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Big Think
By bigthinkEducation
Big Think episodes
- The evolution of laziness: Why humans resist the gym | Daniel Lieberman: Full Interview
“Nothing about human behavior makes sense except in the light of culture and in anthropology, and we need to understand the cultural component to our behaviors as well.”
Why do many of us struggle with exercise when it's essential for our well-being? Evolutionary biologist Daniel Lieberman says that it’s not laziness: it's evolution.For most of human history, conserving energy was of utmost importance: The key to survival: motion without purpose would be a waste.Lieberman explains why modern fitness feels unnatural, why guilt-driven workouts will always fail, and what hunter-gatherer lifestyles reveal about health today.00:00:00 How evolution shaped the human body00:02:20 How we stabilize our heads when we run00:03:25 How bodies change in industrial cities00:07:19 The origins of exercise00:09:00 Exercise vs. Physical activity00:09:50 How many of us get enough exercise?00:12:12 Myths about exercise00:26:02 Smarter sitting, smarter sleeping00:27:04 Typical calorie expenditure00:28:23 Myths about physical inactivity00:28:46 Is sitting the new smoking?00:31:45 Myths about sleep00:36:17 Walking, running, and everyday strength00:36:40 Bipeds vs. Quadrupeds00:42:12 The origins of different sports00:42:44 Not all sports are physically active00:47:48 Average American step counts00:50:09 The myth of 10,000 steps00:59:51 Exercise as medicine01:02:35 How much exercise do I need?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Daniel Lieberman:Daniel Lieberman is Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences and a professor of the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. He received degrees from Harvard and Cambridge, and taught at Rutgers University and George Washington University before joining Harvard University as a Professor in 2001. He is a member of American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Lieberman loves teaching and has published over 150 peer-reviewed papers, many in journals such as Nature, Science, and PNAS, as well as three popular books, The Evolution of the Human Head (2011), The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health and Disease (2013), and Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding (2020).-----------------------------------------------07:42-16
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1 hr 21 min - How to detect a scam supplement (3 easy tests) | Dr. Jen Gunter
“The truth is there are very few supplements that have good evidence-based medicine to support them.”
Supplements and vitamins constantly go viral with claims that they can transform your health just by integrating these pills into your daily routine. But before you add to cart, take a pause and make sure you’re buying exactly what you think you are. In the US, supplement companies can’t explicitly claim to cure, treat, or prevent a disease. So how can you know which ones are legit, and which ones might just be a money grab?Besides being potentially ineffective and a waste of money, some supplements have been shown to contain heavy metal, fungi, or even mold contaminants, and others contain just a fraction of what they claim to.OB/GYN and bestselling author Dr. Jen Gunter says that you can easily discern snake oil salesmen from legitimate supplements grounded in good science with these 3 tips.
About Dr. Jen Gunter:I am an OB/GYN and a pain medicine physician. I write a lot about sex, science, and social media, but sometimes I write about other things because, well, why not?I’ve been called Twitter’s resident gynecologist, the Internet’s OB/GYN, and one of the fiercest advocates for women’s health. I have devoted my professional life to caring for women.I’m here to build a better medical Internet. You can’t be empowered about your health if you have incorrect information. I got interested in online snake oil and dubious science when my own children were born extremely prematurely. I found separating the facts from the fiction difficult and I am a doctor, so I started thinking if this is hard for me how does everyone else manage? It put the bad information that my own patients were bringing into the office in perspective. I know people sit up late at night Googling things and fall down rabbit holes of misinformation because I’ve been there!
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7 min - Racist people are not “total monsters.” Here’s what they are. | Chloé Valdary
Chloé Valdary shares 3 rules for effective anti-racism.
Chloé Valdary's Theory of Enchantment offers a fresh perspective on anti-racism, shifting the focus from rigid identity categories to a deeper understanding of human experiences.The theory emphasizes three core principles: treating people as human beings rather than political abstractions, criticizing to uplift and empower, and anchoring actions in love and compassion. By acknowledging the inner struggles and complexities that drive individual racism, Valdary encourages self-awareness to promote more thoughtful and compassionate interactions with others.Through this framework, the Theory of Enchantment aims to foster positive change by addressing the pain, suffering, and confusion that underlie racism and promoting a more empathetic and inclusive society.0:00 3 key principles for an anti-racist mindset1:27 James Baldwin on the inner psyche----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Chloé Valdary:After spending a year as a Bartley fellow at the Wall Street Journal, Chloé Valdary developed The Theory of Enchantment, an innovative framework for compassionate antiracism that combines social emotional learning (SEL), character development, and interpersonal growth as tools for leadership development in the boardroom and beyond.Chloé has trained around the world, including in South Africa, The Netherlands, Germany, and Israel. Her clients have included high school and college students, government agencies, business teams, + many more.She has also lectured in universities across America, including Harvard and Georgetown. Her work has been covered in Psychology Today Magazine and her writings have appeared in the New York Times and the Wall St Journal.---------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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6 min - The history of natural selection, in 7 minutes | Paul Nurse
“The idea of evolution by natural selection is, for me, probably the most beautiful idea in biology.”
Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection did more than explain evolution, it revealed how complexity can emerge without a designer. Nobel laureate Paul Nurse unpacks Darwin’s insights, from the logic of tiny differences to the profound impacts these variations have on our understanding of life.Nurse explores the deep genetic connections linking all organisms, from humans to gorillas to yeast. This shared ancestry, he argues, reframes how we think about responsibility: If all life is related, what do we owe to the living world?0:00 The most beautiful idea in biology0:15 Evolution and the mechanism0:48 Darwin’s 5-year voyage2:45 Red coat vs yellow coat4:22 The consequences of evolution6:15 The similarity of living things----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Paul Nurse:Paul Nurse, Ph.D, is a British biochemist. He was awarded the 2001 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Leland H. Hartwell and R. Timothy Hunt for their discoveries regarding cell cycle regulation by cyclin and cyclin dependent kinases. He became Rockefeller University's ninth president in 2003.--------------------
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12 min - Sean Carroll: Physics will challenge your ideas of free will
“The universe clicks along in perfect accord with the laws of physics forever.”
What if the universe is a machine, and every moment in our past, present, and future is already encoded in the positions of its particles?Physicist Sean Carroll explores the unsettling implications of classical mechanics, from Newton’s laws to Laplace’s thought experiment, showing how determinism challenges the very idea of free will.0:00 Is reality a clockwork machine?0:57 The determinism of classical mechanics2:03 The spherical cow and simplified models2:58 The universe as an equation6:53 When the clockwork universe meets the human mind----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Sean Carroll:Dr. Sean Carroll is Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy — in effect, a joint appointment between physics and philosophy — at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and fractal faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. Most of his career has been spent doing research on cosmology, field theory, and gravitation, looking at topics such as dark matter and dark energy, modified gravity, topological defects, extra dimensions, and violations of fundamental symmetries. These days, his focus has shifted to more foundational questions, both in quantum mechanics (origin of probability, emergence of space and time) and statistical mechanics (entropy and the arrow of time, emergence and causation, dynamics of complexity), bringing a more philosophical dimension to his work.-------------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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15 min - How accepting impermanence can end the struggle to “fix” your life | Robert Waldinger
“The idea is that we move from a place of wanting the world to conform to what we like [towards] not needing other people to be different from who they are.”
Most of us feel we have miles to go with self improvement. That we want to become calmer, wiser, more finished. What if this pursuit actually keeps us trapped from that becoming? Zen teacher and psychiatrist Robert Waldinger argues that enlightenment isn’t a destination or a rare mystical state. Rather, it's the ever-shifting recognition of the present moment.This quiet state of noticing, Waldinger says, can be extremely liberating, freeing us from the pressure of becoming.0:00 Everyday Zen: mindfulness, impermanence, and compassion0:45 Zen and community2:52 Awakening3:28 Impermanence5:44 The Four Noble Truths10:14 Having a beginner’s mind15:22 The concept of enlightenment----------------------------------------------------------------11:15-6About Robert Waldinger:Robert Waldinger, MD is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, a practicing psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and a Zen teacher and practitioner.For the last two decades, Waldinger has been the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. This study, conducted over more than 85 years, has analyzed the entire lives of 724 families to determine the activities, behaviors, and dynamics that enhance a person’s life-long well-being. Waldinger has dedicated his career to examining these elements and discovering what brings true fulfillment to human existence.He is the author of several books, including his most recent, The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.-------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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27 min - Would you survive a week in Ancient Rome? | Mary Beard: Full Interview
"One of the ways you can see the Roman Empire is it's the worldwide web of its day."
What did it really mean to live in Ancient Rome? Not as an emperor, but as an ordinary person navigating daily life? Classicist Mary Beard says that the truth would surprise us, challenging our myths about the empire.Ancient Rome emerges as a complex, uneven, often uncomfortable prototype of globalization. Roads were designed for conquest more than convenience. Sex, trade, and culture operated under systems of inequality. And yet, across the Ancient Roman empire, ideas and identities moved faster than we might think.00:12 How did ancient Rome connect continents?03:06 What kind of ideas traveled along Roman roads?06:10 Anchovy-stuffed mice or stone-stuffed bread?11:05 What was sex like in ancient Rome? Is it as wild as the movies?15:11 What were the Romans doing in terms of money and trade?20:23 What about war and the military?26:37 What can we learn from ancient Rome?31:13 What drew you to study this particular period in history?34:37 In the age of information, how should we record history?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Mary Beard:Winifred Mary Beard, OBE, FBA, FSA is an English Classical scholar. She is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, a fellow of Newnham College, and Royal Academy of Arts professor of ancient literature. She is also the classics editor of The Times Literary Supplement, and author of the blog, "A Don's Life," which appears in The Times as a regular column. Her frequent media appearances and sometimes controversial public statements have led to her being described as "Britain's best-known classicist.---------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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47 min - Why every empire has copied Ancient Rome -- including ours | Mary Beard: Full Interview
"Everyone's image of [Ancient Rome] is based on modern movies. In some ways, I think those were rather impressive, but they got some things terribly wrong.”
We've inherited the history of Ancient Rome through movies, ruins, and shallow stories. The truth is far messier, says classicist Mary Beard. The hidden side of Roman life that screens rarely capture is chaotic; crowded streets teeming with Romans whose everyday lives were shaped by social hierarchies and familial obligations.Mary Beard unpacks what archaeology, literature, and even shoes tell us about the Romans’ daily lives. From the role of slaves in dressing elites to the rowdy crowds at chariot races, she shows how we’ve underestimated their complexity.0:00 You’re picturing Ancient Rome all wrong1:22 Mary Beard: scholar of Ancient Rome20:41 The Roman triumph: the greatest celebration of all time40:27 The Romans who shaped the world41:25 Augustus45:46 Virgil47:22 Julius Ceasar48:42 Cincinnatus50:53 The Gracchii brothers53:27 Marcus Tullius Cicero55:19 Emperor Nero57:45 Tacitus1:06:01 Understanding “The Odyssey”---------------------------------------------------------------------
About Mary Beard:Winifred Mary Beard, OBE, FBA, FSA is an English Classical scholar. She is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge, a fellow of Newnham College, and Royal Academy of Arts professor of ancient literature. She is also the classics editor of The Times Literary Supplement, and author of the blog, "A Don's Life," which appears in The Times as a regular column. Her frequent media appearances and sometimes controversial public statements have led to her being described as "Britain's best-known classicist."-----------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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1 hr 26 min - The disappearance of men | Christine Emba
**“Men Are in Crisis—But No One’s Listening”**
Today, masculinity is often discussed with a sneer. Phrases like “men are trash” and “toxic masculinity” dominate public discourse, leaving little room for empathy—or solutions. Yet, beneath the image of male power (presidents, CEOs, dominance), lies a quieter truth: **most men are struggling**.
Christine Emba, author of *Rethinking Sex: A Provocation*, argues that men are indeed in crisis—across work, education, relationships, and identity. As the economy shifts from industrial labor to credentialed, white-collar work, many men are being left behind. College dropout rates are soaring—70% of pandemic-era dropouts were male. Relationships are fraying, with more men single, lonely, and feeling unwanted.
A generation of disconnected young men—NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training)—have turned to the internet. There, they find virtual brotherhood in gaming, forums, and a rising class of “manfluencers” like Jordan Peterson, Andrew Tate, and Joe Rogan. Some offer empathy and guidance. Others spiral into **misogyny masked as masculinity**.
What’s missing is a **positive vision of manhood**—one that embraces responsibility, strength (not just physical), leadership, and care. Masculinity need not compete with femininity; it can **complement and uplift**. As Emba says, this is not a zero-sum game. “The sexes rise and fall together.”
If society wants to thrive, we can’t ignore the crisis facing men. We must redefine masculinity—not tear it down, but **build it up**.
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17 min - The neuroscience of religious experiences | Patrick McNamara
Patrick McNamara, an experimental neuroscientist, argues that the function of religion is not just to quell existential anxiety or stave off the fear of death, but to disrupt current models of the self and to update those models in relation to the world around us. Religious experiences promote imaginative simulation of other possible worlds, giving us space to update those models.
One core facet of the spiritual experience is what McNamara calls “de-centering” — a powerful technique that promotes self-transformation and makes us incredibly vulnerable when triggered. When held in the context of a ritual, like many religious practices, we can achieve massive personal growth and transcendence. But de-centering isn’t only effective within the context of religion: Secular people can re-discover or create their own rich traditions to support the de-centering experience.The field of experimental neuroscience is uncovering some fundamental aspects of human nature and experience, simultaneously enhancing our understanding but also deepening the mystery. McNamara’s research sheds light on the potential benefits of religion and ritual, and highlights how much more is still to be learned about how these processes can be harnessed for positive transformation.0:00 The standard theory of religion1:25 What is a self model?2:32 Simulating other possible worlds3:05 “Decentering”: A self-transformation process5:12 Fanaticism: When decentering goes wrong6:23 Ritual decentering----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Patrick McNamara:Patrick McNamara is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Northcentral University. He also holds appointments in the departments of Neurology at the University of Minnesota and Boston University School of Medicine. He is a founding editor of Religion, Brain & Behavior, the flagship journal for the emerging field of neuroscience of religion. McNamara's current research centers on the evolution of the frontal lobes, the evolution of the two mammalian sleep states (REM and NREM), and the evolution of religion in human cultures.McNamara is the editor of Where God and Science Meet and Science and World Religions, and the author of The Neuroscience of Religious Experience (Cambridge University Press), Religion, Neuroscience and the Self: A New Personalism (Routledge), and numerous publications on the neurology and psychology of religion. McNamara is a John Templeton Foundation award recipient for his research project The Neurology of Religious Cognition.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------06:30-17
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