Share

cover art for Igniting curiosity with Sean The Science Kid

ReThinking

Igniting curiosity with Sean The Science Kid

At just 10 years old, Sean The Science Kid is our youngest guest ever. Sean is an internet educator with a voracious appetite for learning and a contagious passion for sharing his knowledge. In this episode, Adam chats with Sean and his mother Eunice about the origins of Sean’s curiosity, his strategies for breaking down complex science concepts, and Eunice’s techniques for keeping him humble. They also ponder Sean’s take on the trolley problem and discuss different ways of thinking about life goals.


Follow

Host: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/)

Guest: Sean the Science Kid (Instagram: @learningwithseanthesciencekid | YouTube: @learningwithseanthesciencekid | TikTok: @mumandseanthesciencekid)


Subscribe to TED 

Instagram: @ted

YouTube: @TED

TikTok: @tedtoks

LinkedIn: @ted-conferences

Website: ted.com

Podcasts: ted.com/podcasts

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts


ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Building confidence with mentalist Oz Pearlman

    32:50|
    Oz Pearlman has been called the World’s Greatest Mentalist—he’s performed for some of the world’s top celebrities and made it to the finals on America’s Got Talent. In this episode, Oz joins Adam live at Authors@Wharton to show off his tricks and discuss the real skills behind his rise to success. The two reflect on Oz’s time working on Wall Street and the lessons he learned as a pizza parlor magician about gaining confidence, managing failure, and taking smart risks, and Oz wows the crowd by reading audience members’ minds.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Oz Pearlman (Instagram: @ozthementalist | Website: https://www.ozpearlman.com/) Linkshttps://www.youtube.com/@ozthementalistFollow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
  • Why are people acting like everything’s fine? with Rahaf Harfoush

    41:21|
    In our rapidly changing world, it might make you feel crazy to look around and see others going about life as usual. There’s actually a term for this phenomenon: hypernormalization. In this episode, Adam talks with Rahaf Harfoush, a digital anthropologist and expert on toxic productivity culture, about the immense pressures of living through “unprecedented times.” Rahaf breaks down the concept of hypernormalization, and Adam explains why it can fuel feelings of destabilization and disconnection. The two challenge the propaganda that promotes productivity for its own sake and explore healthier ways to get things done.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Rahaf Harfoush (Instagram: @foushy | Website: https://rahafharfoush.com/) LinksNewsletter: https://rahaf.kit.com/Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
  • Talking people out of hate with Daryl Davis and former neo-Nazi Jeff Schoep

    41:39|
    The Ku Klux Klan is one of the tightest-knit White supremacist groups in America—once someone joins, they’re usually in for life. But since the 1980s, over 200 members have renounced their affiliation, and all give credit to the same man: a Black jazz musician named Daryl Davis. In this episode, Adam is joined by Daryl and Jeff Schoep, a former leader of the largest neo-Nazi group in the US whose life and mind were changed by meeting and befriending Daryl. They discuss techniques for challenging ignorance and prejudice, analyze the cognitive dissonance experienced by members of extremist groups, and reflect on the conversations with Daryl that helped Jeff think again. They also explore the limits of empathy and curiosity.Host & GuestAdam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/) Daryl Davis (Instagram: @realdaryldavis | Website: https://www.daryldavis.com/) Jeff Schoep (Instagram: @jeff_schoep | Website: https://jeffschoep.com/) Linkshttps://beyondbarriersusa.org/Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
  • Living each day like it’s your first with Suleika Jaouad

    42:01|
    Suleika Jaouad is the author of the memoir Between Two Kingdoms and the new Book of Alchemy—she’s also a lifelong journaler. In this episode, Adam and Suleika reflect on how Suleika’s journaling practice has helped her through cancer, discuss the art and science of journaling, and brainstorm creative ways to incorporate it into reflection and relationships. They also chat about Suleika and her husband Jon Batiste’s shared love of prank calls and bond over a mutual hatred of the common advice to live every day like it’s your last.Host & GuestHost: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Guest: Suleika Jaouad (Instagram: @suleikajaouad | Website: https://www.suleikajaouad.com/)Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
  • Malala Yousafzai on redefining resilience and prioritizing joy

    44:13|
    Malala Yousafzai is an activist for girls’ education and women’s empowerment, and the youngest Nobel Peace Laureate in history. In her new book, Finding My Way, is her effort to take control of her story after becoming a public figure at a young age. In this episode, Malala and Adam talk about the pressures of childhood fame, Malala’s struggles with saying no, and her journey to rediscover spontaneity and learn to ski and ride a bike. They also discuss how Malala’s thoughts on marriage have changed, discuss the important role men play in changing structures that hold women back, and debate the merits of teasing the people you love. Host & GuestHost: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/)Guest: Malala Yousafzai (Instagram: @malala | Website: https://malalabook.com/, https://malala.org/)Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
  • Joy Harjo on Poetry and Pursuit of the Common Good (from No Small Endeavor)

    48:38|
    Sharing an episode of the No Small Endeavor podcast. These days, our culture is marked by political unrest, polarization and anxiety. Beauty and art feel like a luxury, or even a distraction. In a special series, No Small Endeavor is asking: What if art, beauty and poetry are exactly what we need to face the crisis at hand? Can poetry help us protest, pray, lament and even hope? Host Lee C. Camp talks to poets like Haleh Liza Gafori, a poet, musician, and acclaimed translator of the Persian poet Rumi; and Pádraig Ó Tuama, poet, theologian, and host of Poetry Unbound. Their conversations evoke thoughtfulness about how to fight for beauty in the current culture, and how to make it through the fires of our time together. In this episode, Lee talks to Joy Harjo, a musician, author, and three-term U.S. Poet Laureate. Camp and Harjo explore how poetry can act as a form of justice, a practice of self-development, and a tiny experiment in healing. You can listen to No Small Endeavor at https://link.mgln.ai/rethinking
  • Permission to play with Jacob Collier

    43:28|
    Jacob Collier is a Grammy-winning musician, an exceptional teacher and communicator, and a rousing innovator onstage. Jacob joins Adam in front of a live audience at TED to give an interactive performance and share his perspective on audience participation, his insights on communication, and his unconventional approach to making music that defies genre. They also discuss Jacob’s strategy for dealing with hecklers, his “harmonically irresponsible” covers of popular songs, and the innate human desire to wiggle. Host & GuestHost: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/) Guest: Jacob Collier (Instagram: @jacobcollier | YouTube: @JacobCollier | Website: https://www.jacobcollier.com/) Follow TED! X: https://www.twitter.com/TEDTalksInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedFacebook: https://facebook.com/TEDLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ted-conferencesTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tedtoks Podcasts: https://www.ted.com/podcasts
  • The art of the interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin

    36:41|
    As a business journalist, Andrew Ross Sorkin writes for the New York Times DealBook, which he founded, and co-anchors Squawk Box on CNBC. In this episode, Adam and Andrew riff on what makes a great conversation and compare notes on their best and worst interviews—including when Elon Musk told Bob Iger to f*** off. They also investigate what Andrew has learned about the psychology of powerful people and explore surprising insights from his new book, 1929, on the infamous stock market crash.FollowHost: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: https://adamgrant.net/) Guest: Andrew Ross Sorkin (Instagram: @sorkinsays | Website: https://www.andrewrosssorkin.com/) LinksBook: https://sites.prh.com/1929Follow TED! X: @TEDTalksInstagram: @tedFacebook: @TEDYouTube: @TEDLinkedIn: @ted-conferencesTikTok: @tedtoks
  • What being a lawyer taught John Grisham about writing novels

    34:15|
    John Grisham is the author of over 50 #1 bestselling novels, including A Time To Kill and The Pelican Brief—but before he became the preeminent writer of legal thrillers, he had a tumultuous career as a lawyer. Adam and John discuss how John’s experience in the courtroom inspires his fiction, and how it has continued to shape his perspective on storytelling and criminal justice. They also dig into John’s writing process, unpack his feelings of doubt that still linger after success, and reflect on the moment that changed his mind about the death penalty.FollowHost: Adam Grant (Instagram: @adamgrant | LinkedIn: @adammgrant | Website: adamgrant.net/) Guest: John Grisham (Instagram: @johngrisham | Website: https://jgrisham.com/) Linkshttps://www.facebook.com/JohnGrisham/https://jgrisham.com/books/Subscribe to TED Instagram: @tedYouTube: @TEDTikTok: @tedtoksLinkedIn: @ted-conferencesWebsite: ted.comPodcasts: ted.com/podcasts