Talks at Google

This week, actor Andrew Rannels discusses his directorial debut with an episode of Modern Love, a co-production of Amazon Studios and The New York Times. Each episode brings to life a different story that has been inspired by the newspaper's popular Modern Love column. This anthology series explores love in all of its complicated and beautiful forms, as well as its effects on the human connection, and the episode Rannells directed is based upon a personal essay that he penned for the New York Times column.  Andrew Rannels is a Grammy Award-winning stage, film, and television actor who is well known for his roles in Netflix’s The Prom, Showtime’s Black Monday, and HBO’s Girls. Andrew also originated the lead role of Elder Price in the award-winning musical The Book of Mormon, which earned him a Tony nomination for Best Lead Actor in a Musical. Moderated by Megan Green. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

26 Okt 202159min

Samuel Brinton, the son of two Southern Baptist ministers, shares his experiences with years of so-called “conversion therapy” designed to "cure" him of his homosexuality. In this talk, Sam speaks about his experiences in the hopes that others who have endured similar struggles will find hope. Today, Samuel is the Vice President of Advocacy and Government Affairs at the Trevor Project, a leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth under 25. Originally published in July of 2014. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

22 Okt 202150min

Humor is serious business. And that’s a fact backed by cold, hard research. Humor builds bonds, defuses tension, boosts innovation, and bolsters resilience through hard times. That’s why Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas teach a class called “Humor: Serious Business”, at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, a course that has helped some of the world’s most hard-driving, blazer-wearing business minds have more joy in their work and lives. In their book Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life, Jennifer and Naomi share advice from world-class comedians, findings from behavioral scientists, and stories from leaders around the world. They reveal how humor works — and how it not only changes the way you do business, but live life. Research tells us that humor can be one of the most powerful tools we have for accomplishing serious things. Studies show that humor makes us appear more competent and confident, strengthens relationships, unlocks creativity, and helps us get through tough times. Get the book here: https://goo.gle/2S9YGzP Moderated by Helen Riley. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

19 Okt 20211h 2min

As climate change, wildfires, and decades-long megadroughts continue to ravage once-vibrant parts of our planet, humanity is experiencing an overdue reckoning about our most precious resource: water. Enter director Jessica Yu and her film Last Call at the Oasis, a documentary that firmly establishes the urgency of the global water crisis as the central issue facing our world in the 21st century. The film illustrates the paramount role that water plays in our lives, exposes the defects in how we currently manage water, and highlights communities already struggling with polluted water, poor water management, and unyielding drought. Featuring activist Erin Brockovich, several respected water experts, and social entrepreneurs championing revolutionary solutions, the film posits that humanity can address this problem if we are willing to act now. The future of our planet, and our species, hangs in the balance. Originally published in February of 2012. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

15 Okt 202116min

Psychology professor Dr. Paul Slovic discusses the way people tend to perceive mass tragedies and losses at scale. He and his colleagues worldwide have developed methods to describe risk perceptions and measure their impacts on individuals, industry, and society. His most recent work examines “psychic numbing” and the failure to respond to global threats from genocide and nuclear war. We as a global society value individual lives greatly and respond strongly to protect a single person in need - yet we often ignore mass tragedies and fail to take appropriate measures to reduce their losses.  As casualty numbers grow larger, we become insensitive; the data fails to trigger the emotion or feeling necessary to motivate action. In some cases, large numbers convey a false sense of inefficacy, discouraging us from taking valuable actions. Understanding how our minds deceive us in the face of large losses of life is essential to motivating actions needed to reduce the harm from the catastrophic consequences associated with poverty, disease, climate disasters, and violence. Moderated by Ozgen Dundar. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

12 Okt 202152min

Eckhart Tolle is widely recognized as one of the most inspiring and visionary spiritual teachers in the world today. His bestselling books The Power of Now and A New Earth aim to help readers find freedom by living their lives in the present moment, instead of dwelling on the past or fretting about the future. The New York Times has described him as “the most popular spiritual author in the United States”, and in 2011, Watkins Review named him “the most spiritually influential person in the world”. Eckhart’s teachings focus on the significance and power of Presence, a more awakened state of consciousness which can help us transcend our egos and reduce negative thinking. Eckhart sees this inner awakening as the essential next step in human evolution. This event was originally in February of 2012. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

8 Okt 20211h 28min

This week, mathematician and emeritus Oxford University Professor John Lennox discusses his book, “2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity” You don't have to be a computer scientist to get involved in the discussion about where artificial intelligence and technology are going. What will the year 2084 hold for you--for your friends, for your family, and for our society? Are we doomed to the grim dystopia imagined in George Orwell's 1984? In "2084", scientist and philosopher John Lennox introduces a kaleidoscope of ideas: the key developments in technological enhancement, bioengineering, and in particular, artificial intelligence. He discusses the current capacity of AI, its advantages and disadvantages, the facts and the fiction, as well as potential future implications. Get the book here: https://goo.gle/3bEon1U. To learn more about John, please visit https://www.johnlennox.org/. Moderated by Ticho Tenev. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

5 Okt 20211h 1min

Satyajit Bhatkal, acclaimed director of the superhit television series “Satyamev Jayate,” and CEO of the Paani Foundation, talks about the foundation's work to address the water crisis in the Indian state of Maharashtra through decentralized watershed planning. The Paani Foundation was founded by Satyajit's close friend and beloved movie superstar Aamir Khan and his wife Kiran Rao.  The Paani Foundation team were the minds behind the “Satyamev Jayate Water Cup Challenge,” which awards annual prizes to community groups that invent the most innovative, efficient, and cost-effective rain harvesting and watershed management systems. This challenge has rallied the nation, involving all strata of public society, government institutions, private corporations, startups and community groups to transform the lives of millions of people across India. This event was originally recorded in August of 2019. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

1 Okt 202152min