Talks at Google

This week, mathematician and emeritus Oxford University Professor John Lennox discusses his book, “2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity” You don't have to be a computer scientist to get involved in the discussion about where artificial intelligence and technology are going. What will the year 2084 hold for you--for your friends, for your family, and for our society? Are we doomed to the grim dystopia imagined in George Orwell's 1984? In "2084", scientist and philosopher John Lennox introduces a kaleidoscope of ideas: the key developments in technological enhancement, bioengineering, and in particular, artificial intelligence. He discusses the current capacity of AI, its advantages and disadvantages, the facts and the fiction, as well as potential future implications. Get the book here: https://goo.gle/3bEon1U. To learn more about John, please visit https://www.johnlennox.org/. Moderated by Ticho Tenev. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Satyajit Bhatkal, acclaimed director of the superhit television series “Satyamev Jayate,” and CEO of the Paani Foundation, talks about the foundation's work to address the water crisis in the Indian state of Maharashtra through decentralized watershed planning. The Paani Foundation was founded by Satyajit's close friend and beloved movie superstar Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao.  The Paani Foundation team were the minds behind the “Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Challenge,” which awards annual prizes to community groups that invent the most innovative, efficient, and cost-effective rain harvesting and watershed management systems. This challenge has rallied the nation, involving all strata of public society, government institutions, private corporations, startups and community groups to transform the lives of millions of people across India. This event was originally recorded in August of 2019. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Having been named by Sports Illustrated as the Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century, Jackie Joyner-Kersee's athletic credentials are unquestionably amongst the best ever in all of sporting history. A six-time Olympic medalist, including three Olympic gold medals, Joyner-Kersee dominated the Olympic heptathlon and long-jump events throughout her career which spanned four Olympic Games.  Astonishingly, despite the advancements in technology and training used by athletes around the world over the last two decades, she still holds the World Heptathlon Record she set over 20 years ago at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea. In addition to her remarkable accomplishments on the field of competition, Joyner-Kersee has defined her post-athletic career as a philanthropist, a dynamic public speaker, and a tireless advocate for children's education, health issues, racial equality, social reform, and women's rights. In 1988, she established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation as the vehicle through which she provides youth, adults and families with the resources to improve their quality of life. Moderated by Googler Lauren Whitt. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Originally published in October of 2016, Sadhguru was chosen as one of India’s 50 most influential people. He is a world-renowned yogi, mystic, and visionary humanitarian who teaches the concept of inclusive consciousness. Inclusive consciousness is a framework for developing the human mind and fostering global harmony through individual transformation. Also the subject of his book, what he refers to as “Inner Engineering” is a method that can bring balance to the mind, body, emotions, and energy.  Millions of people across the globe have been touched by his “Inner Engineering” programs, where they feel connected to the people around them in ways they had never felt before. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Leymah Gbowee was only 17 when the Second Liberian Civil War erupted.  Years of fighting destroyed her country—and her hopes and dreams. As a young mother trapped in a nightmare of domestic abuse, she found the courage to turn her bitterness into action, realizing that it is women who suffer most during conflicts—and that the power of women working together can create an unstoppable force. Working as a social worker and trauma counselor during the war, she organized the Women of Liberian Mass Action for Peace, a multicultural and multi-religious group who prayed for peace, held nonviolent protests including a sex strike, and brought forth a promise from President Charles Taylor to attend peace talks in Ghana. This group was crucial in bringing an end to the civil war in 2003 followed by the election of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf in Liberia, the first African nation with a female president. Leymah is a co-founder and the Executive Director of Women Peace and Security Network Africa, an organization dedicated to training women and advocating peace and security in African governance.  http://www.wipsen-africa.org/wipsen/ The author of Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War, Leymah is also the central figure in "Pray the Devil Back to Hell," an award-winning documentary about the visionary women who demanded peace in Liberia. She holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation from the Eastern Mennonite University and is a mother of five and just this week, Leymah was awarded Nobel Peace Prize along with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Tawakul Karman of Yemen. Leymah Gbowee was introduced by Gayathri Rajan Engineering Product Management Director at Google. Megan Smith is VP, New Business Development at Google Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Jim Salzman and Michael Heller discuss their book "Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives." When is it okay to recline your airplane seat? Do we actually own our smartphones, or are we just leasing them? What do you really own when you click the “buy now” button?  And how is South Dakota making you less wealthy? In the spirited style of Freakonomics and Tipping Point, Jim Salzman and Michael Heller explore fun, surprising, and often infuriating real-life stories that reveal who gets what in the 21st century.  Remarkably, there are just six simple stories that we all use to claim ownership. These are the same stories kids use to solve fights on the playground – and they offer our best chance to address really big problems like preserving online freedom, cooling our warming planet, and curbing wealth inequality. Ownership shapes every single aspect of our lives - and it’s the savvy owners who choose the story that steers us to do what they want. But don’t be fooled. Ownership is always up for grabs and the prize goes to those who know how its hidden rules really work. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video. Moderated by Jeff Cox.

Farmer, author, and activist Joel Salatin discusses his book, "Folks, This Ain't Normal," as well as sustainable farming, food policy, and solutions to America's food woes. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Nigel Ng discusses how he has overcome adversity and all odds against him to be successful, and gain a tremendous fanbase over years of hard work. Nigel Ng is a Malaysian stand up comedian and content creator. He started his career in the Chicago comedy clubs and is now based in London. In 2020, he went viral from his portrayal of Uncle Roger, a middle-aged Asian man reviewing an egg fried rice video. In 10 months, he has amassed 170 million views on his YouTube channel and a combined following of over 5 million across his social media platforms. As a standup, Nigel has been nominated for the Best Newcomer Award for his sold-out show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, and sold out multiple runs throughout the UK and Europe. His TV credits include Comedy Central’s Stand Up Central and Roast Battle, BBC Two's Mock The Week and ITV’s Jonathan Ross Comedy Club. Nigel also hosts Rice To Meet You, a hugely popular comedy podcast.  Check out Nigel's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/mrnigelng. Moderated by Albert Chan. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

The uncut interview of Stephen Colbert's visit to Google's New York office. You can find Stephen's book on Google Play here: http://goo.gl/Jyujo. America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't is more of a coffee-table book, with large color pictures, and chapter photos that require the use of included 3-D glasses. It falls somewhere between I Am America and the Daily Show faux-textbooks America (The Book) and Earth (The Book), which used that organizing principle to their advantage. The premise follows the many apocalyptic views of the past four years, claiming America has gone off the rails and completely lost its way, and that only this book offers the true path to restore America's greatness. Which was never really gone, because it's America. The best idea America Again mocks is the one contained in its title. In particular, it skewers Newt Gingrich's 2011 book A Nation Like No Other, which claimed, "America's exceptional greatness is not based on that fact that we are the most powerful, most prosperous—and most generous—nation on earth. Rather, those things are the result of American Exceptionalism." That is one preposterously arrogant whopper, which America Again exploits as an illogical chicken/egg position. The subtle difference between a beneficial amount of pride and the unchecked belief in exceptionalism is ripe for mockery. Stephen Colbert has been playing Stephen T. Colbert since 2005. In those seven years, he's built an impressive mythology to his character, a funhouse mirror held up to shame all other egomaniacal pundits for their hubris. But while the shtick is still reliably funny on television, it doesn't translate as well into print, because a book doesn't have television's immediacy. There's no Super PAC plotline, just a bunch of chapters that respond to issues a bit too late. Colbert and his staff are still extraordinarily funny, but in reaching for a middle-of-the-road coffee table humor book, America Again finds the limits of their comedic talent. Hosted by Eric Schmidt Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.  

Simu Liu discusses his career, Asian empowerment and community. Actor, author and advocate Simu Liu will make his debut as the title character in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and starring alongside Awkwafina, Tony Leung, and Michelle Yeoh, Liu makes history as the star of the first Asian-fronted movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also starred in the CBC/Netflix comedy series Kim’s Convenience for five seasons, which was the first Canadian television series with an all-Asian lead cast and tells the day-to-day micro-dramas encountered by a Korean immigrant family that runs a corner grocery store. The series won the ACTRA Award for Outstanding Ensemble in 2017 and Best Comedy Series at the 2018 Canadian Screen Awards. Liu’s first major role was on the critically acclaimed OMNI crime drama Blood and Water, the first trilingual series (English, Mandarin, and Cantonese) produced by Canadian television, for which he received nominations at the ACTRA Awards and Canadian Screen Awards. Aside from his performance on screen, Liu participated in the writing room for the series by contributing in the show’s second season as a story editor and as the main writer for one episode. He most recently completed production on the adventure feature Arthur the King. Liu also stars in Lissette Feliciano’s Women Is Losers, which will premiere at the 2021 SXSW Film Festival. His other film and television credits include ABC’s Fresh Off the Boat, Comedy Central’s Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens, NBC's Taken, and Amazon’s The Expanse. Moderated by Yul Kwon. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.