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Great Question

35 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 (35)

Various capsules arranged diagonally on a blue surface, alternating between light and dark colors.

The truth about supplements, from a doctor

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5 min

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A baby with blonde hair and blue eyes looks upward with a curious expression against a blue background.

The “unethical” myth about having children

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5 min

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A bear attempting to catch a jumping fish near a waterfall.

Nature’s “perfect balance” is a mystery scientists are trying to decode

A man in a suit looks upward with a surprised expression. There is a fiery effect in the foreground. Buildings and people are visible in the background.

How your brain works in an emergency, in 9 minutes

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9 min

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A bulletin board with newspaper clippings, maps, and strings. The text "THE HIDDEN TRUTH?" is prominently displayed in the center.

Our information pipelines have shifted. They’re fueling conspiracy theories

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8 min

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People say altruism is selfish. They’re not wrong

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6 min

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How to evaluate social norms as an independent thinker

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5 min

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Michael Spitzer

Ask a physicist: Do humans have souls?

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5 min

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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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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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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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Related

Michio Kaku wants to solve Einstein’s unfinished equation

“An equation, perhaps no more than one inch long, that would allow us to, quote, “Read the mind of God.””

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01:08:41 min

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A red flower with a green stem and leaf drawn using overlapping scribbled lines on a black background.

Anxiety gives you an advantage. Unlock it with neuroplasticity

“Anxiety is focused on things that are important to you in life. That is the key.”

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18 min

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Illustration of a brain with highlighted regions overlaid on a close-up image of blue synapses and neurons, representing neural communication.

How and why your memories shift over time, explained by neuroscience

Your brain changes when you experience something, and it changes again when you remember it. Two neuroscientists explain what that means for memory, perception, and identity.

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3 min

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A split image showing the left half of a woman's face and the right half as a digital brain with neural connections and data waves.

Trauma, healing, and your nervous system explained

Three doctors break down brain function, somatic awareness, and how to recover from bad experiences.

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7 min

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This one essential trait begins shaping us seconds after birth

What if emotional regulation isn’t just a trait, but a skill parents and teachers can help develop? Ethan Kross reveals what science says about shaping young minds.

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3 min

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