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Think Again - a Big Think Podcast

16. Jane McGonigal (Game Designer) – Game On!/Death to "Gamification"

Think Again - a Big Think Podcast

Big Think / Panoply

Arts, Society & Culture

4.6594 Ratings

🗓️ 3 October 2015

⏱️ 20 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Fantasy can save your life but how much is too much? This week on Big Think's podcast we discuss three surprise ideas with game developer and researcher Jane McGonigal, author of the new book SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient--Powered by the Science of Games. Archival Big Think interview clips from President Grimsson of Iceland, last week's guest Salman Rushdie, and business guru Jerry Kaplan launch three in-depth discussions that may change the way you think about games and gaming forever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Have you ever wondered what a sandwich sounds like?

0:04.3

Not much to it, is there?

0:06.2

Unless, of course, it's a Walker's sandwich.

0:10.9

Mmm, that is good.

0:12.9

Now that's what Asani should sound like.

0:15.8

Go all crisp in with walkers.

0:19.0

Delicious.

0:20.0

Hi there, I'm Jason Gatz, and you're listening to Think Again, a Big Think podcast.

0:25.4

Big Think is an online forum for big ideas from the world's most creative thinkers and doers.

0:31.0

With the Think Again podcast, we're striking out into uncharted and dangerous territory.

0:35.8

We're trying to see what happens when experts are asked to respond to interview clips

0:39.4

on topics they may or may not have any knowledge about.

0:42.5

We want to see what happens with no script, no preparation.

0:46.1

Each week, our producers tunneled deep into Big Things archives to find ideas that are

0:50.4

innovative, timely, or timelessly thought-provoking, and the quips are a total surprise

0:55.1

to my guests and to me. Today, I'm delighted to be joined by author and game designer Jane

1:01.3

McGonagall. She's the creator of Superbetter, a game that has helped nearly half a million players

1:06.1

so far tackle real-life health challenges like depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and traumatic brain injury.

1:13.3

More broadly, she's an advocate for the benefits of gaming of all kinds

1:16.6

and the applications of gaming skills to relationships, career, and mental health.

1:22.0

So glad to have you on the show, Jane.

1:23.7

Thank you, Jason. I am ready to play.

...

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