Global Issues
The political chemistry of oil: In the Gulf oil spill’s aftermath, Lisa Margonelli says drilling moratoriums and executive ousters make for good theater, but distract from the issue at its heart: our unrestrained oil consumption.
The Happy Planet Index: Statistician Nic Marks introduces the Happy Planet Index, which tracks national well-being against resource use (because a happy life doesn’t have to cost the earth). Which countries rank highest in the HPI? You might be surprised.
“The empathic civilization”: Bestselling author Jeremy Rifkin investigates the evolution of empathy and the profound ways it has shaped human development and society.
Business
What matters more than your talents: In this Princeton University graduation address, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos makes the case that our character is reflected not in the gifts we’re endowed with at birth, but by the choices we make over the course of a lifetime.
The art of choosing: Sheena Iyengar studies how we make choices — and how we feel about the choices we make. She talks about both trivial choices (Coke v. Pepsi) and profound ones, and shares her groundbreaking research that has uncovered some surprising attitudes about our decisions.