Big Think

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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think:--- ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“If science aims to describe everything, how can it not describe the simple fact of our existence?” On this episode of Dispatches, Kmele speaks with the scientists, mathematicians, and spiritual leaders trying to do just that: This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. In the newest episode of Dispatches from The Well, we’re diving deep into the “hard problem of consciousness.” Here, Kmele combines the perspectives of five different scientists, philosophers, and spiritual leaders to approach one of humanity’s most pressing questions: what is consciousness? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- In the AI age, the question of consciousness is more prevalent than ever. Is every single thing in the universe self-aware? What does it actually mean to be conscious? Are our bodies really just a vessel for our thoughts? Kmele asks these questions, and many more, in the most thought-provoking episode yet. This is Dispatches from The Well. Featuring: Sir Roger Penrose, Christof Koch, Melanie Mitchell, Reid Hoffman, Swami Sarvapriyananda ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if AI could tell us we have cancer before we show a single symptom? Steve Quake, head of science at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, explains how AI can revolutionize science. AI can help us understand complex systems like our cells. better. The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative is committed to building one of the world’s biggest non-profit life science AI computing clusters to help build digital models of what goes wrong in cells when we get diseases like diabetes or cancer and more. We created this video in partnership with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think:----- ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Steve Quake: Steve Quake oversees a shared, comprehensive strategy across the CZ Science program and technology teams, the CZ Biohub Network, and the Chan Zuckerberg Institute for Advanced Biological Imaging. His research is at the nexus of biology, physics, and technology development. He has invented many measurement tools for biology, including new DNA sequencing technologies that have enabled rapid analysis of the human genome, and microfluidic automation that allows scientists to efficiently isolate cells for single-cell biology. Quake is also the Lee Otterson Professor of Bioengineering and professor of applied physics at Stanford University. He joined Stanford in 2005 to help found and lead Stanford’s then-new bioengineering department as it grew to nearly two dozen faculty members. He was an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute from 2006 to 2016... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let our sponsor BetterHelp connect you to a therapist who can support you - all from the comfort of your own home. Visit https://betterhelp.com/bigthink and enjoy a special discount on your first month. Harvard has conducted an 85-year-long study on what makes humans happy. Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger explains what they found. Up next, Master your anxiety. Unleash your genius ►   • Master your anxiety. Unleash your gen What is the one thing that, according to science, will make our lives richer and vastly more fulfilling? This 85-year continuing longitudinal study from Harvard says the answer is relationships. Dr. Robert Waldinger is the current director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running research on adult life. Tracking over 2,000 lives since 1938, Waldinger and his team have dissected the fabric of well-being, finding that wealth and achievements fall short compared to the power of our connections with other people. Over the eight decades since the study began, scientists have determined that loneliness and isolation can have negative effects on our mental, emotional, and even physical well-being. Key findings of this study suggest that nurturing relationships may serve as our best source of fulfillment, emphasizing the need for "social fitness" alongside mental and physical health. According to Waldinger, it’s time to invest in the bonds that matter, which, ultimately, is an investment in yourself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more. https://members.bigthink.com/?utm_sou... ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business. https://bigthink.com/plus/great-leade... 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to trick your brain into saving money Thanks to evolution, humans are not great at thinking and planning long term. "The human brain just has certain tendencies," says neuroscientist Alex Korb. "We're always going to pay more attention to things that are immediate right now." Luckily, there are ways to counteract our natural habits. Retirement can feel abstract—especially for young people who are just starting in their careers—which makes preparing for it less of a priority. By understanding how the brain impacts certain decisions, we can hack those biases to develop better saving practices and work toward more tangible goals. "Saving one dollar a day is infinitely better than saving zero dollars a day," says Korb. Building on small decisions over time gives you the ability to course correct if strategies are not working out, and leaves room for meaningful progress at your own pace. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think:- ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Only 2% of Alzheimer’s is 100% genetic. The rest is up to your daily habits. Up Next ►This productivity hack comes with an asterisk | Tiago Forte People want a perfect memory. They wish that they can remember everything that they want to remember. But it doesn't work like that. Most people over the age of 50 think that forgetting someone's name or forgetting why they went into the kitchen is a sign of Alzheimer's. It isn't. Most of our forgetfulness is perfectly normal. If you are worried about developing Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, some simple lifestyle modifications can help prevent it: getting enough sleep, exercising, eating a balanced diet, and managing stress. chapters:- 00:00 The truth about memory & forgetting 01:12 Alzheimer's cause & symptoms 04:21 You need sleep 05:13 Eat a healthy diet 05:45 Exercise, even a little bit 06:15 Reduce stress levels 07:15 Always learn new things 08:39 The good news... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sean Carroll: We might solve free will one day. But here’s why I doubt it. Debates about the existence of free will have traditionally been fought by two competing camps: those who believe in free will and those who don’t because they believe the Universe is deterministic. Determinism is the thesis that every event — from when a volcano erupts to what cereal you buy at the supermarket — is a theoretically predictable result of the long chain of events that came before it. Free will, it was long thought, cannot exist in a world where all events are already causally determined. But free will and determinism aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. As physicist Sean Carroll told Big Think, the compatibilist conception of free will argues that it makes sense to conceptualize ourselves as able to make free decisions, regardless of whether the Universe is deterministic or indeterministic. Why? The main argument centers on the phenomenon of emergence. Chapters for easier navigation:- 0:00 Free will vs. determinism 0:27 Determinism 0:51 The biggest mistake in the free will debate 1:07 Libertarian free will 2:39 Compatibilist free will 4:01 Objection to compatibilism 5:06 The experience of free will ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------- 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. Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. -------------------------------------- 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. Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to defeat debaters who deal in distractions, according to two-time world debate champion Bo Seo. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think:--- ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What could almost destroy the body and mind of the only person to complete Navy SEAL training (including two Heck Weeks), Air Force tactical air controller training, and U.S. Army Ranger School? David Goggins is tough, but in an effort to raise money for the Lone Survivor Foundation, he took on a challenge that tested him more than any of his military experiences: the Badwater 135. This is an ultra-marathon event that requires participants to run 135 miles in 24 hours in the peak heat of De*th Valley. Goggins wasn't a runner at the time; he was a bulky power lifter, and he only had four days to prepare for the qualifying race. He needed to run 100 miles in under 24 hours. So how did he do? Here, he tells the story and in doing so shares a lesson on human potential, mental toughness, and why you won't grow as a person if you always choose the path of least resistance. You can follow David on Twitter and Instagram @davidgoggins and Facebook. DAVID GOGGINS: David Goggins is the only member of the U.S. Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, Air Force tactical air controller training, and the U.S. Army Ranger School, where he graduated as 'Enlisted Honor Man'. Seeking an even greater challenge, Goggins set about conquering the hardest sporting events known to man. Today he is considered to be one of the greatest endurance athletes in the world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strategy advisor Roger Martin explains how 2,000 year old military thinking is useful in modern business strategy. Business leaders can gain valuable insights from history’s great military strategists. Roger Martin, an author and the former dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, suggests examining "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu. Although the text is more than 2,000 years old, Roger argues that it contains timeless philosophy that applies not only to the battlefield, but also to modern business strategy. To Roger, people often think war and business is all about numbers and hard data. But in reality, it’s often just as important to think about more qualitative aspects about your company and its competition. And that’s where philosophy and customer-focused design come into play. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapters: 0:00 Is ‘The Art of War’ as good as an MBA? 2:19 “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting” 3:25 “There is no instance of a nation benefiting from prolonged warfare” 4:22 “When you surround an army, leave an outlet free. Do not press a desperate foe too hard” 5:05 “Treat your men as you would your own beloved sons. And they will follow you into the deepest valley.” 6:28 The tripartite view of the future 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ About Roger Martin: In 2017, Roger Martin was named the world’s #1 management thinker by Thinkers50, a biannual ranking of the most influential global business thinkers. Martin is a trusted strategy advisor to the CEOs of companies worldwide including Procter & Gamble, Lego, and Ford. Martin is a Professor Emeritus at the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto, where he served as dean from 1998-2013. In 2013, he was named global Dean of the Year by the leading business school website, Poets & Quants. His newest book is A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Managerial Effectiveness. His previous twelve books include When More is Not Better, Creating Great Choices written with Jennifer Riel, Getting Beyond Better written with Sally Osberg, and Playing to Win written with A.G. Lafley, which won the award for Best Book of 2012-13 by the Thinkers50. He has written 32 Harvard Business Review articles. Martin received his BA from Harvard College, with a concentration in economics, in 1979 and his MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1981. He lives in South Florida with his wife, Marie-Louise Skafte. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He revolutionized hospitality, twice. Chip Conley, co-founder of @ModernElderAcademy, 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. Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more ►Get Big Think+ for Business Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Chip Conley: Chip Conley is on a midlife mission. After disrupting the hospitality industry twice, first as the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, the second-largest operator of boutique hotels in the U.S., and then as Airbnb’s Head of Global Hospitality and Strategy, leading a worldwide revolution in travel, Conley co-founded MEA (Modern Elder Academy) in January 2018 in Baja California, Mexico. Inspired by his experience of intergenerational mentoring as a ‘modern elder’ at Airbnb, where his guidance was instrumental to the company’s extraordinary transformation from fast-growing start-up to the world’s most valuable hospitality brand, MEA is the world's first ‘midlife wisdom school’ and has a campus opening on a 2,600-acre regenerative horse ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico in early 2024. Dedicated to reframing the concept of aging, MEA supports students to navigate midlife with a renewed sense of purpose and possibility. A New York Times bestselling author, Conley's 7th book Learning to Love Midlife: 12 Reasons Why Life Gets Better with Age is about rebranding midlife to help people understand the upside of this often-misunderstood life stage and he was asked to give a 2023 TED talk on the "midlife chrysalis."... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Remember to Follow the Podcast and Enable Notifications If you found this episode valuable, Share It Leave a 5-Star Review! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices