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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

A person sitting on a chair in a cozy interior with brick walls, two windows, plants, and a lamp.

Are we disciplining ourselves out of happiness?

Many of us wake up each morning with something Oliver Burkeman calls “productivity debt.” The bestselling author and journalist explains this term as “a sense that you’ve got to work […]

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8 min

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Oliver Burkeman

A person with a bald head, white beard, and black glasses is wearing a light blue shirt, standing in a softly lit kitchen.

How one moment of shamelessness saved Andrew Zimmern’s life

After decades of drug and alcohol abuse, the chef and television personality labeled himself as an ‘irredeemable human being.’ Everything changed when he found the courage to ask for help.

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8 min

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Cursor pointing at a button labeled "Generate jobs" with an icon of a photo and sparkles.

The surprising data on AI and unemployment rates

“I’m here to argue that AI is not going to cause a rise in unemployment. I think it’s actually increased employment in the United States, not decreased it.”

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4 min

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Joseph Politano

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

The truth about supplements, from a doctor

“The truth is there are very few supplements that have good evidence-based medicine to support them.”

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5 min

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Person wearing a light blue suit and floral shirt, flexing both arms, set against a brick wall background.

How record-breaking swimmer Diana Nyad found strength and healing in the water

From anger to awe: How one woman overcame “debilitating trauma” to conquer a near-impossible 53-hour swim at 64.

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8 min

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