Conversations With My Computer – Day 1

Duncan CJ: Do you think trying to define happiness is an important step? Or is it a futile activity?

AI: Defining happiness is an important step for happiness researchers because it allows them to operationalize and measure the construct in a way that is both valid and reliable. Without a clear definition of happiness, it would be difficult to compare results across studies or to draw valid conclusions about what factors are associated with happiness.

Defining happiness also allows researchers to develop measures that accurately capture people’s experiences. For example, if researchers define happiness as a combination of positive emotions, satisfaction with life, and meaning, then they can develop measures that assess all three of these components.

However, it’s also worth noting that happiness is a complex and multi-faceted construct, and different people may have different interpretations of what it means. Researchers must take into account that different cultures, ethnic groups, and demographic groups may have different concepts of happiness. For this reason, it is important that researchers are sensitive to cultural and demographic differences when developing measures and interpreting results.

Ultimately, while defining happiness is an important step in happiness research, it is also important to recognize that happiness is a subjective and personal experience that may be defined differently by different people. So, while trying to define happiness in an objective way is a necessary activity, it is also important to acknowledge the limitations of this definition and the potential biases that may arise from the researcher’s perspective.

#146 – Carl Honoré returns

Today I’ve got a friend back on the show for round 2, Carl Honoré. Carl is the author of the international bestseller, ‘In Praise of Slow’ which dissects our speed-obsessed society and celebrates those who have gotten in touch with their “inner tortoise”, as well as the books: ‘Under Pressure’, ‘The Slow Fix’ and his latest book, ‘Bolder’. Carl’s TED Talks have been viewed million times and he’s been described as “The unofficial godfather of a growing cultural shift toward slowing down”.

#145 – Dr. Michael Shermer returns

Today I have the pleasure of having Dr. Michael Shermer back on the show for round 2! Dr. Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers; Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, and Heavens on Earth. His new book is Giving the Devil His Due. He’s appeared on Oprah, The Colbert Report, Larry King Live and his two TED talks have been viewed by millions. Neil deGrasse Tyson described Michael as “a beacon of reason in an ocean of irrationality.”

#144 – Mark Wolynn

Today’s guest is Mark Wolynn. Director and founder of The Family Constellation Institute in San Francisco, Mark is a world leader in the field of inherited family trauma. A bestselling author and sought-after lecturer, he teaches at hospitals, clinics and universities around the world including: the University of Pittsburgh, JFK University and the Western Psychiatric Institute. His book: ‘IT DIDN’T START WITH YOU: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle’ is the winner of the 2016 Silver Nautilus Book Award in psychology and has been translated into 19 languages.

Marci Shimoff – My Favourite Forgiveness Tool

Marci Shimoff is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a world-renowned transformational teacher and an expert on happiness, success, and unconditional love. Her books include the international bestsellers ‘Love for No Reason’ and ‘Happy for No Reason’. Marci is also the woman’s face of the biggest self-help book phenomenon in history as co-author of six books in the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series. With total book sales of more than 15 million copies worldwide in 33 languages, she is one of the bestselling female nonfiction authors of all time. She is also a featured teacher in the international film and book sensation, ‘The Secret’ and the host of the national PBS TV show called ‘Happy for No Reason’.

#143 – Laura Huang Ph.D.

Today I’m speaking with Laura Huang. Many of us sit back quietly, hoping that our hard work and effort will speak for itself—only to be left frustrated and discouraged. Or we try to force ourselves into the mould of someone we think is “successful,” but in doing so, we stifle the creativity and charm that make us unique and memorable. Laura is a professor at Harvard Business School, who has spent her academic career studying interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace. Her research has been featured in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes and Nature. She’s been named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors Under the Age of 40, and she’s the author of EDGE: Turning Adversity into Advantage.

#142 – John Ratey M.D.

Best selling author, Dr. John Ratey M.D. is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognised expert in Neuropsychiatry. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and 11 books published in 17 languages. With the publication of  ‘Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain’, Dr. Ratey has established himself as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the brain-fitness connection. Recognised by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America since 1997, Dr. Ratey was recently honoured by the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society as “Outstanding Psychiatrist of the Year” for advancing the field. He’s frequently profiled in the media from: ABC, CBS, NBC, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and that’s just scratching the surface. (This interview was recorded in April 2019).

#141 – Dr. Michael Greger

Dr. Michael Greger is a physician, an internationally recognised speaker on a number of important public health issues, and a bestselling author of multiple titles including the instant New York Times bestseller ‘How Not To Die’. He’s testified before Congress, has appeared on shows such as: The Colbert Report and The Dr. Oz Show, and Oprah Winfrey invited him to be her expert witness in the infamous “meat defamation” trial. He is a Council of Directors member of True Health Initiative which is a coalition of more than 360 world experts representing 35 countries, who together offer clarity as to the principles behind healthy eating and healthy living.

#140 – Hank Greely

Hank Greely is a professor of law and a professor of genetics at Stanford University. He specialises in ethical, legal and social issues arising from advances in the biosciences, particularly from genetics, neuroscience and human stem cell research. He was the president of the International Neuro-ethics Society and is the chairman of the California Advisory Committee on Human Stem Cell Research. He joined Stanford in 1985 after working in private law practice and in the Defence and Energy Departments during President Carter’s administration. Last but not least he is the author of the book ‘The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction’.

#139 – Dr. Scilla Elworthy

Dr. Scilla Elworthy is a three time Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with the Oxford Research Group, a non-governmental organisation she founded in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. In 2002 Cilla founded ‘Peace Direct’a charity to fund, promote and learn from local peace-builders in conflict areas. She was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and she advised Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’. She now leads ‘The Business Plan for Peace’ to help prevent violent conflict and build sustainable peace throughout the world, because peace is possible; and she lays out how in her latest books: The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War and The Mighty Heart: How to Transform Conflict. Last but not least her TED talk on nonviolence has been viewed by over 1,500,000 people.