity and happiness.

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About Chip Conley:

Chip Conley, founder of MEA, the first midlife wisdom school, and New York Times bestselling author, reflects on the dynamics of age, wisdom, and curiosity in the ever-evolving world.

In our Legends interview, Conley, who founded his boutique hotel company Joie de Vivre at 26 years old and was a former Airbnb executive, shares his experiences challenging conventional norms in the hospitality industry, navigating the dot-com boom and bust, and embracing the role of a “modern elder” at Airbnb.

Conley offers a thought-provoking exploration of the ways curiosity and wisdom intersect. In a world that’s rapidly changing, discover why being open to new mindsets is not just an option but a key to longevity and happiness....

Pre-order Conley's newest book, Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age now

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How to tell stories that give you meaning | Jane Goodall, Terry Crews & Dan McAdams - BIGTHINK Sep 02, 2024

Are we the stories we tell? Kmele sat down with legendary conservationist Jane Goodall, actor Terry Crews and psychologist Dan McAdams to discuss how humanity makes its meaning.

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

In the fourth episode of Dispatches from The Well, our host Kmele Foster unravels the significance of storytelling in the human experience. From the profound words of psychologist Dan McAdams to the life stories shared by renowned conservationist Jane Goodall and actor Terry Crews, we delve deep into the art of narrative creation.

We set out to explore how we craft narratives to make sense of our past, present, and future, forging our identities and purpose along the way. Join us as we contemplate the timeless question: Are we the stories we tell?

This episode invites you to ponder the intricate tapestry of existence, where storytelling serves as the compass guiding our journey through the enigmatic cosmos.

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About Kmele Foster:

Kmele Foster is a media entrepreneur, commentator, and regular contributor to various national publications. He is the co-founder and co-host of The Fifth Column, a popular media criticism podcast.

He is the head of content at Founders Fund, a San Francisco based venture capital firm investing in companies building revolutionary technologies, and a partner at Freethink, a digital media company focused on the people and ideas changing our world.

Kmele also serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).

------------

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds....

Together, let's learn from them.

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Harvard professor debunks the biggest exercise myths | Daniel Lieberman Sep 02, 2024

Exercise culture is crazy. But what you need to do is exceedingly simple.

Up Next ► Does exercise enhance creativity? • Does Exercise Enhance Creativity? | ...

We hold many misconceptions about exercise. For example, we believe our ancestors were incredibly strong, or that there is a tradeoff between speed and strength.

The worst myth is that it’s normal to be less physically active as you get older. But modern hunter-gatherers remain physically active as they age.

Humans need about 150 minutes of exercise per week to be healthy, but 80% of us aren’t getting even that. A good solution is simply walking more.

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About Daniel Lieberman:

Daniel Lieberman is Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and a professor of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He received degrees from Harvard and Cambridge, and taught at Rutgers University and George Washington University before joining Harvard University as a Professor in 2001. He is a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Lieberman loves teaching and has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, many in journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS, as well as three popular books, The Evolution of the Human Head (2011), The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease (2013), and Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding (2020).

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The #1 Cause of Burnout Isn't What You Think | Liz Wiseman - BIGTHINK+ Aug 31, 2024

Burnout doesn’t happen because of too much work. Liz Wiseman, an executive advisor, suggests it’s something else entirely.

We normally associate burnout with being overworked, but that’s not actually the cause of it. Studies show that when you’re working on something you feel passionate about — when you feel impact — you’re often able to go on much longer and be more productive than when you’re simply going with the motions. Executive advisor Liz Wiseman shares the difference between the kinds of people who burnout easily and those who self-generate a dynamic environment for themselves in the workplace.

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About Liz Wiseman: Liz Wiseman is a researcher and executive advisor who teaches leadership to executives around the world. She is the author of New York Times bestseller Multipliers and Wall Street Journal bestsellers Rookie Smarts and Impact Players. She is the CEO of The Wiseman Group, a leadership research and development firm headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. Some of her recent clients include: Apple, AT&T, Coca-Cola, Disney, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, Nike, Salesforce, Tesla and X. She writes for Harvard Business Review, Fortune and a variety of other business and leadership journals. She is a frequent guest lecturer at BYU and Stanford University and is a former executive at Oracle Corporation, where she worked as the Vice President of Oracle University and as the global leader for Human Resource Development. Liz has received the top achievement award for leadership from Thinkers50 and has consistently been named one of the world’s top 50 management thinkers.

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Master your ANXIETY and Unleash your GENIUS | Jesse Eisenberg for Big Think+ Aug 30, 2024

Actor, author, and director Jesse Eisenberg demystifies the role of anxiety and self-doubt in leadership.

In a candid exploration of the forces that drive creativity and success, Jesse Eisenberg delves into the paradoxes of the creative process and leadership.

With striking honesty, Eisenberg reveals how anxiety, self-doubt, and fear have been unlikely catalysts in his multifaceted career as an actor, writer, and director. Beyond the glare of Hollywood, he shares personal anecdotes that shed light on the complexities of navigating public perception, criticism, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

Eisenberg's journey is a testament to the transformative power of reframing vulnerability as a source of strength, offering profound insights into the art of leadership. Through a lens of empathy and humility, he challenges conventional notions of authority, showcasing how leading with a quiet confidence can inspire innovation and collaboration.

This dialogue invites a deeper understanding of how emotional intelligence and a willingness to embrace the unknown are pivotal in cultivating a culture of creativity and resilience in any field.

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About Jesse Eisenberg:

Jesse Eisenberg is an Academy Award nominated actor and an acclaimed playwright and author.

Eisenberg’s film credits include Roger Dodger, The Squid and the Whale, Adventureland, Zombieland, The Social Network, Now You See Me, The Double, Night Moves, The End of Tour, American Ultra, Louder Than Bombs, Batman v. Superman, Now You See Me 2, Café Society, Justice League, The Hummingbird Project, The Art of Self Defense, Zombieland: Double Tap, Resistance, Vivarium,Wild Indian, Manodrome, and Sasquatch Sunset which sees him play the urban legend Sasquatch.

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Physics’ greatest mystery: Michio Kaku explains the God Equation | Big Think Aug 30, 2024

"It's no exaggeration to say that the greatest minds of the entire human race have made proposals for this grand final theory of everything," says theoretical physicist Michio Kaku.

This theory, also known as the God Equation, would unify all the basic concepts of physics into one. According to Kaku, the best, most "mathematically consistent" candidate so far is string theory, but there are objections.

"The biggest objection is you can't test it," Kaku explains, "but we're getting closer and closer."

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How dirty debaters WIN against better opponents | Bo Seo - BIGTHINK Aug 30, 2024

How to defeat debaters who deal in distractions, according to two-time world debate champion Bo Seo.

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chapters for easier navigation:

0:00 intro

1:38 the dodger

2:17 the twister

3:00 the wrangler

3:34 the liar

3:55 plug and replace

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Bo Seo, a two-time world debate champion, watched the 2016 presidential debates between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton and was disappointed by the unedifying spectacle that the debates had become.

Seo saw the potential for the format of debate to be exploited and degraded, and he believes that the capacity to disagree well or poorly is within all of us.

Seo identified four common types of bad arguers: the dodger, who changes the topic; the twister, who misrepresents the point being made; the wrangler, who is never satisfied and never offers an alternative; and the liar, who makes false or misleading statements. To Seo, these negative impulses must be managed in order to guide arguments towards being more productive and positive.

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About Bo Seo:

Bo Seo is a two-time world champion debater and a former coach of the Australian national debating team and the Harvard College Debating Union. One of the most recognized figures in the global debate community, he has won both the World Schools Debating Championship and the World Universities Debating Championship. Bo has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic, CNN, and many other publications. He has worked as a national reporter for the Australian Financial Review and has been a regular panelist on the prime time Australian debate program, The Drum. Bo graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University and received a master’s degree in public policy from Tsinghua University. He is currently a student at Harvard Law School...

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Change bad spending habits in 5 steps | Your Brain on Money EP.08 - BIGTHINK Aug 29, 2024

Addicted to spending money you want to save? Here’s how to stop. About 40% of the things you do each day are habits. Because we don't maintain conscious control over our habits, bad ones can be hard to break. Habits are a way for our brain to utilize fewer resources to accomplish a task that we perform repetitively. Many of our financial decisions are based on habits. So, to make better financial decisions, we need to cultivate good habits....

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chapters:-

0:00 Making your habits visible to you

1:22 The neuroscience of habits

3:13 What bad and good habits do people have?

4:43 5 specific actions to build better habits

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What we get wrong about learning — and how to reframe it Aug 29, 2024

Can the power of community transform our educational systems for the better? This neuroscientist says absolutely.

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang is a neuroscientist and USC professor, and she has spent her career studying education and the ways we can enhance it. Her findings claim that diversity has a huge impact on brain growth and even life experience. She explains that similarly to how fabric is composed of thousands of intricately woven threads, our schools need the active coordination of many people and skills, making them stronger together.

Immordino-Yang stresses the importance of this strong social fabric, explaining that spending time around those who differ from us can help us become adaptable and truly deepen our understanding of the world around us. This idea calls for a new approach to education, where teachers and students work together to create systems of learning that help them grow alongside one another, instead of on confined and isolated paths.

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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Is there an afterlife? Here’s what he saw while he was ‘dead’ | Bruce Greyson for Big Think Aug 29, 2024

What if death isn’t the end? NDEs may complicate what science teaches us about death and consciousness.

Up Next ► Are near-death experiences real? Here’s what science has to say • Are near-death experiences real? Here...

Thousands of people across the world and throughout the centuries have reported near-death experiences (NDEs). Most NDEs share one common trait: an overwhelming sense of spirituality and connection with the Divine.

NDEs strongly hint at the existence of an afterlife, but not everyone agrees.

NDE research has raised more questions than answers. For example: Are we just physical machines, spiritual beings, or both? Does consciousness survive brain death?

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About Dr. Bruce Greyson:

Dr. Bruce Greyson is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the UVA School of Medicine. He served on the medical school faculty at the Universities of Michigan, Connecticut, and Virginia. He was a co-founder and President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, and Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies. His award-winning research led him to become a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and to be invited by the Dalai Lama to participate in a dialogue between Western scientists and Buddhist monks in India.

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We need sustainable space tech. One solution - bees? | Danielle Wood | Big Think Aug 29, 2024

The objects humans send to space teach us a lot about the universe, but they are also cluttering it up. While some objects are close enough to be retrieved, others become dangerous, fast-moving bullets that can cause serious damage.

In addition to cleaning up what's already there, MIT Assistant Professor Danielle Wood says that we need to think more sustainably about the technology used in future missions. "We have to ask the question, will we respect the rights of people and the environment as we go forward in space," Wood says.

One possible solution is a wax-based fuel source (made of beeswax and candle wax) for satellites that would be less toxic and more affordable than currently used inorganic compounds, and that would help bring the objects closer to Earth for deorbiting and destruction.

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Former IBM CEO Shares 3 Essential Rules for Leaders | Ginni Rometty - BIGTHINK Aug 29, 2024

Former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty reveals the secret to “good power.” In her book "Good Power," former IBM CEO Ginni Rometty challenges the negative connotations often associated with the concept of power. She argues that power can be a force for good, and that building belief is at the heart of good power. Building belief involves creating an environment in which people voluntarily want to do something, rather than being ordered to do so out of fear. Rometty suggests that co-creating the future with others, rather than dictating it, is a key element of building belief. It is important to make the process personal by showing empathy for those involved and being authentic and honest about the challenges ahead. Rometty draws on her own experiences to illustrate these principles. For example, when IBM acquired PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, she acknowledged the risks involved and showed empathy for the changes employees would have to go through. Ultimately, Rometty believes that building belief and empowering others — rather than attempting to sway them with money — is key to being a successful leader. She urges leaders to focus on building their own power first and then using that power to influence and inspire others toward a common goal. About Ginni Rometty: Ginni Rometty was the ninth chairman, president, and CEO of IBM. Under her leadership, the 100-year-old company reinvented 50% of its portfolio, built a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, and established leadership in AI and quantum computing. Rometty also drove record results in diversity and inclusion and supported the explosive growth of an innovative high school program to prepare the workforce of the future in more than twenty-eight countries. Through her work with the Business Roundtable, Rometty helped redefine the purpose of the corporation. She has been named Fortune's #1 Most Powerful Woman three years in a row, is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and was honored with the designation of Officier in the French Légion d'Honneur. Today Rometty serves on multiple boards and cochairs OneTen, a coalition committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting one million Black Americans by 2030 into family-sustaining jobs and careers.

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Protecting space stations from deadly space debris | Big Think Aug 29, 2024

NASA estimates that more than 500,000 pieces of space trash larger than a marble are currently in orbit. Estimates exceed 128 million pieces when factoring in smaller pieces from collisions. At 17,500 MPH, even a paint chip can cause serious damage.

To prevent this untrackable space debris from taking out satellites and putting astronauts in danger, scientists have been working on ways to retrieve large objects before they collide and create more problems.

The team at Clearspace, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, is on a mission to capture one such object using an autonomous spacecraft with claw-like arms. It’s an expensive and very tricky mission, but one that could have a major impact on the future of space exploration.

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The metaverse explained in 14 minutes | Matthew Ball Aug 29, 2024

Why should anyone care about the metaverse? Expert Matthew Ball explains what it is, what it isn’t, and why it matters.

Up Next ► Why virtual reality is necessary on a planet of 11 billion • Why virtual reality is necessary on a...

By the end of the decade, the Metaverse could be worth between $6 trillion and $13 trillion. But what is it?

The Metaverse is not simply immersive virtual reality or a really cool video game. It's a combination of technologies that allows an unlimited number of users to experience real-time rendered, 3D virtual worlds synchronously and persistently.

It is difficult to predict how the Metaverse will evolve, just as it was nearly impossible to predict the emergence of Facebook during the era of Windows 95. The Metaverse will not replace the internet, but will build upon and extend it.

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Chapters

00:00 - Intro

01:22 - What the Metaverse is not

02:30 - 10-part definition of the Metaverse

02:56 - Part 1: Massively-scaled

03:23 - Part 2: Virtual worlds

03:51 - Part 3: 3D

04:26 - Part 4: Interoperable network

05:41 - Part 5: Real-time rendering

06:14 - Part 6: Synchronous

06:45 - Part 7: Persistent

08:00 - Parts 8 & 9: Unlimited users with individual sense of presence

08:22 - Part 10: Continuity of data

08:55 - Technological eras are bundles

09:17 - 7 subcategories of the Metaverse

09:27 - Subcategory 1: Hardware

09:45 - Subcategory 2: Networking

09:57 - Subcategory 3: Computer powers

10:13 - Subcategory 4: Virtual platforms

10:45 - Subcategory 5: Interoperability standards

11:05 - Subcategory 6: Payment rails

11:18 - Subcategory 7: CAIS

11:46 - 5 stunning Metaverse examples

13:08 - Why do we need to learn about it now?

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About Matthew Ball:

Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, a diversified holding company which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games.

Ball is also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and sits on the board of numerous start-ups. His first book, “The Metaverse and How it Will Revolutionize Everything”, was published in July 2022 and became an instant national and international bestseller. Ball is also an “Occasional Contributor” to The Economist, holds bylines at Bloomberg, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and wrote the August 8, 2022 cover story for Time Magazine.

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12 traits emotionally intelligent people share (You can learn them) | Daniel Goleman for Big Think+ Aug 28, 2024

Sure, IQ is important, but is it as impactful as emotional intelligence? Renowned psychologist and author Daniel Goleman explains.

The concept of emotional intelligence (EQ) can be traced back to ancient philosophies, but it was Goleman’s bestseller ‘Emotional Intelligence’ that popularized the term in 1995. According to Goleman, while IQ and smarts can get you good grades and jumpstart your career, it's EQ (what the psychologist often refers to as EI) that sets apart the top performers and leaders in their careers.

Unlike IQ, which remains relatively static throughout life, emotional intelligence can be developed and refined at any age. Goleman emphasizes that enhancing our EQ can make our communities more compassionate, improve how we parent, and help us take better care of the environment.

This knowledge - especially the fact that EQ can be enhanced over time - gives us a powerful tool for personal growth. Understanding and improving our emotional intelligence can directly lead us to better relationships, and can shape our lives with more fulfillment and, eventually, success.

Timestamps:

0:00 - IQ

1:28 - EQ

3:20 - The 4 domains

5:16 - Habit change lesson

7:11 - Emotional (un)intelligence

9:33 - The bus driver

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About Daniel Goleman:

Daniel Goleman is a former science journalist for the New York Times and co-founder of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning at the Yale University Child Studies Center (now at the University of Illinois, at Chicago). His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books) was on The New York Times bestseller list for a year and a half.

Goleman is also the author of Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything. The book argues that new information technologies will create “radical transparency,” allowing us to know the environmental, health, and social consequences of what we buy. As shoppers use point-of-purchase ecological comparisons to guide their purchases, market share will shift to support steady, incremental upgrades in how products are made – changing every thing for the better.

His other books include Optimal and Altered Traits.

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Why so many people work “bullshit jobs”| James Suzman | Big Think Aug 28, 2024

Why so many people work “bullshit jobs,” with James Suzman

Up next ►► How to find a meaningful job, or find purpose in the job you already have | Aaron Hurst • How to find a meaningful job, or find...

Our society is fixated on working. Some of us work 80 hours per week at jobs that don’t fulfill us simply for work's sake. Expert anthropologists, such as James Suzman, even go as far as to say that many of the jobs we work could be considered "bullshit jobs" - a complex job that is not entirely needed in the workforce. These jobs are created and executed because our culture, and lifestyle, are organized around the 8-hour workday.

So why do we work "bullshit jobs?" Many economists would say it is to fix the problem of scarcity. But what many do not know is that in our society, we passed the scarcity threshold in 1980, and most everyone has their basic needs met. So much so that more food goes into our landfills than goes into our stomachs. If scarcity is no longer an issue, why are we still working over 40 hours per week? It's because people have a humane instinct to work and be productive.

If the 40-hour workweek is no longer serving our society, could we be approaching a new economic utopia? Suzman thinks so. In the present day, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, many workers are turning away from unfulfilling jobs and diving headfirst into their hobbies - cooking, writing, painting, and creating. If we keep on this path, our entire economic system is bound to change, making for a richer world where everyone does the work they want to be doing.

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About James Suzman:

James Suzman, Phd is an anthropologist specializing in the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa. A former Smuts Fellow in African Studies at the University of Cambridge, he is now the director of Anthropos Ltd., a think tank that applies anthropological methods to solving contemporary social and economic problems.

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3 brain hacks to control your Amazon addiction (from a neuroscientist) | Your Brain on Money Aug 27, 2024

“From the evolutionary perspective, the human brain evolved to feel first and think later,” says neuroscientist and marketing consultant Terry Wu. The part of our brain that controls emotions (the limbic system) and the part that deals with rational thought (the frontal cortex) can send conflicting signals, which leads to bad decision-making.

Stress, easy access to online shopping platforms, and other factors cause the limbic system to overtake the frontal cortex as we seek instant gratification. Retailers cater to our emotional brain so that we shop more, but there are ways to resist the manipulation.

“The important thing is to create some barriers between our desire to shop and shopping,“ says Wu, who suggests establishing designating shopping days, using physical activity to lower stress, and seeking support from friends.

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Our ancient ancestors weren’t jacked. They were energy savers. | Daniel Lieberman Aug 27, 2024

Pro-athletes are entertainers. Being healthy means something else.

Up Next ► Harvard professor debunks the biggest exercise myths • Harvard professor debunks the biggest...

There's a cost to keeping your body running. For every five breaths you take, one is paying for your brain, one is paying for your liver, and another is paying for your muscles.

On average, your body spends about 1,400 calories per day just keeping you alive, even if you're doing nothing else. This helps explain why we tend to avoid unnecessary physical activity.

For our ancestors, finding food could be incredibly difficult, so they didn't waste energy. Today, even though have energy sources ready at our fingertips, we still naturally protect how we spend that energy.

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About Daniel Lieberman:

Daniel Lieberman is Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and a professor of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He received degrees from Harvard and Cambridge, and taught at Rutgers University and George Washington University before joining Harvard University as a Professor in 2001. He is a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Lieberman loves teaching and has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, many in journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS, as well as three popular books, The Evolution of the Human Head (2011), The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease (2013), and Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding (2020).

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Your reptilian brain, explained | Robert Sapolsky | Big Think Aug 27, 2024

What's the best way to think about the brain? While most of us think of it as a dense gray matter that’s separate from the physical body, that actually couldn’t be further from the truth. Our brain is made up of 3 layers, and each layer not only directly impacts the other, but has control over the physical body and how you feel.

The 3 functional layers of the brain are the reptilian brain, the limbic system, and the cerebral cortex. The reptilian brain controls the regulatory systems in your body like hormones, body temperature, blood pressure, and even hunger. The limbic system is the emotional function of your brain, making you feel fear, anger, joy, or gratitude. Finally, the cerebral cortex is the most evolved part of the brain that oversees impulse control, decision making, and long-term planning.

With a better understanding of how each part of the brain functions, we can have more mindful thoughts that will influence more favorable decision-making and outcomes in life. For example, when you think of your favorite memory or something that makes you happy, your reptilian brain will quickly cool down your body and even lower your blood pressure. This can then lead to feeling less stressed, and finding more joy throughout the day.

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About Robert M. Sapolsky:

Robert M. Sapolsky holds degrees from Harvard and Rockefeller Universities and is currently a Professor of Biology and Neurology at Stanford University and a Research Associate with the Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya. His most recent book is Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst.

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Is the Metaverse a DYSTOPIAN nightmare? | Matthew Ball - BIGTHINK Aug 27, 2024

Two-thirds of our days are spent alone. The Metaverse will bring us together, argues leading Metaverse thinker Matthew Ball.

Will the metaverse lean more toward dystopia or utopia? If you base your answer solely on Hollywood’s vision of the future, you might say the former, considering that blockbusters like “The Matrix” and “Blade Runner” paint an ominous future where technology has helped fuel massive inequality and human suffering.

But that’s just one vision. In many ways, humans have been exploring metaverse-like worlds for decades, through text-based role-playing games to “Second Life” to the consumer-grade VR systems that have become popular over the past decade — and we’ve done it all without ushering in a dystopia.

The metaverse will soon enable immersive, collaborative, and social experiences that could change not only leisure, but also learning. For young students, the technology could replace paper mache models of volcanoes with something very much like “The Magic School Bus.”

That’s not to say there aren’t legitimate concerns about the metaverse, especially when it comes to questions about who owns what in this emerging world. Matthew Ball, author of “The Metaverse,” explains more in this interview with Big Think.

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About Matthew Ball:

Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, a diversified holding company which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games. Ball is also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and sits on the board of numerous start-ups. His first book, “The Metaverse and How it Will Revolutionize Everything”, was published in July 2022 and became an instant national and international bestseller. Ball is also an “Occasional Contributor” to The Economist, holds bylines at Bloomberg, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and wrote the August 8, 2022 cover story for Time Magazine.

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What is trauma? The author of “The Body Keeps the Score” explains | Bessel van der Kolk | Big Think Aug 27, 2024

Contrary to popular belief, trauma is extremely common. We all have jobs, life events, and unpleasant situations causing us daily stress. But when your body continues to re-live that stress for days, weeks, months, or even years, that stress changes your brain, creating trauma inside your mind, and that trauma can eventually manifest in your physical body.

As you can see, trauma isn’t what happens to you, but how you respond to the traumatic situation. Something that is traumatic to one person may be no big deal to the next. Whether something becomes traumatic or not has a great deal to do with who’s around you while you experience this event. Were you alone and scared, were you comforted by friends and family?

The problem with trauma is that it starts when something happens to us, but that’s not where it stops - it changes your brain. Once your brain changes and you’re in constant fight or flight mode, it can be hard to stay focused, feel joy, or experience pleasure until this trauma is healed. Luckily, modern psychological practices are developing innovative ways to heal from trauma that actually work.

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About Bessel van der Kolk:

Bessel van der Kolk is a psychiatrist noted for his research in the area of post-traumatic stress since the 1970s. His work focuses on the interaction of attachment, neurobiology, and developmental aspects of trauma’s effects on people. His major publication, Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society, talks about how the role of trauma in psychiatric illness has changed over the past 20 years.

Dr. van der Kolk is past President of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School, and Medical Director of the Trauma Center at JRI in Brookline, Massachusetts. He has taught at universities and hospitals across the United States and around the world, including Europe, Africa, Russia, Australia, Israel, and China.

Check out Bessel van der Kolk's latest book, “The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma” at https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Sco...

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Influencer Carrie Berk on self-perception, anxiety, and loss Aug 27, 2024

Carrie Berk reveals how she transformed her struggle with anxiety and internet fame by changing her perception and finding her true voice as a writer.

Carrie Berk, author, journalist, and social media influencer with nearly 4 million TikTok followers, shares her journey through anxiety, internet fame, and personal growth.

Amid the pandemic and sudden online fame, Carrie faced intense anxiety, receiving harmful threats from strangers and grappling with the pressures of social media. Sharing her most vulnerable moments, including her first heartbreak at sixteen, Carrie emphasizes the importance of authenticity. Through therapy and self-discovery, she learned that while she couldn’t switch off her anxiety, she could change her response to it.

Carrie’s story is a perfect example of the resilience it takes to be a young person in today’s social climate, and proves how powerful self-confidence and inner strength can be.

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Carrie Berk:

Twenty-one-year-old Carrie Berk already has a life’s worth of accomplishments under her belt. It’s no wonder Bella Magazine declared her “an ambitious and dedicated boss babe,” and The Wall Street Journal dubbed her “a community-minded young creator.”

She is a verified content creator across several social media channels including TikTok (3.9M followers; 119M likes), Instagram (950K followers), Snapchat (133K followers), YouTube (101K followers) and Pinterest (227K followers; 10M monthly views), with a combined monthly engagement of more than 100M. Carrie has collaborated with top fashion, beauty, and lifestyle brands including Netflix, HBO Max, Walt Disney World, Pixar, Instagram, Revolve, Wet n Wild, MAC Cosmetics, Roller Rabbit, VS PINK, Alice + Olivia, Chips Ahoy!, Dunkin’ and more. She has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, New York Daily News and others.

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-----A GUIDE to surviving humanity’s tipping point | Ari Wallach - BIGTHINK Aug 27, 2024

Futurist Ari Wallach asks, “how do you want to be remembered?”

Humans have a "lifetime bias." When we plan ahead, we do so by thinking in terms of years and decades rather than centuries and millennia.

We need to escape this short-term thinking if we want to be great ancestors to the generations of humans that will come after us.

One way to do so is through transgenerational empathy, by which we reconcile ourselves with the past in order to focus on the attributes that we want to pass on to the next generation.

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This video is part of The Progress Issue, a Big Think and Freethink special collaboration.

In this inaugural special issue we set out to explore progress — how it happens, how we nurture it and how we stifle it, and what changes are required in how we approach our most serious problems to ensure greater and more equitable progress for all.

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About Ari Wallach

Ari Wallach is an applied futurist and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. He is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperCollins and the creator and host of the forthcoming series on PBS A Brief History of the Future, which is being executive produced by Kathryn Murdoch and Drake. He has been a strategy and foresight advisor to Fortune 100 companies, the US Department of State, the Ford Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency, the RacialEquity 2030 Challenge and Politico’s Long Game Forum. As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University he lectured on innovation, AI, and the future of public policy. Wallach's TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.6 million times and translated into 21 languages. Ari was the co-creator of 2008's pro-Obama The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman. He has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Vox, and more. He lives in the lower Hudson Valley with his wife, three children and wonderdog Ozzie. More at Longpath.org and @ariw.

--------------------------------

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How Pfizer and BioNTech made history with their vaccine Aug 26, 2024

Wondering how Pfizer and partner BioNTech developed a COVID-19 vaccine in record time without compromising safety? Dr Bill Gruber, SVP of Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research and Development, explains the process from start to finish.

“I told my team, at first we were inspired by hope and now we’re inspired by reality,” Dr Gruber said. “If you bring critical science together, talented team members together, government, academia, industry, public health officials—you can achieve what was previously the unachievable.”

The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but has been authorized for emergency use by FDA under an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to prevent COVID-19 for use in individuals 12 years of age and older. The emergency use of this product is only authorized for the duration of the emergency declaration unless ended sooner. See Fact Sheet: cvdvaccine-us.com/recipients.

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BILL GRUBER:

Dr. Bill Gruber is senior vice president of Pfizer Vaccine Clinical Research and Development, and is responsible for global clinical development of vaccines. Dr. Gruber was previously an associate professor of pediatrics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and also served as the director of the Diagnostic Virology Laboratory at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Dr. Gruber received his bachelor degree in mathematical sciences from Rice University, Houston, Texas, and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas. He is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases and has authored or co-authored 140 original research articles and numerous invited articles and book chapters.

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TRANSCRIPT:

DR. BILL GRUBER: Historically, vaccines have been one of the most important medical intervention for public health. Diseases like smallpox that used to have a 30% mortality rate, that are completely wiped from the face of the Earth. When it looked like there was the potential for us to engage in moving forward a COVID-19 vaccine, there was the daunting challenge to do something that had never been done before. And that was to try to get a vaccine out within less than a year. That, I can tell you, is unprecedented in history.

My name is Bill Gruber. I head vaccine clinical research and development for Pfizer and I’ve been involved in vaccine development for over 35 years. If you had asked me at the time, “what did I think the chances of our success were at the very beginning of this?” I would say well less than 50% becau.....

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Google’s secret “Project MAVEN”: Evil—or moral? | Anna Butrico - BIGTHINK Aug 26, 2024

The U.S. military once used Google’s tech without their employees knowing. Anna Butrico explains the complicated history behind “Project Maven.”

Google famously used the slogan, “Don't be evil,” to guide its business practices.

However, many Google employees were upset when they learned that the company had partnered with the U.S. Department of Defense on Project Maven, whose goal was to produce AI that could track people and vehicles.

Is it immoral for a tech company to partner with the military to create war technology? Or is it immoral not to?

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About Anna Butrico:

Anna Butrico is Chief of Staff of Odgers Berndtson U.S. Anna supports the OBUS leadership team in driving the firm’s growth strategy. Prior to joining Odgers, Anna was a senior communications associate at the McChrystal Group, where she advised Fortune 100 leaders on how to tap into human potential to achieve stronger business outcomes. A communications expert and former speechwriter, she is the co-author, with GEN (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, of Risk: A User’s Guide. Anna earned her undergraduate degree in English from Vanderbilt University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She also studied literature at St. Anne’s College at the University of Oxford.

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Malcolm Gladwell on the origins of modern war | Big Think Aug 26, 2024

The renegade WW2 pilots who tried to end war as we know it

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Much has been written about World War II in the seven and a half decades since it ended in 1945. But as writer Malcolm Gladwell shows with his new book "The Bomber Mafia," some incredible stories and perspectives have been largely forgotten.

A group of pilots, led by Brigadier General Haywood Hansell, earned the derogatory nickname Bomber Mafia because of a not-widely-shared dream that they could use a few strategic bombings to lower the death toll and have a "clean" war.

"But that's not what war ever is," says Gladwell. "It never has that kind of fairy tale ending." A few failed attempts led to a changing of the guard, the invention of napalm, and a summer of attacks on Japanese cities that Gladwell says was at "a scale of destruction almost unmatched in human history."

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MALCOLM GLADWELL:

Malcolm Gladwell is bestselling author and host of the Revisionist History podcast. His latest book, “The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War” tells the story of a group of pilots with an idea that, had it succeeded, would have reinvented warfare as we know it

Read Malcolm Gladwell's newest book "The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War" at https://amzn.to/3gUrhmf

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TRANSCRIPT:

MALCOLM GLADWELL: Anyone who came home from the trenches of World War I came home permanently traumatized. The war was mindlessly brutal. There were battles in the First World War where hundreds of thousands of people, there was a battle in the First World War where a million men died. That experience could not be repeated. On the eve of the Second World War, there's a remarkable group of pilots who thought they could reinvent warfare and make war a more humane exercise, a kind of clean war. But that's not what war ever is. It never has that kind of fairytale ending.

My name is Malcolm Gladwell. I am a writer, host of the podcast "Revisionist History," and the author of the new book "The Bomber Mafia."

The story of the Bomber Mafia begins with a group of renegade pilots in central Alabama in the 1930s. They have become convinced that new technology, this new class of bombers, can make it possible to conduct a war where only a handful of people were killed. This is something that no one else in the military thought was even a remotely good idea. The term, "the Bomber Mafia," was not intended to be a compliment. They would always joke that if the people back in Washington knew what they were doing, they would all be fired.

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The SCIENCE of "sex, love, attraction, and obsession" - BIGTHINK Aug 26, 2024

How love makes us feel can only be defined on an individual basis, but what it does to the body, specifically the brain, is now less abstract thanks to science. One of the problems with early-stage attraction, according to anthropologist Helen Fisher, is that it activates parts of the brain that are linked to drive, craving, obsession, and motivation, while other regions that deal with decision-making shut down. Dr. Fisher, professor Ted Fischer, and psychiatrist Gail Saltz explain the different types of love, explore the neuroscience of love and attraction, and share tips for sustaining relationships that are healthy and mutually beneficial.

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chapters:

0:00 Intro

0:32 Ted Fischer on love versus lust

0:56 Gail Saltz talks love and neurotransmitters

4:39 Helen Fisher on how love shuts down decision-making parts of our brains

8:15 Saltz on the science of a “good partner”

10:18 Helen Fisher on the importance of sex and romance for the brain and your relationship

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The morality of beasts | Frans de Waal | Big Think Aug 26, 2024

Frans de Waal has studied the behavior of primates for five decades. Some of his many important observations center around the evolution of morality and just how much we have in common with the animal kingdom.

The idea that animals are always in conflict with one another and competing for resources is “totally wrong,” de Waal says.

Other primates, specifically chimpanzees and bonobos, have demonstrated a range of traits and tendencies typically regarded as human, including empathy, friendship, reconciliation, altruism, and even adoption.

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FRANS DE WAAL:

Frans de Waal is a Dutch/American biologist and primatologist. He teaches at Emory University and directs the Living Links Center for the Study of Ape and Human Evolution, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is known for his popular books, such as Chimpanzee Politics (1982), Bonobo: The Forgotten Ape (1997) and The Age of Empathy (2009). He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences.

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TRANSCRIPT:

People sometimes describe nature as a dog-eat-dog world. Some of the biologists depict nature as a battlefield basically where selfish tendencies tend to prevail. And from morality, the evolution of morality there's very little room. What they mean is that all they see is competition. I win, you lose, winning is better than losing and so on. That's totally wrong. I fought against that sort of characterization of animal society all my life, because just like human society it is built on a lot of friendship and cooperation at the same time. We'd like to deny that connection that exists between us and animals. Certain tendencies, such as a sense of fairness, empathy, caring for others, helping others, following rules, punishing individuals who don't follow the rules, all of these tendencies can be observed in other primates. And they're saying these are the ingredients that we use to build a moral society.

The whole spectrum of both very positive behavior and very negative behavior can be seen in other animals. Animals can be heroic and they can be genuinely altruistic and we actively tested in our chimpanzees. We've done an experiment where a chimpanzee can choose between two options. One option rewards only himself, the other option rewards himself plus a partner who sits next to him. And our chimpanzees preferred the latter option. They prefer a task where they can reward the partner at the same time as themselves. The primates are a very cooperative society in general. The reason they live in groups is that on their own they cannot survive. So they have to have companions from whom they get support, with whom they live together, who help them find food, who warn them against predators. And they have long-term friendships in their society just like humans have. There's a lot of studies on how animals do favors for each other. And if you thin...

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How to have "REAL" orgasms | Emily Nagoski - BIGTHINK Aug 26, 2024

The best orgasms come when you learn how to unlock a sexual “flow state.” Emily Nagoski, a sex educator, shares a meditation to help you get started. When you see an orgasm depicted in TV, film, or even porn, you can be virtually certain it was faked. This can feed misconceptions about there being a “correct” way to orgasm. In reality, orgasms are complex phenomena that can result from a wide range of stimuli, and they are orchestrated primarily by the brain, not only the genitals. Sex educator Emily Nagoski emphasizes the importance of familiarizing yourself with the full spectrum of pleasurable and arousing experiences, not just orgasms. Shifting focus from orgasms to overall pleasure can alleviate pressure, potentially leading to improved sexual experiences and, paradoxically, better orgasms.

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About Emily Nagoski: Emily Nagoski is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling Come As You Are and The Come As You Are Workbook, and coauthor, with her sister, Amelia, of New York Times bestseller Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. She earned an M.S. in counseling and a Ph.D. in health behavior, both from Indiana University, with clinical and research training at the Kinsey Institute. Now she combines sex education and stress education to teach women to live with confidence and joy inside their bodies. She lives in Massachusetts with two dogs, a cat, and a cartoonist.

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STOICISM: Turn suffering into UNSHAKABLE INNER STRENGTH | Chloé Valdary - BIGTHINK Aug 25, 2024

Chloé Valdary shares the ancient Stoic principle that can defeat modern despair. It can be difficult to process sadness. People often try to numb it, avoid it, or deny that they’re even experiencing it, instead of better understanding and working through the emotion. The Stoics offer a more head-on approach. This school of philosophy is often falsely associated with the suppression of emotions. But it’s more accurate to say that the Stoics were interested in how people can respond virtuously to life’s trials and tragedies. The answer, according to general Stoic thought, is that we shouldn’t deny emotions or the things that make us feel pain or sadness, but rather strive to accept that which we cannot control and do our best to process our emotions in a way that puts us on a productive path forward. As Chloé Valdary, @cvaldary — an American writer and founder of the conflict-resolution program Theory of Enchantment — explains in this Big Think interview, Stoicism not only can help us work through sadness as individuals, but it can also teach us to recognize the many forms that suffering can take in others.

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Chapters:-

0:00 Transcending suffering

1:08 The origin of Stoic philosophy

2:40 How to practice ‘sympatheia’

4:48 Managing sadness with Stoicism

5:57 Developing inner strength: Know yourself, know others

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About Chloé Valdary: After spending a year as a Bartley fellow at the Wall Street Journal, Chloé Valdary developed The Theory of Enchantment, an innovative framework for compassionate antiracism that combines social emotional learning (SEL), character development, and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development in the boardroom and beyond. Chloé has trained around the world, including in South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, and Israel. Her clients have included high school and college students, government agencies, business teams, + many more. She has also lectured in universities across America, including Harvard and Georgetown. Her work has been covered in Psychology Today Magazine and her writings have appeared in the New York Times and the Wall St Journal

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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

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How to DOUBLE your BRAIN POWER | Tiago Forte - BIGTHINK Aug 25, 2024

How do we deal with information overload? Build a second brain, explains Tiago Forte. Tiago Forte, Founder of Forte Labs and author of "Building A Second Brain," discusses the problem of information overload and how it can hinder creativity. He proposes a solution in the form of a Commonplace book, a central repository for all meaningful information and content. Forte's method for managing this information, called C.O.D.E. (capture, organize, distill, and express), allows individuals to access and use this information in order to facilitate creative thinking. By regularly reviewing the information in their Commonplace book and using it to inspire new ideas, people can more effectively navigate the modern world’s information overload — allowing us to free up cognitive resources for creativity.

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chapters:-

0:00 Creativity under fire

1:10 The information abundance problem

2:22 “You need a second brain”

3:24 How to begin preserving your creativity

5:04 Unlocking productive creativity

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-------------

About Tiago Forte: Tiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity. He has taught more than 20,000 people worldwide through his programs and writes and speaks on how technology can help knowledge workers revolutionize their personal effectiveness. Tiago’s online course, Building a Second Brain, has produced more than 5,000 graduates from over 70 countries. The course draws on his experience in academic disciplines such as information science, practical fields such as user experience design, and his work with top organizations and leaders in Silicon Valley. Tiago believes knowledge management is one of the most impactful skills in the world today, and his work is dedicated to making it accessible to individuals for the first time. In a previous life, he worked in microfinance in Latin America, served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine, and consulted for large companies on product development in San Francisco. He lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Lauren, son Caio, and dog Ximena. Get Smarter Faster, With Daily Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers.

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Navy SEAL has a '40 Percent Rule' and it's the key to overcoming mental barriers - BIGTHINK Aug 25, 2024

Navy SEAL Has a '40 Percent Rule' And It's the Key to Overcoming Mental Barriers

Join Big Think Edge for exclusive video lessons from top thinkers and doers

About 99 percent of the people who start ----marathons in the United States finish them. That's an astoundingly high number considering the pain and turmoil that every marathon runner faces. What each runner has in common, says author Jesse Itzler, is that they hit a wall where their mental resources are exhausted. At this point, sheer physical will maintains their strength — and this is the will that everyone has, but we seldom know how to tap into it.

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-----Jewel: Clear perception is the way to psychological strength | Perception Box Aug 23, 2024

@jewel says denying the truth cost her years of her life. This is how she shifted her perception to see truth more clearly and regain her strength.

“My number one job was to be a happy, whole human — not a human full of holes.” Jewel Kilcher, singer-songwriter, and visual artist, opens up about her childhood, the start of her career, and what makes Jewel, Jewel.

After being discovered during a coffee shop gig in the 1990’s, folk singer Jewel began the life-long endeavor of being a performer. Jewel went on to gain worldwide recognition for her talent and creativity. But who is she at her core? What are her greatest fears, her deepest aspirations?

In this interview, Jewel shares the personal struggles and triumphs that have shaped her, the importance of truth on her life and well-being, and the lessons she's learned along the way. Through this conversation, Jewel offers an up-close look into her journey, revealing the experiences and hard-won insights that have shaped her as both an artist and a person.

We created this video in partnership with @unlikelycollaborators.

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About Jewel:

Jewel Kilcher, known mononymously as Jewel, embodies the quintessential story of resilience and artistic integrity. From her humble beginnings in the rugged landscapes of Alaska to her rise as a multi-platinum recording artist, Jewel's journey is a testament to the transformative power of art. Homeless at 18, she honed her craft performing in coffee shops, blending folk, pop, and country influences with her ethereal voice and introspective songwriting.

Her debut album, "Pieces of You," captured hearts worldwide, achieving remarkable commercial success while delivering profound, soul-stirring messages. Beyond music, Jewel's talents extend to poetry and acting, with her literary works and performances reflecting her deep empathy and authenticity.

Jewel's commitment to social causes, including mental health advocacy and her foundation, the Inspiring Children Foundation, underscores her dedication to making a positive impact. In a world often dominated by transient fame, Jewel stands out as a beacon of enduring creativity and compassionate leadership.

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Are solar storms a threat to humanity? | Michelle Thaller | Big Think Aug 23, 2024

2012 was supposed to be an apocalyptic year according to the Mayans. Although the world never came to an end, in 2012, something else happened that had astrophysicists worried - the earth barely avoided catastrophe as a massive sun storm erupted.

Sun storms happen more often than we think, with protons and electrons traveling past the earth at a speed of one million miles per hour. If these particles and solar storms are responsible for the unliveable climate on Venus and Mars, why has Earth not been impacted yet?

Earth is rarely impacted by the sun's solar storms because of the strong magnetic field that surrounds the planet, protecting us from solar wind. Although this magnetic field does a great job at protecting the earth and everyone on it, all around us experts are monitoring space weather, in the event of a big storm that could head our way.

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About Michelle Thaller:

Dr. Michelle Thaller is an astronomer who studies binary stars and the life cycles of stars. She is Assistant Director of Science Communication at NASA. She went to college at Harvard University, completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif. then started working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Spitzer Space Telescope. After a hugely successful mission, she moved on to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), in the Washington D.C. area. In her off-hours often puts on about 30lbs of Elizabethan garb and performs intricate Renaissance dances.

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The Multiverse is real. Just not in the way you think it is. | Sean Carroll Aug 23, 2024

What do physicists actually mean when they talk about the Multiverse? Sean Carroll explains.

The Multiverse is having a moment. From “Rick and Morty” to Marvel movies, the idea that our Universe is just one of many has inspired countless storylines in recent popular culture.

Why is the Multiverse so compelling? To theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll, one reason is that we’re drawn to wondering how things might have turned out differently. What if you had chosen a different career path? Married someone else? Moved to a different city?

Of course, there’s obviously no guarantee that you’re living out those alternate timelines in a different universe. But there are real scientific reasons to think that the Multiverse exists. And as Carroll explains, that possibility comes with some fascinating philosophical implications.

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0:00 Hollywood’s Multiverse

1:35 Physics’ Multiverse: Cosmology vs. Many Worlds

3:28 The Many Worlds theory

4:25 Are there many versions of you?

6:39 Your alternate lives

8:09 Your one life in our Universe

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About Sean Carroll:

Dr. Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy — in effect, a joint appointment between physics and philosophy — at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and fractal faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. Most of his career has been spent doing research on cosmology, field theory, and gravitation, looking at topics such as dark matter and dark energy, modified gravity, topological defects, extra dimensions, and violations of fundamental symmetries. These days, his focus has shifted to more foundational questions, both in quantum mechanics (origin of probability, emergence of space and time) and statistical mechanics (entropy and the arrow of time, emergence and causation, dynamics of complexity), bringing a more philosophical dimension to his work....

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Do compasses work in space? | Michelle Thaller | Big Think Aug 23, 2024

If you’re out in space, you would be able to navigate the galaxy with one simple navigational tool we’ve been using for centuries - a compass.

By definition, a compass is a device that responds to magnetic fields providing cardinal directions used for geographic orientation . Since the core of the earth is made of molten, and compasses are made of metal, we’re easily able to identify north, south, east, and west because of Earth’s natural magnetic field.

But did you know Saturn, Jupiter, stars, and even our galaxy have their own magnetic fields? If you are traveling through space, a simple compass can point you to the closest magnetic field, helping a space traveler navigate the galaxy.

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About Michelle Thaller:

Dr. Michelle Thaller is an astronomer who studies binary stars and the life cycles of stars. She is Assistant Director of Science Communication at NASA. She went to college at Harvard University, completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif. then started working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Spitzer Space Telescope. After a hugely successful mission, she moved on to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), in the Washington D.C. area. In her off-hours often puts on about 30lbs of Elizabethan garb and performs intricate Renaissance dances.

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The science of super longevity | Dr. Morgan Levine Aug 23, 2024

Science can’t stop aging, but it may be able to slow our epigenetic clocks. What if we could slow down the hands of our biological clocks? This question underpins much of the research of Morgan Levine, who leads a research team at the life science company Altos Labs. Levine investigates the fascinating intricacies of aging, recognizing that it doesn't happen at a uniform pace for everyone. Central to her exploration is the concept of epigenetics — the factors that influence gene activity without changing the DNA sequence. Levine focuses on DNA methylation, a significant epigenetic change that occurs with aging, and the development of models called "epigenetic clocks" that can be used to predict biological age. While she acknowledges that it might be possible to reverse aging at a cellular level, Levine clarifies that the ultimate goal is not to "cure" aging or death, but to delay disease onset and improve healthspan.

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Chapters:

0:00 Fast agers & slow agers

1:25 The hallmarks of aging

1:59 What is the epigenetic clock?

3:05 Can we ‘Benjamin Button’ aging?

5:22 The holy grail for scientists

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Train your brain’s emotional intelligence with metacognition | Arthur Brooks Aug 23, 2024

You’ve heard of cognition. Now, here’s metacognition: the act of thinking about thinking.

Arthur Brooks, author and public speaker, explains how metacognition helps us reflect on our emotional life, allowing our prefrontal cortex to evaluate signals from the limbic system. For instance, telling children to "use their words" instead of screaming encourages them to engage their prefrontal cortex. The same applies to adults: interrogate your emotions before reacting, and you might just become a more emotionally healthy person.

According to Brooks, this is a skill that can be developed over time, so if you’re new to the idea of consciously regulating your own emotions, it’s not too late. He stresses that negative emotions - though unenjoyable - are entirely normal and are even representative of a healthy brain. What matters is how we engage with these negative emotions and what lessons we take away from the experiences they give us.

Metacognition is a skill that requires patience and self-kindness. With enough practice and effort, we all can learn to master this ability and enhance our own happiness, as well as the happiness of those around us.

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About Arthur Brooks:

Arthur C. Brooks is a professor at both the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, where he teaches public and nonprofit leadership and management practice. Before joining Harvard in July 2019, he spent ten years as the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a well-known public policy think tank in Washington, DC.

Brooks has written 11 books, including the bestsellers "Love Your Enemies" (2019), "The Conservative Heart" (2015), and "The Road to Freedom" (2012). He writes a column for The Atlantic, hosts the podcast "The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks," and is featured in the 2019 documentary "The Pursuit." He also serves on the board of the Legatum Institute, a think tank in London.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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Grow your brain by moving your body—just 10 minutes a day | Wendy Suzuki Aug 23, 2024

Exercise neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki explains how your brain can age gracefully and optimally — and it starts with just a 10 minute walk. Did you know that just three months of consistent exercise can boost your brain function? Exercise neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki explains how working out can strengthen your cognitive abilities. According to Suzuki, even just ten minutes of walking can alleviate anxiety and depression because of the neurochemicals released during exercise. She shares a study that indicated people who were previously sedentary experienced notable improvements in their baseline mood, prefrontal function, and hippocampal function with only 2-3 exercise sessions per week. If you’re already exercising, don’t worry — you’re still able to reap these benefits! Suzuki believes increasing the intensity of your preexisting workouts only further boosts the benefits for your brain. Just don’t go overboard, she says, because that can hurt you more than help you.

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Everything does NOT happen for a reason | Brian Klaas Aug 23, 2024

About the sponsor: Compare coverage and stay informed on breaking news all in one place by subscribing through the link https://ground.news/bigthink to get 40% off unlimited access with the Vantage Plan.

About the video: “We control nothing but influence everything.” Political scientist Brian Klaas on how every decision we make - both massive and miniscule - shapes our futures.

Up next, Harvard psychiatrist on happiness: Positive vs. toxic relationships ► • Harvard psychiatrist on happiness: Po...

How does your entire life change when you decide, one morning, to hit the snooze button? How did one vacation to a Japanese city prevent it from a national attack?

Political scientist Brian Klass explains what is commonly known as “the butterfly effect,” the idea that tiny changes divert the trajectory of our entire lives.

These “ripples” show us that while nothing happens “for a reason,” every single thing we do matters. One random choice has the power to alter the course of history. These invisible “flukes” influence our lives, societies, and the world as we know it.

Timestamps for easier navigation:-

0:00 The vacation

1:33 The noise

1:57 Everything doesn’t happen for a reason

2:20 Contingency vs. Convergence

3:00 The Snooze Button effect

4:35 The interconnectedness of life

6:20 Cosmic purpose vs. accident

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About Brian Klaas:

Dr. Brian Klaas is an Associate Professor in Global Politics at University College London, an affiliate researcher at the University of Oxford, and a contributing writer for The Atlantic. He is also the author five books, including Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters (2024) and Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us (2021). Klaas writes the popular The Garden of Forking Paths Substack and created the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast, which has been downloaded roughly three million times.

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A "metaphysically terrifying” look inside black holes | Janna Levin Aug 23, 2024

One day we might fall into a black hole. Here’s what we can expect, according to physicist Janna Levin. This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Black holes should be thought of as "empty places" rather than "dense objects." While they are indeed formed from incredibly dense objects (collapsed stars), the black hole itself is nothing. Black holes could have played a crucial role in the emergence of life. Ironically, the Solar System is in orbit around a supermassive black hole located in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. And one day, we might fall into a black hole. If you were out in space exploring and you didn't realize you were coming upon a black hole, you would not notice that anything terrible was about to happen. Eventually, however, you would succumb to a terrifying fate...

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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

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-----The beauty of collective intelligence, explained by a developmental biologist | Michael Levin Aug 22, 2024

The strange science experiment that blew a worm’s head off… and blew our minds. This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Michael Levin, a developmental biologist at Tufts University, challenges conventional notions of intelligence, arguing that it is inherently collective rather than individual. Levin explains that we are collections of cells, with each cell possessing competencies developed from their evolution from unicellular organisms. This forms a multi-scale competency architecture, where each level, from cells to tissues to organs, is solving problems within their unique spaces. Levin emphasizes that properly recognizing intelligence, which spans different scales of existence, is vital for understanding life's complexities. And this perspective suggests a radical shift in understanding ourselves and the world around us, acknowledging the cognitive abilities present at every level of our existence...

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The Big Bang explained in under 4 minutes | Michelle Thaller | Big Think Aug 22, 2024

The Big Bang explained in under 4 minutes with Michelle Thaller

One of the biggest misconceptions in science is that the Big Bang came out of nothing - according to astrophysicist Michelle Thaller, this is not correct.

13.8 billion years ago right before the Big Bang, our universe existed within one tiny, compressed atom. But what we know now is that this one atom was not our entire universe.

According to Thaller, there were trillions of atoms, all with their own universe inside. Today, we can only know of our observable universe, but there is far more out there than what meets the eye.

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About Michelle Thaller:

Dr. Michelle Thaller is an astronomer who studies binary stars and the life cycles of stars. She is Assistant Director of Science Communication at NASA. She went to college at Harvard University, completed a post-doctoral research fellowship at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena, Calif. then started working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Spitzer Space Telescope. After a hugely successful mission, she moved on to NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), in the Washington D.C. area. In her off-hours often puts on about 30lbs of Elizabethan garb and performs intricate Renaissance dances.

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Antifragility: How to use suffering to get stronger | Jonathan Haidt & more Aug 22, 2024

Happiness is temporary, antifragility lasts forever, explains Jonathan Haidt and 5 other experts. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. That old adage roughly sums up the idea of antifragility, a term coined by the statistician and writer Nassim Taleb. The term refers to how systems tend to become stronger after being exposed to stressors, shocks, and mistakes. The same applies to humans. Although suffering for its own sake isn’t necessarily good, experiencing — and overcoming — stress and difficulty tends to make us stronger people in the long run. We shouldn’t always shy away from that which makes us uncomfortable

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Chapers for easier navigation:

0:00 Introduction

0:38 Jonathan Haidt defines antifragility

1:35 Susan David on life's fragility

2:12 Derren Brown on acceptance over positive thinking

3:02 Susan David on the risk of overvaluing happiness

4:39 Pete Holmes says "resist nothing"

6:42 Shaka Senghor on the ingredients for resiliency

9:45 Nancy Koehn on taking the first step

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CRISPR: The future or undoing of humanity? | Walter Isaacson | Big Think Aug 22, 2024

The idea of gene editing was once a thing of the future – but today it’s saving the lives of people all over the world. CRISPR is a gene editing system that bacteria have been using for a billion years. When a virus attacks the bacteria, this system takes a ‘mug shot,’ and wraps the virus into our code. If the same virus ever attacks again, your body now knows to ‘cut off’ the virus before it can cause harm.

But accompanied with 21st century tech, that’s no longer all CRISPR can do. Scientists have since learned how to repurpose this system so we’re not only killing off dangerous bacteria, but also cutting our own DNA, wherever we tell it to, to edit our genes.

Is gene editing something we need to worry about? Some scientists think so. If we move too fast and over indulge in this technology, it’s possible that we could be making permanent changes to the human species. But as of today, CRISPR is being used for good – editing genes in the people living with chronic diseases, helping patients around the world live healthy, normal lives.

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About Walter Isaacson:

Walter Isaacson is a renowned biographer, CEO of the Aspen Institute, and previously the chairman of CNN and managing editor of TIME magazine. He is the author of Einstein: His Life and Universe, Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, Steve Jobs, and most recently Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution.

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Mastering Divergent and Convergent Thinking | Tiago Forte Aug 22, 2024

Productivity expert Tiago Forte explains how to master two modes of creative thinking. Author Tiago Forte believes that in today's digital age, people need a second brain to manage their knowledge. In other words, we need a personal system for collecting, organizing, and retrieving information from both physical and digital environments. Although many people spend hours of their day on digital knowledge work, most are not getting better at managing their information. Instead, they’re becoming increasingly overwhelmed. Forte suggests approaching knowledge work with a process that can be improved upon, through the concept of divergence and convergence. In practice, this means considering many options and then eliminating them, followed by creative and productive work. To maintain peace of mind, it's important to have multiple projects going on at once, which a second brain can help with by storing all projects in a concrete medium, freeing your memory.

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chapters;-

0:00 What is a second brain?

1:14 Master divergence & convergence

3:18 Be productive and calm

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

---------------------------------------------------------------------

About Tiago Forte: Tiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity. He has taught more than 20,000 people worldwide through his programs and writes and speaks on how technology can help knowledge workers revolutionize their personal effectiveness. Tiago’s online course, Building a Second Brain, has produced more than 5,000 graduates from over 70 countries. The course draws on his experience in academic disciplines such as information science, practical fields such as user experience design, and his work with top organizations and leaders in Silicon Valley. Tiago believes knowledge management is one of the most impactful skills in the world today, and his work is dedicated to making it accessible to individuals for the first time. In a previous life, he worked in microfinance in Latin America, served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine, and consulted for large companies on product development in San Francisco. He lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Lauren, son Caio, and dog Ximena

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Can you tell the difference between AI and a human? | Michael Wooldridge | Big Think Aug 22, 2024

The limits to computing are the limits to your imagination. Yet when computers first made their debut, the general public was taken back by its capabilities when it came to mathematics and computing. People started to ask ‘Are machines really intelligent?”

Fed up with this question and disbelief in computing, one of the first serious thinkers of AI, Alan Turing, decided to create a machine to get the public to stop asking if computers are intelligent or not. This was called the Turing test.

While using this machine during a Turing test, a person would type out a question on a computer, and either a human or machine would answer back. If a machine could fool the user into thinking there was a human on the other side of the screen, Turing wanted those users to accept that the machine was doing something intelligent. Although now there are Turing test competitions worldwide, Alan Turing never expected anyone to actually take this test or use this technology.

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About Michael Wooldridge:

Michael Wooldridge is a professor of Computer Science and Head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Oxford. Since earning his Ph.D. in AI, he has published more than 350 scientific articles on the subject. Mike has been at the heart of the AI community for a quarter of a century and knows most of the key figures in the international AI community. He has been president of the International Association for AI since 2015 and is a fellow of the American Association for AI. He has a long track record of public speaking and science communication on AI matters and related topics.

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Become a Great Strategic Thinker | Ian Bremmer Aug 22, 2024

Your mind is a software program. Here’s how to update it, explained by global political expert Ian Bremmer. Political scientist Ian Bremmer highlights the importance of strategic thinking, which he defines as "thinking about thinking." It's a process that involves analyzing macro themes, recognizing patterns, and understanding how different factors (at the country, company, and individual level) create trade-offs for leaders. Strategic thinking isn't so much about responding to headlines or current events as it is taking a long-term view, one in which you're continually revisiting your worldview and updating it when necessary. Being open-minded and curious about different perspectives, as well as comfortable with the possibility of being wrong, are important parts of the process. As an example of a great strategic thinker, one may cite Nelson Mandela for his ability to set aside personal feelings for the good of a country's long-term future. Bremmer is the founder of Eurasia Group, an organization that for 25 years has been using political science to help investors and corporate decision-makers better understand how politics impact risks and opportunities in foreign markets.

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Chapters:

0:00 Strategic thinking

2:35 Key qualities of a strategic thinker

5:02 A strategic role model

6:17 Summary

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About Ian Bremmer: Ian Bremmer is president and founder of Eurasia Group, the world’s leading global research and consulting firm, and GZERO Media, a company dedicated to providing intelligent and engaging coverage of international affairs. Ian is also a frequent guest on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, the BBC, Bloomberg, and many other television stations around the world. Ian has published ten books, including the New York Times bestseller Us vs. Them: The Failure of Globalism which examines the rise of populism across the world. He also serves as the foreign affairs columnist and editor at large for Time magazine. He currently teaches at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs and previously was a professor at New York University.

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"The Blind Side" didn't tell all of Michael Oher's story. Now, he tells us the rest. - BIGTHINK Aug 14, 2024

“The Blind Side” only told part of Michael Oher’s story. Now, he tells us the rest. You might know Michael Oher as the subject of “The Blind Side,” the 2009 movie starring Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw. The film was based on the true story of Oher, a young Black football player, who gained a second chance at life after being adopted by white parents. But Oher’s version of the story is a lot different, and it starts long before the Tuohys entered the picture. In this interview conducted with our partner Unlikely Collaborators, Oher paints a picture of the crack epidemic in the ‘80s and ‘90s, a broken and tumultuous family, and a young boy determined to climb out of it. About Michael Oher: Michael Oher gained widespread recognition through Michael Lewis's book "The Blind Side" and its film adaptation, which depicted his difficulties in early life and time playing college football. After attending the University of Mississippi, he played in the NFL for the Baltimore Ravens, Tennessee Titans, and Carolina Panthers, winning the SuperBowl with the Ravens in 2013. Michael has also written two books: I Beat The Odds and When You’re Back’s Against The Wall, which detail his struggles and successes in life, imparting wisdom on how to overcome adversity. Michael has also contributed to the book Blindsided, where he outlines his experience of early-stage CTE, how he walked away from the NFL, and his urgent recommendations to reform football and make it a safer sport.

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She studied extreme psychopaths. Here’s what it taught her about human nature | Abigail Marsh Aug 14, 2024

Are humans naturally selfless? Psychologist Abigail Marsh is using studies on psychopathy and altruism to find out.

Abigail Marsh, a psychology and neuroscience professor at Georgetown University, explains how the world is impacted by those with psychopathy, and, additionally, those who practice extreme altruism.

Psychopathy, she says, is a neurodevelopment disorder affecting a small percentage of people, who are different from a very early age due to their unique brain development. Conversely, she talks about people who are exceptionally altruistic—those who go out of their way to help others, often at great personal risk. These individuals are humble, believe in the goodness of others, and are highly empathetic.

She concludes by explaining that acts of generosity have been increasing on a global scale, and how these trends have proven that it is possible for individuals to change their own natural levels of altruism. Through awareness and action, we can build a more caring and helpful society for ourselves and generations to come.

If you’re curious about your own levels of altruism, Marsh suggests using online tests like the TriPM or HEXACO personality tests.

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About Abigail Marsh:

Abigail Marsh is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 2004.

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4 ways to hack your memory | Lisa Genova | Big Think Aug 14, 2024

Self-testing is one good way to better remember information. Think of memory as a two-way street. If we only put information in, it is like traveling in only one direction. Recalling information requires us to go the other way.

Spacing out studying is better than cramming.If you need seven hours to prepare for an exam that is one week from today, study one hour per day rather than all seven hours the night before.

Context matters for memory recall. If you study while eating Sour Patch candy, do the same thing while taking the test.

Chapeters For Easier Navigation:-

0:00 How can I study like a memory master?

1:27 Context Is important for recalling

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About Lisa Genova:

Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Every Note Played. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about the neurological diseases she writes about and has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, PBS NewsHour, CNN, and NPR. Her TED talk, “What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s,” has been viewed more than five million times. The New York Times bestseller REMEMBER is her first work of nonfiction.

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Why a meaningful mission is key for a successful startup | Austen Allred Aug 14, 2024

Money isn’t everything: Why a meaningful mission is key for startup success, with Austen Allred.

Money is important for startups and in venture capital, but having a lot of it doesn't make a company successful.

What is actually in short supply is great people, those who can execute on ideas.

To find and retain the best people requires not only paying them well, but ensuring that they are working on something that is impactful or meaningful to them.

Up next ►► The entrepreneur's guide to success • The entrepreneur's guide to success |...

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About Austen Allred:

Austen Allred is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lambda School. A native of Springville, Utah, Austen’s start-up journey began in 2017 with him living in his two-door Civic while participating in Y Combinator, a San Francisco-based seed accelerator. This experience became the foundation of Lambda School’s rapid growth.Before founding Lambda School, Austen was the co-founder of media platform GrassWire. He co-authored the growth hacking textbook Secret Sauce, which became a best-seller and provided him the personal seed money to build Lambda. Austen’s disruptive ideas on the future of education, the labor market disconnect, and the opportunity of providing opportunity at-scale have been featured in: The Harvard Business Review, The Economist, WIRED, Fast Company, TechCrunch, The New York Times, among others. Austen is fluent in Russian and currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and two kids.

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Finding meaning at the quantum level - BIGTHINK Aug 14, 2024

Kmele steps inside Fermilab, America’s premiere particle accelerator facility, to find out how the smallest particles in the universe can teach us about its biggest mysteries.

This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. According to Fermilab's Bonnie Flemming, the pursuit of scientific understanding is “daunting in an inspiring way.” What makes it daunting? The seemingly infinite number of questions, with their potentially inaccessible answers. In this episode of Dispatches from The Well, host Kmele Foster tours the grounds of America’s legendary particle accelerator to discover how exploring the mysteries at the heart of particle physics help us better understand some of the most profound mysteries of our universe.

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Chapters for easier navigation:-

00:00 - The Miracle of Birth

04:48 - Exploring the Universe's Mysteries

09:20 - Building Blocks of Matter and the Standard Model

13:35 - The Evolving Body of Knowledge

17:39 - Understanding the Early Universe

22:05 - Reflections on Particle Physics

25:34 - The Extraordinary Effort to Understand the Small

29:59 - From Paleontology to Astrophysics

33:40 - The Importance of the Scientific Method and Being Critical

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About Kmele Foster: Kmele Foster is a media entrepreneur, commentator, and regular contributor to various national publications. He is the co-founder and co-host of The Fifth Column, a popular media criticism podcast. He is the head of content at Founders Fund, a San Francisco based venture capital firm investing in companies building revolutionary technologies, and a partner at Freethink, a digital media company focused on the people and ideas changing our world. Kmele also serves on the Board of Directors of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). About The Well Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. Together, let's learn from them.

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Psychologist debunks 8 myths of mass scale | Todd Rose Aug 13, 2024

Psychologist Todd Rose debunks 8 myths so mainstream we all believe them.

Collective illusions — false assumptions about society that many people share — have existed for thousands of years in many different ways. Today, because of social media and modern technology, they have become even more common.

One example of a collective illusion is the commonly held belief that everyone wants fame, wealth, and power. That’s not true. Most of us want lives of purpose and meaning. But because of false assumptions, many of us spend our lives chasing things that won’t fulfill us.

Another example of a collective illusion is the pervasive idea that the U.S. is an irredeemably divided nation. Sure, Americans have plenty of disagreements. But fundamentally, they have more in common than they might think.

As former Harvard professor and bestselling author Todd Rose explains, the antidote to collective illusions is becoming a more authentic individual, as well as gaining a deeper understanding of how our innate drive to conform to social norms often works against that.

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Chapters For Easier Navigation:-

0:00 What is a “collective illusion”?

2:43 How myths invade private opinion

4:54 Myth: Other people can’t be trusted

8:32 Myth: Success is wealth, status, and power

11:12 Myth: Social media reveals what society thinks

13:56: Myth: Group consensus is vetted and factual

17:53: Myth: Elite jobs matter to us

21:11 Myth: America is on the verge of civil war

24:18 Myth: People want university degrees

26:57 Myth: Cultural norms exist to protect you

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About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts...

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Conquer Anxiety Using Earth’s Most Addictive Experience | Steven Kotler Aug 13, 2024

How to unlock your brain’s natural antidepressants. We live in a world filled with risk. But the human brain is not good at thinking in terms of probabilities. Our fear response may not turn off until the perceived threat is completely gone. Can we find a way to adapt that doesn't involve reaching for prescription medication? Flow might be the answer. When we are in a state of flow, our brain is flooded with the neurotransmitters that are the key to a happy mind.

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About Steven Kotler: Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary...

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How the brain makes memories | Lisa Genova | Big Think Aug 13, 2024

Our best guesses at the mystery of memory, with Lisa Genova

• 4 ways to hack your memory | Lisa Gen...

Every time we learn something new, our brain changes.

There are four basic steps in creating a memory: encoding, consolidation, storage, and retrieval.

Figuring out how memories are encoded at the genetic and molecular level is at the frontier of neuroscience.

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About Lisa Genova:

Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Every Note Played. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about the neurological diseases she writes about and has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, PBS NewsHour, CNN, and NPR. Her TED talk, “What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s,” has been viewed more than five million times. The New York Times bestseller REMEMBER is her first work of nonfiction.

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Biohacking Health with Robot Cells | Michael Levin Aug 13, 2024

This biologist built a living robot from frog cells — and it could hold the key to the future of regenerative medicine: This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

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Developmental biologist Michael Levin proposes an alternative approach to regenerative medicine: one that involves communicating with cells to trigger specific associations and induce changes in tissues. He envisions a future where biomedicine relies less on chemistry, and looks more like behavioral science. By leveraging the native competencies of cells, Levin thinks researchers can achieve complex outcomes without micromanagement. He demonstrates this through the regeneration of frog legs by simply prompting cells towards the regenerative state. Levin introduces “xenobots,” bio-robots formed by self-assembling frog skin cells. These xenobots are key to the regenerative medicine of the future, with the potential to create solutions for birth defects, reprogramming tumors — even creating new organs. Levin emphasizes the moral imperative to pursue this research to address pressing medical needs.

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Your memory is lying to you. Here’s how. | Lisa Genova | Big Think Aug 13, 2024

Your memory is lying to you. Here’s how, with Lisa Genova

• 4 ways to hack your memory | Lisa Gen...

Our memories are not reality.

A memory is the pattern of neural activity that represents the sights, sounds, smells, feelings, information, and language that you experienced when you learned something. When this neural circuit is reactivated, you experience a memory.

Recalling memories is not a passive process. Every time we recall a memory, it changes, and we store this “2.0 version” over the older version in our brain. With each retelling, the memory drifts further and further away from the original memory.

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About Lisa Genova:

Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Every Note Played. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about the neurological diseases she writes about and has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, PBS NewsHour, CNN, and NPR. Her TED talk, “What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s,” has been viewed more than five million times. The New York Times bestseller REMEMBER is her first work of nonfiction.

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Boost Your Attention Span in 12 Minutes with Neuroscientist Amishi Jha Aug 13, 2024

A neuroscientist explains how to master your focus. There is far more information in the environment than our brains can fully process. Our ability to maintain "attention" allows the brain to prioritize those parts of the environment that are most relevant. Attention is much more than just focusing. It fuels our ability to think, feel, and connect.

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About Amishi Jha: Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha’s work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in the The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more.

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We can bring extinct species back from the dead | Big Think Aug 13, 2024

Can this “frozen zoo” resurrect the Northern White Rhino?, with Dr. Barbara Durrant

Due to poaching, the Northern White Rhinoceros is functionally extinct. There are only two members of the species left, and neither can reproduce.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park has a unique biotech facility called the "frozen zoo" that could reverse the extinction.

Using in vitro fertilization, scientists hope to implant a Northern White Rhino embryo inside a Southern White Rhino, a closely related species. If successful, this procedure could help rescue critically endangered species or even resurrect extinct ones.

This video was originally created and shared by Freethink.

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Up next ►► Michio Kaku: 99.99% of species go extinct. What is humanity’s future? • Michio Kaku: 99.99% of species go ext...

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Healing Trauma Through the Flow State | Steven Kotler - Big Think Aug 13, 2024

Experiences that put you in a state of flow are shown to override PTSD and heartbreak.

Up Next ► How to enter ‘flow state’ on command

Flow is an altered state of consciousness in which we feel and perform our best due to total absorption in an activity.

A state of flow, which is due to a cocktail of "feel-good" chemicals in the brain, can help overcome PTSD, addiction, and heartbreak.

Flow is so powerful that doctors might one day prescribe experiences like surfing or skydiving to help patients overcome trauma.

------------------------------------------------

About Steven Kotler:

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the cofounder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary.

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Freezing Time in Your Prime, Not Your Twilight Years | Dr. Morgan Levine Aug 12, 2024

Age expert Dr. Morgan Levine explains why living to 100 is the wrong goal. Dr. Morgan Levine suggests that we should aim for living better, not just longer. In her book, “True Age,” Levine introduces the idea of healthspan, which is about staying healthy and enjoying life, rather than merely adding years to it. She explores the concept of “compression of morbidity,” a goal to squeeze most of our inevitable ailments into a short period before we die, mirroring the patterns seen in people who live to 100 or more. Levine also highlights a paradox: Women generally outlive men, but they also endure more age-related illnesses. Ultimately, she argues that the benefits of longevity science should be accessible to everyone, with the goal of health disparities rather than increasing them.

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Chapters:-

0:00 The immortality obsession

0:30 The male-female survival paradox

1:34 Prolonging healthy life

2:07 Squeezing morbidity into fewer years

3:05 LIfe extension for all

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----------------------------------------------------

About Morgan Levine: Morgan Levine was previously a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the department of Pathology at Yale University where she ran the Laboratory for Aging in Living Systems. In 2022, she was recruited to join Altos Labs as a Founding Principal Investigator at the San Diego Institute of Science. She currently leads a research group at Altos Labs working at the intersection of bioinformatics, cellular biology, complex systems, and biostatistics with the overall goal of understanding the molecular trajectories aging cells, tissues, and organisms take through time. About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think Our mission is to make you smarter, faster. Watch interviews with the world’s biggest thinkers on science, philosophy, business, and more.

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How to navigate loneliness, according to neuroscience | Kasley Killam Aug 12, 2024

Challenging the loneliness stigma can change your life. Here’s how to start.

From a young age, many of us are taught that being alone means something is wrong, leading to negative thought patterns that reinforce feelings of isolation. Kasley Killam, author of The Art and Science of Connection and an expert in social health, explains how these perceptions of loneliness can shape our experiences and influence our lives.

According to Killam, this stigma around loneliness can trigger a stress response in the body, affecting both mental and physical well being. However, by challenging these narratives and reminding ourselves of how much control we really have, it’s possible to redirect our mindsets. It also helps, she says, to understand the difference between individualistic and collectivist cultures, and how each one can influence the way we interpret and discuss our feelings with others.

For those who have struggled with loneliness or felt trapped in a cycle of negative thinking, this perspective can help us break free. By shifting our thought patterns, we can transform our relationships, enhance our sense of connection, and improve our overall well-being.

Explore the Perception Box series hub ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/?...

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Kasley Killam:

Kasley Killam is a social health expert, author, and advocate focused on strengthening connections and enhancing community well-being. With a background in behavioral science and public health from Harvard University, she is a leading voice on the impact of social relationships on mental and physical health.

As the founder of Social Health Labs, Killam collaborates with organizations to develop innovative solutions for combating loneliness and social isolation. Her work has been featured in major publications, and she is a sought-after speaker on the importance of social well-being in creating healthier, more resilient communities.

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Debunking the Brain Myth That Won’t Die | Lisa Feldman Barrett Aug 12, 2024

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Plato famously described the human psyche as two horses and a charioteer: One horse represented instincts, the other represented emotions, and the charioteer was the rational mind that controlled them. Astronomer Carl Sagan continued this idea of a three-layer, “triune brain” in his 1977 book The Dragons of Eden. But leading neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges this idea of the brain evolving in three layers, instead revealing a common brain plan shared by all mammals and vertebrates. The development of sensory systems led to the emergence of the brain, and hunting and predation may have initiated an arms race to become more efficient and powerful predators. Despite advances in neuroscience and genetics, the question of why the brain evolved remains elusive. But Feldman Barrett’s fascinating exploration of the brain’s evolution offers insights into the most important functions of this complex organ, and invites us to think more deeply about the origins of our own intelligence.

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Chapters:

0:00 What a brain costs

0:21 The triune brain (aka lizard brain) theory

1:24 Plato, Carl Sagan, and the making of the myth

2:35 Debunking the ‘lizard brain’ theory

3:39 How the first brain evolved

5:49 The brain’s ultimate job

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About Lisa Feldman Barrett: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists in the world, having published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior. She is the recipient of a NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and from the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies. She is the author of How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and more recently, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.

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Why Fake Peace is Worse Than Healthy Conflict | Priya Parker - BIGTHINK Aug 12, 2024

Not all conflict is bad. Expert @Priya_Parker explains how “heat” can be harnessed for good. In this Big Think interview, Priya Parker, a conflict resolution facilitator and author, discusses the importance of conflict or what she prefers to call "heat" in human relationships. She begins by challenging the common perception that conflict is solely negative, associated with scandal and division. Instead, Parker argues that healthy conflict or heat is essential for meaningful change and human connection. She introduces the concept of heat mapping, a tool used in conflict resolution, which identifies sensitive or heated moments within a group. This mapping is comparable to a doctor locating tender areas. Understanding these moments of heat helps facilitators like Parker guide conversations that are relevant and impactful for individuals and groups. The goal is to enable authentic connections and provide a path forward for resolving conflicts. As a conflict-averse facilitator herself, Parker empathizes with those who feel discomfort in conflictual situations. She highlights the importance of developing the skill to hold rising heat in a room. This skill requires self-awareness and the willingness to become more comfortable with conflict. Both conflict-averse individuals and troublemakers play crucial roles in fostering healthy conflict resolution.

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Chapters:

0:00 Conflict vs. unhealthy peace

1:09 Thinking in terms of ‘heat’

2:38 Heat-mapping conflicts

3:53 Know your own conflict style

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The Power of Divergent Questions in Great Thinking | Natalie Nixon - BIGTHINK Aug 12, 2024

Asking the wrong questions can hold you back. @NatalieNixon explains how to ask divergent questions to become a great thinker. Natalie Nixon, a creativity strategist, emphasizes the importance of asking the right questions in order to foster innovation and creativity. She believes that inquiry and curiosity are crucial for driving innovation, as they can bridge information gaps and encourage expansive thinking. Nixon introduces the "Taxonomy of Questions," which includes divergent questions ("Why?", "What if...?", "I wonder...?") that promote big picture thinking, and convergent questions ("What?", "Where?", "When?") that provide tactical guidance. To thrive in an ambiguous world, we need to balance both types of questions, embracing creativity as a uniquely human trait that sets us apart from technology and automation. Nixon suggests becoming "clumsy students" of something new in order to build confidence in asking questions and seeking help. By practicing this discipline of inquiry, we can develop our ability to think differently and drive innovation.

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Chapters

0:00 Asking better questions

1:11 Inquire and be curious

1:47 Two types of questions: Divergent & convergent

2:30 Creative questions = surviving automation

3:39 How to practice better questions

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Future Thinking: How to End the Internal War | Ari Wallach - BIGTHINK Aug 12, 2024

Futurist Ari Wallach shares how to become future-conscious.

Futurist Ari Wallach knows it can be very difficult, but he's going to need you to think about yourself. Not yourself right now — that's easy to do. You're already doing it! He means thinking about yourself in the future.

Keeping what may lie ahead in mind — being future-conscious — makes you more likely to eat right and exercise; more likely to plan ahead financially; more likely to forge strong, healthy relationships and treat people right.

Researchers have found we see our future selves like celebrities, like some vaguely knowable figure. And when that extends society-wide, we make decisions that may not benefit us, like spending recklessly or harming the climate for quick gain.

Wallach is the founder and executive director of Longpath, an initiative that wants to foster being future-conscious. If you can keep tomorrow in mind, it can be possible to have a better today.

Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 Meet the two yous

1:01 The Matt Damon experiment

2:41 The 'longpath' mindset

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About Ari Wallach:

Ari Wallach is an applied futurist and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. He is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperCollins and the creator and host of the forthcoming series on PBS A Brief History of the Future, which is being executive produced by Kathryn Murdoch and Drake. He has been a strategy and foresight advisor to Fortune 100 companies, the US Department of State, the Ford Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency, the RacialEquity 2030 Challenge and Politico’s Long Game Forum. As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University he lectured on innovation, AI, and the future of public policy. Wallach's TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.6 million times and translated into 21 languages. Ari was the co-creator of 2008's pro-Obama The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman. He has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Vox, and more. He lives in the lower Hudson Valley with his wife, three children and wonderdog Ozzie. More at https://www.longpath.org/

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Enhance Rational Thinking with Bayes' Rule | Steven Pinker - BIGTHINK Aug 12, 2024

The formula for rational thinking explained by Harvard professor Steven Pinker. In his explanation of Bayes' theorem, cognitive psychologist Steven Pinker highlights how this type of reasoning can help us determine the degree of belief we assign to a claim based on available evidence. Bayes' theorem takes into account the prior probability of a claim, the likelihood of the evidence given the claim is true, and the commonness of the evidence regardless of the claim's truth. While Bayes' theorem can be useful for making statistical predictions, Pinker cautions that it may not always be appropriate in situations where fairness and other moral considerations are important. Therefore, it's crucial to consider when Bayes' theorem is applicable and when it's not.

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Chapters:-

0:00 What is Bayesian thinking?

1:01 The formula

2:41 When Bayes’ theorem obscures the solution

4:25 Bayes’ theorem in a nutshell

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About Steven Pinker: Steven Pinker is an experimental psychologist who conducts research in visual cognition, psycholinguistics, and social relations. He grew up in Montreal and earned his BA from McGill and his PhD from Harvard. Currently Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard, he has also taught at Stanford and MIT. He has won numerous prizes for his research, his teaching, and his nine books, including The Language Instinct, How the Mind Works, The Blank Slate, The Better Angels of Our Nature, The Sense of Style, and Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress.

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-------Boost Your Team's Emotional Intelligence with This Game Aug 12, 2024

Personality clashes at work? Play this card game. Successful communication is at the heart of great teamwork, but words can mean different things to different people. We all tend to project our own biases onto commonly used words. Mary and David Sherwin — experts in team dynamics — have devised Teamwords, a collaborative card-based team-building system that cuts through differences to create consensus. If we can agree on the meaning of words at the start of projects, we will understand each other much better as we work together. About Mary Paynter Sherwin: Mary Paynter Sherwin is a seasoned writer, educator, and public speaking coach with expertise in helping individuals and schools develop rigorous curricula and activities for their learning needs. She has worked on multiple successful training programs and product innovation toolkits, such as Kaiser Permanente’s i60 Innovation Toolkit with Propelland and frog’s Collective Action Toolkit. Along with David, she is on the faculty of PNCA’s MFA in Collaborative Design, and was formerly an adjunct professor at St. Mary’s College of California. About David Sherwin: David is a design leader, teacher, and strategist with deep expertise in creating new products, services, and training solutions. At companies such as frog, Lynda.com, and LinkedIn, he has led and coached dozens of large-scale product and service design teams, as well as helped to create training workshops and events for clients such as UNICEF, DARPA, and the World Economic Forum. Along with Mary, David is co-author of design bestseller Creative Workshop and Turning People into Teams.

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Everyone Needs This Essential Skill | Tiago Forte - BIGTHINK Aug 11, 2024

Productivity expert Tiago Forte tells us what schools should learn from YouTubers. Technology has both a concentrating and democratizing force on society. While it allows a billionaire and a college student to use the same computer or phone, access to education and training determines how effectively one can use technology. Author Tiago Forte notes that those who could benefit the most from this education, such as people on the wrong side of the digital divide, often can't access it due to a lack of awareness or resources. That’s why he argues for democratizing the idea that one doesn't have to do everything with their biological mind and that cognitive extension through software can make one's life much easier.

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chapters:

0:00 Tech democracy (with an asterisk)

1:31 The problem: The real digital divide

2:43 The skill everyone needs

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About Tiago Forte: Tiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity. He has taught more than 20,000 people worldwide through his programs and writes and speaks on how technology can help knowledge workers revolutionize their personal effectiveness. Tiago’s online course, Building a Second Brain, has produced more than 5,000 graduates from over 70 countries. The course draws on his experience in academic disciplines such as information science, practical fields such as user experience design, and his work with top organizations and leaders in Silicon Valley. Tiago believes knowledge management is one of the most impactful skills in the world today, and his work is dedicated to making it accessible to individuals for the first time. In a previous life, he worked in microfinance in Latin America, served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine, and consulted for large companies on product development in San Francisco. He lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Lauren, son Caio, and dog Ximena...

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How Evolution Shapes Problem-Solving Machines | Michael Levin - BIGTHINK Aug 11, 2024

Evolution doesn’t fix things — it reinvents them. Michael Levin, a biologist, explains. This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Esteemed biologist Michael Levin explores a captivating biological perspective of evolution — one that’s hard for engineers to come to terms with. In their work, making random changes to a system usually makes things worse, not better. But evolution, on the other hand, doesn't just produce specific solutions to specific challenges; instead, it creates what Levin calls "problem-solving machines." These machines are made up of hierarchical biological hardware with incredible adaptability, capable of tackling various challenges without assuming specific environmental conditions. Contrary to commonly held ideas about evolution, it doesn't just search for the best possible physical characteristics in organisms. It also uses signals and behaviors to shape how organisms function, so when things change or get damaged, the different parts of an organism can continue to function. From metabolic to physiological dilemmas, Levin highlights evolution’s remarkable ability to adapt. About Michael Levin: Michael Levin is a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, where he is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor and serves as director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Prior to college, Michael Levin worked as a software engineer and independent contractor in the field of scientific computing. He attended Tufts University, interested in artificial intelligence and unconventional computation. To explore the algorithms by which the biological world implemented complex adaptive behavior, he got dual B.S. degrees, in CS and in Biology and then received a PhD from Harvard University. He led an independent laboratory from 2000 to 2007 at Forsyth Institute, Harvard. Now, his lab at Tufts studies anatomical and behavioral decision-making at multiple scales of biological, artificial, and hybrid systems...

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Healing Trauma Without Medication | Dr. Essam Daod - BIGTHINK Aug 11, 2024

The groundbreaking approach to stopping PTSD before it happens.

Bandages, gauze, sterile eye dressings — these are some standard supplies you can expect to find in a first aid kit. But what about tools to help mend the mental and emotional wounds people suffer during traumatic experiences?

After traveling to Greece to help Syrian refugees during the height of the refugee crisis, child psychiatrist Essam Daod came to the realization that, just as it’s important to treat physical wounds as quickly as possible, tending to psychic injuries is also an urgent matter.

“I think that we have this very short window of opportunity — what I call the “golden hour” — that we can really do the intervention before the, you know, [traumatic] experience can be stored and imprinted in the brain, especially for kids.”

In 2015, Daod and his wife started Humanity Crew, an organization that has so far provided more than 32,000 hours of free mental health services to refugees in the Mediterranean. The organization does its best to reframe traumatic experiences for people when it makes sense to do so — for example, helping a young refugee boy who survived a dangerous ocean journey to see himself as a strong and capable hero. This can nudge the mind to store memories as positive experiences instead of traumatic ones.

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About Dr. Essam Daod:

Essam is a psychiatrist and psychoanalytic psychotherapist who grew up in Israel in a small Arab Palestinian village in the Galilee. He specialized in child and adolescent psychiatry and graduated from psychoanalytic school. In 2015, he flew to Greece for a humanitarian rescue mission where he co-founded Humanity Crew and has been working with refugees ever since. Humanity Crew specializes in the provision of psychological aid to refugees and people in crises, working to deploy mental health and psycho social support to displaced populations in order to improve their wellbeing, to restore order in their lives, and to prevent further psychological escalation. Currently, he is an avid refugee mental health activist and researcher who has spoken at countless conferences and media outlets all over the world advocating for the importance of mental health support for refugees. In 2016 Essam and Humanity Crew were awarded "The Defenders of Refugee Rights Award" at the 4th Edition of Cities Defending Human Rights in Barcelona. In 2018, he became a WHO mental health expert team member, and a TED Fellow.

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Strengthen Your Mind by Using Your Body | Wendy Suzuki - Big Think Aug 11, 2024

Exercise gives your brain a “bubble bath of neurochemicals,” says Wendy Suzuki, a professor of neural science. Exercise can have surprisingly transformative impacts on the brain, according neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki. It has the power not only to boost mood and focus due to the increase in neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, but also contributes to long-term brain health. Exercise stimulates the growth of new brain cells, particularly in the hippocampus, improving long-term memory and increasing its volume. Suzuki notes that you don’t have to become a marathon runner to obtain these benefits — even just 10 minutes of walking per day can have noticeable benefits. It just takes a bit of willpower and experimentation.

Chapters:

0:00 My exercise epiphany

1:35 What is “runner’s high”?

2:40 The hippocampus & prefrontal cortex

3:32 Neuroplasticity: It’s never too late to move your body

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About Wendy Suzuki: Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She received her undergraduate degree in Physiology and Human Anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987, studying with Prof. Marion C. Diamond, a leader in the field of brain plasticity. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from U.C. San Diego in 1993 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before accepting her faculty position at New York University in 1998. Dr. Suzuki is author of the book Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better.

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Introducing Collective Illusions: a new series with Todd Rose | Big Think Aug 11, 2024

Collective illusions lie to us. Here’s what they are, with Todd Rose

“Collective illusions” is a situation where most people in a group go along with an opinion they don’t agree with, simply because they incorrectly believe that the majority also agrees with it.

We’ve known about collective illusions for over 100 years, but our cultural and technological conditions have changed. Today, creating and sustaining these illusions is so easy that they proliferate at a speed we’ve never seen in history.

From trust and conformity to aspiration, this new series, hosted by Todd Rose, explores and decodes the world's greatest Collective Illusions.

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Collective Illusions is a 9-part series brought to you by Stand Together: a community of changemakers tackling our biggest challenges

For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers, subscribe to Stand Together ► / standtogethercc

Watch the entire Collective Illusions playlist ► • Collective Illusions

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

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About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

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Can You Rely on Your Memory? This Neuroscientist Has Doubts | André Fenton - BIGTHINK Aug 11, 2024

There are three kinds of memory that all work together to shape your reality. Neuroscientist André Fenton explains. Neuroscientist André Fenton discusses the intricate relationship between memory, perception, and reality, shedding light on the complexity of human cognition. Fenton believes memories are not fixed but are continually modified by our experiences and mindsets. This, in his mind, underscores the importance of humility and empathy in acknowledging the fallibility of our memories and the need to consider different perspectives in our quest for truth. We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About André Fenton: André Fenton, professor of neural science at New York University, investigates the molecular, neural, behavioral, and computational aspects of memory. He studies how brains store experiences as memories, how they learn to learn, and how knowing activates relevant information without activating what is irrelevant. His investigations and understanding integrates across levels of biological organization, his research uses genetic, molecular, electrophysiological, imaging, behavioral, engineering, and theoretical methods. This computational psychiatry research is helping to elucidate and understand mental dysfunction in diverse conditions like schizophrenia, autism, and depression. André founded Bio-Signal Group Corp., which commercialized an FDA-approved portable, wireless, and easy-to-use platform for recording EEGs in novel medical applications. André implemented a CPAP-Oxygen helmet treatment for COVID-19 in Nigeria and other LMICs and founded Med2.0 to use information technology for the patient-centric coordination of behavioral health services that is desperately needed to equitably deliver care for mental health. André hosts “The Data Set” a new web series on how data and analytics are being used to solve some of humanity’s biggest problems

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Is technology melting your memory? Or helping it? | Lisa Genova | Big Think Aug 11, 2024

Is technology melting your memory? Or helping it?, with Lisa Genova

Technology is a double-edged sword. There is a common belief that smartphones are hurting our memory, but this isn’t entirely true.

Certainly, if you want to form memories effectively, you need to be aware of your surroundings in the present moment, not distracted by your phone.

Yet there is a lot of upside to technology as well. In an instant, you have all the world’s knowledge at your fingertips. And social media reminds us of past events that we otherwise might not remember.

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About Lisa Genova:

Lisa Genova is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels Still Alice, Left Neglected, Love Anthony, Inside the O’Briens, and Every Note Played. Still Alice was adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Julianne Moore, Alec Baldwin, and Kristen Stewart. Lisa graduated valedictorian from Bates College with a degree in biopsychology and holds a PhD in neuroscience from Harvard University. She travels worldwide speaking about the neurological diseases she writes about and has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, PBS NewsHour, CNN, and NPR. Her TED talk, “What You Can Do to Prevent Alzheimer’s,” has been viewed more than five million times. The New York Times bestseller REMEMBER is her first work of nonfiction.

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This Insane Productivity Hack Has a Catch | Tiago Forte Aug 11, 2024

This productivity hack comes with an asterisk, explains note-taking guru Tiago Forte. What would you learn about yourself if you temporarily stopped using the tools that make your life easier? That’s the main question in this Big Think video with author Tiago Forte, who describes what happened when he changed the way he took digital notes. The utility of note-taking depends on the context, Forte says. During face-to-face conversations, he found that taking notes was helpful for him, but it came at the cost of being less connected to the person in front of him. In contrast, taking notes while he’s by himself — walking around a city, for example — is more beneficial, and often ends up influencing his work in a positive way.

About Tiago Forte: Tiago Forte is one of the world’s foremost experts on productivity. He has taught more than 20,000 people worldwide through his programs and writes and speaks on how technology can help knowledge workers revolutionize their personal effectiveness. Tiago’s online course, Building a Second Brain, has produced more than 5,000 graduates from over 70 countries. The course draws on his experience in academic disciplines such as information science, practical fields such as user experience design, and his work with top organizations and leaders in Silicon Valley. Tiago believes knowledge management is one of the most impactful skills in the world today, and his work is dedicated to making it accessible to individuals for the first time. In a previous life, he worked in microfinance in Latin America, served in the Peace Corps in Ukraine, and consulted for large companies on product development in San Francisco. He lives in Long Beach, California, with his wife Lauren, son Caio, and dog Ximena.

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"Sludge": How bureaucracies abuse your time | Cass Sunstein for Big Think Aug 11, 2024

"Sludge": How bureaucracies abuse your time, with Cass Sunstein

"Sludge" constitutes the obstacles, such as bureaucratic paperwork, that society puts in place to prevent a person from accomplishing something they want to do.

Sludge can be good when it ensures that people do not behave recklessly or impulsively. But oftentimes, sludge is nothing more than an obstacle to freedom.

Sludge can be found everywhere, from the criminal justice system to acquiring a mortgage. Much of this sludge needs to be eliminated.

To learn even more from the world's biggest thinkers, get Big Think+ for your business: https://bigthink.com/plus/

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About Cass Sunstein:

Cass R. Sunstein is currently the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard. He is the founder and director of the Program on Behavioral Economics and Public Policy at Harvard Law School. In 2018, he received the Holberg Prize from the government of Norway, sometimes described as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for law and the humanities. In 2020, the World Health Organization appointed him as Chair of its technical advisory group on Behavioural Insights and Sciences for Health. From 2009 to 2012, he was Administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, and after that, he served on the President's Review Board on Intelligence and Communications Technologies and on the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Board. Mr. Sunstein has testified before congressional committees on many subjects, and he has advised officials at the United Nations, the European Commission, the World Bank, and many nations on issues of law and public policy. He serves as an adviser to the Behavioural Insights Team in the United Kingdom.

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What Alpha Brainwaves Reveal About Loneliness | Lisa Miller - BIGTHINK Aug 11, 2024

Scientists can't define spirituality. But we can study its healing effects, says Columbia professor Lisa Miller.

This interview is an episode from @The-Well our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation .

Clinical psychologist Lisa Miller asserts that we are at epidemic levels of loneliness in modern society, and attributes this to a distorted perception of isolation. All humans are hardwired with neural circuits that allow us to realize our connection to a profound unit of consciousness, she explains — so why aren’t we recognizing it? Regardless of our faith, traditions, or spiritual beliefs, when humans enter spiritual awareness, our brains emit a specific wavelength called high amplitude alpha. This wavelength is known as the Schumann Resonance, the wavelength of nature and all life emitted by the Earth. This shared wavelength between humanity and all nature is a force of oneness that we can tap into through prayer, meditation, and mystical moments. Despite the loneliness we may feel, Miller asserts that in truth, we are interconnected with all beings — each of us a unit in a profound shared consciousness. Embracing spirituality, and practicing it with intention, can have a transformative impact on our lives, helping us to realize in times of difficulty that we are never really alone.

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About Lisa Miller: Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is a professor in the linical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child

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"Collective Illusions": Why false consensus in society is so dangerous | Todd Rose for Big Think Aug 11, 2024

"Collective Illusions": Why false consensus in society is so dangerous, with Todd Rose

In a perfect world, the relationship between private opinion and public opinion would be basically like a mirror. At its best, the public opinion holds a mirror to us, and it reflects exactly who we are. But because of collective illusions, that's typically not the case.

Collective illusions lead individuals to make decisions that are contrary to their private values simply because a majority of people in a group believe the majority thinks something that they don't. As a result, the entire group can end up doing something that almost nobody wants, which is fatal to a free society.

But if society creates a space where people feel comfortable expressing views they believe might deviate from the group, you'll find out pretty quickly whether your impression of the group is correct or not. Even when we fundamentally end up disagreeing, a truthful disagreement is always better than a collective illusion.

Up next ►► Sam Harris: The self is an illusion • Sam Harris: The Self is an Illusion |...

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Collective Illusions is a 9-part series brought to you by Stand Together: a community of changemakers tackling our biggest challenges

For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers, subscribe to Stand Together ► / standtogethercc

Watch the entire Collective Illusions playlist ► • Collective Illusions

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

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About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

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Is the Metaverse a Future Dystopia? | Matthew Ball - BIGTHINK Aug 10, 2024

Two-thirds of our days are spent alone. The Metaverse will bring us together, argues leading Metaverse thinker Matthew Ball.

Will the metaverse lean more toward dystopia or utopia? If you base your answer solely on Hollywood’s vision of the future, you might say the former, considering that blockbusters like “The Matrix” and “Blade Runner” paint an ominous future where technology has helped fuel massive inequality and human suffering.

But that’s just one vision. In many ways, humans have been exploring metaverse-like worlds for decades, through text-based role-playing games to “Second Life” to the consumer-grade VR systems that have become popular over the past decade — and we’ve done it all without ushering in a dystopia.

The metaverse will soon enable immersive, collaborative, and social experiences that could change not only leisure, but also learning. For young students, the technology could replace paper mache models of volcanoes with something very much like “The Magic School Bus.”

That’s not to say there aren’t legitimate concerns about the metaverse, especially when it comes to questions about who owns what in this emerging world. Matthew Ball, author of “The Metaverse,” explains more in this interview with Big Think.

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About Matthew Ball:

Matthew Ball is the CEO of Epyllion, a diversified holding company which makes angel investments, provides advisory services, and produces television, films, and video games. Ball is also a Venture Partner at Makers Fund, Senior Advisor to KKR, Senior Advisor to McKinsey & Company, and sits on the board of numerous start-ups. His first book, “The Metaverse and How it Will Revolutionize Everything”, was published in July 2022 and became an instant national and international bestseller. Ball is also an “Occasional Contributor” to The Economist, holds bylines at Bloomberg, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and wrote the August 8, 2022 cover story for Time Magazine.

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"How I reversed my unhappiness" | Tal Ben-Shahar for Big Think Aug 10, 2024

“How I reversed my unhappiness,” with Tal Ben-Shahar

We were told from a very young age, whether explicitly or implicitly, that happiness stems from success. It's all about the attainment of the next goal. And yet, more often than not, achieving these goals does not bring us to a happier place, certainly not in the long-term.

One of the issues that people have with the pursuit of happiness is that it's a selfish endeavor. But is it? When we pursue happiness, oftentimes, we are in a much better place to also help others. The problem though, doesn't lie in the pursuit of happiness but rather in our concepts.

So is the pursuit of happiness selfish or selfless? According to Harvard professor Tal Ben-Shahar, it's neither and both. It's self-full. Selfulness synthesizes the best of both worlds of selfishness and selflessness. The two work together reinforcing one another in an upward spiral of generosity and benevolence.

Up next ►► Don’t chase happiness. Become antifragile • Don’t chase happiness. Become antifra...

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About Tal Ben-Shahar:

Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is an internationally renowned teacher and author in the fields of happiness and leadership. After graduating from Harvard with a BA in Philosophy and Psychology and a PhD in Organizational Behavior, Tal taught two of the most popular courses in Harvard’s history: Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. He then taught Happiness Studies at Columbia University. A prolific writer, Tal's books have appeared on best-sellers lists around the world and have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Tal Ben-Shahar consults and lectures to executives in multinational corporations, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting and mindfulness. Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. Learn more here: https://www.happinessstudies.academy/

Tal is an avid sportsman and a certified yoga instructor whose work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, ancient wisdom and modern technology, science and art.

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The Science of the "Self" Explained by Biologist Michael Levin | BIGTHINK Aug 10, 2024

How do “you” emerge from a collection of cells? A biologist explains.

This interview is an episode from @The-Well our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation .

The concept of the “self” has long been considered philosophically significant: a foundation for exploring who we are and why we’re here. But where does the self begin? Developmental biologist Michael Levin explores this question, explaining how the “self” is constantly being constructed and created, starting in the early moments of embryogenesis. Levin argues against binary categorizations of selfhood, emphasizing that it is a continuous phenomenon with no sharp lines between different stages of development. Using the example of self-organizing cells in the formation of the embryo, Levin also asserts that the self is not a singular entity — rather, it is a collection of structures working together toward a specific goal.

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About Michael Levin: Michael Levin is a developmental and synthetic biologist at Tufts University, where he is the Vannevar Bush Distinguished Professor and serves as director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Prior to college, Michael Levin worked as a software engineer and independent contractor in the field of scientific computing. He attended Tufts University, interested in artificial intelligence and unconventional computation. To explore the algorithms by which the biological world implemented complex adaptive behavior, he got dual B.S. degrees, in CS and in Biology and then received a PhD from Harvard University. He led an independent laboratory from 2000 to 2007 at Forsyth Institute, Harvard. Now, his lab at Tufts studies anatomical and behavioral decision-making at multiple scales of biological, artificial, and hybrid systems

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The US is falling behind in higher education. Can we turn the tide? | Courtney Brown for Big Think Aug 10, 2024

Higher education is broken. Can we make it affordable for everyone?, with Courtney Brown

Who are today's higher education students? They might not be exactly who you think. About 40% of today’s students work full time, while another 40% are at least 25 years old, with many coming from low-income families.

Today’s complex world of work increasingly calls for advanced skills and education. As a society, we have to help more people obtain quality learning that’s available to all. What does that mean, exactly? Lumina Foundation has an idea, embracing a national goal that by 2025, 60% of working-age adults will have a college degree, industry-recognized certification or other credential of value. Right now, we are at just over 50 percent, and we need to better understand who has access to higher education and who is succeeding in this system.

As Lumina's Courtney Brown notes, the organization’s mission is to help more people get this vital post-high school education, understanding that this learning remains a powerful force in addressing income and racial inequality, keeping America competitive in the fast-changing world economy.

This video was created in partnership with the Lumina Foundation.

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About Courtney Brown:

Courtney Brown, Ph.D, is vice president of impact and planning for Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. As the chief data and research officer, Brown oversees the foundation’s efforts in the areas of strategic planning, learning, impact, and effectiveness. She also leads Lumina’s international engagement.

Up next ►► College is absurdly expensive. Can a radical new model change that? • College is absurdly expensive. Can a ...

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Why Americans don’t trust each other | Todd Rose for Big Think Aug 10, 2024

Why Americans don’t trust each other, with Todd Rose

Up next ►► "Collective Illusions": Why false consensus in society is so dangerous • "Collective Illusions": Why false con...

Should we trust people to make choices for themselves, or control those choices for them?

As a free people in a free society, it is unacceptable that public institutions treat people as distrustful. If we continue to use the top-down control model, the consequences in terms of social trust will be too damaging.

What we need to do is trust communities to make decisions for themselves, trust families to make decisions for themselves, and trust people, too. If you want a trusting society, you have to work to dislodge this top-down view of our institutions and give more power to people. We must insist that our institutions treat the public with trust.

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Collective Illusions is a 9-part series brought to you by Stand Together: a community of changemakers tackling our biggest challenges

For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers, subscribe to Stand Together ► / standtogethercc

Watch the entire Collective Illusions playlist ► • Collective Illusions

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

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About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

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The Issue with the Theory of Everything | Janna Levin - BIGTHINK Aug 10, 2024

The hunt for the theory of everything continues — but we won’t find it without understanding quantum gravity first.

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

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There’s a pursuit of simplicity and unification in theoretical physics, aiming for a single mathematical law to unify quantum mechanics and gravity: a theory of everything. But while other forces have been successfully unified, gravity resists integration — casting doubt on the likelihood of ever unlocking the theory of all theories. As physicist Janna Levin explains, black holes, with their strong space-time curvature, provide insights into this challenge. Levin draws parallels to mathematicians' incompleteness theorems, noting the inherent limitations in such an overarching theory. Acknowledging the complexity of the endeavor, Levin emphasizes the need to embrace and explore gravity's enigmatic nature fully. In doing so, the pursuit of unification might still yield profound insights, even if a comprehensive theory of everything remains elusive.

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Understanding the Science of Shared Consciousness | Lisa Miller - BIGTHINK Aug 10, 2024

Ever wondered why you can sense when a loved one is in pain? This Columbia psychologist has an explanation.

This interview is an episode from@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

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Clinical psychologist Lisa Miller rejects a materialist view of the brain as a factory producing thoughts. She believes that the brain might function more like an antenna — capable of sending and receiving consciousness, which holds information, love, and intelligence. In other words, consciousness can exist independently of matter. Miller highlights scientific research that has explored this idea of shared consciousness, particularly in bonded relationships and among twins. She emphasizes the interconnectedness of humanity, where our actions and treatment of others leave lasting imprints on a collective consciousness field. Miller wants to redefine how we understand human consciousness and interconnectedness. This view of our minds has implications for fields such as psychology, neuroscience, and spirituality: by recognizing our shared consciousness, we can live a less lonely and more mindful shared existence. About Lisa Miller: Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child.

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Einstein's Equations and the Mystery of Wormholes | Janna Levin - BIGTHINK Aug 10, 2024

Quantum wormholes are mathematically possible — but might also be physically impossible. Physicist Janna Levin explains the wormhole paradox. Theoretical cosmologist Janna Levin challenges long-held assumptions about the behavior of black holes, information conservation, and the fundamental nature of space, time, and gravity. She uses black holes to explore the physical feasibility of wormholes: theoretical passages or tunnel-like structures that connect separate points in spacetime. Stephen Hawking proposed that black holes emit energy via quantum particles, causing them to eventually evaporate and challenge the conservation of information. The holographic principle suggests that information is encoded on a black hole's surface, addressing the information paradox. Levin metaphorically likens black holes to embroidery, woven from quantum threads. Her quantum perspective has profound implications, potentially altering our understanding of gravity and spacetime's fundamental nature — even questioning our pursuit of a theory of everything.

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About Janna Levin: Janna Levin is a professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is also director of sciences at Pioneer Works, a center for arts and sciences in Brooklyn, and has contributed to an understanding of black holes, the cosmology of extra dimensions, and gravitational waves in the shape of spacetime. Her previous books include How the Universe Got Its Spots and a novel, A Madman Dreams of Turing Machines, which won the PEN/Bingham Prize. She was recently named a Guggenheim fellow.

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5 ways to unlock your brain’s ancient pleasure centers | Jamie Wheal for Big Think Aug 10, 2024

For our own mental health, we must occasionally disconnect from the world and reconnect to ourselves and to each other.

This leads us to some of the most powerful and often taboo things that humans have ever experienced.

They include: breathing, sexuality, embodiment, substances, and music — what Jamie Wheal calls the Alchemist Cookbook.

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About Jamie Wheal:

Jamie Wheal is the author of the global best-seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of ultimate human performance. Since founding the organization in 2011, it has gone on to become the leading voice of evidence-based peak performance in the world, counting award-winning academics, legendary professional athletes, special operations commanders, and Fortune 500 business leaders among the hundreds of thousands of people in its global community.

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Is Reality Real? These Neuroscientists Don't Think So | BIGTHINK Aug 09, 2024

Is reality real? These neuroscientists don’t think so, with Richard Dawkins, Heather Heying, Donald Hoffman & more Is there an external reality? Is reality objective? Is the information your senses are feeding you an accurate depiction of reality? Most neuroscientists, biologists, and scientific leaders believe that we only understand a sliver of what is real. Although we assume our senses are telling us the truth, they’re actually fabricated to us. Considering senses are unique from person to person, and through our unique senses we can only intemperate a fraction of what is real, there is no all-encompassing perspective one can have. Because of this, we need to take our perceptions seriously, but not literally. Multiple perspectives have to be taken, as each will have some sort of truth lies within them. Seeing partial truth in multiple perspectives is fundamental to navigating the world and making informed decisions.

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CHAPTERS:

0:00 Beau Lotto on how we perceive our external reality.

0:32 Alva Noë on how our reality projects into our nervous system.

1:20 Donald Hoffman on if our senses are telling us the truth.

2:58 Frank Wilczek on how we perceive color and sound.

4:41 Daniel Schmachtenberger on perception, choice making, and navigating reality.

6:01 Heather Heying on how to figure out what is true in reality.

6:28 Richard Dawkins on objective reality vs. science

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Our biggest environmental problems are solvable | Hannah Ritchie, PhD Aug 09, 2024

About the video: “You can find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved.” Climate change is solvable, argues Hannah Ritchie.

Doomerism about the state of the planet is widespread right now. Many see climate change as an insurmountable problem that we won’t be able to tackle. But the reality tells a different story, says data scientist Hannah Ritchie.

By stepping back to look at the data and at how the world has changed over centuries, you can actually find examples of really big environmental problems that we've already solved.

By tracing the evolution of human history, we can see that human progress was often very much in conflict with environmental impact. The more that humans progressed, the more the environment degraded. Ritchie argues that now, we're in a unique position where these two things are no longer in conflict, thanks to recent technologies that decouple our human wellbeing with our environmental impact.

chapters for easier navigation:

0:00 - An ‘insurmountable’ problem?

1:10 - 4 key targets to solve climate change

04:27 - How we reduce our emissions

09:36 - Being an ‘urgent optimist’

Up next, The overpopulation myth, debunked by a data scientist ► • The overpopulation myth, debunked by ...

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About Hannah Ritchie:

Hannah Ritchie is a data scientist and science communicator focused on the largest problems that shape our world, and how to solve them.

Ritchie's work focuses on environmental sustainability, including climate change, energy, food and agriculture, biodiversity, air pollution and deforestation.

Ritchie is a Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher at Our World in Data, and a researcher at the Oxford Martin Programme in Global Development, at the University of Oxford.

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Einstein Couldn't Solve the Universe: Here's What It Would Take to Succeed | Michio Kaku - BIGTHINK Aug 09, 2024

If Einstein couldn’t solve the theory of everything, could anyone? Physicist Michio Kaku explains what it would take. Albert Einstein spent the last 30 years of his life pursing a “theory of everything,” aiming to find a concise equation summarizing the fundamental laws of the Universe. His downfall? Subatomic particles. Physicist Michio Kaku offers an alternative to Einstein’s elusive theory: “string theory.” We could try to explain it, but he does a much better job. After all, he’s one of the co-inventors of it. If you aren’t sold on string theory, Kaku breaks down the three criteria needed to figure out what makes our Universe tick: it must incorporate Einstein’s theory of gravity, explain particle physics, and be mathematically sound. No pressure.

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About Michio Kaku: Dr. Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, and is one of the most widely recognized scientists in the world today. He has written 4 New York Times Best Sellers, is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning and has hosted numerous science specials for BBC-TV, the Discovery/Science Channel. His radio show broadcasts to 100 radio stations every week. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York (CUNY), where he has taught for over 25 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study as well as New York University (NYU).....

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"Fame" is an illusion we’ve made together. Here’s how to undo it. | Todd Rose for Big Think Aug 09, 2024

No two people define success the same way, according to this test.

Up next ►► Why are we obsessed with celebrities? • Why Are We Obsessed with Celebrities?...

We each hold onto false beliefs about how society operates. These "collective illusions" stifle innovation and erode our ability to make progress together. Todd Rose discovered that one of the most important collective illusions has to do with the way we define a successful life.

“We looked at the private opinions of the American public across 76 different attributes that could go into a successful life. Out of those 76, the vast majority of the American public believes that most people would rank 'fame' as number one. There's just one problem: in private, it's actually dead last.”

When the same group was asked ‘What does a fulfilling life mean to you?,’ the results were even more mystifying. “Out of those 76 trade-off priorities in the thousands and thousands of people that we have studied, no two people were identical. Nobody can tell you what a successful life is; you have to discover that for yourself.”

In the end, what Rose discovered was that if you want to help someone become successful, you must work to understand how they define success first.

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Collective Illusions is a 9-part series brought to you by Stand Together: a community of changemakers tackling our biggest challenges

For more stories, ideas, and advice from changemakers, subscribe to Stand Together ► / standtogethercc

Watch the entire Collective Illusions playlist ► • Collective Illusions

And visit Stand Together’s website to learn more ► https://standtogether.org/

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About Todd Rose:

Todd Rose is the co-founder and president of Populace, a think tank committed to ensuring that all people have the opportunity to pursue fulfilling lives in a thriving society. Prior to Populace, he was a faculty member at Harvard University where he founded the Laboratory for the Science of Individuality and directed the Mind, Brain, and Education program. Todd is the best selling author of Collective Illusions, Dark Horse, and The End of Average. He lives in Burlington, Massachusetts.

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Why the world needs cults | Jamie Wheal for Big Think Aug 09, 2024

Humans are highly conscious of social status. We are tribal primates who are wired to seek the "silverback" among us. This makes us prone to cult-like behavior.

This is especially true today with the rise of social media influencers, like those on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram.

But the question is: can cults actually be an ethical and positive force for good?

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About Jamie Wheal:

Jamie Wheal is the author of the global best-seller and Pulitzer Prize-nominated Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, Navy SEALs and Maverick Scientists are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of ultimate human performance. Since founding the organization in 2011, it has gone on to become the leading voice of evidence-based peak performance in the world, counting award-winning academics, legendary professional athletes, special operations commanders, and Fortune 500 business leaders among the hundreds of thousands of people in its global community.

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Brian Cox Explores Quantum Computing and Black Hole Physics - BIGTHINK Aug 09, 2024

“You’re not meant to understand what I just said, because I don’t understand what I just said…” Physicist Brian Cox on one of the most complex theories in space science.

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Chapters:

0:00 intro

0:52 no cloning theorem

1:33 black hole physics and quantum computing

2:37 plank units

3:44 holography

5:31 quantum error correction

Up next, Brian Cox on how black holes could unlock the mysteries of our universe

Physicist Brian Cox takes us into the mind-bending world where quantum mechanics, black holes, and the future of computing converge.

In this interview, Cox shares the engineering challenges behind building quantum computers and the intricate dance of storing information in their notoriously delicate memory. However, black holes have an unexpected link to quantum information storage. Cox discusses how Planck units, holography, and redundancy could shape the future of computing.

It is a mind-expanding discussion that pushes the boundaries of our understanding. Even Cox says, “You're not meant to understand what I've just said because I don't understand what I've just said because nobody understands what I've just said.”

Welcome to the frontier where nature's laws and technological innovation collide.

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About Brian Cox:

Brian Cox obtained a first class honors degree in physics from the University of Manchester in 1995 and in 1998 a Ph.D. in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg. He is now Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Brian is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for all things scientific, having presented a number of highly acclaimed science programs for the BBC watched by billions internationally including ‘Adventures in Space and Time’ (2021), ‘Universe’ (2021), ‘The Planets’ (2018), ‘Forces of Nature’ (2016), ‘Human Universe’ (2014), ‘Wonders of Life’ (2012), ‘Wonders of the Universe’ (2011) and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ (2010).

As an author, Brian has also sold over a million books worldwide including ‘Black Holes’, ‘Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos’, ‘Quantum Universe’ and ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ with co-author Professor Jeffrey Forshaw. He has set several world records for his sell-out live tours, including his most recent tour Horizons which has taken in venues across the globe.

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Harnessing the Flow State to Achieve the Impossible | Steven Kotler - BIGTHINK Aug 09, 2024

You can learn things 250% faster by unlocking your ‘flow state.’ To achieve peak performance, we must learn to get our biology to work for us rather than against us. There is a very tight coupling between our psychology and our physiology. We can pre-wire our brains in a way that enhances our physiology and boosts performance. This helps us enter a state of flow, in which we experience an optimized state of consciousness where we feel and perform our best.

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About Steven Kotler: Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. He is the author of ten bestsellers (out of thirteen books total), including The Art of Impossible, The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Stealing Fire, The Rise of Superman, Bold and Abundance. His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes, translated into over 40 languages, and appeared in over 100 publications, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Atlantic Monthly, TIME and the Harvard Business Review. Steven is also the cohost of Flow Research Collective Radio, a top ten iTunes science podcast. Along with his wife, author Joy Nicholson, he is the co-founder of the Rancho de Chihuahua, a hospice and special needs dog sanctuary.

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How should we measure intelligence? | Mary-Helen Immordino Yang Aug 09, 2024

We’ve been looking at intelligence all wrong, explains a neuroscientist.

Our society has an obsession with quantifying everything, often applying measurements and numerical values where they aren't necessary. Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a neuroscientist and professor at USC, argues that we've taken this approach with intelligence, and it might not be the right path.

Immordino-Yang uses standardized testing as an example, explaining how modern-day education systems equate high test scores with high intelligence levels. However, these tests usually only measure a student's ability to perform under specific conditions, focusing narrowly on memorization and regurgitation of predetermined answers.

Instead, Mary Helen suggests a more dynamic concept of intelligence, considering a child's ability to navigate complex situations, understand new information, and innovate in real-time. This kind of intelligence is adaptive and essential for societal progress, as it allows for a more well-rounded perception of the world and situations that occur within it.

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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This interview is an episode from ‪‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Got a Controversial Idea? Here’s Why You Should Share It | Peter Singer - BIGTHINK Aug 09, 2024

Ideas that seem wildly controversial today may move humanity towards progress. Philosopher Peter Singer asks —how do we keep them from being stifled? Peter Singer explains why he helped create the “Journal of Controversial Ideas,” a platform for discussing and examining controversial topics without fear of backlash or censorship. According to Singer, history is rife with examples of people challenging beliefs that were once considered certain but were later proven false. Persecuting those people who challenged those prevailing notions, Singer says, stifled progress. Singer underscores the importance of protecting academic freedom and freedom of thought and expression as fundamental to societal progress and knowledge advancement.

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Is success genetic? | Kathryn Paige Harden Aug 05, 2024

The relationship between genetics and the environment is incredibly complex.

The term "heritability" refers to the proportion of variation in a population that is due to genetic differences. But people misinterpret the word to mean "genetically determined," "unmodifiable," or "innate" — but it doesn't mean any of these things.

Just because a version of a gene might be linked to a particular outcome in one group of people does not mean it is linked to the same outcome in another group of people.

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About Kathryn Paige Harden:

Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden is a tenured professor in the Department of Psychology at UT, where she leads the Developmental Behavior Genetics lab and co-directs the Texas Twin Project. She is the author of The Genetic Lottery: Why DNA Matters for Social Equality (Princeton). Dr. Harden received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia and completed her clinical internship at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School.

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This interview is an episode from The Well, our new publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the John Templeton Foundation.

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

So what do they think?

How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?

Let’s dive into The Well.

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Watch Kathryn Paige Harden's next interview ► Schools ignore genetics—and that’s actually a bad thing • Schools ignore genetics—and that’s ac...

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Why Divergent Thinkers Outperform Geniuses in the Real World | David Epstein - BIGTHINK Aug 03, 2024

Don’t take the prodigy pathway. David Epstein says become a broad thinker instead. The idea for Nintendo’s Game Boy system was born from a philosophy that had a much less catchy name: lateral thinking with withered technology. The term was coined by Gunpei Yokoi, a Nintendo employee who started at the company with a similarly dry job: machine maintenance worker. One day, a Nintendo executive noticed that Yokoi had built a simple extendable-arm-grabber toy in his free time. Let’s sell it, the executive said. It became a small hit. Yokoi was eventually promoted to help build out the company’s video game business. But he recognized that he didn’t have the expertise to advance the cutting edge of the video game world. So he decided on a very specific strategy: take already well-understood knowledge and technology from different domains and combine them in unique ways to create new products. The result was the Game Boy. In this interview with Big Think, David Epstein, author of the 2019 book "Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World," explains how lateral thinking — a type of thinking where you approach problems from non-obvious angles — is a problem-solving strategy that’s surprisingly well-suited for our fast-changing world.

About David Epstein: David Epstein is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and The Sports Gene. He has master's degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. He lives in Washington, DC..

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Work Culture in the U.S. is Broken. Employers Must Fix It | Tiffani Bova - BIGTHINK+ Aug 03, 2024

Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, burnout: there are a ton of buzzwords to describe how modern work culture is broken. Now that we know what the problems are, how do we fix them? Tiffani Bova shares how companies can repair their relationship with their employees. Modern American working culture is broken — and has been for a long time. The coronavirus pandemic only magnified festering wounds that have adversely impacted employers and employees for far too long. Tiffani Bova, named among the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the world by Thinkers50 for six years running, explores what needs to happen to repair it.

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About Tiffani Bova: Ranked for the last 6 years in the Top 50 Business Thinkers in the world by Thinkers50, Tiffani Bova is a leading thinker who Forbes says “reshapes our perception of growth.” As both a practitioner and academic, she offers a unique perspective and has helped lead the tech industry through several evolutions over her nearly 30-year career as Salesforce’s former Growth and Innovation Evangelist and previously as a Research Fellow at Gartner and a sales, marketing, and customer service executive for start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. She is the author of two Wall Street Journal bestsellers: GrowthIQ and The Experience Mindset. While at Gartner, her forward-looking insights and guidance helped some of the largest technology companies in the world, including Microsoft, Cisco, Salesforce, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Oracle, SAP, AT&T, Dell, Amazon-AWS, expand their market share and grow their revenues. She was a trusted advisor to multiple senior executives who were responsible for shifting from on-premise to as-a-service business models, resulting in new billion-dollar divisions. In the late 90s and early 2000s, she was a pioneer of cloud computing; she previously led direct and indirect sales, marketing, and customer service for two of the largest web-based start-ups in the US and spearheaded a newly formed division of a Fortune 500 company to $300 million in revenue over two and a half years. Tiffani has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fortune, Fast Company, Bloomberg, MSNBC-TV, Yahoo Finance, INC, and Forbes. She is also the host of the podcast What’s Next! with Tiffani Bova...

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3 powerful mind states: Flow state, good anxiety, and Zen Buddhism Aug 03, 2024

“We can use neuroscience and tools from psychology to learn how to take advantage of anxiety.” From Zen Buddhism to flow state, these 3 experts explain how to hack your brain.

When you think about the word "anxiety," it likely comes with a negative connotation. But anxiety is a normal human emotion that nearly all of us experience. Reframing anxiety as a tool for change, adopting concepts from Zen Buddhism, and striving to live in a ‘flow state’ can quell the negative thoughts we experience and amplify your mind’s abilities.

Optimizing your brain so that you can work in harmony with your thoughts is entirely possible. These 3 experts explain how we can work with our physiology, rather than try to rebel against it.

Authors Stephen Kotler and Wendy Suzuki along with psychiatrist Robert Waldinger show us how to optimize our mind, transform anxiety, and drop into ‘flow state’ for a more peaceful life.

Timestamps For Easier Navigation:-

0:00 3 powerful mind states

2:39 The flow state

9:59 Harnessing anxiety’s superpowers

17:21 A guide to Zen Buddhism

Up next, How to date, mate, and find fulfillment ► • How to date, mate, and find fulfillme...

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Incarcerated for 19 Years: How Shaka Senghor Found Freedom | BIGTHINK Aug 03, 2024

Shaka Senghor spent 19 years in prison, 7 of them in solitary confinement. This is how he found true freedom.

The way Shaka Senghor tells his story, he found himself incarcerated long before he officially went to prison for second-degree murder, and he experienced freedom long before completing his sentence at the age of 38.

Senghor ran away from home and got drawn into the crack cocaine trade at the age of 14. After a series of traumatic events, he felt trapped in a narrative that dictated his life could only lead to limited outcomes: an early grave or a prison cell.

In our intimate interview, Senghor shares the three "keys" that trAnsformed his perspective on life and have enabled him to live as a genuinely free man today.

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About Shaka Senghor:

In 1991, Shaka Senghor pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and spent the next 19 years behind bars, seven of them in solitary confinement. Today, Senghor has become a vocal advocate for prison reform, and tackling the problem of mass incarceration, in all its complex ugliness, head on. Senghor’s memoir, Writing My Wrongs: Life, Death, and Redemption in an American Prison, was released in March 2016 and debuted on The New York Times Best Seller List as well as The Washington Post Best Seller List.....

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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How the laws of physics doom Planet Earth and The Future of Space Exploration. Michio Kaku Aug 03, 2024

Humans won’t survive if we stay on Earth. Michio Kaku explains.

Up Next ► Michio Kaku: 3 mind-blowing predictions about the future • Michio Kaku: 3 mind-blowing predictio...

On Earth, extinction is the norm: 99.9% of species eventually go extinct. Even worse, the laws of physics have destined our planet for destruction. Whether it be from a planet-killing asteroid or the death of our Sun, Earth is doomed.

Humanity needs an insurance policy. Ultimately, if we want to survive long-term, we need to inhabit other planets.

We are entering a new Golden Age of space exploration, but there are obstacles we must overcome.

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About Michio Kaku:

Dr. Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, and is one of the most widely recognized scientists in the world today. He has written 4 New York Times Best Sellers, is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning and has hosted numerous science specials for BBC-TV, the Discovery/Science Channel. His radio show broadcasts to 100 radio stations every week. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York (CUNY), where he has taught for over 25 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study as well as New York University (NYU).

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What to Do If You're Among the 1 in 3 Who Cheat | Michael Slepian's Insights - BIG THINK Aug 03, 2024

33% of people cheat, and 77% of people want to know about their partner’s infidelity. Would you tell your partner? Michael Slepian, an expert on secrecy, explains how.

About one-third of people have committed infidelity at some point in their lives. If you're one of them, should you confess it to your romantic partner?

One way to answer the question is to consider whether you would want to know if your partner had cheated on you: Surveys show that 77% of people would want to know, but that still leaves about a quarter of us who'd prefer ignorance. It's also worth questioning your own motives: Maybe you only want to get the secret off your chest to make yourself feel better.

It's a difficult dilemma with no one-size-fits-all solution. But fortunately, as psychologist Michael Slepian explained to Big Think, recent research has been revealing insights on the nature of secrets, what happens when we harbor them, and how and when we should consider getting them off our chest.

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About Michael Slepian:

Michael Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. He previously was a visiting scholar at Stanford University, and received his Ph.D. from Tufts University. He is an elected fellow of the Society of Experimental Social Psychology, has received the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, and received the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

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If your attention span has been hijacked, here’s how to take it back. | Amishi Jha Aug 02, 2024

Where do you place precious brain resources?

The human brain's attention system is the success story of what makes us unique as human beings.

Because attention fuels our ability to think, to feel, and connect, what we pay attention to is our life. For a long time, throughout our evolutionary history, the brain began to suffer from a very big problem which is that there's far more information out in the environment than could be fully processed.

Attention ended up becoming a very useful solution because it allows us to prioritize information, but there are qualities of the human experience that disable attention. Given how powerful attention is, we need to really respect where we place this precious brain resource.

Chapters For Easier Navigation:-

0:00 introduction

1:27 power of attention

2:38 the challenges of attention

4:38 what is meta awareness

Up Next ► How to enter ‘flow state’ on command • How to enter ‘flow state’ on command ...

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About Amishi Jha:

Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha’s work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in the The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more.

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Exploring the Afterlife Through the Lens of Einstein's Special Relativity | Sabine Hossenfelder Aug 02, 2024

Sabine Hossenfelder discusses the physics of... dead grandmothers? Sabine Hossenfelder investigates life's big questions through the lens of physics, particularly Einstein's theory of special relativity. She highlights the relativity of simultaneity, which states that the notion of "now" is subjective and dependent on the observer. This leads to the block universe concept, where past, present, and future all exist simultaneously, making the past just as real as the present. Hossenfelder also emphasizes that the fundamental laws of nature preserve information rather than destroy it. Although information about a deceased person disperses, it remains an integral part of the universe. This idea of timeless existence, derived from the study of fundamental physics, offers profound spiritual insights that can be difficult to internalize in our everyday lives. As a result, Hossenfelder encourages people to trust the scientific method and accept the profound implications of these discoveries, which may reshape our understanding of life and existence. As a physicist, Hossenfelder trusts the knowledge gained through the scientific method and acknowledges the challenge of integrating these deep insights into our daily experiences. By contemplating these profound concepts, we can potentially expand our understanding of reality and our place within it.

--------------------------------

Chapters for easier navigation:

0:00 Is your dead grandma still alive?

1:25 Before Einstein... and after-

2:53 Relativity of simultaneity, explained

5:14 Spacetime and the 'block universe'

6:10 Eternal existence: The conservation of quantum information

8:22 "I know it sounds crazy, but..."

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™™ Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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Earth used to look like Mars. Here’s why that changed. | Robert Hazen Aug 02, 2024

This interview is an episode from ‪‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

Watch Hazen's next interview ► • Are non-living things… evolving? Yes,...

What can minerals tell us about the Earth's evolving colors? According to mineralogist Bob Hazen, they reveal an incredible history.

Thanks to new research, we now know that minerals play immense roles in technology, agriculture, and the very origin of life itself, even down to our planet’s colors. Hazen explains the mineral roadmap of Earth’s transformation – starting as a black basalt-covered planet, evolving into a blue ocean world, transitioning to a red rusted landscape, and finally becoming the green, lively planet we know today.

Hazen elaborates on how minerals have been essential in processes like plate tectonics and biomineralization, exemplifying the co-evolution of the geosphere and life. Using the knowledge that each and every mineral serves as a time capsule, we are able to better understand the 4.5 billion-year history - and potential future - of our Earth.

----------------------------------

About Robert Hazen:

Robert Hazen is a renowned American mineralogist and geologist, known for his pioneering work in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. He is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and a Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University.

Hazen has written over 400 articles and 25 books, contributing research as a profound leader in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. His studies delve into the complex interactions between minerals and life, contributing to our understanding of Earth’s history and the potential for life on other planets. Hazen is also a passionate educator and science communicator.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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The Neuroscience of Religious Experiences | Patrick McNamara - BIGTHINK Aug 02, 2024

Patrick McNamara, an experimental neuroscientist, argues that the function of religion is not just to quell existential anxiety or stave off the fear of death, but to disrupt current models of the self and to update those models in relation to the world around us. Religious experiences promote imaginative simulation of other possible worlds, giving us space to update those models. One core facet of the spiritual experience is what McNamara calls “de-centering” — a powerful technique that promotes self-transformation and makes us incredibly vulnerable when triggered. When held in the context of a ritual, like many religious practices, we can achieve massive personal growth and transcendence. But de-centering isn’t only effective within the context of religion: Secular people can re-discover or create their own rich traditions to support the de-centering experience. The field of experimental neuroscience is uncovering some fundamental aspects of human nature and experience, simultaneously enhancing our understanding but also deepening the mystery. McNamara’s research sheds light on the potential benefits of religion and ritual, and highlights how much more is still to be learned about how these processes can be harnessed for positive transformation.

Chapters:

0:00 The standard theory of religion

1:25 What is a self model?

2:32 Simulating other possible worlds

3:05 “Decentering”: A self-transformation process

5:12 Fanaticism: When decentering goes wrong

6:23 Ritual decentering

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---------------

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

-----------------

About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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How We Could Cure Nearly All Human Diseases: Insights from Albert-László Barabási | BIGTHINK Aug 01, 2024

The Human Genome Project was a major breakthrough in medicine, but according to network scientist Albert-László Barabási, simply having a list of genes is not enough to fully understand how they interact, and crucially, how our bodies work. Barabási believes network science — which studies complex patterns and interactions between our cells — can fill in this gap by creating a biological map from which we could develop new cures, and even predict diseases. He explains that disease genes often have mutations that result in a missing interaction within the sub-cellular network, which then causes problems in the functioning of a cell. Traditional medicinal interventions can lead to unwanted side effects, as they also affect other cellular processes in the network; network medicine has revealed that these complex systems, though robust, are also fragile to attacks, and removing a few major hubs can break the network into tiny pieces. Understanding the structure of the network within our cells can allow for precise interventions that cure the problem without causing other issues. For Barabási, the ideal future of medicine would involve individualized network diagrams being adopted as a standard tool for doctors to show patients where mutations are, how they impact the rest of the cell, and how interventions can stop their effects.

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Chapters:

0:00 The map of life: Human Genome Project

1:01 What is network medicine?

2:09 The Achilles’ heel

4:20 A new kind of doctor will emerge

Listen To This Next:

Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

--------------------------

Your top desination for expert-driven educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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Revealing the 3 Types of People Who Are Stealing Your Money | Kelly Richmond Pope - BIGTHINK Aug 01, 2024

Fraud is a $5 trillion “industry.” But not all its perpetrators look alike. Kelly Richmond Pope, a professor of accounting, breaks down who commits fraud — and why. When we think of someone who commits fraud, we think of people like Bernie Madoff or companies like Enron: intentional perpetrators of financial crimes. But other kinds of people commit fraud, too. Accounting professor Kelly Richmond Pope explains who else falls prey to the "fraud triangle", and they might be even scarier than the big bads.

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Chapters:

0:00 How does fraud happen?

1:00 Meet Kelly Richmond Pope

1:28 The Fraud Triangle

2:18 Three types of fraudsters

2:26 Intentional perpetrators

3:50 Righteous perpetrators

4:20 Accidental perpetrators

5:56 And then there's Wells Fargo…

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The science of super longevity

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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Why Earth’s axis makes life beautiful | Sasha Sagan Aug 01, 2024

Rituals come as much from religion as they do from the way Earth tilts on its axis and spins around the Sun.

Up Next ► Rituals improve life according to ancient Chinese philosophers, says Michael Puett • Rituals Improve Life According to Anc...

Many of humanity's cultural traditions are based upon the movement of our planet around the Sun. The summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes take on special significance.

The reason these special days exist is because our planet tilts at an angle of roughly 23° on its axis. Without this tilt, there would be no seasons.

The religious and philosophical themes of rebirth and resurrection, therefore, are partially the result of our planet's axial tilt.

-------------------------------------------------------

About Sasha Sagan:

Sasha Sagan is a native of Ithaca, New York and a graduate of NYU. She has worked as a television producer, filmmaker, writer, and speaker in the U.S. and abroad. Her essays and interviews on death, history, and ritual through a secular lens have appeared in The Cut, O, the Oprah Magazine, Literary Hub, Atmos and beyond. She is a contributing editor for the British fashion magazine Violet Book. Sasha regularly speaks on ways science can inform our celebrations and how we mark the passage of time, inspired in part by the work of her parents, Carl Sagan and Ann Druyan.

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Why Do Humans Worship the Supernatural? An Exploration with Patrick McNamara | BIGTHINK Aug 01, 2024

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Whether real or imagined, encounters with supernatural agents have been a consistent aspect of human experience for at least 30,000 years, spanning all cultures. Neuroscientist Patrick McNamara believes this is no coincidence. He argues that these agents fulfill essential roles for individuals and communities, including healing from trauma, discovering purpose, and alleviating anxiety. Supernatural agents are generally considered to be entities with extraordinary powers, including gods, spirits, angels, demons, and ghosts. They are believed to know our thoughts and desires, possess the ability to heal and curse, and establish standards for humans to aspire to. People have reported encounters with these supernatural agents not only in religious contexts but also in non-religious settings, such as deep meditation, dreaming, and psychedelic experiences. How can we make sense of this strange phenomenon? One way is to analyze brain activity: McNamara’s research reveals a similar pattern of brain activity during psychedelic experiences, REM sleep, and religious experiences where subjects encountered supernatural phenomena. These brain activity patterns are distinct from those observed when subjects are exposed to control agents. While debates continue about the reality of supernatural entities, those who have experienced them frequently describe them as authentic beings, not mere hallucinations. McNamara’s research aims to investigate this question further and explore how humans can continue to utilize the supernatural for personal and societal growth.

Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 The supernatural experience

1:19 What is a supernatural agent?

3:17 The neuroscience of supernatural believers

4:35 The non-religious brain & psychedelics

5:27 Is the supernatural real?

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

Get Smarter, Faster....

With Episodes From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers. Follow The Podcast And Turn On The Notifications!!

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Why your brain believes everything | Neuroscientist Amishi Jha Aug 01, 2024

How to see through the lies that surround us.

Up Next ► How to catch a liar (assuming we want to) • How to Catch a Liar (Assuming We Want...

The world today feels like it's a constant VUCA environment: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. The shifting landscape, the bombarding of information toward us, and always having to work in sort of a 24/7 environment.

This is problematic because we feel like we're all in a collective crisis of attention. So it's very important that we, as citizens of the world, understand what is true and what is false.

A question that should be on our minds these days is: 'What is the role of attention in minimizing truth bias?'

-----------------------------------------------------

About Amishi Jha:

Dr. Amishi Jha is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California–Davis and postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Dr. Jha’s work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in the The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more.

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Shortcuts Are Harming Humanity: Discover the Alternative | Ari Wallach - BIGTHINK Aug 01, 2024

Short-term thinkers take shortcuts. Take the longpath instead, explains futurist Ari Wallach.

Long-term planning is tough. With all of the pressures and distractions of daily life, it’s often a hassle to stop and consider whether what we’re doing at any given moment is putting us on track toward our future goals. And if the answer is no, it often takes even more effort to consciously change course and sacrifice immediate gratification for long-term gain.

Long-term thinking is difficult for anyone, but especially for those living paycheck to paycheck. Does that mean “longtermism” is only for the privileged? The answer is no, according to the futurist Ari Wallach, author of "Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs."

Although it might be harder for some people to consider how our current actions will affect the future, it’s a moral question that we all should ask ourselves.

chapters:-

0:00 What is ‘longpath’ thinking?

1:33 Take the pause

2:16 Who is taking shortcuts?

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About Ari Wallach:

Ari Wallach is an applied futurist and Executive Director of Longpath Labs. He is the author of Longpath: Becoming the Great Ancestors Our Future Needs by HarperCollins and the creator and host of the forthcoming series on PBS A Brief History of the Future, which is being executive produced by Kathryn Murdoch and Drake. He has been a strategy and foresight advisor to Fortune 100 companies, the US Department of State, the Ford Foundation, the UN Refugee Agency, the RacialEquity 2030 Challenge and Politico’s Long Game Forum. As adjunct associate professor at Columbia University he lectured on innovation, AI, and the future of public policy. Wallach's TED talk on Longpath has been viewed 2.6 million times and translated into 21 languages. Ari was the co-creator of 2008's pro-Obama The Great Schlep with Sarah Silverman. He has been featured in the New York Times, CNN, CNBC, Vox, and more. He lives in the lower Hudson Valley with his wife, three children and wonderdog Ozzie. More at https://www.longpath.org/

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Why humans believe “everything happens for a reason” | Clay Routledge Aug 01, 2024

This interview is an episode from The Well, our new publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the John Templeton Foundation.

Up Next ► Michio Kaku: Is God a mathematician? • Michio Kaku: Is God a mathematician?

If you're a critic of religion or if you're someone who champions yourself as a strong believer in the power of rationality, you probably think 'supernatural thinking' is bad.

But according to existential psychologist Clay Routledge, supernatural thinking is actually an important part of being a complete human being. From a scientific point of view, all we know is what we have in this life- but if we're open to supernatural possibilities that allows us to at least explore or have hope that there's something about our existence, something about the human spirit, that transcends the material.

When we are dealing with anxieties about mortality, questions about purpose, and trying to understand our place in a large Universe, our minds naturally drift towards at least curiosities about the supernatural if not outright belief.

-------------------------------------------------------------

About Clay Routledge:

Dr. Clay Routledge is a leading expert in existential psychology. His work examines how the human need for meaning in life influences and is influenced by different cognitive processes, self-regulation, momentous life experiences, personal and professional goals, creativity, social connections, spirituality and religiosity, entrepreneurship, and prosocial behavior.

Dr. Routledge has published over 100 scholarly papers, co-edited three books on existential psychology, and authored the books Nostalgia: A Psychological Resource and Supernatural: Death, Meaning, and the Power of the Invisible World.

His work has been featured by many media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, ABC News, BBC News, CBC News, CNN, NBC Today, MSNBC, Men’s Health, The Atlantic, and The New Yorker. As a social commentator, Dr. Routledge has authored articles for a number of outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, USA Today, Scientific American, National Review, Entrepreneur, and Harvard Business Review. He was the lead writer for the TED-Ed animated lesson Why Do We Feel Nostalgia?

Dr. Clay Routledge is the Vice President of Research and the Director of the Human Flourishing Lab at the Archbridge Institute. He is also an editor at Profectus, a periodic web-based magazine focused on civilizational progress and human flourishing.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

So what do they think?

How is the power of science advancing understanding? How are philosophers and theologians tackling these fascinating questions?

Let’s dive into The Well.

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The Double-Edged Sword of Celebrity CEOs: Amazing Until They Backfire | Anna Butrico Aug 01, 2024

Elon Musk, Jack Dorsey, Steve Jobs, Elizabeth Holmes – are these celebrity CEOs good for their business?

Up Next ► How to date, mate, and find fulfillment | Helen Fisher & more

Some “larger-than-life” CEOs have names and personal brands that transcend those of the company that they run. Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are good examples.

Anna Butrico argues that they have a powerful platform and, therefore, a responsibility to use it to analyze how their products and personalities are affecting our world.

The risk of having such high-profile CEOs is that they can overshadow or even undermine the mission of their company.

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----------------------------------

About Anna Butrico:

Anna Butrico is Chief of Staff of Odgers Berndtson U.S. Anna supports the OBUS leadership team in driving the firm’s growth strategy. Prior to joining Odgers, Anna was a senior communications associate at the McChrystal Group, where she advised Fortune 100 leaders on how to tap into human potential to achieve stronger business outcomes. A communications expert and former speechwriter, she is the co-author, with GEN (Ret.) Stanley McChrystal, of Risk: A User’s Guide. Anna earned her undergraduate degree in English from Vanderbilt University, where she graduated magna cum laude. She also studied literature at St. Anne’s College at the University of Oxford.

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40,000 years of music explained in 8 minutes | Michael Spitzer Aug 01, 2024

The history of music from bone flutes to Beyoncé.

Up Next ► The science of music: why your brain gets hooked on hit songs • The science of music: Why your brain ...

The evolution of music over millennia is tied to human civilization.

For example, hunter-gatherers, who were very mobile, had to have small, light instruments to carry with them. Once we settled into bigger cities, larger instruments could be built.

Today, music is as accessible as running water. But if you were born in Beethoven's time, you would be lucky to hear two symphonies in your lifetime.

----------------------------------

About Michael Spitzer:

Michael Spitzer is the author of The Musical Human and professor of music at the University of Liverpool, where he leads the department’s work on classical music. A music theorist and musicologist, he is an authority on Beethoven, with interests in aesthetics and critical theory, cognitive metaphor, and music and affect. He organized the International Conferences on Music and Emotion and the International Conference on Analyzing Popular Music and currently chairs the editorial board of Music Analysis Journal.

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How to Handle a Cruel Inner Voice | Advice from Ethan Kross - BIGTHINK Aug 01, 2024

In this episode, Professor Ethan Kross, author of "Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It," explores the pervasive issue of chatter in human life. Defined as the negative aspect of our inner voice, chatter often leads to rumination and worry instead of problem-solving. Professor Kross delves into the evolutionary purpose of the inner voice, highlighting its role in language use for navigation and survival.

He explains the inner voice's functions, from being part of the 'Verbal Working Memory System' to aiding in simulation, planning, self-control, and creating life narratives. Despite its benefits, chatter presents challenges such as difficulty focusing, relationship friction, irritability, and health issues associated with chronic stress. Professor Kross reveals the science-based toolkit available to regain control of the inner voice, emphasizing the effectiveness of rituals in creating order and control.

Drawing on examples like tennis great Rafael Nadal, who uses rituals to manage inner voices during play, Professor Kross encourages individuals to find unique combinations of tools that work best for them. He reassures listeners that experiencing chatter is a universal aspect of being human and introduces the episode's central theme: understanding and managing the human condition of chatter.

Half our day is spent not living in the moment. Here’s how to change that. Your inner voice isn't always very nice or helpful. When we turn our attention inward, we tend to focus on problems rather than solutions. This causes us to worry, ruminate, and catastrophize, which traps us in a negative thought cycle. The good news is that there is a science-based toolkit that can help you regain control of your inner voice. To learn even more from the world's biggest thinkers, get Big Think+ for your business: https://bigthink.com/plus/

--------------------------------------------

chapters:-

0:00 intro about our inner voice, chatter.

1:04 purpose, advantages and benefits of the inner voice

2:43 negative implications (lack of focus, friction in relationships, health, etc)

4:17 how to regain control and manage our inner voice.

6:14 are you weaker for experiencing chatter? is it natural to experience chatter?

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

----------------------------------------------

About Big Think | Smarter Faster™ ► Big Think The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

Get Smarter, Faster....

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3 Predictions for the Future of Music | Insights from Michael Spitzer - BIGTHINK Jul 31, 2024

“We can’t even begin to imagine the possibilities awaiting us in the future.” Musicologist Michael Spitzer on what he predicts for the future of music.

Up next, How music spreads, explained in 5 minutes | Michael Spitzer

Musicologist Michael Spitzer shares his three predictions for the future of music.

Where will music be in a decade? What about another 10,000 years? Will it evolve into one homogenous, indiscernible sound? According to Spitzer, that’s not likely. Thanks to humanity’s desire for individualism and self expression, music will remain varied and unique. Knowing this, how can we begin to guess what music will look like in the future?

Spitzer makes three predictions: first, music will be instrumentalized beyond entertainment and used, for example, as treatments for medical diagnoses; second, it will integrate far more technology, extending our capabilities into the digital realm and becoming accessible for those who are less naturally musically inclined; third, it will become multisensory, expanding beyond our sense of sound to include taste, smell, and even touch.

Music has already expanded beyond what musicians from a few centuries ago ever thought was possible, and as we look ahead, we can only estimate what it will become. As Spitzer says, “We can't even begin to imagine the possibilities awaiting us in the future.”

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About Michael Spitzer:

Michael Spitzer is the author of The Musical Human and professor of music at the University of Liverpool, where he leads the department’s work on classical music. A music theorist and musicologist, he is an authority on Beethoven, with interests in aesthetics and critical theory, cognitive metaphor, and music and affect. He organized the International Conferences on Music and Emotion and the International Conference on Analyzing Popular Music and currently chairs the editorial board of Music Analysis Journal.

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What the Darkest Skies on Earth Teach Us About Humanity | Dispatches from The Well Ep.1 - BIGTHINK Jul 31, 2024

Are the answers to humanity’s biggest questions written in the stars? Our host Kmele Foster is on a journey to find out. This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. Why are we here? What is our purpose? Are any of our scientific efforts actually adding up to important revelations? Does understanding our cosmic origins really contribute to humanity as a whole? We know what it’s like to be “street-level,” to understand our cities, our social behaviors, our day-to-day lives — but what happens if we look up? How does our understanding of humanity change when we raise our attention to the space beyond our skylines? These are the questions that our host Kmele Foster is exploring in this episode of The Well podcast. Helping Kmele along the way is Sean Dougherty, the director of ALMA Observatory in Northern Chile, home of Earth’s darkest skies and 50% of the world’s megatelecopes. If the answers to humanity’s questions are written in the stars, this observatory might be the one to translate them.

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How we fundamentally misunderstand ‘well-being’ | Mary Helen Immordino-Yang Jul 31, 2024

This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

Cultivating your own well-being does not mean getting rid of discomfort, according to neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang.

Immordino-Yang is a professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, and she has spent years researching what makes one “well.”

Turns out, true well-being comes from balance and flexibility, not just from filling your life with positive experiences. Immordino-Yang suggests a few practical tips for maintaining this balance, such as prioritizing quality relationships, monitoring our social media usage, and engaging in activities that bring joy and reflection.

We can’t fully eradicate suffering, but we can accept it and choose to grow through it. By welcoming healthy levels of discomfort and taking agency over our own activities and habits, we can achieve wellness as it was meant to be achieved - as a state of being, not a destination.

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Unmask the comedian. Meet the real Kel Mitchell. Jul 31, 2024

How has Kel Mitchell navigated self-doubt, isolation, and the desire to “hit the off button”? He says it’s all faith, community, and personal forgiveness.

After his debut on Nickelodeon, Kel Mitchell began a life-long career as an actor and comedian. He got married, started a family, and basked in professional success. However, behind the scenes, he faced intense personal hardships that pushed him to the brink, testing his resilience and strength in ways he never imagined.

Kel guides us through the lowest points of his life, showing us how faith in himself and his religion helped him rebuild and achieve a fulfilling existence. He reminds us that blessings can often be hidden in hardships and that mistakes play a crucial role in shaping who we are.

By expressing his pain and opening up to others about the things he was struggling with, he was able to find unity, community, and support from those who had experienced similar drawbacks. Mitchell stresses the importance of understanding others, and how deep relationships can change – and even save – lives.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

Read more from this interview ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/k...

Explore the Perception Box series hub ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/?...

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Expert:

Kel Mitchell is a two-time Emmy Award-nominated actor, producer, comedian, and youth pastor hailing from Chicago, Illinois.

Mitchell executive produced and appeared in the new iteration of the beloved Nickelodeon series All That, bringing him full circle to the original award-winning show that was his big break. All That was Nickelodeon's longest-running live-action series, with 171 episodes across ten seasons from 1994 to 2005. The franchise paved the way for a number of successful spin-offs, including Kenan & Kel, The Amanda Show, The Nick Cannon Show, and the feature-length film Good Burger, all of which cemented Mitchell's impact on pop culture.

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Racist People Aren't "Total Monsters." Here's What They Really Are | Chloé Valdary - BIGTHINK Jul 31, 2024

Chloé Valdary shares 3 rules for effective anti-racism. Chloé Valdary's Theory of Enchantment offers a fresh perspective on anti-racism, shifting the focus from rigid identity categories to a deeper understanding of human experiences. The theory emphasizes three core principles: treating people as human beings rather than political abstractions, criticizing to uplift and empower, and anchoring actions in love and compassion. By acknowledging the inner struggles and complexities that drive individual racism, Valdary encourages self-awareness to promote more thoughtful and compassionate interactions with others. Through this framework, the Theory of Enchantment aims to foster positive change by addressing the pain, suffering, and confusion that underlie racism and promoting a more empathetic and inclusive society.

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Chapters for easier navigation:-

0:00 3 key principles for an anti-racist mindset

1:27 James Baldwin on the inner psyche

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Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Chloé Valdary: After spending a year as a Bartley fellow at the Wall Street Journal, Chloé Valdary developed The Theory of Enchantment, an innovative framework for compassionate antiracism that combines social emotional learning (SEL), character development, and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development in the boardroom and beyond. Chloé has trained around the world, including in South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, and Israel. Her clients have included high school and college students, government agencies, business teams, + many more. She has also lectured in universities across America, including Harvard and Georgetown. Her work has been covered in Psychology Today Magazine and her writings have appeared in the New York Times and the Wall St Journal

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Why Your Brain Generates Trauma | Lisa Feldman Barrett - BIGTHINK Jul 31, 2024

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation.

Aided by best-selling psychology books of the last decade, such as Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score, discussions about trauma and how to deal with it have entered popular public discourse. From police departments to school classrooms, trauma-informed approaches have taken center stage. But leading neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett challenges the popular notion that trauma resides solely in the body. She asserts that trauma is rooted in the brain’s predictions and the construction of our experiences. When an adverse experience becomes traumatic, the brain heavily weighs and anticipates that experience in its future predictions. This ongoing prediction and re-experiencing of the traumatic event strengthens the neural connections associated with it, making the predictions more likely to occur in the future. Rather than focusing on the body as the site of healing, she suggests that changing the brain’s models of prediction is what needs to be addressed to break free from the cycle of trauma. By understanding the role of predictions and the brain’s plasticity, Feldman Barrett offers hope for transforming traumatic experiences and finding new, lasting paths to healing.

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Chapters :

0:00 Why your brain creates trauma

1:44 Does your body keep the score?

2:53 Effective treatments for trauma

4:33 Trauma IS in your head (but everything else is too)

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The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Lisa Feldman Barrett: Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top 1% most-cited scientists in the world, having published over 250 peer-reviewed scientific papers. Dr. Barrett is a University Distinguished Professor of psychology at Northeastern University with appointments at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where she is Chief Science Officer for the Center for Law, Brain & Behavior. She is the recipient of a NIH Director’s Pioneer Award for transformative research, a Guggenheim Fellowship in neuroscience, the Mentor Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Association for Psychological Science (APS) and from the Society for Affect Science (SAS), and the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award from the American Psychological Association (APA). She is an elected fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Royal Society of Canada, and a number of other honorific societies. She is the author of How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain, and more recently, Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain.

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Are Drugs Truly Damaging Your Brain? | Dr. Carl Hart Jul 30, 2024

What the ‘decade of the brain’ taught us about drug addiction. (Hint, we had it all wrong before.)

Up Next ► “Drug use is your BIRTHRIGHT”

Thanks largely to the "War on Drugs," we have been led to believe that drug addiction is the source of most of the problems that we see in our communities.

But much of what we have been told about drugs is pure nonsense. For example, most people who use drugs do not become addicted. To determine if someone is addicted, we should analyze someone's behavior, rather than their brain.

Dr. Carl Hart, professor of psychology, believes that society's drug problems need to be understood within a greater psychosocial context, such as lack of opportunity, education, and healthcare.

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► Big Think

The leading source of expert-driven, educational content. With thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think helps you get smarter, faster by exploring the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century.

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About Dr. Carl Hart:

Dr. Hart is an Associate Professor of Psychology in both the Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology at Columbia University, and Director of the Residential Studies and Methamphetamine Research Laboratories at the New York State Psychiatric Institute. A major focus of Dr. Hart’s research is to understand complex interactions between drugs of abuse and the neurobiology and environmental factors that mediate human behavior and physiology. He is the author or co-author of dozens of peer-reviewed scientific articles in the area of neuropsychopharmacology, co-author of the textbook, Drugs, Society, and Human Behavior, and a member of a NIH review group. Dr. Hart was recently elected to Fellow status by the American Psychological Association (Division 28) for his outstanding contribution to the field of psychology, specifically psychopharmacology and substance abuse.

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The Decline of Friendships in Modern Times | Richard Reeves - BIGTHINK Jul 30, 2024

Why friendships are becoming rarer in America, explained by author Richard Reeves. Richard Reeves, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, discusses the importance of friendships and the potential “friendship recession.” He notes that loneliness can be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, but measuring and quantifying friendships is difficult. According to Reeves, an ideal number of close friends is around three or four. But alarmingly, 15% of young men today report having no close friends, compared to 3% in the 1990s

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Chapters:

0:00 A friendship recession

1:20 4 friendship formations

1:54 How many friends do people need?

2:21 The ideal relationship

3:03 Why are we losing friends?

4:20 Friendship & your health

5:07 Male friendships

5:43 Female friendships

6:27 The dystopia we must avoid

7:20 The hardest thing to admit

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The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Richard Reeves: Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families. His Brookings research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility. Richard writes for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Guardian, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, and Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Dream Hoarders (Brookings Institution Press, 2017), and John Stuart Mill – Victorian Firebrand (Atlantic Books, 2007), an intellectual biography of the British liberal philosopher and politician. Dream Hoarders was named a Book of the Year by The Economist, a Political Book of the Year by The Observer, and was shortlisted for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice. In September 2017, Politico magazine named Richard one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. for his work on class and inequality. A Brit-American, Richard was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2012

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How to Navigate and Understand Deceptive Emotions | Kristen Lindquist - BIGTHINK Jul 29, 2024

Neuroscientist Kristen Lindquist on how even on a biological level, emotions are entirely subjective.

According to this neuroscientist, your emotions look different from those of someone who grew up on the other side of the world.

Kristen Lindquist, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, explores the concept of 'affective realism,' where our emotional experiences dictate our true reality. Emotions, Lindquist explains, are cultural artifacts, passed down like art or language, and are distinct reflections of both our biological makeup and our societal norms.

Individualistic societies like the United States and collectivist cultures like Japan interpret emotions like anger differently, leading to varied physiological responses. These findings suggest that there are no “universal emotional expressions,” that even facial muscle movements we associate with certain feelings are not globally recognized, but are instead interpreted through a cultural lens.

Lindquist's work invites us to consider our own emotional responses, encouraging a more open-minded approach to interpreting the feelings of others. Through this understanding, we can appreciate the unique perspectives each individual brings, to eventually unlock better solutions for understanding the world around us.

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators

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The ‘alpha male’ myth, debunked | Frans de Waal Jul 29, 2024

Primatologist Frans de Waal inadvertently popularized the term ‘alpha male.’ Now, he’s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an ‘alpha male’ really is – empathetic and protective. All social animals establish hierarchies, but being an “alpha male” is not merely about strength or intimidation, according to primatologist Frans de Waal. An alpha male can often be a figure admired for empathy and protectiveness. De Waal criticizes the misconception of the term as synonymous with a bully. He further explores the concept of gender, arguing its flexibility and highlighting the existence of significant individual variability in behavior among primates. De Waal emphasizes empathy as a key factor in social cohesion, suggesting it might hint at morality among primates. Despite our advancements, he believes humans are fundamentally similar to primates emotionally and socially.

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Chapters:

0:00 What is an alpha male?

1:25 ‘Chimpanzee Politics’ and the 1980s cultural fervor

2:20 The alpha male is not a personality type

3:34 Sex & gender: Donna the chimp

5:38 We’re apes with technology and college degrees

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About Frans de Waal: Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch/American behavioral biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. His first book, Chimpanzee Politics (1982), compared the schmoozing and scheming of chimpanzees involved in power struggles with that of human politicians. His scientific work has been published in hundreds of technical articles in journals such as Science, Nature, Scientific American, and outlets specialized in animal behavior. His popular books - translated into 20+ languages - have made him one of the world's most visible primatologists. His latest books are Mama’s Last Hug (Norton, 2019) and Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist (Norton, 2022). De Waal is C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus at Emory University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Utrecht University. He has been elected to the (U.S.) National Academy of Sciences as well as the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2007, Time declared him one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People Today."

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The Science Behind Sex Drive and Sexual Frustration | Insights from Emily Nagoski - BIGTHINK Jul 29, 2024

The science of sex drive and sexual frustration from Dr. Emily Nagoski. Is our desire for sex fundamentally similar to our drive for necessities like food, water, and sleep? Sex educator Emily Nagoski argues that the answer is no. Although a lack of sex can lead to frustration, this feeling is fundamentally different from what we experience when deprived of the biological necessities of life. After all, nobody has ever died from a lack of sex. The implication is that common ideas about the existence of a “sex drive” are flawed. Check out this Big Think interview with Nagoski to learn more about the nature of sexual desire, and why pursuing connection and pleasure might be better than pursuing sex itself.

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chapters:

0:00 Why sex is not a biological “drive”

1:42 Sexual frustration on the other hand…

3:48 The damage of the “sex drive” myth

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About Emily Nagoski: Emily Nagoski is the award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling Come As You Are and The Come As You Are Workbook, and coauthor, with her sister, Amelia, of New York Times bestseller Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. She earned an M.S. in counseling and a Ph.D. in health behavior, both from Indiana University, with clinical and research training at the Kinsey Institute. Now she combines sex education and stress education to teach women to live with confidence and joy inside their bodies. She lives in Massachusetts with two dogs, a cat, and a cartoonist.

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Kevin O’Leary Reveals the Major Issue Plaguing Cryptocurrency - BIGTHINK Jul 28, 2024

Crypto is a lot of things, but it isn’t a currency according to Shark Tank investor Kevin O’Leary, aka “Mr. Wonderful." What would it take to get there? Is the collapse of a $25 billion cryptocurrency startup a death knell for the industry? Not according to Kevin O'Leary, an investor, businessman, and author. He sees the failure of FTX as a speed bump rather than a roadblock, underscoring the distinction between speculative assets like Bitcoin and more stable entities like Stablecoins. Despite the turmoil, O'Leary maintains that the potential of cryptocurrencies remains vast. He foresees their integration into the global economy but contends that this can only happen successfully with appropriate regulation to curtail the sector's “Wild West” tendencies. As the cryptocurrency community awaits the final outcome of the SEC’s lawsuit against Ripple and other companies, it remains to be seen whether or when digital assets will be incorporated into our daily economic lives

Chapters:

0:00 FTX's "utter catastrophe"

0:58 What crypto is missing

1:23 Speculative assets vs. stable coins

3:10 Should we trust the government to regulate crypto?

5:45 Where do we go from here?

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The “heroic dose” of psychedelics, according to Johns Hopkins | Dr. Matthew Johnson - BIGTHINK Jul 28, 2024

How a ‘heroic dose’ of psychedelics can be therapeutic, explained by a Johns Hopkins professor. Psychedelic research is enjoying a renaissance. Recent studies have shown that psychedelic drugs like LSD and psilocybin seem to be a safe and effective method for treating conditions like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. And unlike common antidepressants, some people report long-lasting improvements in their mental health conditions after taking just one dose of psychedelics. What makes these substances so unique and powerful? That’s one of the driving questions behind the research of Matthew W. Johnson, who has conducted numerous studies on the nature of addiction, psychedelics, and other psychoactive substances.

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Chapters:

0:00 Effing up the ineffable

1:56 Pioneers of psychedelic therapy

2:35 Psychedelics go underground

3:26 The psychedelic renaissance

4:50 Taking a ‘heroic dose’ at Johns Hopkins

8:44 The challenges of psychedelic therapy

9:46 The mental health revolution

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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential

The science of super longevity

Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth

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About Matthew Johnson: Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment. In 2021 he received as principal investigator the first grant in 50 years from the US government for a treatment study with a classic psychedelic, specifically psilocybin in treatment of tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drug classes. He’s been Interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Fox News, Fox Business News, BBC and in Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind....

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Psychedelics: Can they solve the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness? | Matthew Johnson Jul 28, 2024

Can psychedelics solve the ‘hard problem’ of consciousness? Johns Hopkins professor Matthew Johnson explains.

It seems safe to say that you have subjective experiences of what it’s like to exist. But things get complicated when you try to prove that phenomenal experiences, or qualia, extend to every human being that you see around you. And things get even more complicated when you try to scientifically explain how the physical matter in your brain gives rise to consciousness, and why such experiences exist in the first place.

This is known as the hard problem of consciousness. It has yet to be solved.

Could the mind-altering power of psychedelics offer a solution to this longstanding problem? Dr. Matthew W. Johnson is leaving open the possibility. As a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Johnson is one of the world’s most published scientists when it comes to the effects of psychedelics on the human brain.

In this Big Think interview, Dr. Johnson explains why we should be both open and careful about the prospect of psychedelics helping us crack the hard problem of consciousness, which remains one of the world’s most puzzling questions.

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chapters:

0:00 Defining consciousness

0:47 The ‘hard problem’ of consciousness

1:44 Psychedelics & consciousness

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About Matthew Johnson:

Matthew W. Johnson, Ph.D., is The Susan Hill Ward Endowed Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness Research at Johns Hopkins. Working with psychedelics since 2004, he is one of the world’s most widely published experts on psychedelics. He has published research on psychedelics and mystical experience, personality change, tobacco smoking cessation, cancer distress treatment, and depression treatment. In 2021 he received as principal investigator the first grant in 50 years from the US government for a treatment study with a classic psychedelic, specifically psilocybin in treatment of tobacco addiction. He is also known for his expertise in behavioral economics, addiction, sexual risk behavior, and research with a wide variety of drug classes. He’s been Interviewed by Anderson Cooper on 60 Minutes, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, NPR, Fox News, Fox Business News, BBC and in Michael Pollan’s book How to Change Your Mind...

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The disappearance of men | Christine Emba - BIGTHINK Jul 28, 2024

“Masculinity” has become synonymous with “toxic.” Journalist Christine Emba explains how that happened, and how it can change.

Young men are increasingly finding themselves single and struggling to meet traditional expectations. Journalist Christine Emba breaks down the masculinity crisis and what can be done to fix it.

The rise of "manfluencers" like Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan reflects a new type of masculinity that both challenges and redefines what it means to be a man today. While these influencers often offer empathy and simple life advice, their viewpoints tend to escalate into misogyny, resulting in even more societal isolation for men down the road.

Emba’s advice is for men to evaluate what masculinity means to them — Is it strength? Support of a family? Leadership through conflict? She stresses these traits need not exist in opposition to the traits of women, and instead can complement them, leading to a more productive, cohesive, and ultimately happier society.

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About Christine Emba:

Christine Emba is an opinion columnist and Editorial Board member at the Washington Post, and also serves as a contributing editor for Comment magazine. She is the author of "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation." Before coming to The Post in 2015, Christine was the Hilton Kramer Fellow in Criticism at the New Criterion and a deputy editor at the Economist Intelligence Unit, focusing on technology and innovation. She grew up in Virginia and holds an A.B. in public and international affairs from Princeton University.

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You can slow down aging with zero weird tricks | Dr Morgan Levine - BIGTHINK Jul 28, 2024

Former Yale professor Morgan Levine explains how to calculate your ‘bio age’ to live longer. How old are you? Odds are your answer is a number of years — a metric known as your "chronological age." Although this number isn’t meaningless, it fails to capture the full picture of aging. Your "biological age" may be a far more useful metric. This is the degree to which your biology has changed over a given period of time. “Aging is starting at a molecular level, and over time this is going to give rise to all the functional changes and manifestations that we tend to see with aging,” says Dr. Morgan Levine, author of the book True Age. Unlike chronological age, your biological age is malleable: Scientists know that it’s possible to slow biological aging by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But is it possible to actually reverse the aging process? See what Dr. Levine has to say about the potential of anti-aging research in this Big Think interview.

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Chapters:-

0:00 The aging illusion

1:42 Chronological age vs biological age

3:17 Your biological age is malleable

4:32 Measuring biological age

6:26 How to find out your biological age

6:54 Get informed, change your age

7:25 Can we reverse aging?

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4 reasons leaders seem worse than regular people | Brian Klaas - BIGTHINK Jul 28, 2024

University College London professor Brian Klaas exposes the ugly truth about world leaders.

Political scientist Brian Klaas uses philosophical thought experiments like the "trolley problem" to explore the moral complexities faced by leaders when making decisions under immense uncertainty. According to Klaas, Winston Churchill's World War II choices serve as real-life examples of such dilemmas. Klaas identifies four factors—dirty hands, learning, opportunity, and scrutiny—that may falsely appear as corruption in leaders. "Dirty hands" refers to leaders making harm-inflicting decisions when all options are bad. "Learning" means leaders becoming more efficient at causing harm over time. "Opportunity" signifies the increased chances of those in power to cause harm, while "scrutiny" refers to heightened public examination of leaders' actions. Klaas asserts that misinterpretations of these factors can lead to incorrect problem diagnoses and solutions. While these factors should not absolve leaders from accountability, they do provide a nuanced understanding of leadership complexities.

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Chapters:

0:00 Cracking the Enigma code: Churchill’s WWII trolley problem

2:07 Why all leaders make bad decisions

2:42 4 factors of the corruption illusion

3:12 #1 The dirty hands problem

3:38 #2 The idea of learning

4:09 #3 The problem of opportunity

4:30 #4 The problem of scrutiny

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About Brian Klaas: Associate Professor of Global Politics at University College London, Contributing Writer for The Atlantic, author of Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us, and Creator/Host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast...

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What is the difference between near-death experiences and dreams? | Dr. Bruce Greyson Jul 27, 2024

Are dreams, hallucinations, and near death experiences all connected?

Up Next ► Is there an afterlife? Here’s what he saw while he was 'dead' • Is there an afterlife? Here’s what he...

Near-death experiences are profound events that often radically change the lives of those who have them.

Features of near-death experiences include a sense of leaving the physical body, a life review, and encounters with a divine being or deceased loved ones.

While some dismiss near-death experiences as dreams or the hallucinations of a dying brain, people generally do not have the same kinds of hallucinations. In contrast, the descriptions of near-death experiences are remarkably consistent across culture and time.

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About Dr. Bruce Greyson:

Dr. Bruce Greyson is Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the UVA School of Medicine. He served on the medical school faculty at the Universities of Michigan, Connecticut, and Virginia. He was a co-founder and President of the International Association for Near-Death Studies, and Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies. His award-winning research led him to become a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and to be invited by the Dalai Lama to participate in a dialogue between Western scientists and Buddhist monks in India.

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Loneliness: The silent killer, and how to beat it | Richard Reeves & more Jul 27, 2024

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Three psychology and sociology experts, Robert Waldinger, Michael Slepian, and Richard Reeves come together in this compilation to discuss the psychology of loneliness and the way we can combat the “friendship recession.”

It’s 2024. It’s harder than ever to foster deep connections with others. Everyone feels like they’re missing out on friendships, and every day of isolation makes it even harder to escape the rut.

From keeping secrets to workism, these experts are unpacking why we feel lonely and suggesting the ways we can combat it. They encourage us to reach out, be vulnerable, and prioritize our relationships, reminding us that we are not alone in our struggle and that meaningful connections are within reach.

By following their advice, we can transform our social lives and experience the joy and fulfillment that come from true companionship. Understanding the root causes of our loneliness and actively working to build and maintain connections can help us break free from isolation and create a more connected, fulfilling life.

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About Robert Waldinger:

Robert Waldinger, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and a Zen teacher and practitioner.

For the last two decades, Waldinger has been the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study, conducted over more than 85 years, has analyzed the entire lives of 724 families to determine the activities, behaviors, and dynamics that enhance a person’s life-long well-being. Waldinger has dedicated his career to examining these elements and discovering what brings true fulfillment to human existence.

He is the author of several books, including his most recent, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness

About Michael Slepian:

Michael Slepian is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia University. A recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, he is the leading expert on the psychology of secrets and author of The Secret Life of Secrets. Slepian has authored more than fifty articles on secrecy, truth, and deception. His research has been covered by The New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC, and more.

About Richard Reeves:

Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families. His Brookings research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility.

Richard writes for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Guardian, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, and Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Dream Hoarders (Brookings Institution Press, 2017), and John Stuart Mill – Victorian Firebrand (Atlantic Books, 2007), an intellectual biography of the British liberal philosopher and politician.

A Brit-American, Richard was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2012. Richard is also a former European Business Speaker of the Year and has a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Warwick University.

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cBerkeley professor explains gender theory | Judith Butler - BIGTHINK Jul 27, 2024

Sex, gender, and the debate over identity explained by Berkeley professor Judith Butler. What if gender wasn't a predetermined reality, but a fluid construct formed by culture, history, and individual identity? This is a question that drives the work of Judith Butler, a gender theorist and distinguished professor at the University of California at Berkeley. While acknowledging the biological realities of sex, Butler promotes the concept of gender as performative — something that is enacted and shaped through our actions and interactions. This view, although challenging to traditional perspectives, is instrumental in the discourse on queer, trans, and women's rights. Butler encourages a shift in societal conversation to include diverse gender identities. This transformation, they believe, allows us to work toward a society where equality, freedom, and justice are at the forefront, reinforcing the foundations of our democratic society.

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Chapters:-

0:00 What is gender theory?

1:34 Sex and gender: What’s the difference?

2:29 Learning from genocide

3:34 Queer theory in the 1970s & ’80s

4:56 Big ideas in gender theory’s evolution

7:06 Gender is “performative”: What that means

9:04 The resistance to trans rights

10:37 Countering the attack on gender

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------------------------------

About Judith Butler: Judith Butler is a post-structuralist philosopher and queer theorist. They are most famous for the notion of gender performativity, but their work ranges from literary theory, modern philosophical fiction, feminist and sexuality studies, to 19th- and 20th-century European literature and philosophy, Kafka and loss, mourning and war. They have received countless awards for their teaching and scholarship, including a Guggenheim fellowship, a Rockefeller fellowship, Yale's Brudner Prize, and an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Distinguished Achievement Award. Their books include "Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity," "Bodies That Matter: On the Discursive Limits of Sex," "Undoing Gender," and "Frames of War: When Is Life Grievable?"

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Why geniuses hunt demons for sport | Jimena Canales - BIGTHINK Jul 27, 2024

Jimena Canales shares the “demons” that shaped computer science.

Just like the mailer demons you may have seen pop up on an undelivered email, there are hundreds of other software “demons” that live inside your computer.

Whenever a computer completes an automated task, they are said to be done by computer demons.

These demons are anthropomorphized figures that help computer scientists understand complicated processes, which in turn drives AI forward.

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About Jimena Canales:

Jimena Canales is an expert in 19th and 20th century history of the physical sciences, working for a better understanding of science and technology in relation to the arts and humanities.She received an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University in the History of Science and a BSc in Engineering Physics from the Tecnológico de Monterrey. Her first book, A Tenth of a Second: A History explored the relation between science and history as one of the central intellectual problems of modern times. Her widely-acclaimed second book, The Physicist and the Philosopher: Einstein, Bergson and the Debate That Changed Our Understanding of Time has been translated in Chinese, Greek, Spanish and excerpted in other languages. Her third book Bedeviled: A Shadow History of Demons in Science, covering four-centuries of scientific discovery, is now available.

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Debunking doomerism: 4 futurists on why we’re actually not f*cked | Kevin Kelly & more - BIGTHINK Jul 27, 2024

Four visionaries—Kevin Kelly, Peter Schwartz, Ari Wallach, and Tyler Cowen—share their insights on the future, urging viewers to consider the impact of their actions on future generations. Explore the future with visionaries Kevin Kelly, Peter Schwartz, Ari Wallach, and Tyler Cowen. While each is looking into the future through a different lens, they all share a belief in the power of optimism and proactive engagement as essential tools for overcoming today's challenges. Wallach introduces "Longpath," urging long-term thinking, while Kelly advocates for "Protopia," emphasizing gradual progress. Schwartz highlights scenario planning's importance, emphasizing curiosity and collaboration. Cowen reflects on America's progress and calls for urgency. Together, they stress empathy, transgenerational thinking, and diverse futures to collectively build a better tomorrow. The message: the future is a continuous creation requiring proactive, collective action.

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7 rules of business I wish I knew when I was 30, with bestselling author Aaron Ross Jul 27, 2024

The 7 things I wish I knew about sales when I was 30, explained by bestselling author Aaron Ross.

Sales and revenue executives often feel overwhelmed and uncertain about driving revenue to meet their goals, facing fluctuating success. Aaron Ross, author of From Impossible to Inevitable: How Hypergrowth Companies Create Predictable Revenue, outlines seven ingredients for creating hypergrowth. First, companies should identify a niche, finding the perfect balance between market problems, ideal customers, and effective communication. Second, they must create a predictable pipeline for generating leads and opportunities. Third, sales should be scalable, with the sales team designed for easy growth. Fourth, companies should focus on fewer, bigger, and better deals. Fifth, it's important to accept that achieving goals takes longer than desired, so patience is key. Sixth, embracing employee ownership encourages a more invested workforce. Lastly, defining destiny empowers individuals within a company, leading to a more united vision for growth.

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chapters-

0:00 The revenue struggle (That time my business tanked)

0:50 The 7 keys to hypergrowth

1:25 1. Nail a niche

2:04 2. Create predictable pipeline

2:41 3. Make sales scalable

3:20 4. Double your deal size

3:45 5. Do the time

4:27 6. Embrace employee ownership

4:56 7. Define your destiny

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-----------------------------

About Aaron Ross: Aaron Ross is an executive sales advisor, board member/NED, and keynote speaker. He’s the co-author of From Impossible To Inevitable (with Jason Lemkin) and Predictable Revenue. Ross is married with 10 children (half through adoption) and lives in Edinburgh, UK. He can be found at www.FromImpossible.com.

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The mind-blowing way rocks “survive” and evolve | Robert Hazen Jul 26, 2024

This interview is an episode from ‪‪@The-Well‬, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪‪@JohnTempletonFoundation‬.

How did mineral evolution shape our planet? Robert Hazen, a renowned mineralogist, shares his fascinating insights into the co-evolution of minerals and life on Earth.

Science has shown us that the universe started with a mere few dozen minerals, and those have since evolved into thousands. This discovery has proven that evolution does not only apply to living systems, like flora and fauna, but is relevant to non-living systems as well.

Hazen highlights a deeper connection between these living and non-living systems, emphasizing that all evolving systems share three critical characteristics: interacting components, the generation of new configurations, and a selection mechanism. Whether it’s atoms and molecules forming minerals, genes in living organisms, or musical notes creating new compositions, these principles apply universally.

When considering how living and non-living systems evolve alongside one another, we can begin to understand how truly connected all of the universe’s systems may be. Thanks to this knowledge, we may be closer to discovering our place in the cosmos.

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About Robert Hazen:

Robert Hazen is a renowned American mineralogist and geologist, known for his pioneering work in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. He is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and a Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University.

Hazen has written over 400 articles and 25 books, contributing research as a profound leader in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. His studies delve into the complex interactions between minerals and life, contributing to our understanding of Earth’s history and the potential for life on other planets. Hazen is also a passionate educator and science communicator.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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3 experts debunk common myths about work | James Suzman, Tyler Cowen, and Cal Newport Jul 26, 2024

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About the video: “It’s remarkable how weak the correlation between success and intelligence is.” Here’s what skills do matter, from 3 business experts.

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Up next, The lost art of accomplishment without burnout ► • The lost art of accomplishment withou...

One of the greatest historical mysteries lies in why our hunter-gatherer ancestors made the sudden transition to agriculture. Hunter-gatherer economies always focused on the here and now, without spending a great deal of effort doing anything which was more than meeting their specific needs for that day.

On the other hand, in our modern societies, everything has shifted to forward-planning with an emphasis on productivity. This dramatic leap altered our priorities as people and communities, and developed what we now know as the modern approach to work and business.

Experts James Suzman, Tyler Cowen, and Cal Newport unpack common business myths, tracing how we reached our current work cultures from our hunter-gatherer origins.

Timestamps for easier navigation:-

0:00 - The history of work

2:30 - How work shaped society

3:55 - The invention of fire

5:16 - Transition to farming

6:51 - Effort and reward

11:40 - Why talent matters

18:26 - Accomplishment without burnout

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-t...

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About Cal Newport:

Cal Newport is an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University who also writes about the intersections of technology, work, and the quest to find depth in an increasingly distracted world.

About James Suzman:

Dr. James Suzman a PhD an anthropologist specializing in the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa. A former Smuts Fellow in African Studies at the University of Cambridge, he is now the director of Anthropos Ltd., a think-tank that applies anthropological methods to solving contemporary social and economic problems. Dr. Suzman's latest book is Work: A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots.

About Tyler Cowen:

Tyler is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University.

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Don’t chase happiness. Become antifragile | Tal Ben-Shahar | Big Think - BIGTHINK Jul 26, 2024

Don’t chase happiness. Become antifragile, with Tal Ben-Shahar Antifragility is the idea of putting pressure on a system, or human, the system or human actually grows bigger and stronger. Antifragile systems are all around us. One example of this is our muscular system. We go to the gym to lift weights. By doing so we are putting pressure on our system to help it grow stronger. The human body is an antifragile system. From a psychological perspective, antifragility comes in the form of PTG, or post-traumatic growth. After we experience a stressful event, we learn and grow to become more resilient.

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About Tal Ben-Shahar: Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is an internationally renowned teacher and author in the fields of happiness and leadership. After graduating from Harvard with a BA in Philosophy and Psychology and a PhD in Organizational Behavior, Tal taught two of the most popular courses in Harvard’s history: Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership. He then taught Happiness Studies at Columbia University. A prolific writer, Tal's books have appeared on best-sellers lists around the world and have been translated into more than 30 languages. Tal Ben-Shahar consults and lectures to executives in multinational corporations, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting and mindfulness. Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. Learn more here: happiness academy Tal is an avid sportsman and a certified yoga instructor whose work bridges Eastern and Western traditions, ancient wisdom and modern technology, science and art.

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