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Chances are, we’re not alone in the universe. But if that’s true — why can’t we seem to find our neighbors? This question is known as the Fermi paradox, and it continues to go unsolved. However, some theories could offer potential solutions. Physicist Brian Cox explains the paradox and walks us through our best guesses as to the reason for our quasi-isolation.
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Chapters:
0:00 Who is Enrico Fermi?
0:22 What is the Fermi Paradox?
1:29 Rare Earth Hypothesis
2:41 Extinguished Civilizations
3:51 Technological Singularity
4:34 Vast Distances
5:14 Cosmic Quarantine
7:31 The Great Filter
9:51 The Great Silence
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About Brian Cox: Brian Cox obtained a first class honors degree in physics from the University of Manchester in 1995 and in 1998 a Ph.D. in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg. Brian is now Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Brian is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for all things scientific, having presented a number of highly acclaimed science programs for the BBC watched by billions internationally including ‘Adventures in Space and Time’ (2021), ‘Universe’ (2021), ‘The Planets’ (2018), ‘Forces of Nature’ (2016), ‘Human Universe’ (2014), ‘Wonders of Life’ (2012), ‘Wonders of the Universe’ (2011) and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ (2010). As an author, Brian has also sold over a million books worldwide including ‘Black Holes’, ‘Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos’, ‘Quantum Universe’ and ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ with co-author Professor Jeffrey Forshaw. He also wrote the series of books to accompany his popular television and radio programs
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Want to be more intelligent? Here’s why you should hit the gym, according to neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki Wendy Suzuki studies exercise's transformative effects on the brain. Drawing inspiration from animal studies, particularly those involving the growth of hippocampal brain cells in rats, she explores the possible connection between increased exercise and brain expansion. Suzuki also looks into the multifaceted relationship between exercise, sleep, cardiovascular function, and brain health.
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About Wendy Suzuki: Dr. Wendy A. Suzuki is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology in the Center for Neural Science at New York University. She received her undergraduate degree in Physiology and Human Anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley in 1987, studying with Prof. Marion C. Diamond, a leader in the field of brain plasticity. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from U.C. San Diego in 1993 and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health before accepting her faculty position at New York University in 1998. Dr. Suzuki is author of the book Healthy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better.
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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential
The science of super longevity
Beat anxiety with the most addictive experience on Earth
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Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more
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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

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Sorry, you’re not Neo and this isn’t "The Matrix." Michio Kaku gets real about simulation theory. Are we all just living in an elaborate simulation? After movies like "The Matrix" (1999) posited the existence of a superficial world layered over our own, human imagination has run abound with theories about the nature of our reality. To a small but passionate minority, the red pill that can awaken us to this illusion is right at our fingertips. World-renowned physicist Michio Kaku isn’t quite ready to take that pill. In fact, he’s skeptical that the pills even exist. He explains why.
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About Michio Kaku: Dr. Michio Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, and is one of the most widely recognized scientists in the world today. He has written 4 New York Times Best Sellers, is the science correspondent for CBS This Morning and has hosted numerous science specials for BBC-TV, the Discovery/Science Channel. His radio show broadcasts to 100 radio stations every week. Dr. Kaku holds the Henry Semat Chair and Professorship in theoretical physics at the City College of New York (CUNY), where he has taught for over 25 years. He has also been a visiting professor at the Institute for Advanced Study as well as New York University
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Adam Grant's #1 phrase to unlock potential
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Why most billionaires aren’t geniuses and most geniuses aren’t billionaires, explained by political scientist Brian Klaas.

Up next, 3 game theory tactics, explained

Not all rich people are geniuses – most of them are just lucky.

Professor and author Brian Klass joins us to debunk a common misconception about wealth – that all those who have it are smarter than average. Klass uses probability to explain that though this is an easy assumption to make, it’s technically not correct.

He points to Elon Musk as a case study, noting that while Musk's skills have contributed to his achievements, his success also depends on his pre-existing resources and collaboration with others. In situations where Musk has worked individually (such as during his acquisition of Twitter), he has seen less success, and, ultimately, less profit.

The key takeaway here is that wealth is not directly correlated with wealth is not directly correlated with brain power. Thinking smarter and working harder does not always make you rich; most of the time, it’s just about being positioned at the luckiest spot on the bell curve.
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About Brian Klaas:

Brian Klaas grew up in Minnesota, earned his DPhil at Oxford, and is now a professor of global politics at University College London. He is a contributing writer for The Atlantic, host of the award-winning Power Corrupts podcast, and frequent guest on national television. Klaas has conducted field research across the globe and advised major politicians and organizations including NATO and the European Union. You can find him at BrianPKlaas.com and on Twitter @BrianKlaas.

His most recent book is Fluke: Chance, Chaos, and Why Everything We Do Matters available here ► https://www.simonandschuster.com/book...

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Author of the Canceling of the American Mind Greg Lukianoff explains the current state of free speech in the United States.
Greg Lukianoff, president of the @TheFIREorg discusses how free speech has evolved – from its induction into the United States Constitution, to its prevalence on modern American college campuses. But with cancel culture more relevant than ever, is free speech at risk?
When, if ever, should speech be controlled? When are speech moderators in the wrong? And when should people in power choose not to speak at all? Lukianoff explains all this and more, in this interview with Freethink’s Editor-in-chief, Robert Chapman-Smith.
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About Greg Lukianoff:
Greg Lukianoff is an attorney, New York Times best-selling author, and the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He is the author of Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate, Freedom From Speech, and FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus. Most recently, he co-authored The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure with Jonathan Haidt. Most recently Greg co-authored The Canceling of the American Mind: Cancel Culture Undermines Trust and Threatens Us All—But There Is a Solution with Rikki Schlott. Greg is also an Executive Producer of Can We Take a Joke? (2015), a feature-length documentary that explores the collision between comedy, censorship, and outrage culture, both on and off campus, and of Mighty Ira: A Civil Liberties Story (2020), an award-winning feature-length film about the life and career of former ACLU Executive Director Ira Glasser...
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Discover Big Think | Smarter Faster™

Your top destination for expert-driven, educational content. Featuring thousands of episodes and insights from renowned figures like Bill Clinton to Bill Nye, Big Think accelerates your learning by delving into the pivotal concepts and essential skills shaping knowledge in the 21st century...

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With Insights from the World's Leading Minds

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An interview with economist Tyler Cowen on why American progress has seemed to stall and how we can get it back on track.

The rate of progress in American society has been uneven throughout history, argues economist Tyler Cowen. Tremendous periods of growth are followed by periods of stagnation.

Periods of growth occur when there is a breakthrough, and other advances quickly follow. For example, the Industrial Revolution and electrification of homes allowed the standard of living to grow at a fast rate, particularly in the early to mid-20th century.

But starting in the 70s, progress slowed. One reason is that the easier tasks, like electrification, had already been accomplished. Also, government regulation and a general aversion to risk have made Americans less entrepreneurial. As a result, progress has slowed, and we have not matched our earlier performance.

Today, we are at a pivotal crossroads between stagnation and growth. To get back to a growth mindset, he argues, we need to stop taking our prosperity for granted.
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Chapters For Easier Navigation:-
0:00 intro
0:05 whats wrong with america
1:53 can america make a comeback
3:27 when are we going to get vaccines

This video is part of The Progress Issue, a Big Think and Freethink special collaboration.

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About Tyler Cowen
Tyler is the Holbert L. Harris Chair of Economics at George Mason University and serves as chairman and general director of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He is co-author of the popular economics blog Marginal Revolution and co-founder of the online educational platform Marginal Revolution University. Tyler also writes a column for Bloomberg View, and he has contributed to The Wall Street Journal and Money. In 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek profiled Tyler as “America’s Hottest Economist” after his e-book, The Great Stagnation, appeared twice on The New York Times e-book bestseller list. He graduated from George Mason University with a bachelor's degree in economics and earned a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. He also runs a podcast series called Conversations with Tyler. His latest book Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives and Winners Around the World is co-authored with venture capitalist Daniel Gross.

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About Big Think | Smarter Faster™
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