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Laurie Santos, associate professor of psychology at Yale University, argues that to understand the origins of the human mind, we can study the behavior of primate relatives as a proxy for our ancestors. Complete video at: http://fora.tv/2012/03/24/Being_Human_Mental_Representations_Decision-Making As we use the tools of science to explore the nature of humanity, we are learning more and more about how our brains function and what motivates our behavior, built-in biases and blind spots. These fresh insights are interesting scientifically, but they also evoke significant questions about our lived experience. These perspectives challenge our basic assumptions of who we are, both as individuals and as a society. Laurie Santos is an associate professor of psychology at Yale University and the director of Yale University's Comparative Cognition Laboratory. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Biology from Harvard University and her Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard.

Charles Yu, author of "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe" and McSweeney's editor Eli Horowitz discuss how the speed of advancing technology is making us feel like we're living in science fiction. Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2012/07/26/Charles_Yu_How_to_Live_Safely_in_the_Fictional_Universe Charles Yu, author of "How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe" discusses his latest work "Sorry Please Thank You: Stories" with McSweeney's editor Eli Horowitz. A big-box store employee is confronted by a zombie during the graveyard shift, a problem that pales in comparison to his inability to ask a co-worker out on a date. A fighter leads his band of virtual warriors, thieves and wizards across a deadly computer-generated landscape. A company outsources grief for profit with the tagline: "Don't feel like having a bad day? Let someone else have it for you." Named by the National Book Foundation as one of its "5 under 35" fiction writers to watch, Yu draws from both pop culture and science to transport his readers into an imaginative universe in his latest collection,"Sorry Please Thank You: Stories". Join us and hear from this major new voice in American fiction as he discusses his latest foray into the heart of the human condition.

NASA researcher Jennifer Heldmann describes the surprising dangers of moon dust. She explains that not only are the jagged particles bad for equipment, they may also pose unknown health risks to astronauts. Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2008/10/07/Jennifer_Heldmann_The_Moon NASA scientist Jennifer Heldmann teaches us all about earth's trusty sidekick, the moon. She discusses the theories on its formation, predictions about its future, its internal structure, its geological past and present, and the many ways in which it affects the earth.

Award-winning author Chuck Palahniuk weighs in on the cultural legacy of his novel "Fight Club". He discusses peoples' apparent desire for chaos in their daily lives, and attributes the origin of "Fight Club" to his involvement with a group known as the Cacophony Society. Complete video available for purchase at http://fora.tv/2001/07/16/Chuck_Palahniuk_Fight_Club_Choke__Invisible_Monsters Award-winning author Chuck Palahniuk discusses his new book, "Invisible Monsters Remix", and reflects on past works such as "Fight Club", "Choke" and contemplates their cultural staying power.

Dr. John Gleaves, assistant professor of kinesiology at CSU Fullerton, discusses the impact of doping and performance enhancement on sports. While some argue that doping is damaging, others assert that it simply augments our ultimate human potential. Complete video available for free at: http://fora.tv/2012/08/20/Doping_in_Sports_Personal_Cultural_and_Athletic_Impact The incredible feats that athletes accomplish fascinate us, but what are the personal, cultural and athletic impact of doping in sports? After the Olympic Games and just prior to the America's Cup World Series in San Francisco, swissnex San Francisco will kick off its series Sports & Tech with the event Gaming the System: Doping in Sports, focusing on the controversial and omnipresent use of performance enhancers in sports. Max Gassman tells us about his research on the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which elevates red cell blood production and increases arterial oxygen, ultimately leading to improved exercise performance. Gassman will explain how EPO, normally used to treat patients who suffer from anemia, is also an effective blood-doping agent used by some athletes. He presents his data on mice and the adaptive mechanisms of humans who live at elevations above 3000 meters, where the reduced availability of oxygen induces the production of EPO. Carsten Lundby of the University of Zurich presents his research on blood doping in the sporting world. This common practice has been around for at least half a century, and Lundby discusses its effects and attempts by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to detect and limit blood doping, as well as whether they have been successful. Finally, John Gleaves from California State University, Fullerton, addresses how the cultural fascination with performance-enhancing technologies, manifesting itself as both fear and enthusiasm, reveals larger social concerns about what it means to be human and how to handle advances in sciences that affect sporting performance. Because sports mirror our society, our interest in doping tells us more about ourselves than we realize. Kate Scott, sports anchor at KNBR 680 AM in San Francisco, joins us as the moderator for the panel discussion.

Career coach Marty Nemko offers a word of advice to the unwillingly self-employed entrepreneur: don't innovate, replicate. "Guinea pigs often die," he warns. Instead, Nemko suggests identifying already-successful business plans and following their lead. Complete video available for purchase at: http://fora.tv/2012/08/01/Marty_Nemkos_Career_Tips_Surviving_Todays_Job_Market Author and radio personality Marty Nemko offers career tips, including what you can do to survive today's job market. In today's tough job market, career and job seekers are wise to consider under-the-radar careers. Dr. Nemko will reveal some rewarding but little-known gems. He'll also share what is working best for his clients in landing a job. (Hint: networking and a good resume are far from enough.) He'll talk about the art of onramping: how to get off to a great start in your new job, so you succeed rather than finding yourself soon needing to look for a job. Finally, he'll present his favorite low-risk/high-payoff/high-ethics small businesses you can start.

Mythbuster Adam Savage discusses the challenges of making without spending a lot of money. He describes his early days of swap meets and dumpster diving, concluding "It's just about having some ingenuity about where you get your stuff." Complete video available for free at: http://fora.tv/2012/05/20/Adam_Savage_of_MythBusters_Why_We_Make Adam Savage is an American industrial design and special effects designer/fabricator, actor, educator, and co-host of the Discovery Channel television series MythBusters. In this talk from Maker Faire Bay Area 2012, he discusses his childhood experiences as a budding builder, and explores the impetus that lies at the heart of maker culture.

Blogger and journalist Cory Doctorow discusses the confusing state of computer and personal property rights in the 21st century. He explains that while there's a "building consensus" that people should have more ownership of their digital property, there's a surprising lack of concern at attempts to monitor online activity. Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2012/07/31/Cory_Doctorow_Coming_War_Against_Your_Computer_Freedom The war against your computer freedom will just keep escalating, says blogger Cory Doctorow. The copyright wars, net neutrality, and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) were early samples of what is to come. Victories in those battles were temporary, he says. Conflict in the decades ahead will feature ever higher stakes, more convoluted issues, and far more powerful technology that has the power to curtail your freedom and invade your privacy. Cory Doctorow (craphound.com) is a science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist. He is the co-editor of the popular weblog Boing Boing (boingboing.net), and a contributor to Wired, Popular Science, Make, the New York Times, and many other newspapers, magazines and websites

Judith Jones, Julia Child's editor at Knopf, reflects on what it was that endeared Child to the American public. She discusses Child's first television appearance, and argues that her personality and attitude towards food "lifted that puritan repression" that had surrounded cooking. Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2008/06/12/Julia_Child_Culinary_Revolutionary Julia Child didn't start cooking until she was 39, but no other chef influenced late-20th-century American cooking more than she did. 45 years after the debut of her groundbreaking PBS show, "The French Chef," this panel will discuss the profound effects of her books, television shows, and entertaining and accessible persona on our cuisine and culture. Panelists include Judith Jones, Julia Child's editor at Knopf and author of "The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food"; Molly O'Neill, former "New York Times Magazine" food columnist and author of "The New York Cookbook"; Joan Reardon, author of "M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child and Alice Waters: Celebrating the Pleasures of the Table"; and Laura Shapiro, author of the Penguin Lives book, "Julia Child" Moderated by Andrew F. Smith, editor of the "Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink".

Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan counters claims that his Medicare proposal will severely damage the service. He argues that rather than come up with a counter-argument, the Democrats are simply relying on scare tactics to win the debate. Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2011/09/27/Uncommon_Knowledge_Paul_Ryan In a wide ranging interview, Congressman Paul Ryan of Wisconsin discusses his plans for repealing ObamaCare, fixing Medicare and Medicaid, the federal budget, and why he's not running for president in 2012.

Former New York Times Executive Editor Bill Keller discusses the role emotion plays in Israel’s desire to attack Iran. He describes all the logical arguments to dissuade attacking Iran, but admits that emotional reactions are “almost unreachable by those sorts of arguments.” Complete video at http://fora.tv/2012/02/22/An_Evening_with_Bill_Keller Bill Keller, op-ed columnist and former executive editor of The New York Times, speaks with Prof. Peter Beinart, senior political writer for the Daily Beast who teaches Political Reporting at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Bill Keller has enjoyed a long and illustrious career at The Times, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1989 for his coverage of the Soviet Union, and serving as executive editor from 2003 to 2011, a time of transformation and challenge in the news media. He is currently an op-ed columnist and contributor to The New York Times Magazine. Beinart is a faculty member at CUNY’s Graduate Center and Graduate School of Journalism. He is a senior political writer for the Daily Beast, a contributor to Time, and the author of, most recently, The Icarus Syndrome: A History of American Hubris. The Graduate Center’s Perspectives series with Peter Beinart features dynamic thinkers and practitioners examining the pressing political and public policy issues shaping our world today. Previous participants have included Christopher Hitchens, Tina Brown, Andrew Sullivan, and Paul Krugman.

Michael Ian Black and Meghan McCain visited strip clubs in Las Vegas while writing their book "America, You Sexy Bitch", and the pair share their lap dance stories. Full video available for purchase at http://fora.tv/2012/07/17/Meghan_McCain_Michael_Ian_Black_America_You_Sexy_Bitch Odd couple of the year, Meghan McCain and Michael Ian Black have written "America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom". In a cross-country tour to probe our beautifully weird country, encountering everyone from gun lovers, flag burners, teen moms, poker players to politicians and gay parents, the liberal comedian dad and the rising pundit and media darling explored all the nooks of American life, while stopping at every Olive Garden they come across, of course. Witness the oddball odyssey and hear their story live at the Castro Theatre. Michael Ian Black is a multi-talented actor, writer, comedian and director. Most recently, he's become a filmmaker, writing and directing "Wedding Daze" starring Jason Biggs and Isla Fisher. Meghan Marguerite McCain is an American columnist, author and blogger. She is a daughter of U.S. Senator John McCain and Cindy Hensley McCain. McCain first received media attention in 2007 for her blog, McCain Blogette, on which she documented life on the campaign trail and mused about fashion, music, and pop culture.

MIT Professor Missy Cummings discusses how new developments in automated flight could change the nature of commercial shipping and passenger air travel. Complete video available for free at: http://fora.tv/2012/05/01/WIRED_Business_Conference_Drones_Tractors__Beyond MIT Professor Missy Cummings talks with WIRED's Chris Anderson about her experience as a fighter pilot and the future of drones and automation.

Washington Post journalist Dana Priest explains how, in the weeks following the 9/11 attack, Congress' security funding precipitated a massive budget for private-sector contractors. Complete video available for free at http://fora.tv/2012/03/28/The_Security_Budget_Balancing_Cuts_and_Consequences Who will be the reformers? Many countries view security as essentially an international issue, but a more comprehensive security needs domestic coordination—and leadership. Affordable security demands a search for cooperative strategies among foreign and domestic policymakers, between the private and public sector, and among countries that often disagree.

MSNBC Host and Editor-at-Large of The Nation Chris Hayes argues that the decline of meritocracy in U.S. leadership is resulting in elites that cannot help but fail. "We have a social model that is breaking down before our eyes," says Hayes, "a method of elite selection that is growing increasingly sclerotic, rigged, and corrupt." Complete video available for purchase at http://fora.tv/2012/07/11/MSNBCs_Chris_Hayes_Meritocracy_and_Americas_Failing In his new book, MSNBC's rising star Hayes offers a radically novel answer to what led America into the "Fail Decade": an era plagued with the failure of Congress, Wall Street and even Major League Baseball. An expert on political culture and political economy, Hayes mixes deft political analysis, timely social commentary, and deep historical understanding while offering a powerful argument that traces the roots of our present crisis and mistrust of authority to an unlikely source: meritocracy.