"Plato would argue that sex in and of itself is not what true love is. Sex can reach a point where you are in union with that person, where you see behind their appearances and you see behind the flesh and you experience something which is more transcendental."

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Up next, The 3 cognitive scripts that rule over your life ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubMghRYqk8o

00:00 Why has the study of happiness become your focus?

02:30 Why is happiness elusive?

05:09 What are the 3 pillars of happiness?

13:15 How can we apply the 3 pillars of happiness to our lives?

16:08 What is true love?

19:08 Is there right and wrong?

20:45 How does someone become evil?

23:26 Why does money matter in our society?

25:23 How is philosophy applicable to each of us?

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/full-interview/jonny-thomson-full-interview/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Jonny Thomson:

Jonny Thomson taught philosophy in Oxford for more than a decade before turning to writing full-time. He’s a columnist at Big Think and is the award-winning, bestselling author of three books that have been translated into 22 languages.

Jonny is also the founder of Mini Philosophy, a social network of over half a million curious, intelligent minds. He's known all over the world for making philosophy accessible, relatable, and fun.

"We're at a very critical point in human history where things are about to change dramatically. One of the beauties of these AI tools is you now can just be anything that you dreamt of being."

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Up next, Why you’ll never “get on top of everything” ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LMaT4rUdG4

During the 2023 writers strikes, stand-up comedian, AI storyteller, and the creator of the hit song "BBL Drizzy" Willonius Hatcher realized AI wasn’t going away. So he decided to put in 10,000 hours to master AI tools and use them to up-level his career.

What he learned along the way changed his life -- and those same skills can grow your creativity exponentially.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/legends/willonius-hatcher/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Willonius Hatcher:

Willonius “King Willonius” Hatcher is a modern Renaissance man whose work at the intersection of comedy, technology, and cultural storytelling has positioned him as one of the most exciting creators of our time. Recognized as one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI, he has become a trailblazer, seamlessly blending humor with cutting-edge technology to redefine what it means to entertain, inspire, and innovate.

Hatcher’s rise to prominence began with his viral hit “BBL DRIZZY,” a hilarious AI-generated song that captivated millions and showcased his unique ability to merge pop culture with groundbreaking AI tools. His critically acclaimed comedy album UNSerious, produced by Grammy Award-winner Om’Mas Keith, solidified his reputation as a masterful creator who can fuse sharp wit with soulful melodies. With standout tracks like “BBL DRIZZY,” “Black Jobs,” and “Hawk Tuah,” the album serves as both a comedic and cultural statement, pushing the boundaries of what comedy and music can achieve together.

We made this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

Dhar Mann’s life looked perfect on the outside—but behind the scenes, he was completely falling apart. He shares how he changed his mindset and his habits to overcome the most difficult moments of his life.

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Dhar Mann, an entrepreneur known for his viral videos about life lessons, opens up about his own moments of personal and professional growth.

At one point in his life, Mann was struggling so badly that he was advised to change his name. Instead, he built his brand around it, now boasting over 60 billion views.

For Mann, success used to mean financial achievement, but after years of chasing the next big milestone, his priorities shifted. Now, it’s about being present, especially for his family. Whether it’s taking his kids to school or setting personal goals, he’s learned that real success isn’t just about numbers—it’s about the people who count on you to show up.

Read more from this interview ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/dhar-mann-on-spreadsheets-success-and-what-it-means-to-show-up/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

Explore the Perception Box series hub ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Dhar Mann:

Dhar Mann is a filmmaker, entrepreneur, and the founder of Dhar Mann Studios, known for creating viral videos that share powerful life lessons. With over 70 million followers and 60 billion views on YouTube, his stories inspire people to make better choices and treat others with kindness. After going through his own tough times, Dhar started making videos to help others who might be struggling too — turning his past into a purpose that connects with millions.

"Do we want to understand whether we are alone in the universe, whether there is other life out there? That is one fundamental question that drives many astronomers."

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Up next, Ethan Siegel: The secret of the multiverse ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vii-d5p1F1c

00:00:00: The search for habitable worlds, and extraterrestrial life

00:00:17: Are there different types of astronomers?

00:01:29: What is an exoplanet?

00:02:56: Were there previous claims of exoplanets?

00:04:29: Theoretically, how many exoplanets could exist?

00:05:43: How do we search for exoplanets?

00:09:06: What are blueshift and redshift?

00:10:10: Why are you interested in exomoons?

00:14:48: What are the challenges to finding exomoons?

00:16:24: Is there evidence of exomoons?

00:19:08: Could exomoons be inhabited? 

00:21:10: How could new telescopes affect our search for exoplanets?

00:23:39: Why do human beings want to colonize other planets?

00:25:43: What are some ways we could inhabit an exoplanet?

00:30:33: What are some cultural ramifications of expanding civilization?

00:31:49: Do you believe humans will actually inhabit another planet?

00:32:44: What is the Rare Earth Hypothesis?

00:33:40: What do we call exoplanets that resemble Earth?

00:35:08: What are the most common types of exoplanets?

00:37:10: Have we found any Earth-like exoplanets?

00:39:29: How common could Earth-like planets be?

00:43:31: What makes a planet habitable?

00:45:25: How do asteroids play into the Rare Earth Hypothesis?

00:48:37: What is your anti-Rare Earth argument?

00:50:24: Why is the search for alien life so popular?

00:51:45: What is life?

00:53:05: What are the requirements for life? 

00:54:59: What is the Copernican principle?

00:58:08: What is the Kardashev scale?

01:00:15: What is Hart's Fact A?

01:02:47: Are there any recent developments in the search for life?

01:05:20: How long might it take for intelligent life to develop?

01:07:23: How do we look for life on other planets?

01:10:46: Why should we be cautious in our search for life?

01:12:49: Will we ever answer the question of whether we are alone?

01:14:44: How does our experience on Earth inform our concept of life?

01:16:41: What is the SETI Paradox?

01:17:43: Why are we reluctant to send messages out into space?

01:23:21: What is the three-body problem?

01:24:44: What are the challenges to sending messages across such large distances?

01:26:32: What are the linguistic challenges to communication?  

1:29:37: What's the most likely way we could communicate with life in the future?

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About David Kipping:

David Kipping is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at Columbia University and the founding director of the Cool Worlds Laboratory, where he leads groundbreaking research on exoplanets, exomoons, and the search for extraterrestrial life. As a pioneer in the detection of moons around planets outside our solar system, his work has been published in prestigious scientific journals and has significantly advanced our understanding of distant planetary systems. Kipping employs sophisticated statistical methods to analyze data from NASA's Kepler and TESS missions, extracting subtle signals that reveal the properties of these distant worlds. Beyond academia, he created and hosts the popular Cool Worlds YouTube channel, which has attracted over 750,000 subscribers through its accessible explorations of cosmic frontiers and speculative astronomy. After receiving his PhD from University College London and holding positions at Harvard University, Kipping has established himself as a respected researcher who effectively bridges rigorous scientific investigation with compelling public science communication.

"Welcome to the multiverse. Or should I say our one universe within a multiverse of possibilities?"

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Do we have proof of a multiverse?

Our idea of the multiverse stems from the notion of quantum mechanics: The idea that every time we enter a situation there are potentially infinite possibilities to arise as the outcome. But when we make a decision, we only get one of these outcomes.

Science fiction as well as our media and films are bewitched by the concept of the multiverse. But what can science tell us about its legitimacy? Dr. Ethan Siegel explores.

0:00: Is there a multiverse?

3:32: The “many worlds” interpretation

4:43: The notion of infinity

8:45: Types of infinity

10:16: Degrees of freedom

17:01: Quantum mechanical spreading

19:22: The universe beyond our universe

21:46: How fast do universes get created?

27:15: The hope of the multiverse

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/the-metaverse/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Ethan Siegel:

Ethan Siegel is a Ph.D. astrophysicist and author of "Starts with a Bang!" He is a science communicator, who professes physics and astronomy at various colleges. He has won numerous awards for science writing since 2008 for his blog, including the award for best science blog by the Institute of Physics. His two books "Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive" and "Beyond the Galaxy: How humanity looked beyond our Milky Way and discovered the entire Universe" are available for purchase at Amazon.

Despite what we've been socialized to think, procrastination is not your enemy. It's your brain trying to tell you something needs to change.

When you procrastinate, your amygdala activates because the task in front of you is triggering stress. This stress leads to avoidance: like avoiding doing taxes to watch Netflix instead. Then your anterior cingulate cortex amplifies that stress through self judgement. This is the emotional reaction: beating yourself up for watching Netflix.

But why is the task in front of you triggering stress and leading to avoidance?

Anne-Laure Le Cunff suggests The Triple Check, a tool to ask whether procrastination is coming from the head, the heart or the hand.

The head = at a rational level you're not convinced you should be working on that task

The heart = at an emotional level you don't think this will be enjoyable to work on

The hand = you don't feel like you have the tools or the resources to get the job done

Once you identify why you are procrastinating you can start to work on the root of the problem.

"Everything that we care about, everything we experience, everything we know, we know it through our conscious awareness of it."

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Consciousness is everything we know, everything we experience. The mystery at the heart of consciousness lies in why our universe – despite teeming with non-conscious matter – is configured in a way where it's having a felt experience from the inside.

Modern neuroscience suggests that our intuitions about consciousness are incorrect. And so, it's possible that we've been thinking about consciousness the wrong way entirely, says bestselling author Annaka Harris.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/annaka-harris-defining-consciousness/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Annaka Harris:

Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind and writer and producer of the forthcoming audio documentary series, LIGHTS ON.

Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine. She is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. Annaka is the author of the children’s book I Wonder, coauthor of the Mindful Games Activity Cards, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the organization Inner Kids.

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

Asian-American comedian Atsuko Okatsuka shares her experience as an immigrant, navigating personal insecurities, and ultimately finding belonging in comedy.

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The weight of cultural dislocation, family turmoil, and the constant quest for perfection can trap us in roles we don’t truly belong in. Asian-American comedian Atsuko Okatsuka—armed with a raw immigrant perspective—shares how early missteps with English and personal familial hardships left her feeling less than enough.

Read more from this interview ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/atsuko-okatsuka/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Atsuko Okatsuka:

Atsuko Okatsuka is an Asian-American comedian, writer, and actor born in Taiwan and raised in the U.S. She is known for her stand-up special The Intruder and her viral “drop challenge.” Her comedy explores identity, belonging, and personal insecurities. She has performed on HBO, written for TV, and appeared on various comedy platforms, establishing herself as a distinct voice in the stand-up scene.

"There are 3 subconscious mindsets that get in the way of us leading happy conscious lives." — Anne-Laure Le Cunff (@neuranne).

According to Le Cunff these mindsets are:

● the cynical mindset ● the escapist mindset, and ● the perfectionist mindset.

Once we become aware of them, we can change them.