THINK BIGGER, THINK BETTER

Latest Episodes:

Making decisions in VUCA times – lessons from top poker pro Annie Duke May 18, 2018

Show notes

My guest this week is Annie Duke. For two decades, Annie was one of the top poker players in the world. In 2004, she bested a field of 234 players to win her first World Series of Poker bracelet.

Now she combines her academic career in cognitive science with her prowess as a poker player and is in great demand by hedge funds and venture capitalists to consult and speak on decision making under uncertainty. On top of that, her passion for making a difference has helped raise millions for charitable causes.

Join us on this episode to hear Annie elaborate on her book Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All the Facts. The book, surprisingly, features very little poker but is all about risk, analysis, results, decision-making, politics, and leadership.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/2IoSbyJ

Educating and Parenting Gifted Children: with Off the Charts author Ann Hulbert May 08, 2018

Show notes

My guest this week is an expert in the field of the psychology of child prodigies. In her latest book, Off the Charts: The Hidden Lives and Lessons of American Child Prodigies, Ann investigates the story of gifted children including Bobby Fischer, Shirley Temple, Barbara Follett, and Henry Cowell, all of whom had achieved phenomenally by the time they reached puberty. In this wide-ranging interview, we cover much of her book has to offer.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/2FQpf0I

How to Spot Quackery! Chiropractic, Vitamins, Chelation, Homeopathy, and Other Health Frauds Apr 23, 2018

Show notes

Quackery is all around us – the promotion of fraudulent or ignorant medical practices, often preying on the gullible. We have Stephen Barret, M.D. on the show to give us his thoughts on these dark pseudosciences. Tune in and see what can be learned from this enlightening conversation with a real Quack antagonist and watchdog.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/2K4F8UJ

What Is Evidence-Based Management? Prof Rob Briner Apr 06, 2018

Show notes

Business schools do not teach evidence-based approaches to decision-making, and in many areas, the evidence is insanely poor. My guest Rob Briner, and I veer from the basic to the quite technical – if you aren’t a manager or business person, listen for the deeper themes for decision making in public policy and democracies.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/2q86obA

Learning Styles, Neurobabble, and Other Psychological Myths with Scott Lilienfeld Mar 23, 2018

Show notes

Join Scott and I for an in-depth discussion on today's topics: psychological myths, neuroscience, and mental illness. Learn how many of the things you believe might be mythology and, if they're false, how many of them might be harmful.

Get full show notes and more information here: https://bit.ly/2IGlv4p

Stoicism, Atheism, Pseudoscience, Scientism with Massimo Pigliucci Mar 09, 2018

Show notes

Join Massimo and me as we cover modern Stoicism, atheism, placebo effects, pseudoscience, and scientism. Learn why people believing in astrology or creationism should worry the rest of us, why we should care, and what some of the worst excesses of scientism are today. This is a deep-dive into many belief systems affecting our society that you don’t want to miss!

Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2Ide8Bd

Embodiment: The Body and Its Role In Personal Change with Mark Walsh Feb 23, 2018

Show notes

In contemporary psychology, who we are, and how we grow, learn, and change are mental phenomena. On today’s episode of THINK BIGGER, THINK BETTER, we look at a radical new view – the body and its role in change. You won’t find this topic discussed in textbooks; the ideas my guest Mark Walsh shares today are found in very few places – workshops, personal development courses - and even then in very few of those.

Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2CcUmGh

Populism, Trump and Brexit: History and Causes with Arun Swamy Feb 13, 2018

Show notes

What most populist movements share is an anti-establishment orientation, a claim to speak for the people against the elites, opposition to liberal economics and globalization, and often (but not always) a penchant for authoritarian governance. Join Dr. Swamy and I as we go deeper into this discussion on today's populist movements, the contrasting approaches of left-wing and right-wing populism, and the substance behind the movements we see in the U.S., Europe, and the rest of the world.

Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2F0QBSM

Fake News - What It Is and What It Is Not with Paul Levinson Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

Today, Paul explains to us what Fake News really is, how it affects our democracy, and what we as citizens can do about it. This is a very timely discussion for all of us to acknowledge how our media has changed and whether or not it can be reformed.

If you've been confused about how to spot Fake News and how seriously you should take its spread, listen in to today's discussion!

Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2Bojaq1

Are Neuroscience and Evolutionary Biology Useful Guides for 21st Century Humans? With Bob Samuels Jan 12, 2018

Show notes

Welcome, everyone, to this edition of THINK BIGGER, THINK BETTER. In this episode, we talk to Bob Samuels – a true polymath, psychologist, philosopher, and social scientist from the University of California, Santa Barbara where he teaches Public Discourse, Psychology, and Rhetoric. We discuss the importance of reason and how to teach it, as well as the difference between science, pseudoscience, and “scientism” ... and much more!

Get full show notes and more information here: http://bit.ly/2ErKRA0