Talks at Google

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society--from van Gogh's sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer.

Research has revealed that our brains are inherently noisy. Certain regions are always grinding away at involuntary activities like daydreaming, worrying about the future, and self-chatter. Daydreaming and ruminating can tug your attention away from the present and contribute to anxiety and depression. Bringing his groundbreaking research to the forefront, cognitive neuroscientist Moshe Bar argues that we can become aware of when our minds wander, directing them to stimulate creativity, increase focus and boost our mood instead of making us unhappy. He investigates these benefits and provides the tools and understanding to help harness our wandering minds in order to boost our productivity and improve our well-being. Moderated by Danielle Perszy. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Google welcomes behavioral economist and "Predictably Irrational" author Dan Ariely as part of our Modern Romance series. He discusses the paradox of choice in the "Age of Tinder," why a canoe is the best place to test your long-term compatibility, and other research-based insights and advice for modern dating and relationships. Dan Ariely has been fascinated by irrationality in human endeavors such as dating ever since he overcame severe injuries sustained in an explosion. The range of treatments he received for his burns made him face a variety of irrational behaviors that were immensely painful and persistent. He became engrossed with the idea that we repeatedly and predictably make the wrong decisions in many aspects of our lives, and that research could help change some of these patterns. As he learned more and more about decision making and behavioral economics, he realized that this knowledge is relevant to many aspects of our life, from financial decision making, to health, to better habits, and of course, to dating. Originally published in November of 2015. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Janney Marin Rivera—better known as Chiquis—is an artist, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and television personality. She first captivated audiences on reality shows with her late mother, Jenni Rivera, and their family. Chiquis launched her music career in 2014, making her musical debut on international television at the Premios Juventud. Her 2015 memoir, Forgiveness, was an instant New York Times bestseller, and in 2020, Chiquis won her first Latin Grammy for her album Playlist. This week, Chiquis visits Google to discuss her memoir Unstoppable: How I Found My Strength Through Love and Loss. Bringing her signature warmth, humor, and positivity to the page, the book picks up where her memoir Forgiveness left off. Reeling from her mother’s tragic death, Chiquis finds herself at a major crossroads. As a new parent to her younger brother and sister, she struggles to balance her family’s needs with her dreams of becoming a successful singer and entrepreneur. Filled with life-affirming revelations, Chiquis ultimately shares her greatest gift with her fans—the accessible lessons that have made her unstoppable. Moderated by Liliana Cerilo. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Psychologist Kelly McGonical explores what influences us to procrastinate, why we fail to resist temptation, and teaches that small interventions can have large, positive outcomes. Based on her wildly popular course "The Science of Willpower," her book “The Willpower Instinct” is the first book to explain the science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve our health, happiness, and productivity. Informed by the latest research and combining cutting-edge insights from psychology, economics, neuroscience, and medicine, McGonical explains exactly what willpower is, how it works, and why it matters. Readers will learn that willpower is a mind-body response, not a virtue. It is a biological function that can be improved through mindfulness, exercise, nutrition, and sleep. Willpower is not an unlimited resource - too much self-control can actually be bad for your health. Guilt and shame over your setbacks can lead to giving in again, but self-forgiveness and self-compassion can boost self-control - in fact, giving up control is sometimes the only way to gain self-control. Our willpower failures are contagious—you can catch the desire to overspend or overeat from your friends­­—but you can also catch self-control from the right role models. “The Willpower Instinct” combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with goals ranging from losing weight to more patient parenting, less procrastination, better health, and greater productivity at work. Originally published in January of 2012. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

We hear the terms trauma and PTSD more and more these days. Yet many people still believe that trauma can only result from experiences that are particularly extreme. But trauma is an emotional response that can stem from a wide variety of upsetting experiences, leaving us feeling anxious, weighed down by negative emotions or memories, or feeling like we lack security. As a licensed therapist, Kati Morton addresses this challenge by asking, “If we don’t have an understanding of trauma and how it’s defined, how can we work to overcome it?” The urgency of meeting this challenge is increasing in a time when we are bombarded with a constant flow of frightening stories—about global pandemics, ecological disasters, riots, and mass shootings—that can trigger our emotional stress. We must find a balance between staying connected to the world on social media while avoiding the false facts, hate-filled comments, and passive-aggressive posts and internet accounts that feed negative thoughts. In her book Traumatized, Morton shares a unique perspective on trauma in the online age. The book includes tips to be more mindful of what we do and who we follow online, which is key to improving our relationship with social media and not spreading trauma to others. It also includes helpful therapeutic techniques to heal from childhood trauma, teaches skills to identify transgenerational trauma, and teaches how to break harmful cycles in your home. Moderated by Jessica DiVento. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.