The Big Think Interview

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Intimate interviews with the world's biggest thinkers.
Latest episode
The trick that offloads intrusive thoughts so your brain can actually work
David Epstein, author of Range and Inside the Box, breaks down what's actually happening inside the brain when we multitask, and why "just focusing" is a solution that doesn't hold up to reality.

David Epstein

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life after near death experiences
Near death experiences change people’s lives - and not always for the better.
boost performance
6mins
You can learn things 250% faster by unlocking your ‘flow state.’
A person stands inside a glowing circle with sparks flying around in arcs, capturing the essence of "What is flow state," as the word "FLOW" appears in bold white letters across the center.
Peak performance mind hack explained in 7 minutes.
Near death experiences
A psychiatrist studied 1,000 near-death experiences. Here’s what he discovered.
types of cults
Scientology, QAnon, and Heaven’s Gate: why do we seek healing from cults?
7mins
It’s not a glitch in the matrix. It’s not the Mandela effect. There’s actually a scientific reason you remember things wrong.
scientific demons
6mins
Darwin, Descartes, and Maxwell all believed in these science ‘demons.’
peer tutoring
6mins
Our current form of education is almost 200 years old. What should schools of the future look like?
Stand Together
turing test
From the first computer to modern AI: how to tell if machines are intelligent.
bullshit jobs
6mins
Experts say we should only be working 15 hours per week, so why are some working 80?
heal trauma
8mins
Conventional psychiatric practices tell us that if we feel bad, take this drug and it will go away. But after years of research with some of the top psychiatric practitioners […]
what is trauma
7mins
Trauma happens to everyone, but the way you respond to it determines its impact on your brain and body.
6mins
Don't let your reptile brain tell you what to do.
6mins
He's studied apes for 50 years - here's what most people get wrong.
9mins
The Bomber Mafia nearly changed the world—and you've likely never heard of them.
5mins
Being an intellectual is not really how it is depicted in popular culture.