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Big Think
By bigthinkEducation
Big Think episodes
- The science of romantic love, explained an anthropologist | Helen Fisher
“No matter what their gods were, what they did for a living, what they wore, the songs they sang, everything varies except love, and everybody loves.”
From the beginning of humanity, cultures and societies vary in tradition, religion, art, philosophy, and customs. One constant that remains unchanging? The essential need for love and partnership.Dr. Helen Fisher explains the drive for love from an anthropological perspective, exploring the science of attraction, heartbreak, rejection, and how our dopamine factories send us on lifelong quests to find “the one.”0:00 The origins of romantic love and attachment02:53 Love across cultures and time04:39 The evolutionary roots of love07:45 Discovering the brain in love10:00 What the brain reveals about love12:05 Love and addiction----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Helen Fisher:Helen E. Fisher, Ph.D. Biological anthropologist, was a Senior Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, and a Member of the Center For Human Evolutionary Studies in the Department of Anthropology at Rutgers University. She wrote six books on the evolution, biology, and psychology of human sexuality, monogamy, adultery and divorce, gender differences in the brain, the neural chemistry of romantic love and attachment, human biologically-based personality styles, why we fall in love with one person rather than another, hooking up, friends with benefits, living together and other current trends, and the future of relationships — what she called: slow love.-------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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23 min - Why 2025 is the single most pivotal year in our lifetime | Peter Leyden
"We're living in an extraordinary moment in history. We are at a moment here in 2025 where we have world historic game-changing technologies now starting to scale."
We are living through the collapse of the old world, and the quiet construction of a new one. From artificial intelligence and clean energy to bioengineering and digital governance, the core systems that defined the last century are rapidly being dismantled and replaced. But this isn’t just about technology.According to futurist Peter Leyden, we’re at a historic turning point: One of the rare moments in American and global history when everything gets reimagined at once.0:00 An extraordinary moment in history1:05 Wired magazine2:09 Technology adoption curve2:53 80 year cycles3:26 Post-war era5:08 Gilded age6:59 Founding era8:24 The arrival of AI9:42 The rise of clean energy10:52 The rise of bioengineering13:45 The beginning of a shiftReferences:Article: Ziegler, M. S.; Trancik, J. E. Re-Examining Rates of Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Improvement and Cost Decline. Energy Environ. Sci. 2021, 14, 1635–1651.DOI: 10.1039/D0EE02681FURL: https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/artic...Dataset: Ziegler, M. S.; Trancik, J. E., 2021, "Data series for lithium-ion battery technologies", https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/9FEJ7C, Trancik Lab Dataverse, V1, UNF:6:sVT2vBwWolbQL4BxsTSDUg== [fileUNF]------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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21 min - What the absence of aliens on Earth really tells us | David Kipping
“Deep down the natural endpoint of this whole goal of looking for planets is to answer the question: are we alone?”
Astronomer David Kipping explores humanity’s oldest question: if the universe is vast and ancient, why haven’t we found anyone else in it?He argues that our longing to discover another Earth often clouds our reasoning, and that the greatest challenge in the search for life isn’t technology, but temptation.0:00 Are we alone?1:19 The Drake equation2:08 The problem with the Rare Earth hypothesis2:56 What is life?5:55 The Copernican principle7:08 The weak anthropic principle8:57 The Kardashev scale10:58 Hart’s Fact A15:49 How often does simple life become complex?17:45 Using biosignatures and technosignatures to find alien life21:01 Our past quests for alien life23:10 The difficulty in proving a negative----------------------------------------------------------------------------------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--------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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32 min - The evolutionary flaws that keeps you from building wealth | Barry Ritholtz: Full Interview
“Let me walk you through the biggest traps that you should be aware of that are a danger to your financial wellbeing.”
You probably think investing is about markets and strategy, but Barry Rithotz argues that it’s actually about biology.Our brains evolved to spot danger, not to manage portfolios, and the instincts that once kept us alive now push us towards panic and greed. That same wiring that told our ancestors to run from predators now tells modern investors to sell at the bottom.0:00 Why your brain makes you a bad investor2:28 Using our brains in ways they weren’t built for3:57 Cognitive biases that derail investing6:52 Emotional Bias8:22 Gamestop and speculative bets10:22 Narrative fallacy12:01 Overconfidence bias and the Dunning-Kruger effect and12:44 Confirmation bias14:56 Conformity bias16:25 Loss aversion17:47 Anchoring18:41 Tribal bias20:19 Recency bias23:51 Investing is a loser’s game. Here’s how to win24:28 “The Loser’s Game”27:28 2% of stocks are responsible for all returns30:21 The odds against you picking successful stocks31:52 Maximizing your ability to compound32:02 Automate33:03 Diversification34:23 Costs37:48 Rebalancing39:54 Ignoring forecasts42:15 Market timing44:29 How financial media sets investors up for failure46:06 The attention economy46:55 What is margin debt?48:03 How negative media influences our investments50:30 Denominator blindness54:07 Key qualities in financial media56:35 Social media and investing----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Barry Ritholtz:Barry L. Ritholtz is co-founder, chairman, and chief investment officer of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC. Launched in 2013, RWM is a financial planning and asset management firm, with over $6.4 billion dollars in assets under management. RWM was named ETF Advisor of the Year, is on the Financial Times Top 300 Advisors in the US, and is the 4th fastest-growing RIA in America.His career history is filled with cutting-edge innovation and influential new ideas: He was one of the earliest traders to embrace behavioral economics, he created one of the first and most popular market blogs; his podcast was groundbreaking and among the earliest in the investment spaces. Named one of the “15 Most Important Economic Journalists” in the United States, he has been called one of the 25 Most Dangerous People in Financial Media. He writes a weekly column for Bloomberg Opinion (2013- 2021) and wrote a twice-monthly column on Personal Finance and Investing for The Washington Post (2011-2016).His latest book, “How Not To Invest: The ideas, numbers, and behaviors that destroy wealth – and how to avoid them” was published on March 18, 2025.-----------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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1 hr 8 min - How loneliness is killing us, according to a Harvard professor | Robert Waldinger
60% of people feel disconnected. Harvard professor Robert Waldinger addresses the science behind humanity’s loneliness epidemic and suggests ways to solve it.
Loneliness is quietly spreading across our society. Robert Waldinger, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, explores the roots of this growing epidemic.He draws on research by experts like Julianne Holt-Lunstad, revealing the severe health impacts of loneliness, equating it to smoking half a pack of cigarettes daily. Stress, accelerated brain decline, and overall well-being suffer, but the remedy lies in our relationships—with friends, family, and even casual encounters.Waldinger shares practical steps to combat loneliness, encouraging everyday connections with individuals like the person who delivers the mail or the cashier at the grocery store.You belong. You matter. You're connected.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Robert Waldinger:Dr. Robert Waldinger is Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Center for Psychodynamic Therapy and Research at Massachusetts General Hospital, and Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development. He is a practicing psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, he teaches Harvard medical students and psychiatry residents, and he is on the faculty of the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute. He is also a Zen priest.Dr. Waldinger earned his bachelor’s degree from Harvard College and his MD from Harvard Medical School.----------------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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9 min - Why Florida and Texas are booming (and NY and California are not) | Economist Joseph Politano
The winners of the remote work boom? Utah, Arizona, and Maine. Here’s what the US’ post-pandemic migration looks like.
In the wake of COVID, rising populations are shifting out of states like New York and California and moving to previously less-popular landscapes. The biggest beneficiaries of the post-pandemic economy have been states in the American South, including Texas and Florida, which has seen the fastest GDP growth of any state since the start of COVID, at more than a 20% increase.
What is driving these shifts in economic geography? Economist Joseph Politano points out that the most obvious factor is the increasing remote work possibilities. Some of the biggest states to lose residents have been dense, urbanized, unaffordable areas, and some of the biggest winners have been less dense, suburban, more affordable areas. People, when given the flexibility to tele-work, choose places that are more spacious suburban states than they did before the pandemic.
California and New York are going to have to reform a lot of their policies around housing, construction, and transportation if they want to compete in this new economy. And if they don't, the exodus to states like Texas and Florida will only continue.
**📦 America’s Post-COVID Migration: Who’s Winning and Losing**
Since COVID, Americans have been relocating in droves — and it's reshaping the U.S. Economy.
### 🏆 Winners:
- **Florida** (+20% GDP) and **Texas** (+14% GDP): Booming jobs, fast growth, lots of new housing.
- **Rocky Mountain states** (Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Colorado): Gaining people thanks to remote work.
### 📉 Losers:
- **New York** and **Illinois**: Weak job recovery, slow GDP growth.
- **California**: Strong GDP but losing jobs due to high costs and limited housing.
### 💡 Why?
1. **Remote work**: People are ditching dense, pricey cities for affordable suburbs.
2. **Housing construction**: States that build more (like TX & FL) attract more people.
3. **Industry spread**: Tech, finance, and entertainment are no longer stuck in one place.
### 🏙️ The California Problem:
Still dominant in tech, but too expensive to keep everyone. Without policy reforms, outmigration will continue.
> 📍 Bottom line: In the new economy, **mobility + affordability = growth**.
About Joseph Politano:
Joseph Politano is a Financial Management Analyst at the Bureau of Labor Statistics working to support the Labor Market Information and Occupational Health and Safety surveys that BLS conducts. He writes independently about economics, business, and public policy for a better world at apricitas.substack.com.
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12 min - How to grow deeply happy | Jonny Thomson
**What If Everything You Know About Happiness Is Wrong?**
We chase success, money, and pleasure—thinking they’ll make us happy. But what if we’re climbing the wrong ladder? Aristotle believed every action has a purpose, but the ultimate goal of life? True happiness. The problem? Most of us don’t even know what that means.
In this eye-opening episode, Jonny Thomson unravels the hidden paths to happiness through ancient wisdom and modern philosophy. He explores why pleasure alone won’t fulfill us, how extreme lifestyles lead to burnout, and why real happiness is impossible without virtue. From the thorny roads of Daoism to the golden rule of kindness, he reveals the three *pillars* that can transform your life.
Are you unknowingly sabotaging your own happiness? Press play and find out.
“If we're to be happy at all, it has to be found outside of this notion of pleasure. We have to step beyond hedonia. But the problem is that we risk going too far.”
Humans have been chasing happiness for thousands of years. But we can't seem to agree on the exact definition of happiness and it's often presented as simply a smiling face on social media. Jonny Thomson, author and our very own staff writer here at Big Think, argues that happiness is less of a smiling face, rather, happiness is a smiling soul. Thomson runs the social media account ‘Mini Philosophy,’ where he distills complex philosophical ideas into bite-sized lessons. So, what can philosophy teach us about happiness? By examining different schools of philosophical thought, we can learn a lot about different ways to create happiness.From Buddhism, Daoism, and ancient Greece to the philosophers of today, Thomson leads us through 2,500 years of happiness philosophy and carves out 3 simple methods that you can use to usher greater happiness into your life.Timestamps: 00:00: What is the end point?01:46: The philosophies of happiness02:31: 3 pillars of happiness03:00: Happiness ≠ pleasure04:40: Moderation05:53: Virtue08:08: Applying the 3 pillars
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.
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16 min - The chaos inside OpenAI – Sam Altman, Elon Musk, and existential risk explained _ Karen Hao
You know ChatGPT, but how much do you know about the company that made it? Journalist Karen Hao joins us to talk OpenAI’s latest implosion.
Journalist Karen Hao joins Big Think’s Editor-in-Chief, Robert Chapman-Smith, to discuss the recent events at OpenAI, including the ousting and reinstatement of CEO Sam Altman, as well as the ideological clashes regarding the development and release of powerful AI models like ChatGpt----------------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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1 hr 10 min - The mindblowing way rocks “survive” and evolve | Robert Hazen
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.
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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6 min - Science is shattering our intuitions about consciousness | Annaka Harris
**What If Everything Around You Is Conscious?** 🤯
What if consciousness isn’t just something that emerges from the human brain—but a fundamental part of the universe, like gravity? Neuroscience is uncovering shocking truths that challenge everything we think we know about awareness.
From the mind-bending story of a man who wrote an entire book with just his eyelid to the eerie possibility that consciousness might exist in plants, Annaka Harris takes us on a journey that will leave you questioning reality itself.
Are we seeing the world all wrong? And if so… what else might be conscious? 🌍👀
**Listen now to have your mind blown.** 🎧🔥
"Is it possible that consciousness is a much more basic phenomenon in nature and is essentially pervading everything?"
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. If this is true, then consciousness may not be something that arises out of complex processing in brains, says Harris. Consciousness could be a much more basic phenomenon in nature, an all-pervading force, like gravity. If we think of it in these terms, we can imagine that all types of processing in nature could include some type of felt experience.Timestamps: 0:00: The mystery of consciousness 1:31: What is consciousness?3:31: Ask these 2 questions8:37: Which systems entail suffering?
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.
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16 min
About Big Think
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Big Think is the leading source of expert-driven, actionable, educational content -- with thousands of videos, featuring experts ranging from Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, we help you get smarter, faster.…
Get actionable lessons from the world’s greatest thinkers & doers. Our experts are either disrupting or leading their respective fields. We aim to help you explore the big ideas and core skills that define knowledge in the 21st century, so you can apply them to the questions and challenges in your own life.
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