Leading theoretical physicist Antonio Padilla visits Google to discuss his new book, "Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest from Zero to Infinity." The book is a combination of popular and cutting-edge science, as well as a lively, entertaining, and even funny exploration of the most fundamental truths about the universe. For particularly brilliant theoretical physicists like James Clerk Maxwell, Paul Dirac, or Albert Einstein, the search for mathematical truths led to strange...
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Ep 292•Transcript available on Metacast Archaeologist Ian Hodder visits Google to discuss the origins of settled life in the Middle East. Recent archaeological discoveries have upturned our theories about the origins of agriculture and the dawn of settled life. While climate change and economic adaptation have long been seen as prime causes, recent work at Göbekli (Guh-BEK-li) and Çatalhöyük (CHATAL-hoyuk) in what is now Turkey has shown that social gatherings at ritual centers played a key role. The remarkable finds at Göbekli includ...
Nov 04, 2022•55 min•Ep 291•Transcript available on Metacast Renowned teacher and author Prem Rawat visits Google to discuss his book “Hear Yourself: How to Find Peace in a Noisy World.” The book aims to show readers how to quiet the noise of our busy lives to hear our own authentic voice—the source of peace. The cacophony of modern life can be deafening, leaving us feeling frazzled and uneasy. In this book, Prem Rawat teaches us how to turn down the noise to “hear ourselves”—to listen to the subtle song of peace that sings inside each of us. Once we lear...
Nov 01, 2022•54 min•Ep 290•Transcript available on Metacast Futurist and entreprenuer Jerry Kaplan visits Google to discuss his book “Humans Need Not Apply: A Guide to Wealth and Work in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. The common wisdom about Artificial Intelligence is that we are building increasingly intelligent machines that will ultimately surpass human capabilities and steal our jobs, or possibly even escape human control and take over the world. This narrative is both misguided and counterproductive. A more appropriate framing–better supported...
Oct 28, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 289•Transcript available on Metacast Deborah Liu visits Google to discuss her book "Take Back Your Power: 10 New Rules for Women at Work." We live in a world where women only make up 20% of Russell 300 company board seats; where for every 100 hundred men hired into management, only 86 women are promoted; where women earn six out of every ten college degrees, but make less money. And while we can't make the world fair, we can take back our power. As a woman in Silicon Valley who worked her way to the top of the corporate ladder, Deb...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 288•Transcript available on Metacast Before becoming a renowned journalist and public speaker, Nomi Prins reached the upper echelons of the financial world where she worked as a managing director at Goldman Sachs, ran the international analytics group at Bear Stearns, was a strategist at Lehman Brothers, and an analyst at the Chase Manhattan Bank. During her time on Wall Street, she grew increasingly aware of unethical practices that readily permeated the banking industry. Eventually, she decided to become an investigative journali...
Oct 21, 2022•55 min•Ep 287•Transcript available on Metacast Tiago Forte visits Google to discuss his latest book "Building a Second Brain: A Proven Method to Organize Your Digital Life and Unlock Your Creative Potential.” This revolutionary approach is designed to help us enhance productivity, create flow, and vastly increase our ability to capture, remember, and benefit from the unprecedented amount of information all around us. For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world’s knowledge. There has never been a better time to le...
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 286•Transcript available on Metacast Professor Cassie Holmes visits Google to discuss her book "Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most." Cassie argues that our most precious resource isn’t money. It’s time. We are allotted just twenty-four hours a day, and we live in a culture that keeps us feeling “time poor” —like we just never have enough. Since we can’t add more hours to the day, how can we experience our lives as being richer? Is it possible to spend our days so they aren’t just...
Oct 14, 2022•51 min•Ep 285•Transcript available on Metacast Actors Sue Ann Pien, Rick Glassman and Albert Rutecki visit Google to discuss the Amazon Original series As We See It. The show follows three roommates on the autism spectrum, as they strive to get and keep jobs, make friends, fall in love, and navigate the strange world of adulthood in a world that eludes them. Through her journey of understanding what it means to be on the autism spectrum, Sue Ann Pien has welcomed a greater acceptance of what makes her unique, and the freedom to express that....
Oct 11, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 284•Transcript available on Metacast Philosophy professor John Searle visits Google to discuss the philosophy of mind and the potential for consciousness in artificial intelligence. John is widely noted for his contributions to the philosophy of language, philosophy of mind, and social philosophy. Among his notable concepts is the "Chinese room" argument, which challenges the supposed language comprehension ability of artificial intelligence. Searle conceived of the “Chinese room” thought experiment in 1980. Imagine a native Englis...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep 283•Transcript available on Metacast Clara Rowe visits Google to discuss conservation non-profit Restor, sustainability, and the importance of open data platforms to accelerate the global restoration movement. Ecosystem restoration and conservation are essential for protecting Earth’s biodiversity and achieving climate goals with the potential to reduce 30% of accumulated global carbon emissions. Supported by a $1.2M grant from Google.org, Restor is accelerating the global restoration movement by connecting people to scientific dat...
Oct 04, 2022•51 min•Ep 282•Transcript available on Metacast Economist Gernot Wagner visits Google to discuss his book "Climate Shock: The Economic Consequences of a Hotter Planet". In the book, Wagner explores the likely repercussions of a hotter planet, drawing on and expanding from works previously unavailable to general audiences. He argues that the longer we wait to act, the more likely an extreme event will happen. Zeroing in on the unknown extreme risks that may yet dwarf all else, the book looks at how economic forces that make sensible climate po...
Sep 30, 2022•55 min•Ep 281•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Anton Treuer visits Google to discuss his book "Everything You Wanted to Know About Indians But Were Afraid to Ask." What have you always wanted to know about Indians? Do you think you should already know the answers—or suspect that your questions may be offensive? Is the term “Indians” even appropriate to use in the 21st century? In matter-of-fact responses to over 120 questions, both thoughtful and outrageous, modern and historical, Ojibwe scholar and cultural preservationist Anton Treuer ...
Sep 27, 2022•52 min•Ep 280•Transcript available on Metacast Actor Nick Offerman visits Google to discuss his book “Good Clean Fun: MIsadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop.” Nestled among the glitz and glitter of Hollywood is a testament to American elbow grease and a hard day’s work: Offerman Woodshop. Captained by woodworker, actor, comedian, and writer Nick Offerman, the shop produces not only fine handcrafted furniture, but also fun stuff like kazoos, baseball bats, ukuleles, mustache combs, and even cedar-strip canoes. Now Nick and his crew wan...
Sep 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep 279•Transcript available on Metacast Roham Gharegozlou visits Google to discuss his company Dapper Labs, the detailed history of cryptocurrency, and where he sees it going in the near future. Roham Gharegozlou is the co-founder and CEO of Dapper Labs and a leader in blockchain and Web3 technology. He is often cited as the pioneer of NFTs, with CryptoKitties being the first viral NFT project that broke Ethereum in 2017. From those learnings, Roham launched Dapper Labs from Axiom Zen in 2018, aiming to drive mainstream adoption of de...
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 278•Transcript available on Metacast Since 2008, Bea Johnson and her family have been dedicated to living a zero waste lifestyle, generating a mere quart-size jar of waste per year. Through her blog and her book ""Zero Waste Home"", Bea has launched a global movement and continues to inspire a growing community to live simply and take a stance against needless waste with the application of the 5R's: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Rot. This book shares essential how-to advice, secrets, and insights based on Bea’s experience. Sh...
Sep 16, 2022•58 min•Ep 277•Transcript available on Metacast Author Harry Parker visits Google to discuss his book "Hybrid Humans: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Man and Machine". This book is a gripping, eye-opening firsthand account of how technology is altering our understanding of what it means to be human. Harry Parker’s life changed overnight when he lost his legs to a bomb in Afghanistan. He now wears prosthetic legs from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to bed, reliant on them to move about the world. The tech he relies on is now so ...
Sep 13, 2022•58 min•Ep 276•Transcript available on Metacast What is it about Star Trek that has proved so durable - not to say indestructible? Over half a century after its unpromising beginnings, how and why has Star Trek expanded and captured the imaginations and hearts of so many adherents, many of whom have gone onto distinguished careers in space exploration, working for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Nasa, SpaceX, and Blue Origin? In 1981, Nicholas Meyer was something less than a true believer when he was asked to direct the troubled second Star Tr...
Sep 09, 2022•49 min•Ep 275•Transcript available on Metacast Most of us eat three meals a day, plus a smattering of snacks, because we think that’s the normal, healthy way to eat. Mark Mattson’s book, “The Intermittent Fasting Revolution,” argues why that’s not the case. The human body and brain evolved to function well in environments where food could be obtained only intermittently. When we look at the eating patterns of our distant ancestors, we can see that periods of fasting are normal—and eating three meals a day is not. In “The Intermittent Fasting...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep 274•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist Annie Jacobsen visits Google to discuss her book "The Pentagon's Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America's Top-Secret Military Research Agency". Ms. Jacobsen has written the first history of the Defense Department's most secret, most powerful, and most controversial military science research & development agency. She draws on inside sources, exclusive interviews, private documents, and declassified memos to paint a picture of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DA...
Sep 02, 2022•49 min•Ep 273•Transcript available on Metacast Fatima Al-Banawi visits Google to discuss her career and her project entitled The Other Story, a collection of real life stories and personal narratives from locals and visitors to her hometown of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. These collections enter the social arena through storytelling to highlight our shared humanity and to record the eclectic voices of a specific place and time in history. Fatima Al-Banawi is an internationally acclaimed actress, filmmaker, and writer with a masters degree from Harv...
Aug 30, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep 272•Transcript available on Metacast In August 2006, the International Astronomical Union voted Pluto out of planethood. Far from the sun, tiny, and eccentric in orbit, it's a wonder Pluto has any fans. Yet during the mounting debate over Pluto's status, Americans rallied behind this extraterrestrial underdog. The year of Pluto's discovery, Disney created the iconic cartoon puppy by the same name, and, as one NASA scientist put it, Pluto was "discovered by an American for America." Pluto is entrenched in our cultural, patriotic vie...
Aug 26, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep 271•Transcript available on Metacast Dr. Myron Rolle visits Google to discuss his book "The 2% Way: How a Philosophy of Small Improvements Took Me to Oxford, the NFL, and Neurosurgery". This book tells the story of his incredible journey, revealing how a strong work ethic, deep faith, and the family values instilled by his Bahamian immigrant parents set the stage for the transformative life philosophy that enabled him to overcome adversity, defy expectations, and create a life of meaning and purpose. Not long ago, Myron L. Rolle wa...
Aug 23, 2022•43 min•Ep 270•Transcript available on Metacast After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In her book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities. People with a fixed mindset—those who believe that abilities are fixed—are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset—those who believe tha...
Aug 19, 2022•50 min•Ep 269•Transcript available on Metacast Alan Murray visits Google to discuss his book "Tomorrow's Capitalist: My Search for the Soul of Business", a frontline report on the business revolution that is transforming much of the corporate world. "Tomorrow’s Capitalist" reveals how corporate CEOs—the ultimate pragmatists—realized how critical it is that they confront the fundamental issues of our time: climate, diversity and inclusion, inequality, and workforce opportunity, in response to their employees and customers who are demanding co...
Aug 16, 2022•43 min•Ep 268•Transcript available on Metacast Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman visits Google to discuss his book "Thinking, Fast and Slow." In this Talk, Kahneman takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think - System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities—and also the faults and biases—of fast thinking, and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on ...
Aug 12, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Ep 267•Transcript available on Metacast Annie Murphy Paul visits Google to discuss her book "The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain". The book discusses how we can tap the intelligence that exists beyond our brains—in our bodies, our surroundings, and our relationships. “Use your head” - that’s what we tell ourselves when facing a tricky problem or a difficult project. But a growing body of research indicates that we’ve got it exactly backwards. What we need to do, says Annie Murphy Paul, is think outside the brain...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep 266•Transcript available on Metacast When Mark Pollock lost his sight at the age of twenty-two, he thought his life was over. The story of how he overcame the odds to rebuild his life and exceed his own wildest expectations has inspired people the world over. In his story, you will find what can’t be taught in school: the true education that is garnered from what Mark calls 'the university of life'. Unbroken by blindness, Mark became an adventure athlete competing in ultra-endurance races across deserts, mountains, and the polar ic...
Aug 05, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Ep 265•Transcript available on Metacast Matt Damon & Gary White visit Google to discuss their recent book "The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World's Greatest Challenge”. This is the incredible true story of two unlikely allies on a mission to end the global water crisis.. With humor and humility, Matt & Gary illuminate the challenges of launching a brand-new model with extremely high stakes: better health and greater prosperity for people all over the world. "The Worth of Water" invites us to become a part of t...
Aug 02, 2022•43 min•Ep 264•Transcript available on Metacast Nikola Tesla invented the radio, robots, and the remote control. His electric induction motors run our appliances and factories, and yet he has been often overlooked by history. In "Tesla: Inventor of the Modern", Richard Munson presents a comprehensive portrait of this farsighted and underappreciated mastermind. When Tesla’s first breakthrough―alternating current, the basis of our electric grid―pitted him against Thomas Edison’s direct-current empire, Tesla’s superior technology prevailed. Unfo...
Jul 29, 2022•44 min•Ep 263•Transcript available on Metacast 
