A brief look at how Google+ will likely be valuable for brands once Business profiles are launched from Ogilvy’s John Bell

In this 99% talk, photographer Andrew Zuckerman argues that curiosity is an essential part of the creative’s condition. But it’s even more powerful when combined with rigorous technique

What an interesting talk by Maria Popova of Brain Pickings ! If you have some time to spend make sure that you see this! Thanks swiss miss for creating creative mornings

Gareth Kay talks about the death of thinking big and the power of small ideas.

Account planning legend Jon Steel talks about creativity, planning and about the industry in this very interesting podcast

Many of us have a social media presence — a virtual personality made up of status updates, tweets and connections, stored in the cloud. Adam Ostrow asks a big question: What happens to that personality after you’ve died? Could it … live on?

Kevin Slavin argues that we’re living in a world designed for — and increasingly controlled by — algorithms. In this riveting talk from TEDGlobal, he shows how these complex computer programs determine: espionage tactics, stock prices, movie scripts, and architecture. And he warns that we are writing code we can’t understand, with implications we can’t control.

This report by PSFK presents key trends and macro themes that retailers, service providers and product manufacturers can leverage to enhance the shopper experience in order to drive sales.

Khanna predicts that in the future, the real superpowers aren’t going to be countries. Instead, we’ll see the emergence of an entirely new structure: alliances comprised of universities, companies, non-profits, humanitarian agencies, sub-state units like city governments, and churches, all united around a common interest or vision.

In this wide-ranging talk, ethnographer and leadership expert Simon Sinek discusses the importance of trust, authenticity, and meaning. Sinek argues that as individuals and companies, everything that we say and do is a symbol of who we are. And it is only when we communicate our beliefs authentically that we can attract others to our cause, and form the bonds that will empower us to achieve truly great things.

Drawing on his extensive research into radical extremism, Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen launched a new program that will bring together former militants and extremists from around the world to foster an “intellectual collision.” Through his narrative, Cohen shares the importance of unstoppable passion, the value of misperceptions, and why we shouldn’t mind being called crazy.

Ron Gutman reviews a raft of studies about smiling, and reveals some surprising results. Did you know your smile can be a predictor of how long you’ll live — and that a simple smile has a measurable effect on your overall well-being