Social Modes
Beth Noveck: Demand a more open-source government
What can governments learn from the open-data revolution? In this stirring talk, Beth Noveck, the former deputy CTO at the White House, shares a vision of practical openness -- connecting bureaucracies to citizens, sharing data, creating a truly participatory democracy. Imagine the "writable society" ...
Kristen Nguyen: 3 steps to help kids process traumatic events
What do we say to kids when intensely traumatic events interrupt everyday life? Whether you're a teacher, parent or community builder, educator Kristen Nguyen provides three research-backed steps for navigating these difficult conversations, restoring a sense of safety and facilitating collective healing.
Silverback Digital Marketing Announces Expanded Social Media Marketing Services to Address Evolving Digital Engagement Standards
Sacramento, California - February 23, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - Silverback Digital Marketing has announced the structured ...
New Platforms Won’t Save Social Media: Here’s What’s Actually Shifting
The future of social media is being shaped less by new platforms and more by shifting behavior, fragmentation, and AI-mediated discovery.
Amy Nicole Baker: 7 common questions about workplace romance
Should you date your coworker? Should workplace couples keep their relationships secret? And why are coworkers so often attracted to each other? Organizational psychologist Amy Nicole Baker shares the real answers to commonly asked questions about romance at the office.
Rob Reid: How synthetic biology could wipe out humanity -- and how we can stop it
The world-changing promise of synthetic biology and gene editing has a dark side. In this far-seeing talk, author and entrepreneur Rob Reid reviews the risks of a world where more and more people have access to the tools and tech needed to create a doomsday bug that could wipe out humanity -- and suggests that it's time to take this danger serio...
Matt Mullenweg: Why working from home is good for business
As the popularity of remote working continues to spread, workers today can collaborate across cities, countries and even multiple time zones. How does this change office dynamics? And how can we make sure that all employees, both at headquarters and at home, feel connected? Matt Mullenweg, cofounder of Wordpress and CEO of Automattic (which has ...
Jon M. Chu: The pride and power of representation in film
On the heels of the breakout success of his film "Crazy Rich Asians," director Jon M. Chu reflects on what drives him to create -- and makes a resounding case for the power of connection and on-screen representation.
Sebastian Guo: Why we need to pay attention to Chinese millennials
If Chinese millenials were their own country, they would have the third largest population in the world, says Sebastian Guo. They are well-educated, super motivated and the largest emerging consumer demographic on the planet. So why is it that the business world is still obsessed with understanding American millenials? In his passionate and pers...
Turn Your LinkedIn Profile Into A Powerful Community Growth Machine
Boost LinkedIn engagement by turning followers into a community. Go beyond simple connections: discover shared interests, learn follower locations for in-person meetups, and organize events. Shift key ...
AI Is Poised to Reshape Social-Emotional Learning. But for Better or Worse?
At the same time, AI chatbots can potentially provide young people with an opportunity to practice and build social-emotional skills in a low-stakes environment. For example, students can rehearse ...
WorkLife with Adam Grant: How to Rethink a Bad Decision
In life and work, we have a hard time changing course. When we wind up in a miserable job, a failing project, or a floundering romantic relationship, we rationalize, make excuses, and stick with our bad decisions—even when the writing's on the wall. Why? Usually we assume the driving force is sunk costs: we don't want to admit we've wasted that ...
Alain de Botton: Atheism 2.0
What aspects of religion should atheists (respectfully) adopt? Alain de Botton suggests a "religion for atheists" -- call it Atheism 2.0 -- that incorporates religious forms and traditions to satisfy our human need for connection, ritual and transcendence.
Dan Dennett: Let's teach religion -- all religion -- in schools
Philosopher Dan Dennett calls for religion -- all religion -- to be taught in schools, so we can understand its nature as a natural phenomenon. Then he takes on The Purpose-Driven Life, disputing its claim that, to be moral, one must deny evolution.
Mellody Hobson: Color blind or color brave?
The subject of race can be very touchy. As finance executive Mellody Hobson says, it's a "conversational third rail." But, she says, that's exactly why we need to start talking about it. In this engaging, persuasive talk, Hobson makes the case that speaking openly about race — and particularly about diversity in hiring -- makes for better busin...
Jessica Apotheker: What will happen to marketing in the age of AI?
Generative AI is poised to transform the workplace, but we still need human brains for new ideas, says marketing expert Jessica Apotheker. She explores how marketers can find their niche in the world of AI based on their preference for data or creativity, offering a pragmatic and hopeful look at the future of business.
Lloyd Pendleton: The Housing First approach to homelessness
What do you think would happen if you invited an individual with mental health issues who had been homeless for many years to move directly from the street into housing? Loyd Pendleton shares how he went from skeptic to believer in the Housing First approach to homelessness -- providing the displaced with short-term assistance to find permanent ...
Leslie Dodson: Don't misrepresent Africa
Real narratives are complicated: Africa isn't a country, and it's not a disaster zone, says reporter and researcher Leslie Dodson. She calls for journalists, researchers and NGOs to stop representing entire continents as one big tragedy.
Brian Christian: How to get better at video games, according to babies
In 2013, a group of researchers wanted to create an AI system that could beat every Atari game. They developed a system called Deep Q Networks (DQN) and less than two years later, it was superhuman. But there was one notable exception. When playing Montezuma's Revenge, DQN couldn't score a single point. What was it that made this game so vexingl...
Jonathan Haidt: The moral roots of liberals and conservatives
Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.