You Are Not So Smart

Kelly Williams Brown, a New York Times bestselling author celebrated for her insights on 'adulting,' shares her poignant journey through mental health challenges in her memoir, 'Easy Crafts for the Insane.' She candidly discusses her experience with suicidal thoughts and the importance of mental health awareness. Kelly explores how crafting and creativity have aided her recovery, alongside the significance of seeking help and the resilience found in personal narratives. The conversation also reflects on societal pressures, transformation, and finding joy in recovery.

A.J. Jacobs, a journalist and author known for his quirky lifestyle experiments, dives into the paradoxes of living constitutionalism. He hilariously recounts his year of following the Constitution's original meanings, leading to some absurd encounters in modern-day Manhattan. Jacobs discusses the challenges of interpreting historical texts and explores the tensions between originalism and evolving societal values. He reflects on the parallels between biblical literalism and strict constitutionalism, advocating for adaptability in understanding democracy and rights.

Sedona Chinn, a researcher focused on how people interpret competing claims, shares her insights on the paradox of 'doing your own research.' She reveals that those who value this concept often neglect actual research efforts. The discussion delves into the origins of this phrase, its psychological implications, and its impact on public trust in experts during health crises. They explore how misinformation thrives in a skeptical age, urging the need for media literacy and critical thinking to navigate today’s complex information landscape.

Jamie Joyce, President of The Society Library, discusses extracting arguments from media to map societal debates. They focus on analyzing misinformation like 'Plandemic,' promoting critical thinking, and utilizing AI for decision-making models.

Guest Terry Crews shares his journey of self-improvement, breaking toxic norms and confronting toxic masculinity. He explores therapy, vulnerability, and personal growth, advocating for internal validation over external validation.

Therapist Britt Frank discusses the intention-action gap, procrastination, and escaping behavioral loops. Strategies like if-then planning, progress tracking, and mindfulness meditation are shared. Procrastination is viewed as a physiological response requiring physical movement to overcome. A three-step formula is provided to combat procrastination effectively.

Marina Nitze, a professional fixer of broken systems, shares insights on hacking bureaucracies to improve organizations. She discusses reframing bureaucracy as a system to leverage, hidden resources in organizations, and the impact of bureaucracy throughout history.

Author Brian Klaas discusses existential lessons in his book 'Fluke' focusing on randomness, chaos, and proportionality bias. They explore how small events shape history, the butterfly effect, and the balance between chaos and order. The podcast also touches on stress management and business efficiency, and the debate between reductionist and relational views on complex systems.

Delving into the complexity of genius, the podcast features David Krakauer and Dean Simonton discussing the intricate nature of exceptional abilities. They explore the historical perception of genius, innate talent versus environmental factors, and the correlation between mental disorders and creativity. The conversation challenges traditional views on genius and highlights the importance of openness to experience and cognitive disinhibition in making groundbreaking discoveries.

Join Professor Neil Theise as he discusses complexity theory, chaos science, and interconnected systems, drawing parallels to Jurassic Park. Explore how shared starting conditions shape various fields, from predicting cancer to understanding genius. Discover the origins of complexity science and its impact on stem cell research. Delve into ant colonies as a model for complex systems and ponder the finite lifespan of organisms in the realm of complexity theory.