New Books in Brief

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by Michio Kaku called The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind. Topic of discussion: How scientists are able to read and recreate thoughts, scenes, and even dreams and imaginings directly from the brain.

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by Alex Pentland called Social Physics: How Good Ideas Spread–The Lessons from a New Science. Topic of discussion: How digital sensors and big data are revolutionizing the social sciences; and an explanation of the one social interaction pattern that has been shown to be most effective in generating creativity and productivity in individuals, groups and cities.

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by Mckenzie Funk called Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming.Topic of discussion: The 3 ways people are making a profit off climate change, with a focus on 2 technologies that are designed to help us adapt to rising sea levels and stronger storms: storm-surge sea walls, and floating infrastructure.

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by Dan Hurley called Smarter: The New Science of Building Brain Power.Topic of discussion: The brain-boosting wonders of transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS).

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by J. Craig Venter called Life at the Speed of Light: From the Double Helix to the Dawn of Digital Life.Topic of discussion: How synthetic genomics stands to revolutionize the development, manufacture and dissemination of influenza vaccines.

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by Charles Montgomery called Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design.Topic of discussion: The trouble with suburban sprawl.

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by David Epstein called The Sports Gene: Inside the Science of Extraordinary Athletic Performance.Topic of discussion: Nature and nurture in bone structure, muscle mass, aerobic capacity and motivation to train.

On this episode, Breanne and I discuss the new book by Amanda Ripley called The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way.Topic of discussion: The South Korean education system, and the obsessive studying of South Korean students.

On this episode, Breanne and I discuss the new book by Uri Gneezy and John A. List called The Why Axis: Hidden Motives and the Undiscovered Economics of Everyday Life.Topic of discussion: Applying controlled field experimentation to early childhood education.

On this episode Cristina and I discuss the new book by Malcolm Gladwell called David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants.Topic of discussion: Advantages that become disadvantages, disadvantages that become advantages, and how underdog armies defeat giants.

On this episode, Cristina and I discuss the new book by William D. Eggers called ‘The Solution Revolution: How Business, Government, and Social Enterprises Are Teaming Up to Solve Society’s Toughest Problems’.Topic of Discussion: Unilever in India, and how governments in the developed world are serving up their social services in a more efficient and cost-effective manner.

Topic of discussion: How complex networks evolve, how the internet has evolved to this point, and how the internet is likely to evolve moving forward.

On this episode, Cristina and I discuss the new book by Ben Way called Jobocalypse: The End of Human Jobs and How Robots Will Replace Them.Topic of Discussion: How robots and other automated technologies will increasingly take our jobs, and what we should do about this.

On this episode, Cristina and I discuss the new book by Adam Rutherford called Creation: How Science Is Reinventing Life Itself.Topic of discussion: The latest advances in 2 topics in genetics: 1) answering the question of how life began in the first place; and 2) synthetic biology (genetic engineering 2.0).

On this episode, Cristina and I discuss the new book by Silicon Valley legend Jaron Lanier.Topic of Discussion: How the internet destroys jobs, and what we can do to change this.

On this episode, Cristina and I discuss the new book by Eric Schmidt and Jared Cohen called The New Digital Age: Reshaping the Future of People, Nations, and Business. Topic of discussion: Some of the benefits and dangers of the advancement and spread of digital technology, both domestically and internationally.

On this episode, Cristina and I discuss the new book by Ramez Naam called The Infinite Resource: The Power of Ideas on a Finite Planet. Topic of discussion: Resource shortages, climate change, and how we will overcome these challenges through innovation.

A Discussion of ‘Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us’ by Michael Moss

A Discussion of ‘Contagious: Why Things Catch On’ by Jonah Berger