Search Results

The Venerable Losang Samten, a renowned Tibetan scholar and a former Buddhist monk, stresses the virtues of being mindful, kind, and patient.

Dennett rebuts the argument that neuroscience implies we don’t have free will.

Instead of returning anger with anger, Robert Thurman advocates the practice of lovingkindness, a translation of the Pali word mettā that is found in the original Buddhist texts.

The famous biologist discusses his life’s work in conservation and his efforts to save the ecosphere.

Futurist and learning expert Elliott Masie explains how setting up hackathons can help successful companies find unique and creative solutions.

Who launches a nuclear weapon if the president has been killed? Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser explains the chilling history of American nuclear authority and chain of command.

Interest rates are low. Construction unemployment is high. There’s no better time to invest in major infrastructure projects. Larry Summers asks what we’re waiting for.

XAPO CEO Wences Casares discusses how most of the regulations needed for bitcoin are already in place for gold and other currencies.

Futurist Vivek Wadhwa predicts change “at a scale which is unimaginable before,” thanks to advances in technologies like robotics and 3D printing. “New trillion dollar industries will wipe out out existing trillion dollar industries,” he says. “This is the future we’re headed into, for better or for worse.”

Fareed Zakaria asks President Bill Clinton if it is possible to learn how to successfully work with others.

The founder of MIT’s Media Lab imagines a future in which information and knowledge can be delivered to the brain through the bloodstream.

The acclaimed economist talks oil prices, energy independence, and America’s unavoidable market vulnerability.

The author and neuroscientist argues that, despite its spooky etymology, there’s no better word than “spirituality” to describe the personal and intimate exploration of human consciousness.

Five years ago, Iceland was a failed financial state. Today it’s Exhibit A for revitalization after a financial crisis. The reason why? The will of the people was prioritized over the perceived financial interests of the markets.

The retired Massachusetts congressman shares his philosophy on the therapeutic and polemic power of humor. Ridicule, says Frank, was one of his greatest weapons in Congress.

The takeaway is that to live a better life, one that is fuller and more richly human, we need not rely on having concrete reasons for our behavior but rather ideals which inspire our decisions.

The Science Guy returns to Big Think to address his creationist critics and warn against the risks of denying evolution, the fundamental core of life sciences.

Jon Iwata is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM. As a member of the communications team for over 25 years, Iwata has taken an active interest in watching the workforce change. Every year he meets with IBM’s summer interns for an informal focus group on the state of emerging talent. In this lesson from Big Think+, Iwata explores key millennial values and what every company can do to embrace them.

You may not be aware of it, but certain judgment calls by you or your managers may be holding some of your best people back. In this lesson, management expert Jennifer Brown, a diversity training consultant who works with leading companies, explains the pitfalls and strategies for dealing with unconscious bias.

Ever since he came out to the public in February 2007, former NBA player John Amaechi says he has been “that big gay guy.” But there is much more to the 6’10” former center than that. He is one of the very few NBA players with a Ph.D.—after eight years in the big leagues, he returned to academics to pursue a degree in psychology. In this lesson from Big Think+, he shares with you the plan he created as a child to help him accomplish his dreams. The most important step, he says, is knowing yourself and getting clear about your end goal.

People who can identify moments of emotional expression in others tend to earn a higher salary, according to a new study conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Bonn.

Biographer Walter Isaacson talks British mathematician Alan Turing, the inventor of the Turing Test and one of the subjects of Isaacson’s newest book, “The Innovators.”

The renowned philosopher discusses his new book on events, detailing how they retroactively create their causes and why they explain the 21st century fear of falling in love.

Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser serves as executive producer for the new documentary “Food Chains.” In this video, he discusses the injustices of the American food industry.

In this lesson, real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran explains why the best time to expand your business is when economic times are tough. It’s the perfect moment, she says, to lower overhead and payroll costs.

Barbara Corcoran learned early the value of building a powerful brand. In this lesson she teaches you shortcuts for standing out amidst the noise in your industry.

Why aren’t more women attaining senior leadership positions across corporate America? In this lesson excerpt, Jody Greenstone Miller explains why the time commitment traditionally required to attain top level positions prevents many women (and some men) from bringing their talents to the workforce. The full clip, available on Big Think+, teaches you how to create new paths to leadership by rethinking time so that the faces and values at the top of your organization more accurately reflect the diversity of the available talent pool.

Geena Rocero is a transgender model and advocate who founded the transgender awareness campaign Gender Proud. In this lesson excerpt, she introduces transgender identity and explores the need for sensitivity training in the workplace. The full lesson, available on Big Think+, offers strategies for including and supporting the transgender, gender nonconforming, and transitioning employees within your work community.

A second scientific experiment, this time in America, has established that telepathy is possible. 

The ABC News Correspondent discusses the myth of multitasking. “We literally neurologically cannot do more than one thing at a time,” says Harris.