Big Think

Robert Hazen, a leading mineralogist and professor, delves into the captivating topic of mineral evolution and its connection to life on Earth. He reveals how the universe began with just a handful of minerals, which have since diversified into thousands. Hazen highlights the shared characteristics of all evolving systems—interaction, configuration, and selection—drawing parallels between minerals and living organisms. His insights encourage us to rethink our place in the cosmos by understanding the deep interconnectedness of geological and biological systems.

Dive into the fascinating world of minerals, essential players in technology, agriculture, and biology. Learn how these silent architects hold the secrets of Earth's 4.5-billion-year history. Explore the dramatic transformation of our planet, from a dark basalt-covered start to the vibrant life-filled world we know today. Discover how minerals shaped the evolution of life itself, providing the building blocks for shells, teeth, and bones. It's a compelling tale of the intertwined journey of life and Earth!

Sam Harris, a bestselling author known for his incisive explorations of faith and reason, dives into the pressing issues surrounding artificial intelligence. He stresses the urgent need for international cooperation to mitigate the risks of AI's rapid evolution. Harris discusses the dangers of self-improving AI systems and the ethical dilemmas they pose. The conversation touches on the stark contrasts between narrow and general AI, and the critical importance of aligning these technologies with human values to avoid catastrophic outcomes.

Join Stephen Kotler, a peak performance expert; Wendy Suzuki, an anxiety researcher; and Robert Waldinger, a Harvard psychiatrist and Zen master, as they explore transformative concepts. They discuss how anxiety can serve as a powerful catalyst for growth and creativity rather than a hindrance. Discover the mechanics of achieving the flow state and how social connections are vital for mental health. Wendy offers strategies to reframe anxiety, while Robert highlights the need for vulnerability and community support in overcoming it.

🌍 **Mother Nature doesn’t care if we’re happy.** Her only goal? Survival. She wired us to seek food, safety, and reproduction — not happiness. In fact, 😟 **negative emotions serve a purpose**. Fear, anger, and sadness are evolutionary tools to keep us alert and responsive to threats. Mother Nature *needs* us to be uncomfortable sometimes. But here's the twist: **Happiness is our responsibility.** It's a human — maybe even divine — pursuit. 🧘‍♂️ Enter Epicurus, the ancient Greek philosopher. Contrary to the common image of indulgence, his idea of happiness was simple: 👉 **Eliminate suffering**. By reducing sources of pain — toxic relationships, stressful habits, unnecessary friction — we can create space for peace. It's not about chasing pleasure, but avoiding harm. And that idea has echoed through history. Today, we’re living in what some call an **“epicurean age.”** We overprotect kids from pain, shield students from uncomfortable ideas, and try to bubble-wrap life. But here's the problem... ⚠️ **Avoiding suffering doesn’t eliminate unhappiness.** It just weakens us. We still experience negative emotions — without the growth that comes from hardship. 🌓 As Carl Jung put it: > “We only know what good is because we’ve seen bad.” By avoiding discomfort, we also rob ourselves of contrast — the very thing that gives joy its meaning. So ironically, in shielding ourselves from pain, we may be shutting the door on bliss. ------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this engaging discussion, Amanda Ripley, a New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of Good Conflict, uncovers the troubling state of American news media. She highlights how the current news cycle often fosters anxiety and depression, revealing alarming stats about declining trust across political lines. Ripley advocates for renewed journalistic practices that emphasize hope and dignity. She suggests that a community-focused approach could restore faith in media and better serve the public's needs.

Are our current school systems stifling learning that matters? Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, says yes. According to Immordino-Yang, our education system focuses too much on memorizing facts and procedures, neglecting autobiographical memory—the personal story we tell ourselves about who we are and what we stand for. This type of memory is crucial for growth, development, and well-being. Immordino-Yang tested this theory with a 5-year study that analyzed how young people’s brains are affected by deep thinking and reflection. She found that when teens were exposed to real-life stories and were asked to respond critically to how they made them feel, it had significant positive impacts on identity development and brain structure. Instead of teaching students to memorize and reiterate learned facts and figures, Immordino-Yang encourages us to focus on this type of “transcendent thinking,” as it can help young people give more context to their knowledge. By fostering this deeper level of understanding, we can better prepare students to navigate and contribute to the complex, constantly developing world we live in. About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang: Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education. She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE). ------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A lot of modern work exists mainly because we've structured society around the belief that humans *must* work. But this has led to inequality, wasted talent, and systems that no longer serve us. 🏙️ Today, productivity is tracked through pings, emails, and meetings—not real impact. We’re surrounded by abundance, yet opportunity remains unevenly spread. The problem? We measure busyness, not *outcomes*. 📊 Throughout history, work has evolved through three major revolutions: 1. 🔥 **Mastery of fire** — Early humans began outsourcing energy. Cooking made food more digestible and freed up time. This shift opened the door to leisure and innovation. 2. 🌾 **Agriculture** — Farming demanded planning and ownership. Concepts like land, debt, and productivity emerged. Cattle became early symbols of capital. 3. 🏛️ **Cities** — Agriculture supported population growth. Urban centers became creative hubs where people specialized, exchanged ideas, and formed work-based communities. Fast forward to today: machines and fossil fuels do most of the heavy lifting. 🛠️ But while technology generates abundance, wealth is concentrated. Most people can no longer convert effort directly into prosperity. Social mobility is shrinking. 📉 Our economic systems still reward inherited capital more than hard work. And when it comes to hiring, we’re looking in the wrong places. Instead of narrowly measuring intelligence, we should value energy, drive, creativity, and collaboration. 💡 Bias often filters out brilliant people—those who don’t “look” the part. Some traits seen as liabilities (like ADHD or anxiety) can actually fuel innovation in the right roles. 🧠✨ To unlock potential and solve big problems, we need to rethink everything. Not with tweaks—but through bold experimentation. 🚀 Our current systems were designed for a world that no longer exists. We now have automation, digital tools, and near-limitless energy at our fingertips. The question is: will we redesign the future of work to match the world we *actually* live in? “It’s remarkable how weak the correlation between success and intelligence is.” Here’s what skills do matter, from 3 business experts. Timestamps: 0:00 - The history of work 2:30 - How work shaped society 3:55 - The invention of fire 5:16 - Transition to farming 6:51 - Effort and reward 11:40 - Why talent matters 18:26 - Accomplishment without burnout About Cal Newport: Cal Newport is an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University who also writes about the intersections of technology, work, and the quest to find depth in an increasingly distracted world. About James Suzman: Dr. James Suzman a PhD an anthropologist specializing in the Khoisan peoples of southern Africa. A former Smuts Fellow in African Studies at the University of Cambridge, he is now the director of Anthropos Ltd., a think-tank that applies anthropological methods to solving contemporary social and economic problems. Dr. Suzman's latest book is Work: A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots. About Tyler Cowen: Tyler is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University. ------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

### 🎭 **Kel Mitchell: From Pain to Purpose** **Who is Kel Mitchell?** Actor, comedian, author, pastor — and a deeply reflective human being. ### 🌟 Key Life Lessons from Kel’s Story: #### 🧠 1. **Childhood Trauma Sticks Around** - A moment of childhood hate left a lasting imprint. - Unresolved pain can resurface in adulthood and distort how we see others. #### 🤝 2. **The Power of Honest Conversations** - Kel used to bottle up emotions and avoid conflict. - Growth began when he started **sharing his truth** and **understanding others deeply**. #### 💔 3. **Divorce and Losing Access to His Children** - A painful court battle left him alienated from his kids. - Sharing his story on YouTube brought **connection and healing**—for him and others. #### 😔 4. **His Darkest Moment: Suicidal Thoughts** - At a low point, he stood on a balcony ready to give up. - A voice (which he believes was God) told him to **step away** and find healing. ### 🙌 The Comeback: Faith, Family & Self-Love - Rebuilt his life by reconnecting with God and loving himself. - Now a proud father of four and married to a loving partner. - Learned to embrace mistakes as lessons, not regrets. ### 🎮 Kel’s Wisdom, Nintendo-Style: > "The designer made cheat codes to skip levels. Now I know the Designer of me. So I can jump levels in life—because I’ve learned from the pain." ### 💬 Final Message: There’s no going back. But there’s **so much forward** when you let go, learn, and love yourself through the process. ------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"There is so much more uncertainty and volatility in a world that is moving fast with big countries that are more at odds with each other and with fewer rules of the road that leaders, companies, and societies are adhering to." Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media, has been delivering his insightful Top Risks Report for 15 years. The primary objective? To systematically outline how we should approach the world's most significant threats and opportunities in any given year.Bremmer's Top Risks report stands in stark contrast to the clickbait and anger-inducing algorithmic news dominating social platforms. Rather than succumbing to sensationalism, the report serves as a rallying point for professionals and the wider public to focus on what truly matters for global success. It navigates the realm of reality, steering away from ideology and personal biases."The G-Zero world and America first are working together in lockstep, and that means more ungoverned spaces, more rogue actors, more geopolitical instability and more conflict. That's where we're heading in 2025." Here, Bremmer presents his top 10 risks demanding our attention and preparation in the year 2025. Chapters For Easier Navigation:00:00: Top 10 threats of 202500:48: Mexican standoff02:28: Ungoverned spaces04:56: AI unbound07:03: Beggar thy world08:40: Iran on the ropes10:34: Russia still rogue12:22: Trumponomics14:44: US-China breakdown16:51: Rule of Don19:45: The G-Zero winsAbout Ian Bremmer:Ian Bremmer is the president and founder of Eurasia Group, the leading global political risk research and consulting firm started in 1998. Today, the company has offices in New York, Washington, and London, as well as a network of experts and resources around the world. Bremmer has authored several books, including the national bestseller The End of the Free Market: Who Wins the War Between States and Corporations? ------------------------- Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices