Fantasy can save your life but how much is too much? This week on Big Think's podcast we discuss three surprise ideas with game developer and researcher Jane McGonigal, author of the new book SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient--Powered by the Science of Games.Archival Big Think interview clips from President Grimsson of Iceland, last week's guest Salman Rushdie, and business guru Jerry Kaplan launch three in-depth discussions that may change the way you think about games and gaming forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“For most of the time, writing any book, it's not going well."–– Salman Rushdie on Think AgainThis week on Big Think's popular podcast, we're joined by the brilliant and occasionally notorious Salman Rushdie, author of the new book Two Years, Eight Months, and Twenty Eight Nights.Surprise video clips from Big Think's archives launch a fascinating conversation about reason, imagination, bad grammar on Twitter, theoretical physics, literary hoaxes and the late Oliver Sacks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Pirate Bay (illegal, free) and Spotify (legit, really cheap) undermining artists' incentive to create?This week on Big Think's podcast, we're joined by Freakonomics' Stephen Dubner.An interview clip from film producer Jonathan Taplin launches an in-depth discussion of the way we consume and pay (or don't pay) for media in the post-Napster age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can we escape our own irrationality? Is weaponized DNA something we should be worrying about? Does the future look like "Mad Max"?This week on Big Think's podcast, we're joined by the astounding Alex Goldman and PJ Vogt, creators and hosts of "Reply All," (one of our very favorite podcasts, EVER) and the astonishing Matt Farley writes us a theme song in under an hour.Interview clips from futurist Steven Kotler, psychologist Dan Ariely and actor/activist George Takei get us talking (and laughing) about all kinds of unexpected things, and result in the aforementioned song. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is attention an endangered species? How do you collaborate with someone who hates you? Is xenophobia a natural side effect of religion?In this week's episode of Big Think's Think Again podcast, host Jason Gots is joined by actor, activist, and internet superhero George Takei.Interview clips from Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Ben Parr, and Daniel Kahneman launch a lively conversation about religion,human rights, and the three types of attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do colors affect us psychologically? Will a less hierarchical, more collaborative society lead inevitably to robot wars?In this week's episode of Big Think's Think Again podcast, host Jason Gots is joined by Tina Roth Eisenberg (AKA Swissmiss), Swiss-born designer and entrepreneur who runs the popular SwissMiss blog and the Creative Mornings lecture series. Interview clips from Adam Alter and Chris Fussell launch a lively discussion of design, entrepreneurship, and the purpose-driven life Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Will nanobots someday deposit Shakespeare directly into our brains? If we paid politicians tons of money would they do a better job? Does epigenetics solve the nature/nurture debate?In this week's episode of Big Think's Think Again podcast, host Jason Gots is joined by Mark Epstein, Buddhist-influenced psychiatrist and author of Thoughts Without a Thinker and The Trauma of Everyday Life. Interview clips from Stephen Dubner, Kayt Sukel, and Nicholas Negroponte launch a probing discussion of education, free will, and a contemporary twist in the "nature/nurture" debate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can anything cure what ails America? What's a "genius", exactly?In this week's episode of Big Think's Think Again podcast, we air part two of our conversation with legendary hardcore musician and spoken word artist Henry Rollins. Interview clips from Paul Ekman and James Gleick launch a discussion of a nation divided and the character traits of "geniuses". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can "positive thinking" keep you physically and mentally young? Do schools kill creativity? Should white boys ever rap or breakdance?In this week's episode of Big Think's Think Again podcast, host Jason Gots is joined by Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game and Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes. Interview clips from Kelly McGonigal, Lawrence Krauss, and Tavis Smiley launch a discussion of 21st century education, racial identity, and the powers and limits of positive thinking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At what point do sex robots become sex slaves? How are bandwidth and storage capacity changing our lives? Can you have a "personal brand" and "be yourself" at the same time?In this week's episode of Big Think's Think Again podcast, host Jason Gots is joined by author and tech pundit Baratunde Thurston, "a philosopher comedian fighting for the future." Interview clips from Rick Smolan, Lawrence Krauss, and Guy Kawasaki launch a discussion of human potential, social status, identity, and how Kim Kardashian's butt didn't actually "break the internet". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices