Self-Motivation
David Goggins
Former Navy Seal
Career Development
Bryan Cranston
Actor
Critical Thinking
Liv Boeree
International Poker Champion
Emotional Intelligence
Amaryllis Fox
Former CIA Clandestine Operative
Management
Chris Hadfield
Retired Canadian Astronaut & Author
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When Paying Taxes Became Un-American
Noam Chomsky
Noam Avram Chomsky was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 7, 1928. He attended the University of Pennsylvania where he studied linguistics, mathematics, and philosophy. In 1955, he received his Ph. D. from the University of Pennsylvania, however, most of the research leading to this degree was done at Harvard between 1951 and 1955. Since receiving his Ph. D., Chomsky has taught at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he now holds the Ferrari P. Ward Chair of Modern Language and Linguistics.
Among his many accomplishments, he is most famous for his work on generative grammar, which developed from his interest in modern logic and mathematical foundations. As a result, he applied it to the description of natural languages.
His political tendencies toward socialism and anarchism are a result of what he calls "the radical Jewish community in New York." Since 1965 he has become one of the leading critics of U.S. foreign policy. He published a book of essays called American Power and the New Mandarins which is considered to be one of the most substantial arguments ever against American involvement in Vietnam.
Topic: Taxation and democracy
Noam Chomsky: In a democracy, April 15th, when you pay your taxes, would be a day of celebration. Here we've gotten together as a community, we've decided on certain policies and now we're moving to implement them by our own participation. That's not the way it's viewed in the United States. That's a day of mourning. There's this alien entity, sort of like a—as if it's from Mars somewhere, which is stealing our hard-earned money from us. We have to give it up, because we have no choice.
Well, that reflects the undermining of even a conception of democracy.
Recorded on: Aug 18, 2009
In a functioning democracy, Noam Chomsky claims, people would celebrate on tax day—why then do most Americans view every April 15th as a day of mourning?
LIVE TOMORROW| Penn Jillette: The year that shattered America's illusions
Join us at 2 pm ET tomorrow!
09 July, 2020
Big Think LIVE
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<p>
The year 2020 will go down in history as one that shook our inner and outer worlds. In this Big Think Live session,
<strong>magician, author, and cultural critic Penn Jillette </strong>will discuss the giant upheavals of 2020 through the lens of what he knows best: illusions. Which social, personal, and governmental illusions have been shattered this year, and how (and what) should we rebuild? Jillette, one half the world's most famous magic duo with Teller, will also give tips on how to foster long-term business partnerships and sustain creativity, and how he maintains a clear, rational mind in the noisiest era to date.
</p><p>
Moderated by Victoria Montgomery-Brown, co-founder and CEO of Big Think.
</p><p>
Join at <strong>2 </strong><strong>pm ET tomorrow, July 10, </strong>and ask your questions for Penn Jillette during the <strong>audience Q&A!</strong>
</p><p><strong>STREAMING LINKS:</strong><a href="https://edge.bigthink.com/live_streams/99"><br>Big Think Edge</a> | <a href="https://youtu.be/kXtD3zTxjO4">YouTube</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BigThinkdotcom/posts/10157492362503527">Facebook</a></p><p>---</p>
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Why do people believe in conspiracy theories?
Are we genetically inclined for superstition or just fearful of the truth?
10 July, 2020
Videos
- From secret societies to faked moon landings, one thing that humanity seems to have an endless supply of is conspiracy theories. In this compilation, physicist Michio Kaku, science communicator Bill Nye, psychologist Sarah Rose Cavanagh, skeptic Michael Shermer, and actor and playwright John Cameron Mitchell consider the nature of truth and why some groups believe the things they do.
- "I think there's a gene for superstition, a gene for hearsay, a gene for magic, a gene for magical thinking," argues Kaku. The theoretical physicist says that science goes against "natural thinking," and that the superstition gene persists because, one out of ten times, it actually worked and saved us.
- Other theories shared include the idea of cognitive dissonance, the dangerous power of fear to inhibit critical thinking, and Hollywood's romanticization of conspiracies. Because conspiracy theories are so diverse and multifaceted, combating them has not been an easy task for science.
COVID-19 brain study to explore long-term effects of the virus
A growing body of research suggests COVID-19 can cause serious neurological problems.
09 July, 2020
Coronavirus
- The new study seeks to track the health of 50,000 people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
- The study aims to explore whether the disease causes cognitive impairment and other conditions.
- Recent research suggests that COVID-19 can, directly or indirectly, cause brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage and other neurological problems.
<p>As the coronavirus pandemic enters its fifth month, many questions remain unanswered over how the virus damages the body. Now, a group of researchers are planning a large-scale study that aims to shed light on how COVID-19 affects the brain. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/studies/covid-brain-study" target="_blank">COVID-19 Brain Study</a> plans to monitor the long-term health of 50,000 participants who have tested positive for COVID-19. The research could help answer questions like: Does COVID-19 cause cognitive impairment? And, if so, how do age, race, and sex factor into the equation?</p><p>Considering recent studies that suggest COVID-19 may cause neurological damage, the researchers say it's important to start tracking patients' health as early as possible.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"The problem is a bit like when governments were deciding to enter lockdown – timing is everything," Adrian Owen, a Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging professor at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, told <a href="https://news.westernu.ca/2020/06/study-explores-long-term-brain-impact-of-covid-19/" target="_blank">Western University of Health Sciences News</a>. "We need to start collecting this data now. We can't start looking at this issue in a year's time because if there are cognitive impairments, and we know there will be, it's going to be too late."</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ0NTg2Ni9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NjcxNTg5Mn0.dinNRn3OCcl_lTjX3FS879ZRiX14zWrb9Ibqy_mRsxQ/img.png?width=980" id="d4b5d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6e65d6b5bd46af5add092e8c63c80553" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="COVID-19 effects on the brain." />
Brain images of a patient with acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis.
<p>The researchers also want to find out whether there are significant differences between patients who recovered from the disease in intensive care units and those who got better at home. After all, studies have revealed that some patients may suffer a constellation of long-lasting physical, emotional, and mental problems after staying in an ICU, a condition dubbed <a href="https://www.sccm.org/MyICUCare/THRIVE/Post-intensive-Care-Syndrome#:~:text=Post%2Dintensive%20care%20syndrome%2C%20or%20PICS%2C%20is%20made%20up,and%20may%20affect%20the%20family." target="_blank">post-intensive care syndrome</a>.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"A year from now, we will have more than eight million people worldwide recovering from COVID-19," Owen said. "So, we may also have eight million people with short- and long-term cognitive problems."</p>COVID-19 and the brain
<p>A growing body of research reveals alarming neurological complications among COVID-19 patients. On Wednesday, for example, researchers from University College London published a <a href="https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/doi/10.1093/brain/awaa240/5868408" target="_blank">study</a> in the journal Brain that describes how some patients have suffered temporary brain dysfunction, strokes, nerve damage, and other neurological problems concurrent with COVID-19.</p><p>Some patients suffered brain inflammation as a result of a rare disease called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which can cause numbness, seizures, and confusion. One patient in the study even hallucinated monkeys and lions in her home.</p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ0NTg4Ny9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNjQyODM3MH0.nW1_EykXQyKoamADL0uPHnDKwgQ0pCQxjt5mIpaHcAI/img.jpg?width=980" id="6ac2f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b4ae84584bb17c263f3daf9ddcfa9223" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="medical staff standing around patient in bed" />San Diego-Area Hospitals Treat Coronavirus Patients During COVID-19 Pandemic
<p class=""><br></p>Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images
<p>A separate study published in the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7198407/" target="_blank">Journal of Clinical Neuroscience</a> notes that some COVID-19 patients have also suffered neurological complications like impaired consciousness and acute cerebrovascular disease. The study notes that past viruses like MERS and SARS also seemed to cause neurological problems.</p><p>A troubling finding among this growing body of research is that some patients seem to suffer neurological damage even when respiratory symptoms aren't obvious. Additionally, scientists aren't sure whether damage from the disease will be permanent.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Given that the disease has only been around for a matter of months, we might not yet know what long-term damage COVID-19 can cause," Dr. Ross Paterson, joint first author of the University College London study, said in a <a href="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-07/ucl-iid070620.php" target="_blank">press release</a>. "Doctors needs to be aware of possible neurological effects, as early diagnosis can improve patient outcomes."</p><p>If you've been diagnosed with COVID-19 and want to enroll in the study, visit <a href="https://www.cambridgebrainsciences.com/studies/covid-brain-study" target="_blank">cambridgebrainsciences.com/studies/covid-brain-study</a>.</p>
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Neom, Saudi Arabia's $500 billion megacity, reaches its next phase
Construction of the $500 billion dollar tech city-state of the future is moving ahead.
28 July, 2019
Credit: Neom
Technology & Innovation
- The futuristic megacity Neom is being built in Saudi Arabia.
- The city will be fully automated, leading in health, education and quality of life.
- It will feature an artificial moon, cloud seeding, robotic gladiators and flying taxis.
<p><br></p></div>
<p>Humanity has been developing new technologies at a breakneck speed but have they delivered enough clear benefits to how long and well we live? Much of the tech seems to be adding even more stress, designed to both help us cope and entrap us further in the hectic demands of modern life. But what if you could start from scratch and create the kind of society where the best of technology would utilize the best ideas in robotics, healthcare, energy generation and government? Such is the utopian promise of the $500 billion futuristic city-state <strong>Neom</strong>, being built in Saudi Arabia.</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"This is the blank page you need to write humanity's next chapter," promises the commercial for the city on the <a href="https://www.neom.com/" target="_blank">Neom homepage. </a></p><p>The American consultants, hired by the city's developers came up with a 2,300 page proposal that wants to make Neom largely run by robots, with eye-catchy features based in part on tech that doesn't yet exist. Some of the fun things the city would have are flying taxis, glow-in-the-dark sand, cloud seeding to make it rain in the desert, robotic maids, MMA-style robot cage fights, and, of course, a Jurassic-Park-like island, replete with robot dinosaurs.</p>
<p>Perhaps, most curious of all, Neom would have a gigantic artificial moon, made from a fleet of drones, which would not only light up every night, but could live-stream images straight from outer space. </p><p>Run on wind and solar energy, the city would also be a state-of-the-art center for technological and medical innovation, spearheading genetic engineering efforts to improve the human body.</p><p>Being a beacon of progress, where many citizens would work in startups while being educated in innovative ways like <em>holographic faculties</em>, would make the economy of Neom robust. In fact, it would have "the highest GDP per capita," according to the proposal.</p>
The Red Sea area where Neom will be built:
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMDM0Nzg2MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5NjEzMzk0Nn0.iIobzkR0VgaVg0_KyQAds34fFUgOA5OfpsB3aoj4H6Y/img.jpg?width=980" id="d6b0d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c45f591e98c9d5696f0e4933b1dea863" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
<p>Neom is the shortened version of the Latin-Arabic term <strong>"Neo-Mustaqbal", </strong>which means "new future." How far in the future? The project's first phase is already complete and the second phase will be announced by the year's end, recently promised Neom's CEO <strong>Nadhmi Al-Nasr </strong>at the site of the city's first commercial airport Gayal.</p><p>The first phase involved the conceptualizing of the economic, funding and development plans for Neom. Actual construction also began on the airport and a resort. Phase two should result in fleshing out further details of "what Neom is going to be," Al-Nasr <a href="https://www.arabianbusiness.com/construction/424565-first-phase-of-saudi-arabias-8bn-giga-project-neom-complete" target="_blank">stated to Arab News.</a></p><blockquote>"Neom is all about things that are necessarily future-oriented and visionary," Al-Nasr <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-princes-500-billion-desert-dream-flying-cars-robot-dinosaurs-and-a-giant-artificial-moon-11564097568" target="_blank">wrote</a>. "So we are talking about technology that is cutting edge and beyond—and in some cases still in development and maybe theoretical."</blockquote>
Saudi Arabia Plans Futuristic City, "Neom" (Full Promotional Video)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="c646d528d230c1bf66c75422bc4ccf6f"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N53DzL3_BHA?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The project was introduced in 2017 by <strong>Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.</strong> It is planned to include <strong>450km </strong>of Red Sea coastline, which would make it a major vacation destination – 8 hours away flying from anywhere in the world, as calculated the consultants. Neom will span a total area of <strong>26,500 square km</strong> across three countries, including territory from North-Western Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. </p><p>The city itself will be "the world's first independent international zone," presents its <a href="https://www.neom.com/content/pdfs/NEOM-Faqs-en.pdf" target="_blank">marketing literature.</a> How independent it will actually be remains to be seen. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia set up a "special authority," chaired by the Crown Prince himself, to supervise the development of the project. Once its built, the zone will be managed via a "regulatory framework that will adopt world-class investment laws to support residents and targeted economic sectors," declares its <a href="https://www.neom.com/content/pdfs/NEOM-Faqs-en.pdf" target="_blank">presentation</a>, which also purports the city-state will have an "autonomous judicial system." Its laws, enforced by city-wide automation and tracking of its citizens, would be independent of Saudi Arabia's, created by a slate of both local and foreign investors "in accordance with international best practice."</p>
<p>If you're still wondering if the megacity would be subject to the Muslim Kingdom's societal practices, Neom <a href="https://www.neom.com/content/pdfs/NEOM-Faqs-en.pdf" target="_blank">claims</a> it will utilize the best practices from around the world that can improve the lives of its residents. </p><p>The reality may be quite different, however, as the Wall Street Journal's <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-princes-500-billion-desert-dream-flying-cars-robot-dinosaurs-and-a-giant-artificial-moon-11564097568" target="_blank">review</a> of the documents from the consultants found that the judges of Neom would be reporting directly to the king, while Sharia law would still be the law of the land. The one big exception might be alcohol, which supposedly would be allowed.</p><p>How long will the project take? The overall timeline estimates 7-10 years from now. The plan certainly has its detractors and possible human-rights issues, like the plan for the forced relocation of more than 20,000 people indigenous to the area.</p>
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Better reskilling can future-proof jobs in the age of automation. Enter SkillUp's new coalition.
Coronavirus layoffs are a glimpse into our automated future. We need to build better education opportunities now so Americans can find work in the economy of tomorrow.
09 July, 2020
Image: metamorworks / Shutterstock
Sponsored by Charles Koch Foundation
- Outplacement is an underperforming $5 billion dollar industry. A new non-profit coalition by SkillUp intends to disrupt it.
- More and more Americans will be laid off in years to come due to automation. Those people need to reorient their career paths and reskill in a way that protects their long-term livelihood.
- SkillUp brings together technology and service providers, education and training providers, hiring employers, worker outreach, and philanthropies to help people land in-demand jobs in high-growth industries.
<p><br></p>
<p>With COVID-19 ravaging our economy—leaving 40 million workers seeking unemployment benefits and<a href="https://www.stradaeducation.org/publicviewpoint/" target="_blank"> 55% of Americans</a> reporting lost income—the country desperately needs a better set of solutions to help workers reorient in the face of an uncertain future.</p><p>Employers have historically provided outplacement services to employees they lay off. Outplacement is a $5 billion industry in normal years that spikes dramatically during recessions. Companies that provide outplacement services typically charge <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/alextaub/2016/09/13/meet-velvetjobs-transforming-the-5-billion-career-transition-industry/#1fea8472b42e" target="_blank">$3,000 to $10,000 per worker</a>.</p><p>But the standard offering is paltry. Employees who have been laid off or are about to be laid off receive a bit of coaching, access to job listings, and resume reviews—and that's about it.</p>
<p>Yet we know that a couple of short coaching sessions, job listings and resume reviews don't result in jobs. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/27/how-to-get-a-job-often-comes-down-to-one-elite-personal-asset.html" target="_blank">Research shows</a> that 70% of all jobs aren't posted on job sites, and 80% of jobs are filled through connections, not blind applications.</p><p>Nor do these services result in the sort of higher paying jobs that allow individuals to become more productive working members of society on sounder footing, ready to navigate the twists and turns of a future that will see more technological unemployment and a vastly different set of required skill sets to future-proof jobs.</p><p>Instead, those who are laid off require something more: reskilling, relationships, and navigation to step it up and make progress in their lives.</p><p>Against this backdrop, a new effort, <a href="https://www.skillup.org/" target="_blank">SkillUp</a>, is launching to help workers select and prepare for career paths that align with the economy of the future. SkillUp is a non-profit leading a coalition of technology and service providers, education and training providers, hiring employers, worker outreach, and philanthropies to support laid off and furloughed workers.</p>
<blockquote>The coalition SkillUp is assembling is ultimately more than a set of solutions around outplacement that should persist past the current pandemic, but the coming promise of a more flexible, affordable, and convenient set of solutions to support individuals' upskilling and reskilling throughout their lives to fulfill their <strong>human potential.</strong> </blockquote>
<p>SkillUp offers a three-pronged approach:</p><ol><li><strong>Career navigation:</strong> Technology tools and coaching resources to help workers choose a productive pathway and orient around jobs and careers that will grow in the future of work.</li><li><strong>Training programs</strong><strong>: </strong>The coalition helps workers find educational and training programs matched to their career goals to help them upskill, so that they do not just go back into frontline or entry-level roles, but can make progress in their career and fortunes.</li><li><strong>Job opportunities: </strong>Using relationships with hiring employers and technology to match workers with open positions, SkillUp pairs workers with available opportunities.</li></ol><p>In addition, SkillUp is leveraging the technology of Next Chapter, an offering of Guild Education, where I'm a senior strategist, as well as Guild's partner network of large employers—many of whom are in a position to hire employees—and education providers. These relationships will help SkillUp move quickly to serve workers with a ready-made solution.</p><p>SkillUp's solution shows how employers can transition parts of their workforce to more productive pursuits over time. Employers have an incentive to drive this work to refresh their workforces in intentional ways that manage employee churn; to bolster employee morale; to preserve their company brand; to aid in personnel recruitment; and to ultimately help power the country's consumption-driven economy.</p><p>The coalition SkillUp is assembling is ultimately more than a set of solutions around outplacement that should persist past the current pandemic, but the coming promise of a more flexible, affordable, and convenient set of solutions to support individuals' upskilling and reskilling throughout their lives to fulfill their human potential. What that necessitates is a much broader shift in postsecondary education and a reshuffling of how higher education works.</p><p>Rather than just bank on existing colleges and universities and sources of debt-driven funding to disrupt themselves, the future of higher education will also rely on novel programs and arrangements, like SkillUp.</p><p>New funding mechanisms to pay for more education—from leveraging employers' willingness to pay in order to reap a return on investment to income share agreements that align incentives around the success of learners—will emerge to fund the education of learners.</p><p>On-ramp and last-mile programs along with hybrid colleges that marry online, competency-based learning with learning model innovations, no-excuses mindsets, and non-academic supports are emerging to alter how we prepare students to enter the workforce. Mobile learning solutions are making learning far more bite-sized and accessible on the job.</p>
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yMzQ0NTY4OS9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODkxODQ1M30.D410ne123uFlY13fF-tG-mfz4AMSEH9kyPoAi5JFaa0/img.png?width=980" id="f2b83" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4f7b97cdbfabea668df1de365ca0da15" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
Source: McKinsey Global Institute analysis [PDF]
<p>Work in understanding the skills at the heart of the new digital economy is leading to novel assessments that allow individuals to prove mastery to faithfully represent their abilities—but also to give weight and stackability to the emerging ecosystem of micro-credentials that make education more seamless across time and education providers. And we are seeing the beginnings of a renewal in the liberal arts, focused on building human skills in affordable ways that are accessible to many more individuals and far more effective.</p><p>Amidst these dark times, there is much opportunity to refresh the nation's education and training solutions to support the success of individuals and society writ large.</p>Michael Horn is the author of:
<div class="rm-shortcode amazon-assets-widget" data-rm-shortcode-id="628545219b2b1636ffdb74fac778bf9d" contenteditable="false"> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119570115?tag=bigthink00-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank"> <img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41qvW7Foe+L.jpg" class="amazon-assets-widget__image widget__image"> <div class="amazon-assets-widget__description"> <div class="amazon-assets-widget__title" style="display: block;">Choosing College: How to Make Better Learning Decisions Throughout Your Life</div> <div class="amazon-assets-widget__by-amazon"><!-- <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1119570115?tag=bigthink00-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1" target="_blank">by now at amazone</a> --></div> <div class="amazon-assets-widget__list-price"><span class="grey">List Price: </span><span class="list-price">$13.47</span></div> <div class="amazon-assets-widget__new-price"><span class="grey">New From: </span><span class="new-price">$14.95</span> <span class="grey">in Stock</span></div> <div class="amazon-assets-widget__used-price"><span class="grey">Used From: </span><span class="used-price">$9.49</span> <span class="grey">in Stock</span></div> </div> </a> </div>
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