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Big Think
By bigthinkEducation
Big Think episodes
- Sean Carroll: Einstein’s most radical thought
“Consciousness is fundamental. It's a fundamental property of the world that we inhabit, a fundamental property of the universe.”
What does it mean to be conscious, and why does it feel like something to be you? Neuroscientist Anil Seth argues that consciousness isn’t a mysterious spark but a deeply biological process, one that depends on prediction, perception, and the body’s constant negotiation with the world.In this conversation with philosopher Jonny Thomson, he explores how our brains don’t passively observe reality but actively construct it.Chapters:
0:00 Einstein — underrated?1:00 The network of genius1:16 Classical mechanics1:48 Space and time2:21 Electromagnetism2:59 The speed of light4:20 Spacetime5:38 Special theory of relativity6:31 Inverse square law of gravity7:56 General theory of relativity9:07 Schwarzschild solution10:12 Quantum field theory13:22 Quantum mechanics16:16 Why physics is a conversation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------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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24 min - The illusion of shared reality: Why no two minds see the same world | Anil Seth & Jonny Thomson
“Consciousness is fundamental. It's a fundamental property of the world that we inhabit, a fundamental property of the universe.”
What does it mean to be conscious, and why does it feel like something to be you? Neuroscientist Anil Seth argues that consciousness isn’t a mysterious spark but a deeply biological process, one that depends on prediction, perception, and the body’s constant negotiation with the world.In this conversation with philosopher Jonny Thomson, he explores how our brains don’t passively observe reality, but rather actively construct it.Chapters:
0:00 Non-human consciousness1:40 The current state of consciousness science2:10 What is consciousness?4:05 The similarity of conscious experiences5:48 Consciousness in the brain11:23 Technology for measuring consciousness16:03 Measuring consciousness levels20:33 Pragmatic physicalism and functionalism23:25 Pansychism28:25 Emergence32:35 AI and consciousness36:49 The difference between non-human animals and AI41:49 Is artificial consciousness possible?48:12 Consciousness in the body and outside the brainConsciousness in the future and AI50:27 Audience Q&A50:41 Could computers could simulate the brain and body?59:55 Why are you skeptical about asserting the dependency of life to the consciousness?1:03:31 If consciousness is so clinical, does it undermine free will?----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Anil Seth:Anil Seth is a neuroscientist, author, and public speaker who has pioneered research into the brain basis of consciousness for more than 20 years. He is the author of Being You: A New Science of Consciousness.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 around two million curious, intelligent minds. He's known all over the world for making philosophy accessible, relatable, and fun.-----------------------------------------06:30-17
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1 hr 20 min - Daniel Goleman: The 4 domains of emotional intelligence | Daniel Goleman for Big Think+
**Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Secret to Great Leadership**
What if the key to success isn’t IQ, talent, or even experience—but *emotional intelligence*? In this episode, we dive into the game-changing science behind what makes great leaders truly exceptional.
From self-awareness to social mastery, discover how top performers manage emotions, navigate conflict, and inspire trust. Learn why empathy isn’t just about understanding others—it’s the foundation of influence, connection, and long-term success.
And here’s the best part: unlike IQ, *emotional intelligence can be learned.* So how can you develop it and take your leadership to the next level? Tune in to find out.
“Self-awareness, it's the least visible part of emotional intelligence, but we find in our research that people low in self-awareness are unable to develop strengths very well in other parts of emotional intelligence.”
When Daniel Goleman released his best-selling book “Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ,” the concept resonated with millions of readers, many experiencing an “aha” moment, recognizing this trait in people that they admired. Through his research, Goleman found that people who emerge as outstanding performers or the best leaders have high emotional intelligence. A combination of self-awareness, mastery over emotions, social awareness, empathy, tuning into others, allow harmonious or effective relationships.This finding proved to be good news: Unlike IQ, which barely budges over the course of our life, emotional intelligence can change. It's learned and learnable at any point in life. In this Big Think+ lesson, Goleman outlines 4 domains of emotional intelligence and 12 particular competencies of people who are high in emotional intelligence.
About Daniel Goleman:Daniel Goleman has transformed the way the world educates children, relates to family and friends, and conducts business. A frequent speaker to businesses of all kinds and sizes, he has worked with leaders around the globe, examining the way social and emotional competencies impact the bottom line.Ranked one of the 10 most influential business thinkers by The Wall Street Journal, Goleman’s articles in the Harvard Business Review are among the most frequently requested reprints of all time. One of these pieces, “The Focused Leader,” won the 2013 HBR McKinsey Award for best article of the year. Apart from his writing on emotional intelligence, Goleman has written books on topics including self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social and emotional learning, ecoliteracy, and the ecological crisis.He is also the host of First Person Plural: Emotional Intelligence and Beyond, a podcast about us, the systems we’re a part of, and how we can create an emotionally intelligent future.
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13 min - The male inequality problem is getting worse | Richard Reeves: Full Interview
“A lot of the trends in the economy, in family life have just been much harder for working class men.”
Richard Reeves argues that this quiet male crisis has been decades in the making, and it’s not the simplistic story most people assume.From collapsing educational outcomes to shrinking roles in the labor market, men are struggling in ways that challenge our cultural narratives about progress.Chapters:-
00:00:00 The permission space to talk about boys and men00:02:02 The abandonment of men00:02:48 Barriers to talking about boys and men00:05:15 Young men and blame00:08:39 Men and the job market00:12:24 Economic trends for working class men00:19:40 Unhoused men00:30:54 Why representation matters00:31:32 Men and the mental health crisis00:32:17 Men and recreational drug use00:42:18 Men and political affiliation01:15:45 The positive aspects of masculinity01:16:47 The term ‘toxic masculinity’01:18:26 Men and risk-taking01:21:57 Oxytocin and bonding01:25:40 The nature of fatherhood----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Richard Reeves:Richard V. Reeves is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he directs the Future of the Middle Class Initiative and co-directs the Center on Children and Families. His Brookings research focuses on the middle class, inequality and social mobility.Richard writes for a wide range of publications, including the New York Times, Guardian, National Affairs, The Atlantic, Democracy Journal, and Wall Street Journal. He is the author of Dream Hoarders (Brookings Institution Press, 2017), and John Stuart Mill – Victorian Firebrand (Atlantic Books, 2007), an intellectual biography of the British liberal philosopher and politician.Dream Hoarders was named a Book of the Year by The Economist, a Political Book of the Year by The Observer, and was shortlisted for the Goddard Riverside Stephan Russo Book Prize for Social Justice. In September 2017, Politico magazine named Richard one of the top 50 thinkers in the U.S. For his work on class and inequality.A Brit-American, Richard was director of strategy to the UK’s Deputy Prime Minister from 2010 to 2012. Other previous roles include director of Demos, the London-based political think-tank; social affairs editor of the Observer; principal policy advisor to the Minister for Welfare Reform, and research fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research. Richard is also a former European Business Speaker of the Year and has a BA from Oxford University and a PhD from Warwick University.-------------------
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1 hr 45 min - Why REM sleep is your brain's superpower—and 3 ways to trigger more of it | Patrick McNamara
Neuroscientist Patrick McNamara emphasizes the importance of REM sleep, during which we dream, in fueling human creativity and cultural progression. He explains that during REM sleep, our brains cultivate an atmosphere conducive to fostering connections between unrelated concepts, leading to uniquely human, innovative outcomes.
A notable feature of REM sleep is its ability to merge disparate ideas to generate inventive solutions to problems. Despite the modern world’s diminished appreciation for dreams, McNamara points out that traditional societies have always respected their transformative abilities. By effectively utilizing REM sleep, we can potentially unlock hidden creative abilities and address significant challenges that humanity confronts.Given the significant value we place on innovation, McNamara’s insights regarding the power of the dream state could revolutionize our strategies toward problem-solving. He posits that by reassessing our engagement with the dream state, we could discover novel solutions to global issues, thereby facilitating cultural evolution.0:00 “REM sleep is what has made us special.”1:15 22% of our sleep time is in REM state2:04 Why did we evolve for REM sleep?3:17 3 ways to harness REM sleep4:09 Reverence for the dream state----------------------------------------------------------------------------------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.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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7 min - Why goodness still matters in a self-optimized world
What really makes someone a good person?
Psychologist and neuroscientist Sarah Schnitker studies how traits like patience, courage, and compassion are built through repeated practice in real-life situations. She’s found that virtues grow not from comfort, but from challenge.She shares how in one study, for example, people who fasted during Ramadan for spiritual reasons showed lasting increases in self-control weeks later. These moral habits take time and intention to build, but they not only improve our own well-being, they also help strengthen the communities we’re part of.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Sarah Schnitker:Dr. Sarah Schnitker, PhD, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University and Director of the BRIGHTS Center, researches virtue development in youth. Specializing in patience, self-control, and gratitude, she has 100+ publications, $10M in grants, editorial leadership, and mentors doctoral students in science and virtue.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About The WellDo 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.-------------------------------------------------------------06:30-19Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 min - Nate Silver: Successful risk-takers share these 3 traits | Big Think+
“If you ask a computer, it will say, most of the time you want to either be raising or folding, right? You want to take an aggressive action or quit. I think this is a great metaphor for lots of things in real life, too.”
What does it take to make bold decisions when the odds aren't clear? Statistician Nate Silver explains why the best risk-takers aren’t reckless. They’re strategic, evidence-driven, and comfortable acting without perfect information.Silver shares habits that separate success from failure in competitive environments, to help you become more comfortable with risking it all.
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8 min - CIA psychology: Ask questions that make people reveal everything | Andrew Bustamante
What if every conversation you have is part of an invisible marketplace, and you’re giving away your most valuable assets for free?
Former CIA officer Andrew Bustamante introduces the concept of the economy of secrets, where every withheld thought and every shared opinion carries leverage. In this hidden system, those who understand the rules gain power, and those who don’t become easy targets.00:00 The economy of secrets01:00 The construct of fairness03:30 Leveraging secrets05:04 Different types of secrets06:01 CIA’s classification of secrets08:53 Information superiority10:18 Using open questions--------------------------------------------------------------------
About Andrew Bustamante:Andrew Bustamante is a former covert CIA intelligence officer and decorated US Air Force combat veteran. In 2017, he founded EverydaySpy.com, the first digital platform teaching real-world intelligence techniques to everyday people. Drawing from his 20 years running human and technical operations globally, Bustamante empowers individuals to break social, financial, and cultural barriers using proven spy skills. He's a Fortune 10 corporate advisor, cybersecurity expert, and author of "Everyday Espionage: Winning the Workplace and Social Game." Together with his wife Jihi, also a former CIA officer, Andrew hosts the EverydaySpy Podcast.---------------------------------------------06:30-19
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24 min - Inside the mind of a white-collar criminal | Kelly Richmond Pope
“Fraud is a trillion dollar problem, about $5 trillion today with that number increasingly rising annually.”
We often think of fraud as the work of greedy masterminds, but the reality can be far more complex. Forensic accounting expert Kelly Richmond Pope, explains how ordinary people can be perpetrators, under the right conditions.Drawing from years of interviews with white-collar criminals, whistleblowers, and victims, Pope introduces a framework that challenges our common assumptions about who can commit this crime.Chapters:
00:00 How fraud happens01:05 Understanding why good people do bad things01:55 The Fraud Triangle03:04 Is fraud a victimless crime?06:29 The different perpetrators of fraud09:36 Infamous fraud perpetrators13:41 Why are we addicted to stories of fraud?14:35 Righteous perpetrators22:53 Accidental perpetrators----------------------------------------------------------------------------------About Kelly Richmond Pope:Dr. Kelly Richmond Pope is the Dr. Barry Jay Epstein Endowed Professor of Accounting at DePaul University in Chicago, IL. Pope is a nationally recognized expert in risk, forensic accounting, and white-collar crime research, and an award-winning educator, researcher, author, and award-winning documentary filmmaker. She’s the author of Fool Me Once: Scams, Stories, and Secrets from the Trillion Dollar Fraud Industry (Harvard Business Review Press, March 2023). Pope teaches managerial and forensic accounting both at the undergraduate and graduate level.----------------------------------------------------------06:30-19
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40 min - How I found belonging in the most unfamiliar territory | Atsuko Okatsuka
Asian-American comedian Atsuko Okatsuka shares her experience as an immigrant, navigating personal insecurities, and ultimately finding belonging in comedy.
**In this episode,** comedian **Atsuko Okatsuka** reflects on identity, perfectionism, and feeling *not good enough*. She shares her experience growing up as an immigrant with a schizophrenic mother and how her grandmother secretly brought her to the U.S., separating her from her father.
Atsuko explores people-pleasing, fear of disappointment, and how pain has shaped her. Through comedy and self-reflection, she confronts the past and finds connection.
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.
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.
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12 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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