Jane McGonigal's new books details how she creates alternate reality games in which people take part in virtual worlds, and, in so doing, gain a sensitively to the cues (and a familiarity with the conditions) that could lead to certain outcomes, making it possible to both prevent those outcomes and create the futures they'd rather live in instead.LINK TO
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Sep 14
348 - The Dress - Decoder Ring
We return to The Dress and the psychological lessons offered by one of the most viral moments in the history of the internet via an episode of Decoder Ring in which David McRaney shares some insights from his book, How Minds Change, with Willa Paskin, the host of Decoder Ring.Dec ... Show More
43m 31s
Aug 31
347 - Under Alien Skies - Phil Plait
Astronomer Phil Plait joins us to discuss his new book, Under Alien Skies, in which he describes what it would be like (through human eyes and real physical experiences) to actually travel to Saturn, Mars, asteroids, and distant stars. Also, we discuss the recent surge in UFO sig ... Show More
1h 10m
Aug 17
346 - No Nocebo Effect - Helen Pilcher
The suffering is real, but the source may not be what you assume. That's the essence of the nocebo effect, the placebo effect's evil twin. As neuroscientist Dr. Helen Pilcher explains, illness is not simply a matter of biology. Our thoughts, conscious or otherwise, can make lead ... Show More
59m 30s
Mar 2022
Jane McGonigal || Playing Games with the Future
Today we welcome Jane McGonigal. She is a world-renowned game designer who challenges players to tackle real-world problems such as poverty, depression, and climate change through collaboration. Jane is also a future forecaster, serving as the current Director of Games Research & ... Show More
58m 3s
Mar 2025
How to see the future coming — and prepare for it | Jane McGonigal
As a futurist who helps people prepare for all different kinds of possibilities, Jane McGonigal thinks we overuse words like "unthinkable" and "unimaginable." She introduces three hypothetical scenarios, showing how you can foster the ability to think creatively, anticipate new r ... Show More
7m 8s
May 2022
IMAGINABLE: How Anyone Can Predict the Future (Yes, Even You)
In January 2020, when the coronavirus started making headlines around the world, Jane McGonigal’s inbox was flooded with emails from Silicon Valley execs, government officials, and non-profit leaders. They all had the same question: “Jane, didn’t you run a simulation of a respira ... Show More
1h 10m
Sep 2018
96: Jane McGonigal | Gaming Your Way to Health and Happiness
Jane McGonigal (@avantgame) specializes in designing games that challenge players to tackle real-world problems, and is the bestselling author of Reality is Broken. Her new book is SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver, and More Resilient -- P ... Show More
1h 13m
Oct 2015
16. Jane McGonigal (Game Designer) – Game On!/Death to "Gamification"
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 Resi ... Show More
21m 31s