Think Again - a Big Think Podcast
Big Think / Panoply
We surprise some of the world's brightest minds with ideas they're not at all prepared to discuss. With host Jason Gots and special guests Neil Gaiman, Alan Alda, Salman Rushdie, Mary-Louise Parker, Richard Dawkins, Margaret Atwood, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, Saul Williams, Henry Rollins, Bill Nye, George Takei, Maria Popova, and many more . . . You've got 10 minutes with Einstein. What do you talk about? Black holes? Time travel? Why not gambling? The Art of War? Contemporary parenting? Some of the best conversations happen when we're pushed outside of our comfort zones. So each week on Think Again, we surprise smart people you've probably heard of with hand-picked gems from Big Think's interview archives on every imaginable subject. The conversation could go anywhere. SINCE 2008, BIG THINK has captured on video the best ideas of the world’s leading thinkers and doers in every field, renowned experts including neurologist Oliver Sacks, physicist Stephen Hawking, behavioral psychologist Daniel Kahneman, authors Margaret Atwood and Marylinne Robinson, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, painter Chuck Close, and philosopher Daniel Dennett.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Oct 3, 2015 • 22min
16. Jane McGonigal (Game Designer) – Game On!/Death to "Gamification"
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
Sep 26, 2015 • 22min
15. Salman Rushdie (Novelist) – Happiness/Monsters
“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
Sep 19, 2015 • 21min
14. Freakonomics' Stephen Dubner – Free $#!+/Hidden Costs
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
Sep 12, 2015 • 28min
13. "Reply All" Hosts PJ & Alex – Future Crime/Personal Yoda/Bonus Track
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
Sep 5, 2015 • 30min
12. George Takei (Actor + Activist) – Ego/Focus/Xenophobia
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
Aug 29, 2015 • 23min
11. Tina Roth Eisenberg (AKA @swissmiss) – Culture Theory/Color Theory
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
Aug 22, 2015 • 31min
10. Mark Epstein (Buddhist Psychotherapist) – Nature/Nurture/Neither
Mark Epstein, a Buddhist-influenced psychiatrist and author, dives deep into the intertwining of nature and nurture, exploring how epigenetics reveals the impact of environment on gene expression. He discusses the profound imprint of early trauma and how temperament shapes personal development. Epstein challenges the notion of paying politicians, advocating instead for investing in education that nurtures creativity and curiosity. He frames trauma as a universal experience, suggesting that Buddhist practices can transform suffering into liberation.
Aug 15, 2015 • 25min
9. Henry Rollins (Artist), pt. II – American Trauma/The Word "Genius"
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
Aug 8, 2015 • 23min
8. Maria Konnikova (Author) – Mindset/Creativity/Suburban B-Boyz
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
Aug 1, 2015 • 26min
7. Baratunde Thurston (Comedian, Cultural Critic) – Stupidity Scaled/Robot Rights/Brand You
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
