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Jesus and Buddha, separated by 3,000 miles and 400 hundred years, both speak to central questions of meaning. How similar — and how different — are their perspectives and how do the teachings, rituals, and histories of each tradition complement or contradict each other? Take the one-hour version of this popular Princeton course and explore how Jesus and Buddha understood t...
The average American will spend a third of his or her life working. What is the secret to achieving happiness because of our work and not in spite of it? How can we make a job into a vocation? David Brooks and Arthur Brooks have both studied and written about these questions, and they argue that in all kinds of work the answer is to find meaning. In this conversation, the...
Javier Zamora’s migration journey took him from El Salvador to the United States by foot at age nine, while Jamie Ford’s great-grandfather emigrated from China to Nevada to mine. Both authors reflect on the ways in which migration has shaped them, unpacking what it means to be American and exploring the meaning of home.
The dramatic rise in suicides, violence, and addiction signal a society disconnected from meaning and a social fabric fraying at its seams. With participation in organized religion on the decline, and fewer traditional places to do the work of fellowship and ritual, what other places are people turning to to define their values and explore the big questions? To probe what...
Ongoing war in Ukraine and the resulting tensions between the West, Russia, and China have made the NATO alliance all the more significant, and yet perhaps more vulnerable. What lies ahead as the alliance’s member nations assess each other’s commitments to their mutual security?
When is the truth the truth, a lie a lie, and what constitutes mere BS in an era that many refer to as “post-truth”? We address the kinds of critical and largely ethical questions we confront in our modern-day discourse across this deep dive, exploring the intent of the First Amendment (does it protect lies?), the reasons we lie (or, in fact, are we just strategically misl...
How do we create a culture that brings out the best in our personal and professional lives? Rituals are powerful tools for building a culture that better aligns your values and priorities with your everyday practices. Our work shows how rituals help people bridge transitions, get to flow, deal with conflict, and increase bonding. In this session, we’ll share some of the...
Despite discussion of work-life balance, work is not something separate from our life, but integral to it. Good work is a critical component to a good life. As societies across the globe struggle with economic division and working people who feel left behind, can companies invent a world of work that is more sustainable? The Eileen Fisher company is a certified B corporati...
Global health today is characterized by a mix of promising developments and troubling trends. Life expectancy is on the rise, and maternal and child mortality rates are falling. But millions lack basic nutrition, primary health care, and access to vaccinations; we are ill-prepared for the next global pandemic; tobacco use kills six million people annually; and noncommunica...
Data from a 2007 voluntary research scan helped Steven Keating identify his own brain tumor in 2014 when he began to notice a phantom vinegar scent. After an MRI confirmed the presence of a tennis ball-sized tumor, Keating immediately began collecting his own clinical, research, and self-generated data. Armed with 200 gigabytes of information, he was better able to underst...
No one knows the restorative power of music better than the musicians who make it (although brain scientists keep learning more). In collaboration with Jazz Aspen Snowmass, well-known artists performing at the June festival talk about the history and origin of the music they perform, share personal stories about their own relationship to music, and riff on its link to heal...
This discussion will clarify the ESG concept, explore critiques from left, right, and center, and offer individual investors guidance on meeting their sustainable investing goals.
Detroit is leaning into the financial opportunities of a net zero economy, setting itself as an example for other cities, from nearby Northeast Florida to further small Asian nations to copy. Hear about these cities successes and the promises of climate-smart economic development for cities everywhere.
What does neuroscience have to offer education? A panel of leading developmental neuroscientists and master educators explain how a deepening understanding of interdependent neural processes can revolutionize teaching and learning. Emotions do not interfere with learning, as we once believed, but rather are crucial to our ability to engage complex ideas, process and retain...
What is feminism, and is anyone doing it right? As the movement has gone mainstream and come under greater scrutiny, it seems any consensus on the meaning of “feminism” has been lost — but was there ever agreement on what it was? In this panel, a collection of leading thinkers will define feminism and attempt to answer what makes a good feminist in 2018. How can we get les...
Kate Bowler, a young scholar of Christianity, had just written a book called Blessed, about the Christian idea that good things happen to good people, when she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 35. Suddenly confronted with this devastating news, and people’s well-meaning but often lacking responses to it, Bowler wrote a book, launched a podcast, and became a...
Americans of all political leanings and ideological persuasions can agree on at least one thing: In this era of hyperpolarization, we don’t know how to talk about the things on which we most vehemently disagree. Experts in conflict resolution and constructive dialogue share their insights into how things might improve.
The genius of artificial intelligence (AI) is its capacity to swiftly mine repositories of data, such as the vast amounts of information stored in electronic health records and medical literature, recognize patterns, and respond with recommended actions. AI is already being used to diagnose unfamiliar symptoms, predict drug responses, and perform robotic surgery, and seers...
Using fascinating personal stories, Sharon Begley explains the science of compulsive behavior and the deeper meanings behind it. Whether mild, such as hanging your tea towels in a very specific way, or extreme, such as OCD and hoarding, compulsion is a coping response to varying degrees of anxiety. Can’t Just Stop makes compulsions comprehensible and accessible, and explor...
Dip into a groundbreaking medical memoir by Kurt Newman, president and CEO of Children’s National Medical Center and one of the leading pediatric surgeons in the United States. Newman spotlights resilient children and the medical professionals dedicated to their care, describes innovative therapies on the horizon, and issues a heartfelt call to give greater priority to ped...