Talks at Google

Actress Iza Calzado discusses female empowerment, self-acceptance, battling pneumonia and COVID-19, respecting the body, empowering women, growing the She Talks Asia community, self-growth, body positivity, and resilience.

Bestselling author Min Jin Lee discusses writing, representation in media, and the Asian-American identity. Her book Pachinko is being adapted for TV, praised by President Obama. Lee shares her writing journey, struggles, and importance of diverse storytelling. She explores faith, suffering, and personal growth, along with her experiences with OCD, anxiety, and body image as an Asian American writer.

Lang Lang visits Google to perform pieces from his new album, "The Chopin Album". This album includes the second set of Chopin's Études, the Andante spianato & Grande Polonaise, and a selection of shorter works that he has long enjoyed performing, including three Nocturnes and the Waltz op. 64 no. 1, popularly known as the "Minute" Waltz. Chopin has accompanied Lang Lang throughout his career. One of the first pieces he learnt was the Grande Valse brillante in E-flat major, and it was Chopin's music that also carried him through a number of career-changing competitions. And it was with the Chopin Études that Lang Lang made his now-renowned Beijing Concert Hall recital at age 14 -- a performance that led to his studying with Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Originally published in October of 2012. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

Global development leader, professor, and author Edward 'Ted' Miguel discusses open science in poverty reduction. Topics include effectiveness of traditional programs, impact of deworming in Kenya, longitudinal data collection in Africa, scaling up government programs, and evolution of research methods in development economics.

Shelby Ivey Christie, Fashion & Costume historian, discusses how Black fashion influenced the music industry and became mainstream culture today. They explore fashion's intersection with black culture, the role of black women in hip-hop videos, cultural appropriation in fashion, preserving fashion history, favorite black designers, the importance of internships in the industry, and excitement for the future of fashion and music.

Mel B, member of the Spice Girls, discusses her career journey, memoir, and experiences as a person of mixed heritage. Topics include challenges faced by mixed-race individuals, changes in the publishing industry, importance of sharing personal stories, encounters with racial prejudice, embracing mixed identity, and the Spice Girls' impact on empowering women.

Nikole Hannah-Jones, award-winning investigative reporter, discusses racial segregation in American public schools, challenges of finding integrated schools, inequities of school choice, fundraising disparity perpetuating segregation, challenges of integration and gentrification, concerns and benefits of school integration.

Michael D. Smith, author of 'The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World', discusses embracing digital technologies in higher education for accessibility and inclusivity. Topics include the impact of digital technologies on education, alternative approaches to calculus education, instructor identity's influence on student performance, embracing technological change, and the length of PhD programs in economics.

Mathematician and comedian Matt Parker discusses the counter-intuitiveness of math and the importance of understanding its logic and ideas, exploring topics such as four-dimensional shapes, prime numbers, optimization algorithms, barcodes, iPhone screens, and different types of infinity. They also talk about engaging kids with math through YouTube and share their experience building a mega-menger fractal and decoding a binary message on a knitted scarf.

Andrew Keen, author of 'The Cult of the Amateur,' discusses the negative consequences of the participatory internet, including the threat to cultural institutions and intellectual property rights. The podcast explores the blurred line between experts and amateurs, the impact of democratized media on traditional media, the importance of professional journalists, the ethical implications of companies acquiring personal information, privacy concerns, the role of experts in media, the seductive nature of the internet, and the impact of advertising on content.