Talks at Google

Actor, producer and director Idris Elba visits Google to discuss the creative influence that Africa and its diaspora has across the tech, entertainment and business worlds. The only child of African immigrants to the UK, Idris Elba is one of a handful of British actors who can claim to be a Hollywood leading man. In 2002, he rose to fame playing the role of Stringer Bell in HBO’s “The Wire”, which is still considered to be one of the finest TV dramas ever made. He went on to big-screen success and cultural ubiquity, as an actor, director, producer, musician, fashion designer, philanthropist, dare-devil, podcaster, and heart-throb. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

12 Sep 202344min

Behaviorist dog trainer Rob Peladeau visits Google to discuss effective strategies for training your dog. Rob has been training dogs for almost twenty years, specializing in behavior modification and rehabilitation of aggressive and reactive dogs, as well as problem solving for unwanted behaviors. Rob and his company NextGen K9 specialize in helping dogs that struggle to cope with the urban environment we live in. Many unwanted traits become apparent when dogs are not given the right stimulus that they need to cope with city living. The close proximity of the space we share in urban areas makes a reactive or aggressive dog stand out. It can also turn dangerous in some cases, injuring other dogs, cats or human adults or children. Join us for a Talk about how a dog learns, the concepts of Marker Training, and behavior modification through counter conditioning. Originally published in December of 2014. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

8 Sep 20231h 1min

Author and research scientist Lewis Dartnell visits Google to discuss his book “Being Human: How our Biology Shaped World History.” The book explores how our biology has shaped our relationships, our societies, our economies and our wars, and how it continues to challenge and define our progress. Powerful yet dextrous, instinctive yet thoughtful, humans are expert communicators and innovators. Our exceptional abilities have created the civilization we know today. But we're also deeply flawed. Our bodies break, choke and fail, whether we're kings or peasants. Diseases thwart our boldest plans. Our psychological biases have been at the root of terrible decisions in both war and peacetime. This extraordinary contradiction is the essence of what it means to be human - the sum total of our frailties and our faculties. And history has played out in the balance between them. Now, for the first time, Lewis Dartnell tells our story through the lens of this unique, capricious and fragile nature. He explores how our biology has shaped our relationships, our societies, our economies and our wars, and how it continues to challenge and define our progress.  Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

5 Sep 202355min

Psychotherapist Barry Michels visits Google to discuss his book “The Tools,” which he co-authored with psychiatrist Phil Stutz. The book presents a uniquely effective set of four tools that bring about dynamic change in the present and impart a greater understanding of the depth and complexity of the human condition. “The Tools” addresses the most common complaint patients have about psychotherapy: the interminable wait for change to begin. Barry Michels, an LA-based therapist, was frustrated by his inability to bring his patients faster relief from the issues that plagued them. He found a mentor in Phil Stutz, a psychiatrist who years before devised a methodology that arose from a similar disenchantment. The traditional therapeutic model sets its sights on the past, but Stutz and Michels employ exercises that access the power of the unconscious and effectively meet the most persistent problems people face--and the results are electrifying. Stutz and Michels are much sought-after--a recent profile in The New Yorker touted them as an "open secret" in Hollywood--and treat a high-powered and creative clientele. This book transcends the typical self-help genre because of its paradigm-changing material, the credibility of its authors, and the instant appeal and empowerment of its message. With “The Tools,” Stutz and Michels allow you to realize the full range of your potential. Their goal is nothing less than for your life to become exceptional—exceptional in its resiliency, in its experience of real happiness, and in its understanding of the human spirit. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

1 Sep 202356min

Psychologist, author and mindfulness performance expert George Mumford visits Google to discuss his book “Unlocked: Embrace Your Greatness, Find the Flow, Discover Success”. We all strive to find flow, when our skills, expertise, and mindset are aligned and we can perform at the highest level. George Mumford calls this being “unlocked”—a state anyone can achieve at any time. As a psychologist trained in the field of mindfulness and personal development expert, Mumford has decades of experience helping a wide range of individuals contend with the challenges and opportunities inherent in life, including CEOs and NBA superstars as well as those experiencing homelessness and fighting addiction. Now, in this life-changing guide, he shares his wisdom with all of us, no matter our background or socioeconomic status, guiding us on a path to discovering and harnessing our own individual potential. Filled with tangible insights, unexpected ancient wisdom, and inspiring stories from his clients and his own life—from his darkest moments of addiction and inner turmoil to training some of the best athletes in the world—”Unlocked” is the culmination of Mumford’s life’s work. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

29 Aug 202347min

Author Sam Gosling visits Google to discuss his book "Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You". Does what's on your desk reveal what's on your mind? Do those pictures on your walls tell true tales about you? And is your favorite outfit about to give you away? For the last ten years, psychologist Sam Gosling has been studying how people project (and protect) their inner selves. By exploring our private worlds, such as desks, bedrooms, even our clothes and our cars, he shows not only how we showcase our personalities in unexpected-and unplanned-ways, but also how we create personality in the first place, communicate it to others, and interpret the world around us. Gosling, one of the field's most innovative researchers, dispatches teams of scientific snoops to poke around dorm rooms and offices, to see what can be learned about people simply from looking at their stuff. Sam Gosling is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He has spent the last decade conducting research on how personality is expressed and perceived in everyday contexts. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

25 Aug 20231h 3min

Astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance visits Google to discuss her book “Starstruck: A Memoir of Astrophysics and Finding Light in the Dark.” The book is an inspirational and science-packed memoir that details how she carved out a place in the field of astrophysics, grounding herself in her passion and a lifelong love of the stars. As a child, Sarafina spent nearly every evening with her father gazing up at the flickering stars and pondering what secrets the night sky held. The daughter of an American father and Egyptian mother who both pushed her toward academic excellence, Sarafina dreamed of becoming an astronomer and untangling the mysteries of the stars overhead. But it wasn’t long before she was told, both explicitly and implicitly, that girls just weren’t cut out for math and science. In “Starstruck”, Sarafina invites us to consider the cosmos through fascinating science lessons to open each chapter. But she also traces more earthbound obstacles, such as misogyny and racism, abuse and intergenerational trauma, anxiety and self-doubt, and cancer diagnoses and recovery. As her career and passion for space brought her from UT Austin to UC Berkeley, and even to a Mars astronaut simulation in Hawai’i, Sarafina learned how to survive—and ultimately thrive—in a space that was seldom welcoming to women.  Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

22 Aug 202349min

Russell Brand and Bob Roth visit Google to discuss transcendental meditation, commonly referred to as TM, and how it has greatly improved their lives. Comedian, actor, and best-selling author Russell Brand has been practicing Transcendental Meditation for nearly 10 years. He says the technique has been instrumental in fostering creativity, appreciating fatherhood, and maintaining his recovery from addiction. Bob Roth, a TM teacher, taught Russell to meditate and the two remain close friends. Bob and Russell will be discussing the benefits of practicing Transcendental Meditation, how TM has personally helped Russell, and how TM can help people suffering from stress and trauma. Originally published in May of 2017. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

18 Aug 202354min