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Philosopher Daniel Dennett explains how the optimal strategy for winning a game of rock-paper-scissors isn’t necessarily the optimal strategy for leading one’s life.

Philosopher Daniel Dennett take us through one of his “favorite bad thought experiments,” an investigation of free will based on the sci-fi film “The Boys From Brazil.”

Dennett rebuts the argument that neuroscience implies we don’t have free will.

Philosopher Daniel Dennett investigates the theories related to how the brain represents ideas and beliefs while pondering an Inception-like situation in which beliefs are surgically inserted into a patient’s brain.

Daniel Dennett explains how intuition pumps (often referred to as “thought experiments”) help guide philosophers’ curiosity and thinking.

Instead of returning anger with anger, Robert Thurman advocates the practice of lovingkindness, a translation of the Pali word mettā that is found in the original Buddhist texts.

The famous biologist discusses his life’s work in conservation and his efforts to save the ecosphere.

Philosopher Slavoj Žižek argues that our current brand of global capitalism is quickly outgrowing democracy. This leads to a bevy of social and geopolitical concerns all related to the public commons.

Futurist and learning expert Elliott Masie explains how setting up hackathons can help successful companies find unique and creative solutions.

Who launches a nuclear weapon if the president has been killed? Investigative journalist Eric Schlosser explains the chilling history of American nuclear authority and chain of command.

Interest rates are low. Construction unemployment is high. There’s no better time to invest in major infrastructure projects. Larry Summers asks what we’re waiting for.

XAPO CEO Wences Casares discusses how most of the regulations needed for bitcoin are already in place for gold and other currencies.

Futurist Vivek Wadhwa predicts change “at a scale which is unimaginable before,” thanks to advances in technologies like robotics and 3D printing. “New trillion dollar industries will wipe out out existing trillion dollar industries,” he says. “This is the future we’re headed into, for better or for worse.”

Fareed Zakaria asks President Bill Clinton if it is possible to learn how to successfully work with others.

The former Secretary General of NATO explains how the alliance approaches terrorist threats and how the future fight against the so-called Islamic State will look.

The founder of MIT’s Media Lab imagines a future in which information and knowledge can be delivered to the brain through the bloodstream.

The ABC correspondent explains that you can integrate short bursts of meditation into your life by way of purposeful pauses.

The acclaimed economist talks oil prices, energy independence, and America’s unavoidable market vulnerability.

Fewer people today call themselves “salespeople” than in years past. According to author Dan Pink, that doesn’t mean the rest of us are selling any less. We’re just not peddling products.

Choreographer Elizabeth Streb takes us through the theory and practice of PopAction, her particular brand of extreme action dance.

The author and neuroscientist argues that, despite its spooky etymology, there’s no better word than “spirituality” to describe the personal and intimate exploration of human consciousness.

Five years ago, Iceland was a failed financial state. Today it’s Exhibit A for revitalization after a financial crisis. The reason why? The will of the people was prioritized over the perceived financial interests of the markets.

The retired Massachusetts congressman shares his philosophy on the therapeutic and polemic power of humor. Ridicule, says Frank, was one of his greatest weapons in Congress.

The acclaimed self-help expert recently visited Big Think to discuss his new book and share stories about what wealth and generosity mean to him.

The Science Guy returns to Big Think to address his creationist critics and warn against the risks of denying evolution, the fundamental core of life sciences.

Jon Iwata is the Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM. As a member of the communications team for over 25 years, Iwata has taken an active interest in watching the workforce change. Every year he meets with IBM’s summer interns for an informal focus group on the state of emerging talent. In this lesson from Big Think+, Iwata explores key millennial values and what every company can do to embrace them.

Over a 22-year career at Goldman Sachs, Robert S. Kaplan had the opportunity to run various businesses and to work with or coach numerous business leaders. He says that successful leadership is less often about having all the answers—and more often about asking the right questions. In Part 1 of The Leadership Challenge, Kaplan explores three strategic key questions that leaders need to ask themselves.

Business performance is increasingly dependent on a firm’s ability to manage and mitigate risk. In this lesson from Big Think+, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner teaches the fundamentals of risk management, based on lessons learned during the 2008 Financial Crisis. By the end of it, you’ll have a three-part framework for developing your organization’s risk management strategy.

As Malcolm Gladwell – author of numerous New York Times bestselling books – points out, mastery and popularity are sometimes linked, but often they are not. If your goal is to become masterful at what you do, the formula is really quite simple: stay focused and do your time. This is the theory behind the 10,000 Hours Rule that Gladwell made famous. Worrying about whether you’re being recognized for your efforts, i.e. popularity, is a product of the ego, not to mention a distraction. . . . So get over yourself and get to work! In this lesson, Gladwell teaches you how.

You may not be aware of it, but certain judgment calls by you or your managers may be holding some of your best people back. In this lesson, management expert Jennifer Brown, a diversity training consultant who works with leading companies, explains the pitfalls and strategies for dealing with unconscious bias.