Talks at Google

As climate change, wildfires, and decades-long megadroughts continue to ravage once-vibrant parts of our planet, humanity is experiencing an overdue reckoning about our most precious resource: water. Enter director Jessica Yu and her film Last Call at the Oasis, a documentary that firmly establishes the urgency of the global water crisis as the central issue facing our world in the 21st century. The film illustrates the paramount role that water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in how we currently manage water, and highlights communities already struggling with polluted water, poor water management, and unyielding drought. Featuring activist Erin Brockovich, several respected water experts, and social entrepreneurs championing revolutionary solutions, the film posits that humanity can address this problem if we are willing to act now. The future of our planet, and our species, hangs in the balance. Originally published in February of 2012. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Psychology professor Dr. Paul Slovic discusses the way people tend to perceive mass tragedies and losses at scale. He and his colleagues worldwide have developed methods to describe risk perceptions and measure their impacts on individuals, industry, and society. His most recent work examines "psychic numbing" and the failure to respond to global threats from genocide and nuclear war. We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single person in need - yet we often ignore mass tragedies and fail to take appropriate measures to reduce their losses. As casualty numbers grow larger, we become insensitive; the data fails to trigger the emotion or feeling necessary to motivate action. In some cases, large numbers convey a false sense of inefficacy, discouraging us from taking valuable actions. Understanding how our minds deceive us in the face of large losses of life is essential to motivating actions needed to reduce the harm from the catastrophic consequences associated with poverty, disease, climate disasters, and violence. Moderated by Ozgen Dundar. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

Eckhart Tolle is widely recognized as one of the most inspiring and visionary spiritual teachers in the world today. His bestselling books The Power of Now and A New Earth aim to help readers find freedom by living their lives in the present moment, instead of dwelling on the past or fretting about the future. The New York Times has described him as "the most popular spiritual author in the United States", and in 2011, Watkins Review named him "the most spiritually influential person in the world". Eckhart's teachings focus on the significance and power of Presence, a more awakened state of consciousness which can help us transcend our egos and reduce negative thinking. Eckhart sees this inner awakening as the essential next step in human evolution. This event was originally in February of 2012. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

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.