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From hunter-gatherers to the American Dream: How humanity’s definition of “work” has developed over time. Humans used to hunt and gather. Now, we have 9-to-5 jobs. Anthropologist James Suzman joins us to talk about the historical roots of our desk jobs and how they all connect back to the agricultural revolution. The definition of work is ever-evolving, with each new era posing unique challenges. In this interview, Suzman explains how each era has actively contributed to humanity and how we can use this knowledge to help us prepare for (and even reconsider) our future. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 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... --------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Why we keep giving power to the wrong people, according to political scientist and associate professor Brian Klaas. Brian Klaas, a political scientist and associate professor at University College London, argues that while the popular phrase "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely" is true to a certain extent, the real problem lies in broken systems that attract and promote the wrong kind of people. In his research, Klaas has found that people who crave power are more likely to self-select into positions of power, resulting in a slate of leaders who are not representative of the general population. He believes that the solution is to design systems that attract better people. Klaas challenges the notion that the people in power are entirely to blame and instead reflects on why society is drawn toward abusive leaders. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters:- 0:00 Why the wrong people are in charge 1:32 Is corruption universal? 2:11 Martin McFife, the HOA president from hell 3:28 Self-selection bias 4:14 Why we can’t resist “strongmen” 6:26 Expelling the worst of the worst ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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: https://bigthink.com/plus/ Get Smarter, Faster With Interviews From The Worlds Biggest Thinkers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Humanity’s future is bright, according to the ones who study our past. This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. The future is coming, whether we’re ready or not. Physicist Sean Carroll, planetary scientist Nina Lanza, and futurist Kevin Kelly are three brilliant minds who have spent their careers studying how time has affected the Earth — and Kmele is on a mission to understand their findings. Part of understanding what we know includes identifying the things we don’t know; this way, we can keep our minds open to new discoveries and ideas. What is it really like to be a theoretical physicist, who only works with ideas? How does philosophy underline the progress we’ve made as a society? And, finally, what is humanity’s role in the future, and what can we do to make sure our lives have meaning? Find out this, and much, much more, in the last episode of Dispatches from The Well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Eart ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Why does time move forward but not backward? Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder explains. Why does time move in only one direction? This still-unsolved question was posed in 1927 by the British astrophysicist Arthur Eddington, and the concept came to be known as the arrow of time. As theoretical physicist @SabineHossenfelder explains, there's a longstanding mystery in the foundations of physics: If we look at the laws for microscopic constituents, like elementary particles, they work the same way forward in time as they do backward in time. But the same does not hold true on macroscopic scales. In this Big Think video, Hossenfelder dives into this mystery and explores how it has captivated the minds of so many scientists and science fiction writers. 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chapters: 0:00 The arrow of time 1:14 Why doesn’t anyone get younger? 2:39 Can we stop human aging with entropy control? 4:01 Is ‘maximum entropy’ how the universe will end? 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 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. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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

How the Big Bang gave us time, explained by theoretical physicist Sean Carroll. In this Big Think interview, theoretical physicist Sean Carroll discusses the concept of time and the mysteries surrounding its properties. He notes that while we use the word "time" frequently in everyday language, the real puzzles arise when we consider the properties of time, such as the past, present, and future, and the fact that we can affect the future but not the past. Carroll also discusses the concept of entropy, which is a measure of how disorganized or random a system is, and the second law of thermodynamics, which states that there is a natural tendency for things in the universe to go from a state of low entropy to high entropy. He explains that the arrow of time, or the perceived difference between the past and the future, arises due to the influence of the Big Bang and the fact that the universe began in a state of low entropy. Carroll also touches on the possibility of time travel and the concept of the multiverse. chapters: 0:00 What is time? 1:32 How the Big Bang gave us time 3:31 How entropy creates the experience of time 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 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. --------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Pathologically busy people clamoring for happiness. Founder of HATCH Monica Parker explains how we can do so much better than that. Up next, The anxiety advantage ►   • Master your anxiety. Unleash your gen The pursuit of happiness is unrealistic. Seek this other emotion, instead. Monica Parker, founder of HATCH and author of “The Power of Wonder,” says our world is utterly obsessed with happiness. We have so many types of initiatives – self-help books, programs, and even careers – centered around achieving happiness that we’ve reached toxic levels of positivity. This is a problem, as it forces us to interpret our experiences through a single – often overrated – emotional lens. Instead, we should pursue wonder, which is neither wholly positive nor wholly negative. Parker likens the feeling of wonder to watching a butterfly emerge from a chrysalis – it is beautiful, complex, and even a little scary. This profound mix of awe, curiosity, and fear, is something that, when achieved, can expand our resilience and deepen our interpretation of the world around us. The key to wonder? Slowing down. Parker explains that tuning into our three types of “wonderbringers” – natural, social, and cognitive – and incorporating “slow thought” activities into our lives, can help us be more receptive to wonder and the benefits it provides. By abandoning the pursuit of happiness and filling our days with things that spark wonder, that aren’t entirely based on positivity, and that fuel our curiosity and our passions, we can overcome our emotional barriers and live truly fulfilling, wonder-full lives. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. 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... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Monica Parker: Monica C. Parker is the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Power of Wonder and a world-renowned speaker, writer, and authority on the future of work. Parker has spent decades helping people discover how to lead and live wonderfully. She is the founder of global human analytics and change consultancy HATCH whose corporate clients include blue-chip companies such as LinkedIn, Google, Prudential, and LEGO, and whose education clients include the Harvard Flourishing Network, NYU, Emory University, and Highlights for Children. In her work, weaving together psychology and neuroscience with business strategy and leadership training, Parker challenges organizational systems to advocate for more meaningful work lives. Her specialisms includes topics like resiliency, empathy, ethics, trust, creativity, curiosity, learning, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and leadership, among others ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Filmmaker Godfrey Reggio, rock icon Steve Albini, and comedian Fred Armisen told us the meaning of life: This video is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the @JohnTempletonFoundation. In this episode of Dispatches from The Well, Kmele Foster continues his search for the meaning of life inside the minds of some of the world’s most creative visionaries. Godfrey Reggio revolutionized film with his experimental documentaries. Steve Albini is preserving the spirit of music by committing to analog recording. Fred Armisen turned his creativity into a career by combining his passion for music and comedy. Kmele sat down with each of these creators and asked them about the “why” behind their existence. From sitting behind the camera to stepping in front of it, these artists have found meaning in their lives by committing to the things that, in simple terms, are the most fun. Join us as we explore the perspectives of these " Rebellious Creatives" in Episode 6 of Dispatches from The Whale ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 you have hiring power, here are 6 steps to help you act on diversity. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters for easier navigation:- 0:00 The 'Lean In' Myth 2:06 Hypervisibility & Invisibility 4:44 BRIDGE: 6 Steps for Inclusion Imposter syndrome has a long-term, damaging impact on people in the workforce, particularly women of color. To improve inclusivity in the workplace, Ruchika Tulshyan recommends six interpersonal habits that she calls the BRIDGE framework: 1.Be okay with being uncomfortable. 2.Reflect on what you don’t know. 3.Invite feedback. 4.Defensiveness doesn’t help. 5.Grow from mistakes. 6.Expect that change takes time. -------------------------------------------------------------------- About Ruchika Tulshyan: Ruchika Tulshyan is the author of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work (MIT Press). She’s also the founder of Candour, an inclusion strategy practice. A former international business journalist, Ruchika is a regular contributor to The New York Times and Harvard Business Review. -------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

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. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters: 0:00 What is evolutionary success? 1:07 Is everything getting better? 1:32 Response #1. Who is “we”? 1:51 Response #2. One broad culture 2:24 Response #3. What is the measure of success? 3:21 Distributing human flourishing 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 --------------------------------------------------------- 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 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

Success in the art world can mean different things to different artists. While some artists work solely for the pleasure of producing art, others seek external recognition, such as being shown in prestigious galleries or museums, and selling their craft. The latter — profitability, recognition, demand — is how success is traditionally defined in the field. But out of all the emerging artists across the world, only a select few will make it to international recognition in their careers. Network physicist Albert-László Barabási believes he can predict who it’s going to be. And he doesn’t even need to look at the artist’s artwork. While talent is essential for an artist's success, understanding the networks in which their work is embedded is perhaps even more important. Access to these networks is determined by complex dependencies, with gatekeepers, such as institutions and galleries, playing a crucial role in an artist's access to the market. Through mapping out these networks, Barabási has been able to predict artistic success with impressive accuracy. With an acute understanding of the various institutions and galleries that routinely lead to the center of the network, an artist can increase their chances of success and longevity in the art world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters: 0:00 The key measures of success in art 0:48 Whose job is it to discover artists??? 1:16 Mapping the value of art through network science 2:53 “Incredibly accurate” predictions 4:47 Talent matters 5:22 The challenge for young artists 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 This interview is an episode from ⁠@The-Well⁠, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ⁠@JohnTempletonFoundation⁠. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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

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. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------- 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 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." -------------------------------------------- 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

“You’re not punished for failing, you’re punished for not trying.” Former Uber exec Emil Michael on how to truly achieve success. Looking to bring Emil Michael’s insights to leaders across your company? Great. This video is part of an 11-part expert class on emotionally intelligent leadership and it’s available to organizations that subscribe to Big Think+. From managing conflict to building a culture of trust, this class is designed to inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ------------------------------------------ Emil Michael, former Chief Business Officer at Uber, believes failure is vital to success. According to him, failure played a pivotal role in the stratospheric expansion that made Uber one of the world’s fastest-growing companies. Michael points to Uber's endeavors in China, where immense opportunities clashed with daunting operational costs, including intense competition with local rival DiDi. He delves into the complex decision-making by both himself and Uber’s founder, Travis Kalanick, that ultimately led it to merge with its competitor. Michael believes a high level of business acumen is required to transform setbacks into strategic victories. He encourages anyone trying to create something to embrace failure and harness their ambition to foster exponential growth. About Emil Michael: Emil Michael is an investor and strategic advisor to many of the world’s most important high-growth companies. He is currently serving as Chairman and CEO of the blank check company DPCM Capital. From 2013-2017 Emil was Chief Business Officer at Uber, where he led the company through a period of exponential growth. Across his many tech leadership roles, Emil has been instrumental in raising over $25 billion in capital, and the creation of $100 billion in market value for technology businesses. Today, Emil is focused on working with entrepreneurs and companies that have the potential for hypergrowth. He advises on fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, corporate strategy and culture, building executive teams, and global expansion... ----------------------------------------- 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

This is how rejection made executive producer and director Julie Plec an undeniable leader. Creator of the popular series “The Vampire Diaries,” Julie Plec is proof imposter syndrome never goes away, no matter how big you make it. The writer and producer answered our questions about self-doubt, getting “blacklisted,” and how we can alter our perceptions to better appreciate our successes. We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators. 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 Julie Plec: Julie Plec is a creator, showrunner, executive producer and director, most notably responsible for the complete Vampire Diaries Universe (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legacies), which spanned thirteen years and more than 300 episodes of television. Plec is co-creator and co-showrunner of the upcoming series Vampire Academy, based on the popular book series, which recently wrapped production in Spain and is debuting September 15, 2022, on Peacock. She is also co-creator of the new series Dead Day, along with her Vampire Diaries partner Kevin Williamson, which was recently picked up to series at Peacock as well, and executive producer of Girls on the Bus, which was picked up straight to series at HBO Max. Plec is creator and executive producer of Legacies, which recently aired its fourth and final season on the CW, along with serving as an executive producer of Roswell, New Mexico, which recently aired its fourth and final season on the CW as well. In addition, Plec served as executive producer of The Endgame, starring Morena Baccarin and Ryan Michelle Bathé, which recently aired on NBC. She is currently under an overall deal at Universal Television, where she and Emily Cummins, president of her production company, My So-Called Company, are developing projects across all platforms for the studio. Plec and Cummins recently announced a new project at Peacock, Clifton, along with a slate of several other projects in development. --------------------------------------- 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

Navy SEALs: Master self-talk and mental toughness, with David Goggins, Eric Greitens, Jesse Itzler Whether we realize it or not, we "speak to ourselves" every day through our thoughts. We cannot turn these thoughts off, but we can turn them in our favor. Short statements like, "Stay tough," and, "Good job," can help you get through the tougher times in life. The key to a good life is learning to better control our own minds. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHAPTERS: 0:00 David Goggins on why you need proper mental tools for Navy Seal training 0:38 Eric Greitens on what good self talk looks like 1:24 David Goggins on Navy Seal’s ‘hell week’ and the importance of a ‘cookie jar’ 3:02 Eric Greitens on making self talk work for you 3:35 David Goggins on getting uncomfortable is the only way to practice self talk and grow 3:59 Jesse Itzl on getting his life off auto pilot 4:57 David Goggins on how our brains keep us comfortable 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

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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chapters: 0:00 Strategic thinking 2:35 Key qualities of a strategic thinker 5:02 A strategic role model 6:17 Summary 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 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. ------------------------------------- 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

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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- chapters;- 0:00 What is a second brain? 1:14 Master divergence & convergence 3:18 Be productive and calm 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 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 --------------------------------- 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

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. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ►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

5 health experts, including Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman, share the exact ways exercise can lead to a healthier lifespan. In this interview, health experts Eric Kandel, Daniel Lieberman, Morgan Levine, Jillian Michaels, and Wendy Suzuki discuss the controllable nature of aging, citing how exercise can lead to a healthier lifespan. They highlight the specific ways exercise can reduce memory loss, prevent diseases, and maintain overall health. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Acclaimed psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk, author of “The Body Keeps The Score,” discusses the widespread existence of trauma and how it manifests in our bodies. Bessel van der Kolk also discusses the pervasive nature of trauma and its impact on individuals. He reflects on his experiences working with traumatized populations, particularly Vietnam veterans, and highlights the commonality of trauma in various forms, such as abuse and violence. Van der Kolk challenges traditional psychiatric approaches, emphasizing the importance of understanding and addressing trauma rather than merely trying to "fix" individuals. He explains the physiological and psychological effects of trauma, particularly in terms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and stresses the need for society to acknowledge and address the prevalence of trauma. The script underscores the significance of creating a safe space for individuals to share their experiences, fostering self-compassion, and working towards societal awareness and support for those who have endured trauma. Bessel van der Kolk has studied trauma for 50 years. Though we once considered trauma exclusive to veterans and people growing up in extreme circumstances, we now know it is an extremely common experience. Van der Kolk discusses the impact of trauma and the pathway to healing. About Bessel van der Kolk: Bessel van der Kolk MD spends his career studying how children and adults adapt to traumatic experiences and has translated emerging findings from neuroscience and attachment research to develop and study a range of treatments for traumatic stress in children and adults ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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

Dan Shapiro, the head of Harvard’s International Negotiation program, shares 3 keys to a better argument. Americans are increasingly falling into the “tribal trap,” according to Dan Shapiro, author of “Negotiating the Nonnegotiable: How to Resolve Your Most Emotionally Charged Conflicts.” The tribal trap often centers on politics. Those ensnared in it will do anything they can to shut down the other side in an effort to prove that their side is right, just, and the only way forward. But from abortion to immigration, the problem is often not what we’re arguing about, it’s how. So, how can we have more productive conversations? In this Big Think interview, Shapiro uses his negotiating expertise to outline several strategies to escape the tribal trap and communicate effectively, including understanding the core values of the other side, listening intently to what they’re saying, conveying that you understand what they’re saying, and finding common ground. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 Dan Shapiro: The founder and director of the Harvard International Negotiation Program, Daniel Shapiro teaches a highly evaluated course on negotiation at Harvard College; instructs psychology interns at Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital; and leads executive education sessions at the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Medical School/McLean Hospital. He also has served on the faculty at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and at the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is author of Negotiating the Nonnegotiable, which Matthew Bishop of the Economist Group called “quite simply, the best book I have ever read on negotiating in situations of extreme conflict.” He also is coauthor with Roger Fisher of the negotiation classic “Beyond Reason: Using Emotions as You Negotiate.” -------------------------------- 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.... -------------------------------- 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