Philosophy professor John Searle visits Google to discuss the philosophy of mind and the potential for consciousness in artificial intelligence. John is widely noted for his contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and social philosophy. Among his notable concepts is the "Chinese room" argument, which challenges the supposed language comprehension ability of artificial intelligence. Searle conceived of the “Chinese room” thought experiment in 1980. Imagine a native English speaker who cannot read or speak Chinese, locked in a room with boxes of Chinese symbols together with a book of instructions for manipulating the symbols. Imagine that people outside the room send in other Chinese symbols which, unknown to the person in the room, are questions in Chinese. And imagine that by following the book of instructions, the man in the room can pass out Chinese symbols which are correct answers to the questions. Thus the person in the room is able to convince the people outside the room that he understands Chinese, but in fact he does not understand a word of Chinese. The narrow conclusion of the argument is that programming a computer may make it appear to understand language, but cannot produce true comprehension. Searle argues the fact that computers merely use syntactic rules to manipulate symbol strings, but have no true grasp of meaning or semantics. Thus, the theory that human minds are computer-like computational or information processing systems is inadequate. Instead, the human mind must result from biological processes; computers can at best simulate these biological processes. His argument has large implications for semantics, philosophy of language and mind, theories of consciousness, computer science and cognitive science generally. Originally published in December of 2015. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Clara Rowe visits Google to discuss conservation non-profit Restor, sustainability, and the importance of open data platforms to accelerate the global restoration movement. Ecosystem restoration and conservation are essential for protecting Earth’s biodiversity and achieving climate goals with the potential to reduce 30% of accumulated global carbon emissions. Supported by a $1.2M grant from Google.org, Restor is accelerating the global restoration movement by connecting people to scientific data, supply chains, and funding to increase the impact, scale, and sustainability of restoration efforts. Powered by Google Earth Engine and Google Cloud, the platform facilitates the exchange of information, makes projects visible to potential funders and the public, and allows anyone to analyze the restoration potential of any place on Earth. With this information, anyone can better understand their local environment and become a restoration practitioner. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Dr. Anton Treuer visits Google to discuss his book "Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask." What have you always wanted to know about Indians? Do you think you should already know the answers—or suspect that your questions may be offensive? Is the term “Indians” even appropriate to use in the 21st century? In matter-of-fact responses to over 120 questions, both thoughtful and outrageous, modern and historical, Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist Anton Treuer gives a frank, funny, and sometimes personal tour of Native culture. In the book, Treuer answers questions such as, "Why is there such a fuss about nonnative people wearing Indian costumes for Halloween?”, or "What's it like for natives who don't look native?" or "Why are Indians so often imagined rather than understood?" “Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask” does exactly what its title says, in a style consistently thoughtful, personal, and engaging. Relations between Native Americans and whites are often characterized by guilt and anger: this book attempts to cut through the emotion and build a foundation for true understanding and positive action. Moderated by Cait Stevens. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Actor Nick Offerman visits Google to discuss his book “Good Clean Fun: MIsadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop.” Nestled among the glitz and glitter of Hollywood is a testament to American elbow grease and a hard day’s work: Offerman Woodshop. Captained by woodworker, actor, comedian, and writer Nick Offerman, the shop produces not only fine handcrafted furniture, but also fun stuff like kazoos, baseball bats, ukuleles, mustache combs, and even cedar-strip canoes.      Now Nick and his crew want to share their experience of working at the Woodshop, tell you all about their passion for the discipline of woodworking, and teach you how to make a handful of their most popular projects along the way. This book takes readers behind the scenes of the woodshop, both inspiring and teaching them to make their own projects.       Whether you’ve been working in your own shop for years, or even if you just love Nick Offerman’s brand of bucolic yet worldly wisdom, you’ll find “Good Clean Fun” full of useful, illuminating, and entertaining information. Originally published in November of 2016. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Roham Gharegozlou visits Google to discuss his company Dapper Labs, the detailed history of cryptocurrency, and where he sees it going in the near future. Roham Gharegozlou is the co-founder and CEO of Dapper Labs and a leader in blockchain and Web3 technology. He is often cited as the pioneer of NFTs, with CryptoKitties being the first viral NFT project that broke Ethereum in 2017. From those learnings, Roham launched Dapper Labs from Axiom Zen in 2018, aiming to drive mainstream adoption of decentralized technologies and to put a crypto wallet in every pocket. Today, Dapper Labs has made Web3 accessible for developers, creators, and users by designing Flow, a decentralized Web3 platform built for consumer-friendly dApps that now has more than 3.6 million accounts; releasing Dapper Wallet, the easiest way to get started on Web3; and launching dApps, including NBA Top Shot, UFC Strike, NFL ALL DAY, Seussibles, and more that are attracting millions to Web3. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Since 2008, Bea Johnson and her family have been dedicated to living a zero waste lifestyle, generating a mere quart-size jar of waste per year. Through her blog and her book ""Zero Waste Home"", Bea has launched a global movement and continues to inspire a growing community to live simply and take a stance against needless waste with the application of the 5R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot.  This book shares essential how-to advice, secrets, and insights based on Bea’s experience. She demystifies the process of going Zero Waste with hundreds of easy tips for sustainable living that even the busiest people can integrate: from making your own mustard, packing kids’ lunches without plastic, canceling your junk mail, and enjoying the holidays without the guilt associated with overconsumption. Zero Waste Home is a stylish and relatable step-by-step guide that will give you the practical tools to help you improve your health, save money and time, and achieve a brighter future for your family—and the planet. Originally published in September of 2015. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Author Harry Parker visits Google to discuss his book "Hybrid Humans: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Man and Machine". This book is a gripping, eye-opening firsthand account of how technology is altering our understanding of what it means to be human. Harry Parker’s life changed overnight when he lost his legs to a bomb in Afghanistan. He now wears prosthetic legs from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed, reliant on them to move about the world. The tech he relies on is now so advanced it can seem as good, if not better, than human biology. But the benefits and freedom it gives him come with costs: the cost of pain, of damage to his body, of being stared at and being seen as other, of anxiety and dependence. In "Hybrid Humans", Parker takes us on a journey at the frontiers of man and machine, meeting those pushing the limits of our bodies and brains—the former soldiers having cutting-edge osseointegration, the very first DIY cyborgs and biohackers tinkering in garages, and the scientists, surgeons, artists, and disabled pioneers developing the latest robotics and implants. Grappling with his own new identity and disability along the way, Parker traces how new technologies might lead us to powerful, liberating possibilities for what a body can be—and how to be human is to be hybrid. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

What is it about Star Trek that has proved so durable - not to say indestructible? Over half a century after its unpromising beginnings, how and why has Star Trek expanded and captured the imaginations and hearts of so many adherents, many of whom have gone onto distinguished careers in space exploration, working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Nasa, SpaceX, and Blue Origin? In 1981, Nicholas Meyer was something less than a true believer when he was asked to direct the troubled second Star Trek film, The Wrath of Khan. Already a bestselling author and successful director, he had never been a fan of the TV series. But as he began to ponder the appeal of Kirk & Spock’s adventures, he realized that their story was a classical nautical tale transplanted into space - armed with that insight, he set out on his mission: to revitalize Star Trek. Originally published in April of 2019. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Most of us eat three meals a day, plus a smattering of snacks, because we think that’s the normal, healthy way to eat. Mark Mattson’s book, “The Intermittent Fasting Revolution,” argues why that’s not the case. The human body and brain evolved to function well in environments where food could be obtained only intermittently. When we look at the eating patterns of our distant ancestors, we can see that periods of fasting are normal—and eating three meals a day is not. In “The Intermittent Fasting Revolution”, prominent neuroscientist Mark Mattson shows that intermittent fasting is not only normal but also good for us; it can enhance our ability to cope with stress by making cells more resilient. It also improves mental and physical performance and protects against aging and disease. Intermittent fasting is not the latest fad diet; it doesn’t dictate food choice or quantity. It doesn’t make money for the pharmaceutical, processed food, or health care industries. Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that includes frequent periods of time with little or negligible amounts of food. It is often accompanied by weight loss, but, Mattson says, studies show that its remarkably beneficial effects cannot be accounted for by weight loss alone. Mattson describes the specific ways that intermittent fasting slows aging; reduces the risk of diseases, including obesity, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes; and improves both brain and body performance. Moderated by Sanders Kleinfeld. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.