ReThinking

Hélène Landemore is a political scientist at Yale who studies democracy. She has a radical idea for fixing politics: what if we replaced career politicians with citizen assemblies, filled with people chosen by lottery? In this episode, Hélène and Adam discuss the history of this idea, tracing back to Ancient Greece and the birth of democracy, as well as recent examples of countries and states that have tried this bold method of governance. Hélène responds to some common questions and concerns about citizen assemblies, and Adam breaks down some evidence supporting the notion that ordinary citizens may be more fit to serve and lead than professional politicians.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Hélène Landemore (Website: https://www.helenelandemore.com/)LinksPolitics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593713982ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcriptsLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Zarna Garg is a stand-up comic, screenwriter, bestselling author, and one of the busiest people in comedy right now. But before she ever set foot onstage, she went to law school and tried her hand at entrepreneurship, failing at a vegan chili company, a tomato sauce brand, and even a matchmaking service. In this episode, Adam and Zarna reflect on how her daughter challenged her to consider a career pivot, debate the usefulness of a humanities degree, and break down the meticulous process that goes into developing a hit performance. Zarna also delivers some hot takes and tells the story of how she found her husband by posting a shockingly no-nonsense online ad.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Zarna Garg (Instagram: @zarnagarg | YouTube: @zarnagarg | TikTok: @ZarnaGarg | Website: https://zarnagarg.com/)Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcastsReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcriptsLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to build a strong community? In his new book Flourish, journalist and bestselling author Dan Coyle unveils novel insights. He and Adam discuss the simple step that united over 700 strangers in Paris, the unusual habit that has helped Norwich, Vermont become a breeding ground for Olympians, and the recipe for connection in Dan’s favorite Alaskan town. They also explore unexpected ways to build bridges in a fractured world.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Dan Coyle (Website: https://danielcoyle.com/)LinksFlourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment (https://www.amazon.com/Flourish-Art-Building-Meaning-Fulfillment/dp/0525620702)Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcastsReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcriptsLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve ever wondered what “skibidi rizz” means or why kids are so obsessed with the number 67, Adam Aleksic wrote a book on it. Aleksic, better known at @etymologynerd online, is a 24-year-old linguist known for his enlightening and entertaining videos on the origin of words. In this episode, the two Adams discuss Aleksic’s new book Algospeak and the ways in which the internet is shaping the way we communicate both on and offline. Aleksic sheds light on the origins of the seemingly meaningless “brainrot” memes popular with Gen Z and Gen Alpha internet users, and reveals the complex and (sometimes) profound insights they have to offer about culture, the transmission of ideas and information, and how our access to language can change the way we see the world.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Adam Aleksic (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube: @etymologynerd | Website: https://www.etymologynerd.com/)LinksAlgospeak by Adam Aleksic (https://www.amazon.com/Algospeak-Social-Transforming-Future-Language/dp/0593804074)Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcastsReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcriptsLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken Burns is a documentary filmmaker who has produced works about Mark Twain, Jackie Robinson, the American Buffalo, the Civil War, and now, in his latest work, the American Revolution. In this second part of their conversation, Adam and Ken move to more personal topics: Ken’s experience with fatherhood, the role of grief and loss in his work, and his hatred of careerism. Adam pitches some new ideas for upcoming documentaries, and Ken reflects on a time when the word “enthusiastic” was used against him.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Ken Burns (Website: https://kenburns.com/) Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/kenburnspbshttps://www.youtube.com/user/kenburnspbshttps://kenburns.com/films/the-american-revolution/Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcastsReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcriptsLearn more about our flagship conference happening this April at attend.ted.com/podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.