Videos

How do you typically let other people into your minds? You smile. You laugh. You use language to communicate thoughts and feelings. Jason Silva is here to explain why that’s all going to change once virtual reality reaches its full potential.

We as a society are conditioned to love Fridays and hate Mondays. This is outdated, argues best-selling author Jon Acuff. There’s no reason why we can’t rescue Monday and make our jobs as awesome as they can be.

Many organizations are reluctant to share important information across national borders. Astronaut Ron Garan, whose time in space helped him see the world in a whole new way, argues that these apprehensions fail to take into account the big picture: We’re all in this together.

Too many people continue to die in hospitals, often in pain and hooked up to machines, when they’d much prefer to die at home in peace surrounded by family and friends. Dr. Angelo Volandes’ new book helps guide families to understanding end-of-life scenarios and to take control over their fates.

Architect Marc Kushner explains the radical changes you can expect from residential architecture in the coming years.

There’s no reason why humanity can’t re-establish its moon presence while also keeping an eye on the red planet.

Top New York real estate broker Fredrik Eklund explains the mindset necessary to enter in negotiations and how a savvy negotiator uses tension to his or her advantage.

Is political correctness just a spineless form of self-discipline that doesn’t really allow you to overcome racism?

According to economist Thomas Piketty, the debate over whether it’s better to raise or lower taxes is pointless if a government does not invest in growth and infrastructure.

Author Kabir Sehgal discusses several reasons why Wall Street investors make irrational decisions that lead to market instability.

Journalist Fareed Zakaria discusses the true cost of American higher education and the structural changes that must take place to correct an unsustainable trend.

Famed evolutionary biologist E.O. Wilson argues that humans came to dominate the Earth thanks to a social condition called eusociality.

Lawrence Summers, economist, professor, former president of Harvard University, and economic adviser to President Obama, asks this question in a thought provoking lecture about the evolution of ideas and the critical importance of education in an increasingly multi-faceted world.

Architect Marc Kushner explains how the goals of architecture and design vary between locations and contexts.

Tom Yorton explains why listening is paramount to good business. The value of working toward excellent listening skills is one of the key lessons he’s learned from working at Second City.

Professor Brenzel argues that not only can reading the great classics enrich your education, it can actually make your life better.

Harvard University’s Jonathan Zittrain explores the amazing success of Wikipedia, a concept that “works really well in practice, just not in theory.”

Ben Parr, author of the new book “Captivology,” explains how certain celebrities reach a higher echelon of fame by mastering an ability to trigger positive reactions from their fanbases.

How does venture capitalist Ben Lerer decide which opportunities are worth investment? Lerer follows the inevitable path of disruption, targeting areas of the world that have not yet been disrupted by the internet but soon will.

In this Big Think+ preview, TED curator Chris Anderson explains that you can attract the best talent in your industry by passionately championing a cause.

Dr. Julie Holland relays the dangers related to overprescribed medications. She suggests several alternatives to relying on antidepressants.

It is one of the most debated subjects of all time, and President Botstein of Bard College steps boldly into the fray: What is art?

Professor Douglas Melton introduces the astounding advances being made today to unlock the powerful potential hidden within our own cells.

William Ackman, the CEO of Pershing Square Capital, is here to tell you Everything You Need to Know About Finance and Investing — in less than an hour.

In his lecture, Nicholas Christakis explains why individual actions are inextricably linked to sociological pressures. Whether you’re absorbing altruism performed by someone you’ll never meet or deciding to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge, collective phenomena affect every aspect of your life.

Nathan Broderick documents experimental philosopher Jonathon Keats’ Millennium Camera Project

Through the case studies of compassion, racism, and sex, Dr. Bloom explores the intrinsic fundamentals of human nature.

Professor Saul Levmore looks at the origins and tools of economics, using examples like “Why do we download from iTunes?” “Why does a house costs more than a cookie?” and “Why would a King behead his subjects for saving coins?”

Professor Steven Pinker illustrates how the study of linguistics can give us a rare window into the conscious mind.

Professor Tamar Gendler uses the work of three titans of the discipline — Thomas Hobbes, John Rawls, and Robert Nozick — as a lens to guide us through the taut debate over the role of government in society.