Jane McGonigal

This collection features brilliant minds like Kat Cole, a business leader known for her rise through Focus Brands, and Noreena Hertz, a loneliness expert whose work critiques societal norms. Adam Grant reveals the importance of intellectual humility, while NASA's Thomas Zurbuchen discusses complex decision-making in space missions. Jane McGonigal showcases the benefits of gaming on skills, and Nir Eyal offers strategies to combat distraction. Seth Godin, Angela Duckworth, and Jim Collins further explore creativity, mindset, and trust in relationships, providing invaluable insights from diverse fields.

Jane McGonigal, a renowned future forecaster and game designer, shares her insights on predicting crises like COVID-19, rooted in simulations from 2010. She highlights the transformative power of video games for mental health, revealing how they can cultivate optimism and empower individuals. The conversation dives into the challenges posed by climate change and societal disillusionment among youth, advocating for proactive solutions. With her unique blend of gaming and futurism, she inspires listeners to embrace change and prepare for the unpredictable future.

Jane McGonigal, a PhD game designer, champions the power of video games in fostering skills and mental health recovery. She discusses how challenging games can build confidence and a growth mindset. The impact of gaming on decision-making, mental resilience, and post-traumatic growth is explored. Jane shares insights on using games for education and creativity, emphasizing the importance of balancing play with real-life skills. Additionally, she touches on navigating misinformation and the potential of gaming in future technologies.

Jane McGonigal, a futurist and game designer, explores how to effectively predict future trends using innovative methods. She discusses the psychological impacts of rapid change and introduces techniques like future backcasting and hyper-specific journaling. Jane emphasizes the importance of positive visualization to reduce anxiety and prepare mentally for challenges. Additionally, she highlights the evolving landscape of Web3 gaming and the potential for immersive experiences in the metaverse, encouraging listeners to engage with creative foresight.

Future forecaster and game designer Jane McGonigal ran a social simulation game in 2008 that had players dealing with the effects of a respiratory pandemic set to happen in the next decade. She wasn’t literally predicting the 2020 pandemic—but she got eerily close. Her game, set in 2019, featured scenarios we're now familiar with (like masking and social distancing), and participant reactions gave her a sense of what the world could—and eventually, did—look like. How did she do it? And what can we learn from this experiment to predict—and prepare for—the future ourselves? In this episode, Jane teaches us how to be futurists, and talks about the role of imagination—and gaming—in shaping a future that we’re truly excited about. This is an episode of The TED Interview, another podcast in the TED Audio Collective. To hear more episodes—starting with a season all about the future of intelligence—follow The TED Interview wherever you're listening to this. We'll be back on July 22 with a new season of TED Tech—and a surprise.Want to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey!Learn more about TED Membership here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane McGonigal, a visionary futurist, challenges us to rethink the words "unimaginable" and "unthinkable." She introduces compelling hypothetical scenarios, urging listeners to creatively anticipate future risks. With a glimpse into a 2033 altered by climate challenges and a radical zero-waste society in 2031, she encourages critical thinking about our collective paths. McGonigal emphasizes the importance of balancing optimism with realism, equipping us to face the unpredictable future.

In a fascinating conversation, game designer and futurist Jane McGonigal explores how gaming can enhance our ability to foresee and prepare for future challenges. She discusses the power of mental time travel and techniques for envisioning diverse outcomes. McGonigal highlights how games can cultivate resilience, improve problem-solving skills, and foster collaborative communities. She also emphasizes the importance of identifying 'green flags' for positive relationships and the role of creativity in navigating crises, making the future seem more imaginable and achievable.

Jane McGonigal, a world-renowned game designer and author of "Reality is Broken," discusses the transformative power of games. She explains how gaming fosters personal growth and collaboration, shifting focus away from competition. McGonigal shares her journey creating SuperBetter, a game that aids health recovery, emphasizing the role of play in overcoming challenges. The conversation encourages parents to engage in gaming with their kids and explores the psychological effects of design, aiming to harness games for real-world problem-solving.

Jane McGonigal, a bestselling author and video game designer, shares her research on the positive effects of video gaming. They discuss how games can fight depression and PTSD, encourage creativity, and help achieve real-world goals. Jane shares her struggle with a traumatic brain injury that led to the creation of the game SuperBetter. They also cover topics like post-ecstatic growth, finding your passion, gamifying your life, the importance of struggle, and well-being.

Future forecaster and game designer Jane McGonigal ran a social simulation game in 2008 that had players dealing with the effects of a respiratory pandemic set to happen in the next decade. She wasn’t literally predicting the 2020 pandemic—but she got eerily close. Her game, set in 2019, featured scenarios we're now familiar with (like masking and social distancing), and participant reactions gave her a sense of what the world could—and eventually, did—look like. How did she do it? And what can we learn from this experiment to predict—and prepare for—the future ourselves? In this episode, Jane teaches us how to be futurists, and talks about the role of imagination—and gaming—in shaping a future that we’re truly excited about. Jane’s new book, Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything―Even Things That Seem Impossible Today is available now.This is an episode of The TED Interview, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. You can find and follow it wherever you're listening to this.For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscriptsWant to help shape TED’s shows going forward? Fill out our survey here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.