BigThink's videos

The Dislocated Male

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 21:47:01 GMT

What’s left of the male breadwinner stereotype may not survive the recession. The results won’t be pretty. http://bigthink.com/series/the-problem-with-men

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com., Reihan, Salam, Think, masculinity, men, stereotypes

Green: Too White?

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 19:14:02 GMT

Environmental activism is largely the province of the white upper-middle class. How can this change? http://bigthink.com/alexmatthiessen

By BigThink

Tags : Alex, Big, BigThink.com, Matthiessen, Riverkeeper, Think, activism, conservation, environment, environmental, greenwashing

Making Money Less Abstract

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 07:57:00 GMT

Dan Ariely gives tips on how we can learn to compare each dollar we spend to a trip to the Bahamas, or a latte. http://bigthink.com/danariely

By BigThink

Tags : Ariely, Big, BigThink.com, Black, Dan, Friday, Think, money, saving, shopping, spending

David Small on NBA Nomination: "I'm Overwhelmed

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:19:02 GMT

“Stitches” was only the second graphic novel ever to be nominated for a National Book Award. Author David Small discussed what the honor meant to him and why his dark memoir was NOT miscategorized. http://bigthink.com/davidsmall

By BigThink

Tags : Award, Big, BigThink.com, Book, David, National, Small, Stitches, Think, graphic, novel

Why Roth Is Wrong About the Novel

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:22:00 GMT

Philip Roth believes books will soon be dead. Paul Auster respectfully—and strenuously—disagrees. http://bigthink.com/paulauster

By BigThink

Tags : Auster, Big, BigThink.com, Paul, Philip, Roth, Think, literature, novel, writing

Making People Think They Enjoy Sex

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:20:01 GMT

Striving for titillation may be fun, but for Jonathan Ames the true aim of writing about the act is somewhat cathartic--if only he could reach all of those needy souls posting odd desires on Craigslist. http://bigthink.com/jonathanames

By BigThink

Tags : Ames, Big, BigThink.com, Bored, to, Death, HBO, Jason, Jonathan, Schwartzman, Think, fear, literature, love, sex, writing

The Precarious Fate of Barack Obama

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:26:00 GMT

The president faces a choice, Cornell West says. He can be a masterful, Machiavellian politician like Bill Clinton or a great transformative leader like Abraham Lincoln. http://bigthink.com/cornelwest

By BigThink

Tags : Abraham, Barack, Big, BigtThink.com, Cornel, Lincoln, Obama, President, Think, West

John Irving’s Twenty Year Sentence

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:28:00 GMT

For even our best writers, penning that final sentence can be a difficult and tortuous affair. For John Irving, who never begins a novel without knowing its concluding words, this sentence took two decades http://bigthink.com/johnirving

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Irving, John, Last, Night, on, Twisted, River, Think, literature

Russell Simmons on the Death of Hip-Hop

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:59:03 GMT

Between Jay-Z, LL Cool J and Ice-T, no signs point downwards. http://bigthink.com/russellsimmons

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Cool, Def, Ice-T, J, Jam, Jay-Z, LL, Russsell, Simmons, Think, hip-hop, rap

How Free Would Work

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:57:00 GMT

In the digital world, there’s disconnect between the price of production and the final price of the product. What does this mean for business? Wired editor-in-chief, Chris Anderson, explains. http://bigthink.com/chrisanderson

By BigThink

Tags : Anderson, Big, BigThink.com, Chris, Long, Tail, Think, Wired, business, free

Women and Gays in Combat: A Soldier Sounds Off

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:49:01 GMT

Jason Christopher Hartley believes homosexuals belong in the infantry—and women don’t. http://bigthink.com/jasonchristopherhartley

By BigThink

Tags : Ask, Big, BigThink.com, Christopher, Don't, Hartley, Iraq, Jason, Tell, Think, gays, military, veteran, war

Unearthing Parkinson’s Secrets

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 18:48:02 GMT

23andMe could soon be poised to announce new discoveries that could benefit the community, says co-founder Anne Wojcicki. http://bigthink.com/annewojcicki

By BigThink

Tags : 23andMe, Anne, Big, BigThink.com, Disease, Parkinson’s, Think, Wojcicki

The Calculus of Carnage

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:01:00 GMT

An Iraq veteran reflects on the disturbing ratio of enemies to innocents killed in combat. http://bigthink.com/jasonchristopherhartley

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Christopher, Hartley, Iraq, Jason, Think, veteran, war

When Genomes and iPhones Meet

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:45:01 GMT

Though Dawkins has earned fame for explicating the human past, what currently excites him most in science is the prospect of a future where accessing one’s genetic information is as easy as phoninh a friend. http://bigthink.com/richarddawkins

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Dawkins, Richard, Think, genetics, genome, human, iphone, science, technology

Letting Science Inform Morality

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:02:02 GMT

While science is indelibly distinct from the field of ethics, Richard Dawkins believes that there are a number of ways in which it could greatly benefit our ability to understand and repair the world’s suffering. http://bigthink.com/richarddawkins

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Dawkins, Richard, Think, biology, evolution, religion, science

A Successful TV Writer On Why Not To Write For TV

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:58:02 GMT

Josh Lieb worked in the writer's rooms of comedy successes from the Simpsons to the Daily Show, but he warns that the job is full of more frustrations than glory. If there's anything else you can do, he says, do that. http://bigthink.com/joshlieb

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Central, Comedy, Jon, Josh, Lieb, Stewart, TV, The, Daiy, Show, Think

Overcoming Art’s True Test: Discipline

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:22:02 GMT

While artists are known for following whims and dodging routine, the Irish painter Guggi insists that hard-work, structure, and a refusal to put down even the most frustrating piece, are the keys to developing one’s talent. http://bigthink.com/guggi

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Guggi, Ireland, Think, art

Madness as Muse

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 17:59:00 GMT

Jamison dispels some of the romance surrounding the life of the depressed artist, and argues that it’s possible to treat mental illness without losing creative impulses. http://bigthink.com/kayredfieldjamison

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Jamison, Kay, Redfield, Think, art, depression, literature, psychology

Is Facebook Making Us Sad?

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:06:01 GMT

Facebook and Twitter, by making our lives increasingly public, make avoiding the dangerous drive towards perfectionism difficult. Tal Ben-Shahar explains why. http://bigthink.com/talbenshahar

By BigThink

Tags : Ben-Shahar, Big, BigThink.com, Facebook, Tal, Think, Twitter, happiness

How the Tape Recorder Killed Journalism

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:34:02 GMT

Gay Talese describes the deleterious effects that recording devices, hollowed expense accounts, and an emphasis on 'indoor life' have had on the writing process. http://bigthink.com/gaytalese

By BigThink

Tags : Big, BigThink.com, Gay, Talese, Think, journalism