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Think Again - a Big Think Podcast

86. Ayelet Waldman (Author) – Yourself, Only Better

Think Again - a Big Think Podcast

Big Think / Panoply

Arts, Society & Culture

4.6594 Ratings

🗓️ 18 February 2017

⏱️ 50 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Since 2008, Big Think has been sharing big ideas from creative and curious minds. The Think Again podcast takes us out of our comfort zone, surprising our guests and Jason Gots, your host, with unexpected conversation starters from Big Think’s interview archives. Ayelet Waldman is a novelist and essayist, a former federal public defender who taught at Loyola and UC Berkeley schools of Law. Her latest book, A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life is an honest, funny, informative account of her month-long experience “microdosing” on LSD – after a ton of research into the practice and potential psychological benefits of taking subperceptual doses of the chemical. Spoiler: overall it helped her. The book also digs into the history and ramifications of the criminalization of psychoactive drugs, and the philosophy of "harm reduction" in parenting. In a funny, free-ranging, rapid-fire dialogue, Ayelet and Jason dive into topics as diverse as the split between art and science, how not to mess up your kids too badly, and the benefits of neuroplasticity. Surprise conversation starter interview clips: Bill Nye on Art vs. Science, Andrew Solomon on Parenting and Empathy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Huh, have you ever wondered what a sandwich sounds like?

0:04.0

Not much to it, is there?

0:06.0

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

0:11.0

Mmm, that is good.

0:13.0

Now that's what Asani should sound like.

0:15.0

Go all crisp in with walkers.

0:18.0

Delicious.

0:20.0

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

0:29.5

Started in 2008, Big Think is a kind of online think tank of big ideas from some of the most

0:35.0

creative thinkers on the planet.

0:36.6

On the podcast, we revisit these ideas in new ways.

0:39.3

Our producers surprised me and my guests with short interview clips from Big Things Archives,

0:44.3

ideas that we didn't necessarily come here expecting to discuss.

0:47.3

I'm very happy to be here today with Ayelet Waldman.

0:51.3

She's a novelist and an essayist and a former federal public defender who taught at Loyola and UC Berkeley Schools of Law.

0:58.9

Her latest book, A Really Good Day, is an honest account of her month-long experience microdosing on LSD after a ton of research into the practice and potential psychological benefits of taking subperceptual doses

1:13.1

of the chemical. Spoiler, overall, it helped her. The book also digs into the history

1:18.4

and ramifications of the criminalization of psychoactive drugs. Welcome to think again, I

1:23.4

Ellen.

1:24.4

Oh, it's a pleasure to be here. Thanks so much for having me on the show.

1:26.0

Yeah, no, I'm so glad you could make it.

1:28.3

So I found your book really, really interesting, and I guess I think for the audience,

...

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