Triumph of Faith, Hidden Potential, Gossip Social Skill

Triumph of Faith (17:31) Rodney Stark, Ph.D. a leading expert and sociologists of religion, explores the myth of religious decline in his book, The Triumph of Faith: Why the World is More Religious Than Ever. Dr. Stark claims, “Contrary to the constant predictions that religion is doomed, there is abundant evidence of an ongoing worldwide religious awakening.” Rodney Stark discusses his research in religious growth and what it means for the future. Discover Your Hidden Potential (1:04:52) Barbara Oakley, Ph.D., is a professor of engineering at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan; a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, San Diego; and Coursera’s inaugural “Innovation Instructor.” Her research involves bioengineering with a focus on the complex relationship between neuroscience and social behavior.  People may feel like they’re at a disadvantage if they pursue a new field later in life, consequently falling into career ruts and feeling pigeon-holed into their career track. It’s easy to feel stuck or stagnant in life, and not know how to keep progressing.  Mindshift: Break Through Obstacles to Learning and Discover Your Hidden Potential by Barbara Oakley is solidly based on cutting edge science about how to change your brain to feel passion for learning something new and different—even things you thought you always disliked.  Gossip is a Social Skill (1:52:17) Frank McAndrew, Ph.D. an evolutionary social psychologist at Knox College, explain why he thinks gossiping is not a character flaw.  You probably can’t forget the sound of whispers and giggles that filled the halls in high school and after thinking it would go away after high school, you were probably disappointed to hear the exact same kind of whisperings and giggles filling the cubicles at work. Gossip seems like almost an innate part of human nature- and no matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to escape it- whether it's whispered amongst coworkers or pictures filling the tabloids. We all know gossip can be damaging- it can burn bridges, hurt feelings, and kill reputations. But, is it possible that gossiping can actually be good for us too?