Episode 22: Originals

Charismatic leaders can inspire devotion and give people a powerful sense of meaning. They can also make us vulnerable. This week, we explore how figures across history have gained followers by offering clarity in moments of uncertainty — and why that clarity can come at a cost. ... Show More

What does it do to a person to feel overlooked? This week, psychologist Gordon Flett examines how the absence of “mattering” can fuel loneliness, depression, and even violence. He outlines how feeling valued serves as a psychological buffer, and how simple gestures can rebuild a ... Show More

From the time we're schoolchildren, we're ranked and sorted based on how smart we are. But what if our assumptions about intelligence limit our potential? This week, we revisit a favorite 2022 conversation with cognitive scientist Scott Barry Kaufman, who proposes a more expansiv ... Show More

Melvyn Bragg and guests explore the creative force of originality. How far is it to do with origins, how far with the combination of the discoveries of others, which were themselves based on the thoughts of others, into an ever-receding and replicating past? Is invention original ... Show More

How do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies "originals": thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals -- including embracing failure. "The g ... Show More

Imagine a perfect art fake. A fake Van Gogh that is completely indistinguishable from the original. Does that mean it’s of equal value to the original? Find out in this edition of The Philosopher’s Arms. 

Humans have always created. But historian Samuel W. Franklin argues that "creativity" didn't become a social value until the Cold War. Today, we're at another inflection point for humanity, technology, and national identity. The meaning of originality is blurring; there are legal ... Show More

Infants and children represent innocence and hope for the future of our world. They need to be nurtured and protected by those who love them. But because kids can be so helpless, it leaves them vulnerable to sources of evil. They make for easy prey sought after by bad-actors for ... Show More

<p>Organisational psychologist and podcaster Adam Grant, author of <em data-stringify-type="italic">Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know</em>, talks about his work and picks his favourite new books.</p> 

Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss ideas about the Stone Age people who created the extraordinary images found in caves around the world, from hand outlines to abstract symbols to the multicoloured paintings of prey animals at Chauvet and, as shown above, at Lascaux. In the 19th Cen ... Show More

Forethought and Afterthought are brothers and they're here to create humanity. What could go wrong? this is the story of Prometheus, Epimetheus, and a slab of clay. CW/TW: far too many Greek myths involve assault. Given it's fiction, and typically involves gods and/or monsters, I ... Show More