How fantasy worlds can spark real change | Annalee Newitz

How fantasy worlds can spark real change | An...

TEDTED

Up next

What would your "deathbed self" tell you today? | Lauren Deeley

What if the key to making better decisions today is getting to know the person you'll become tomorrow? Drawing on psychological research and real-life stories, private wealth advisor Lauren Deeley explores how building a meaningful connection with your "deathbed self" can bring m ...  Show more

 . 8min 15sec
Do you talk to yourself? Here’s how to harness your inner voice | Ethan Kross (re-release)

Your inner voice is a powerful tool for self-reflection and planning, but it can also trap you in negative thought loops — “chatter,” as psychologist and neuroscientist Ethan Kross calls it. He shares tips for quieting the less helpful aspects of the voice inside your head as wel ...  Show more

 . 14min 52sec

Recommended Episodes

"Snow Crashing Into The Metaverse" from Imaginary Worlds
Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

This week, we’re sharing an episode of Imaginary Worlds. For the last 30 years, the real world has been catching up to Neal Stephenson’s vision of the future in his 1992 novel Snow Crash, which influenced the creators of Google Earth, Second Life, Oculus Rift and more. Now the ce ...  Show more

 . 29min 19sec
Breaking the boundaries of fiction
The Cultural Frontline

How novelists working across popular genres like crime, horror and fantasy are overcoming literary snobbery to get their work the credit it deserves and broaden the definition of what makes truly great writing. South Korean horror writer Bora Chung, shortlisted for the 2022 Inter ...  Show more

 . 27min 21sec
'Anthem' considers the world we are passing down to the next generation
NPR's Book of the Day

Noah Hawley is a world builder. He created the TV shows Fargo and Legion, so he is no stranger to getting an audience immersed in his worlds. His new novel Anthem is no different. But it doesn't take that much imagination, despite the fantasy creatures: This world is remarkably s ...  Show more

 . 6min 33sec
How to use psychology to write a best seller, with Jennifer Lynn Barnes, PhD
Speaking of Psychology

From getting lost in a novel to binge-watching a favorite TV show, we humans spend a lot of time in fictional worlds. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, PhD, a psychologist and novelist, talks about why we’re drawn to fictional worlds; the psychology of fandom and fan fiction; and how insight ...  Show more

 . 50min 56sec