Ep518 - Ravi Bapna & Anindya Ghose | Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI

Nick Lane visits Google to discuss his new book “Transformer: The Deep Chemistry of Life and Death.” What brings the Earth to life, and our own lives to an end? For decades, biology has been dominated by the study of genetic information. Information is important, but it is only part of what makes us alive. Our inheritance also includes our living metabolic network, a flame passed from generation to generation, right back to the origin of life. In Transformer, biochemist Nick Lane reveals a scientific renaissance that is hiding in plain sight —how the same simple chemistry gives rise to life and causes our demise. Lane reveals the beautiful, violent world of the Krebs cycle, where hydrogen atoms within our cells are stripped from the carbon skeletons of food and fed to the ravenous beast of oxygen. Yet this same cycle, spinning in reverse, also created the chemical building blocks that enabled the emergence of life on our planet. Now it does both. How can the same pathway create and destroy? What might our study of the Krebs cycle teach us about the mysteries of aging and the hardest problem of all, consciousness? Transformer unites the story of our planet with the story of our cells—what makes us the way we are, and how it connects us to the origin of life. Enlivened by Lane’s talent for distilling and humanizing complex research, Transformer offers an essential read for anyone fascinated by biology’s great mysteries. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

16 Jan 202444min

Acclaimed author George Saunders visits Google to discuss his book “The Braindead Megaphone.” "The Braindead Megaphone", George Saunders's first foray into nonfiction, is comprised of essays on literature, travel, and politics. At the core of this unique collection are Saunders's travel stories, such as the mysteries of Nepal’s so-called "Buddha Boy", the extravagant pleasures of Dubai, and his attempts to join the minutemen at the Mexican border. Saunders expertly navigates the works of Mark Twain, Kurt Vonnegut, and Esther Forbes, and leads the reader across the rocky political landscape of modern America. Emblazoned with his trademark wit and singular vision, Saunders's endeavor into the art of the essay is testament to his exceptional range and ability as a writer and thinker. George Saunders's writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's, GQ, and The Guardian. A professor at Syracuse University, he has won the National Magazine Award for fiction and an O. Henry Award. Originally published in September of 2007. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

12 Jan 202447min

Reba McEntire visits Google to discuss her memoir “Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots.” This new photo-driven book is filled with the stories, recipes, and Oklahoma-style truths that guide her life. Multimedia entertainment mogul Reba McEntire has become a household name through a successful career that includes music, television, film, theater, retail, and hospitality. This Country Music Hall of Famer and Hollywood Bowl member has more than 50 award wins under her belt, earning honors from the Academy of Country Music Awards, American Music Awards, People's Choice Awards, CMA Awards, and GRAMMY® Awards. Reba has celebrated unprecedented success, including 35 career number-one singles and more than 58 million albums sold worldwide. Reba earned her 60th Top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay charts, extending her record for the most Top 10 hits among female artists. Reba's Top 10 successes span five straight decades, landing her in the singular group with only George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Dolly Parton. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

9 Jan 202431min

Julie Andrews visits Google with her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton to share reflections on her astonishing career, including such classics as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, and Victor/Victoria. In her first memoir “Home,” Julie Andrews recounted her difficult childhood and her emergence as an acclaimed singer and performer on the stage. With this second memoir, “Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years”, Andrews picks up the story with her arrival in Hollywood and her phenomenal rise to fame in her earliest films--Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. Andrews describes her years in the film industry, from the incredible highs to the challenging lows. Not only does she discuss her work in now-classic films and her collaborations with giants of cinema and television, she also unveils her personal story of adjusting to a new and often daunting world, dealing with the demands of unimaginable success, the end of her first marriage, and falling in love with the brilliant and mercurial Blake Edwards. Cowritten with her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton, and told with Andrews's trademark charm and candor, “Home Work” takes us on a rare and intimate journey into an extraordinary life that is funny, heartrending, and inspiring. Originally published in October of 2019 and moderated by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Visit YouTube.com/TalksatGoogle to watch the video.

5 Jan 202459min

El futbolista argentino Ángel Di María se une a nosotros para hablar sobre su trayectoria, su carrera y cómo el tema de LHM “Estamos en camino” resuena con él. Originario de Rosario, Argentina, Ángel empezó su car rera como futbolista allá por 2005 con 17 años en el club Rosario Central. Dos años más tarde ya sería citado para el torneo Sudamericano con la selección sub-20. Mediocampista aguerrido y de presencias claves, su carrera se consolidó en grandes clubes como el Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG, y la Juventus para luego regresar al Benfica, su primer club internacional que hoy lo recibe nuevamente ya consagrado. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

2 Jan 202423min

Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic visits Google to discuss her book “Storytelling with Data”. It’s surprisingly easy to make a confusing graph. No one sets out with that purpose, but it happens frequently—across all industries and by all sorts of well-intending people. One way to avoid this challenge is to never simply show data, but rather to tell a story with it. “Storytelling with Data” teaches you the fundamentals of data visualization and how to communicate effectively with data. You'll discover the power of storytelling and the way to make data a pivotal point in your story. Storytelling is not an inherent skill, especially when it comes to data visualization, and the tools at our disposal don't make it any easier. This book demonstrates how to go beyond conventional tools to reach the root of your data, and how to use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. Rid your world of ineffective graphs, one exploding 3D pie chart at a time. There is a story in your data—and this book will give you the skills and power to tell it. Originally published in November of 2015. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

29 Dec 202355min

David Allemann visits Google to discuss his company ON, one of the fastest growing global sports brands. He also discusses his career journey, product success, IPO story, & how ON was able to become a prominent name in the saturated market of athletic shoes. David Allemann co-leads the Swiss Sports Company ON, and puts a special focus on product, design, marketing and the direct-to-consumer business of the company. Previously, David worked at the intersection of business and creativity at McKinsey & Company, as Managing Director of advertising agency Young & Rubicam, and as CMO of design brand Vitra. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

26 Dec 202350min

Suzette Quintanilla joins us for a special chat on Selena Quintanilla's life and powerful legacy. In October of 2017, Google launched a Google Doodle celebrating Selena Quintanilla, one of the most celebrated and beloved Mexican-American artists and entertainers in history and often named the "Queen of Tejano Music." In light of this celebration, Selena's sister and former bandmate joined us at Google San Francisco. Selena’s contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers of the late 20th century. In 2020, Billboard magazine put her in third place on their list of "Greatest Latino Artists of All Time", based on both Latin albums and Latin songs chart. Media outlets called her the "Tejano Madonna" for her clothing choices. She also ranks among the most influential Latin artists of all time and is credited for catapulting the Tejano genre into the mainstream market. Selena has sold 18 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling female artists in Latin music. Originally published in October of 2017. Visit http://youtube.com/TalksAtGoogle/ to watch the video.

22 Dec 20231h 1min