Big Think

This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

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Watch Hazen’s next interview ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBh758B92nw

How did mineral evolution shape our planet? Robert Hazen, a renowned mineralogist, shares his fascinating insights into the co-evolution of minerals and life on Earth.

Science has shown us that the universe started with a mere few dozen minerals, and those have since evolved into thousands. This discovery has proven that evolution does not only apply to living systems, like flora and fauna, but is relevant to non-living systems as well.

Hazen highlights a deeper connection between these living and non-living systems, emphasizing that all evolving systems share three critical characteristics: interacting components, the generation of new configurations, and a selection mechanism. Whether it’s atoms and molecules forming minerals, genes in living organisms, or musical notes creating new compositions, these principles apply universally.

When considering how living and non-living systems evolve alongside one another, we can begin to understand how truly connected all of the universe’s systems may be. Thanks to this knowledge, we may be closer to discovering our place in the cosmos.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/how-rocks-minerals-survive-and-evolve

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About Robert Hazen:

Robert Hazen is a renowned American mineralogist and geologist, known for his pioneering work in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. He is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and a Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University.

Hazen has written over 400 articles and 25 books, contributing research as a profound leader in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. His studies delve into the complex interactions between minerals and life, contributing to our understanding of Earth’s history and the potential for life on other planets. Hazen is also a passionate educator and science communicator.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

Subscribe to The Well on YouTube ► https://bit.ly/thewell-youtube

Watch Mary Helen Immordino-Yang’s next interview ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzRrDG9RKfM

Are our current school systems stifling learning that matters? Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a professor of education, psychology, and neuroscience at the University of Southern California, says yes.

According to Immordino-Yang, our education system focuses too much on memorizing facts and procedures, neglecting autobiographical memory—the personal story we tell ourselves about who we are and what we stand for. This type of memory is crucial for growth, development, and well-being.

Immordino-Yang tested this theory with a 5-year study that analyzed how young people’s brains are affected by deep thinking and reflection. She found that when teens were exposed to real-life stories and were asked to respond critically to how they made them feel, it had significant positive impacts on identity development and brain structure.

Instead of teaching students to memorize and reiterate learned facts and figures, Immordino-Yang encourages us to focus on this type of “transcendent thinking,” as it can help young people give more context to their knowledge. By fostering this deeper level of understanding, we can better prepare students to navigate and contribute to the complex, constantly developing world we live in.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/rewire-your-brain-with-transcendental-thinking/

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About Mary Helen Immordino-Yang:

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD, is an expert on the psychological and neurobiological foundations of social emotion, self-awareness, and culture, and how they impact learning, development, and education.

She is a Professor of Education at the USC Rossier School of Education, a Professor of Psychology at the Brain and Creativity Institute, a faculty member in the Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Southern California, and the Director of the USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE).

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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About the video: Psychopathy is actually a spectrum, and care is the variable that differentiates true psychopaths from highly empathetic people. Here’s why that matters, and how it can be treated, according to Professor Abigail Marsh.

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Up next, She studied extreme psychopaths. Here’s what it taught her about human nature ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyow7KAHDks

Humans are among the most altruistic species that we’ve studied, due to our alloparental instincts – a trait we evolved into that allows us to care for offspring who are not our own. Across species, the ones who alloparent the most appear to be the most altruistic. Very altruistic people seem to be the opposite of those who are psychopathic in terms of their neural structure, neural function, and characteristic emotional traits.

Science has been studying psychopathy for decades, but only more recently have we been identifying the basic neurocognitive building blocks of those deficits in psychopathy, says Abigail Marsh, PhD.

Here, Marsh explains how the psychopathic break is different, early warning signs that may indicate a lack of empathy, and how psychopathy can be treated.

Timestamps:

0:00 - The psychopathy spectrum

1:08 - An alloparental species

2:32 - The physiology of psychopathy

5:53 - The lateral prefrontal cortex

6:29 - Treating psychopathy

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/explain-it-like-im-smart/abigail-marsh-psychopathy/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Abigail Marsh:

Abigail Marsh is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program at Georgetown University. She received her PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard University in 2004.

This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

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Watch Arthur Brooks's next interview ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJOi5z2IoG8

Thanks to modern-day social media, it’s easier than ever to connect with the people you care about. But is this really the case? Professor Arthur Brooks discusses how social media is actually harming our ability to socialize, and proposes a way to fix it.

Oxytocin, the bonding neuropeptide in our brains, needs eye contact and touch—things we don’t get from Zoom or social media. This lack leaves us feeling hungrier for connection, which only fuels the loneliness epidemic, and causes us to further distance ourselves from others.

Does this mean we should ban social media and prevent young people from using it? Brooks says no, social media can be a wonderful complement to real-life interactions, like when it is used to arrange plans to meet up with friends. If social media substitutes for real-life relationships, it harms our happiness. If it complements them, it can be beneficial. We need connection now more than ever, and using social media wisely can help us stay connected and support our mental well-being.

Read the full video transcript: https://bigthink.com/the-well/

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About Arthur Brooks:

Arthur C. Brooks is a professor at both the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, where he teaches public and nonprofit leadership and management practice. Before joining Harvard in July 2019, he spent ten years as the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a well-known public policy think tank in Washington, DC.

Brooks has written 11 books, including the bestsellers "Love Your Enemies" (2019), "The Conservative Heart" (2015), and "The Road to Freedom" (2012). He writes a column for The Atlantic, hosts the podcast "The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks," and is featured in the 2019 documentary "The Pursuit." He also serves on the board of the Legatum Institute, a think tank in London.

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About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

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“How is it possible to do work that you’re proud of and not feel like your job is encroaching on all parts of your life?” Cal Newport, author of ‘Slow Productivity,’ explains.

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Up next, 12 traits emotionally intelligent people share (You can learn them) ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr8sLxde1m8

When the Knowledge Sector emerged in the mid 20th century, our best understanding of the word ‘productivity’ came from manufacturing, which led to us measuring productivity based on quantity produced per hour.

But in knowledge work, we’re not producing just one thing: We’re working on 7-8 different things at one time, that differ per worker. Our solution to this was to introduce a rough heuristic that author and professor Cal Newport has dubbed “pseudo productivity,” which uses visible activity as a crude proxy for useful effort.

More and more of our time is focused on performing this busyness rather than focusing on high-quality outputs, leading to burnout. Newport has a solution: An idea called ‘slow productivity,’ which is focused on the quality of items produced over time and based on three main principles.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Burnout

0:50 - Slow productivity

1:35 - Pseudo-productivity

2:25 - Principle 1

3:32 - Principle 2

4:23 - Principle 3

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

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About Cal Newport:

Cal Newport is an MIT-trained computer science professor at Georgetown University who also writes about the intersections of technology, work, and the quest to find depth in an increasingly distracted world.

This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

Subscribe to The Well on YouTube ► https://bit.ly/thewell-youtube

Watch Arthur Brooks's next interview ► https://youtu.be/ir0sIQHZPVo?feature=shared

How does one become truly happy? Arthur Brooks, author and Harvard professor, explains.

Throughout his career, Brooks has pinpointed the essence of real happiness. His key insight? Happiness is not just a feeling, it’s a state of mind.

In this interview, Brooks shares three primary elements of well-being, and explains how each one – enjoyment, satisfaction, and meaning – contributes to your own happiness factor. Enjoyment, he explains, involves more than mere pleasure—it’s about shared experiences and lasting memories. Satisfaction arises from overcoming challenges, and meaning comes from understanding life’s coherence, significance, and purpose.

Brooks further breaks down the pursuits that genuinely contribute to happiness: faith, family, friendship, and meaningful work. He stresses that happiness is not a final destination but a continuous direction. By focusing on these core aspects, we can build a fulfilling and happier life.

Read the full video transcript: https://bigthink.com/the-well/debunking-the-biggest-myths-about-happiness

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About Arthur Brooks:

Arthur C. Brooks is a professor at both the Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School, where he teaches public and nonprofit leadership and management practice. Before joining Harvard in July 2019, he spent ten years as the president of the American Enterprise Institute, a well-known public policy think tank in Washington, DC.

Brooks has written 11 books, including the bestsellers "Love Your Enemies" (2019), "The Conservative Heart" (2015), and "The Road to Freedom" (2012). He writes a column for The Atlantic, hosts the podcast "The Art of Happiness with Arthur Brooks," and is featured in the 2019 documentary "The Pursuit." He also serves on the board of the Legatum Institute, a think tank in London.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Harvard physician Aditi Nerukar explains how to rewire your brain’s stress response to live a more resilient life.

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Watch the full Perception Box series ► https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5uULy4b0kV4iomWS7CzqCdOCwj0lFnLr&si=yCY6Ee7m6bpj7E-y

If you’ve ever heard the phrase “pressure makes diamonds,” this video is for you.

Harvard physician Aditi Nerurkar was working 80 hours a week, and, despite what she was telling herself about resilience, the stress was taking a major toll. She explains how there are two different kinds of stress, aptly named “adaptive” and “maladaptive.” But how can you tell the difference between the two?

Dr. Nerukar explains that healthy, adaptive stress moves your life forward, while unhealthy, maladaptive stress wears you down and diminishes your productivity. When experiencing maladaptive stress, you may find yourself plummeting closer to burnout, or a complete shutdown. To combat these consequences, Dr. Neurkar offers two easily achievable methods for resetting your brain in high-stress situations.

Whether you're navigating a demanding job, balancing multiple life roles, or simply looking to improve your stress management, this information can help you thrive without compromising your well-being. Remember to slow down, take deep breaths, and regularly check in with yourself to ensure your stress remains healthy and manageable!

Read more from this interview ► https://bigthink.com/perception-box/aditi-nerurkar/?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

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

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About Dr. Aditi Nerurkar:

Before becoming a Harvard physician specializing in stress, Dr. Nerurkar was a stressed patient looking for answers. When she saw a doctor for debilitating stress, she was told, “Try to relax more.” This dismissive response fueled her to study the effects of stress on the brain and body. Once she found her way out of her stress struggle, she vowed to become the doctor she needed during that difficult time.

This defining experience set Dr. Nerurkar on a path to help other stressed patients. “I discovered a startling finding in my research: even though stress plays a role in nearly 80% of doctor’s visits, only 3% of doctors offer stress management counseling. My work aims to close this gap.”

In her debut book, The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body For Less Stress and More Resilience, she takes a bold, solution-oriented stance, addressing the looming issue of stress that many doctors put on the back burner. Offering an actionable, practical, and science-backed approach to reimagining your relationship with everyday stress and burnout, The 5 Resets is a natural outgrowth and culmination of Dr. Nerurkar’s work, which has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Times of London and Oprah Magazine. She has appeared on The Today Show with Hoda and Jenna, Good Morning America, The Tamron Hall Show, The Mel Robbins Podcast and Diary of a CEO. She is a frequent keynote speaker with talks at the “Forbes 30 Under 30 Summit” and Harvard Business School’s Women’s Conference.

Named “100 Women to Know in America,” Dr. Nerurkar is a conversational expert, offering compelling, cutting-edge science through a voice that’s approachable and compassionate. “I wrote The 5 Resets to empower people in making meaningful change in their lives. I truly believe everyone deserves better mental health. We all have the power to take that first step towards a brighter future.”

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About the video: Is human overpopulation alarmist hype with disturbing consequences? Oxford data scientist Hannah Ritchie debunks the overpopulation myth.

Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1

Up next, Psychologist debunks 8 myths of mass scale ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD_Euf_CBbs

A widespread concern with overpopulation became prominent in the 1960s and the 1970s, when scholars wondered how we could produce enough food for a rapidly growing global population. Brought to the fore with the publication of the book, "The Population Bomb," by Paul R. Ehrlich in 1968, it seemed that the only way to solve this problem was to discourage people from having more children.

This concern hinged on the assumption that the world population would continue to grow exponentially, but it hasn't. While the global population is still growing, in fact it's growing at a much slower rate, as global population growth rates peaked decades ago and have halved since then.

So is this concern completely unfounded? What can future population projections tell us? Data scientist Hannah Ritchie explains why.

00:00: The overpopulation concern

02:01: Global population growth rates

02:28: The fall in global fertility rates

03:06: Amount of food produced per person

03:50: Per capita CO2 emissions

04:17: The underpopulation concern

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/devils-advocate/hannah-ritchie-overpopulation/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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About Hannah Ritchie:

Hannah Ritchie is a data scientist and science communicator focused on the largest problems that shape our world, and how to solve them.

Ritchie's work focuses on environmental sustainability, including climate change, energy, food and agriculture, biodiversity, air pollution and deforestation.

Ritchie is a Deputy Editor and Lead Researcher at Our World in Data, and a researcher at the Oxford Martin Programme in Global Development, at the University of Oxford.

This interview is an episode from @The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

Subscribe to The Well on YouTube ► https://bit.ly/thewell-youtube

Watch more from Robert Hazen ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lepxTr9zKDc

According to leading mineralogist Bob Hazen, minerals may hold the key for discovering if we actually are alone in the universe. He highlights how Earth's dramatic increase in mineral diversity—from 2000 to over 6000 types—aligned with the emergence of life, which drastically altered our planet's atmosphere and chemical processes.

Knowing this, scientists can now look for specific clues in minerals as they study other planets. If another planet, such as Mars, were to have similar biosignatures, it could be a clear indicator that it harbored life at some point in time.

This method would not only help us discover if life existed on other planets, but, depending on the specific similarities, could tell us how closely this life resembled our own, and could prove how unique humanity truly is.

Read the full video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/the-mineral-kingdom-alien-life

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About Robert Hazen:

Robert Hazen is a renowned American mineralogist and geologist, known for his pioneering work in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. He is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and a Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University.

Hazen has written over 400 articles and 25 books, contributing research as a profound leader in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. His studies delve into the complex interactions between minerals and life, contributing to our understanding of Earth’s history and the potential for life on other planets. Hazen is also a passionate educator and science communicator.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Go Deeper with Big Think:

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This interview is an episode from ‪@The-Well, our publication about ideas that inspire a life well-lived, created with the ‪@JohnTempletonFoundation.

Subscribe to The Well on YouTube ► https://bit.ly/thewell-youtube

Watch Robert Hazen’s next interview ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=es6Cs5V-M7A

You may be familiar with the “arrow of time,” but did you know there could be a second one?

Dr. Robert Hazen, staff scientist at the Earth and Planets Laboratory of Carnegie Science in Washington, DC, thinks that a single arrow of time may be too limiting. A second arrow, which he dubs “the law of increasing functional information,” takes evolution into account. Specifically, Hazen explains that evolution seems to not only incorporate time, but also function and purpose.

Consider a coffee cup: it works best when holding your coffee, but it could also work as a paperweight, and it would not work well at all as a screwdriver. Hazen explains that it appears the universe uses a similar way of evolving not only biology, but other complex systems throughout the cosmos.

This idea suggests that while as the universe ages and expands, it is becoming more organized and functional, nearly opposite to theories surrounding increasing cosmological disorder. Hazen suggests that these two “arrows” – one of entropy and one of organized information – could very well run parallel to one another. If true, this theory could be groundbreaking in the way we perceive time, evolution, and the very fabric of reality.

Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/the-well/the-second-arrow-of-time

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About Robert Hazen:

Robert Hazen is a renowned American mineralogist and geologist, known for his pioneering work in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. He is a Senior Staff Scientist at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory and a Professor of Earth Sciences at George Mason University.

Hazen has written over 400 articles and 25 books, contributing research as a profound leader in mineral evolution and mineral ecology. His studies delve into the complex interactions between minerals and life, contributing to our understanding of Earth’s history and the potential for life on other planets. Hazen is also a passionate educator and science communicator.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

About The Well

Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds.

Together, let's learn from them.

Subscribe to the weekly newsletter ► https://bit.ly/thewellemailsignup

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Join The Well on your favorite platforms:

► Facebook: https://bit.ly/thewellFB

► Instagram: https://bit.ly/thewellIG

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Go Deeper with Big Think:

►Become a Big Think Member

Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more. https://members.bigthink.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

►Get Big Think+ for Business

Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business. https://bigthink.com/plus/great-leaders-think-big/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

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