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Great Question

28 episodes

Big Thinkers join us to ruminate on a great question that they may — or may not — have pondered before.

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All Episodes (28)

Series of six images displaying the diffraction patterns of light as it passes through various shaped apertures.

A 7-minute guide to the relationship between quantum mechanics and black holes

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7 min

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A man sitting on a bench in the dark.

How loneliness is killing us, according to a Harvard professor

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6 min

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with

Robert Waldinger

A man in a suit with white hair and a red tie.

The four types of planetary civilizations, explained by Michio Kaku

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6 min

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with

A group of sheep in a barn with a green arrow in front of them.

The unexpected impact of AI on animals

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5 min

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with

A man in a suit is pointing his finger at a yellow background, referencing string theory.

Einstein failed to solve the Universe. Here’s what it would take to succeed. | Michio Kaku

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6 min

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with

The cover of a dying profession.

More accountants are leaving the field than joining. What’s going on?

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4 min

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with

Kelly Richmond Pope

A man doing push ups in a gym.

How to grow your brain by moving your body

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4 min

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An image of two people kissing on a blue background.

Neurodivergence is absent in sex education. That’s a problem.

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6 min

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with

a close up of a person wearing a suit and tie.

Hitler, Churchill, and the real trolley problem

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6 min

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with

a birthday cake with the number 100 on it.

How to eat if you want to age slowly

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5 min

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Game theory can explain humanity’s biggest problem

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4 min

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Is marriage dying?

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6 min

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The mind-blowing virality of music

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5 min

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with

Michael Spitzer

Ask a physicist: Do humans have souls?

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5 min

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with

Sabine Hossenfelder

The physics of entropy and the origin of life

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6 min

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Should you bring a kid into this world?

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4 min

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What psychedelics can’t explain

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4 min

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with

Matthew W. Johnson

Debate world champion explains how to argue

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5 min

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1 in 3 people cheat. Here’s what to do if you’re the 1.

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5 min

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with

Michael Slepian

Columbia professor: “Drug use is your birthright”

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4 min

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Can we build a Metaverse that’s GOOD?

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4 min

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Celebrity CEOs are amazing. Until they backfire.

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dao leadership

DAOs: The end of bosses?

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2 min

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truth bias

Strengthen your internal lie detector

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3 min

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Experiencing flow state

How ‘flow state’ can heal trauma

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Is there an afterlife

Is there an afterlife? Here’s what he saw while he was ‘dead’

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with

Dr. Bruce Greyson

study tips

4 ways to hack your memory

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4 min

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childhood trauma

How do you help kids traumatized by violence?

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3 min

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with

Bessel van der Kolk

Related

What geniuses get wrong about being “smart”

With great genius comes great rigidity. Professor Barabara Oakley on how to stay mentally agile — and get smarter as a result:

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7 min

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Sex in 3 places: Your brain, your bedroom, and in society

Mating, monogamy, and maximizing your sexual potential explained by 3 sex experts.

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25 min

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Elderly man with a full white beard and glasses, wearing a brown jacket, against a white background.

The 4 biggest ideas in philosophy, with legend Daniel Dennett

“Forget about essences.” Philosopher Daniel Dennett on how modern-day philosophers should be more collaborative with scientists if they want to make revolutionary developments in their fields.

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12 min

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Three red dice in mid-roll on a green surface.

Debunking the ‘billionaire = genius’ myth

Why most billionaires aren’t geniuses and most geniuses aren’t billionaires, explained by political scientist Brian Klaas.

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6 min

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Elderly woman with a gentle smile wearing a turquoise blouse and a neck scarf.

From bullied to brilliant: How Temple Grandin embraces autism

Dr. Temple Grandin shares how we can unlock the hidden gifts of neurodivergent minds.

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8 min

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