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Ulrich Boser

Author and Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress

Forces employees to rethink how they think self-explaining, context clues, and retrieval practices
Delves into the mastery of subjects, the best ways to learn about wine is with engaging with food and wine
This talk helps employees become masters of success not just in the workspace but in life

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Ulrich Boser is a bestselling author known for his groundbreaking research and insights into adult learning, short- and long-term memory, and techniques for mastering complex skills and topics. His most recent book is Learn Better: Mastering the Skills for Success in Life, Business, and School, or, How to Become an Expert in Just About Anything. The book has been featured in many outlets including NPR, Slate, Vox, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post, and Amazon named the book one of the "best of the year."

Focused on the new science of learning and helping people “learn how to learn,” Ulrich discusses better ways to develop mastery, showing how simple techniques like self-questioning can help people gain expertise in dramatically better ways. Sharing incredible true stories—including how artist Jackson Pollock learned to paint or why an ancient Japanese counting device allows kids to do math at superhuman speeds—Boser entertains and informs audiences around the world. He regularly speaks to and serves as a consultant for major American and global organizations, and past clients include Google, Coca-Cola, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the George Lucas Foundation.

He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress. He is also the founding director of American Progress’ science of learning initiative. Before joining the Center for American Progress, Boser worked as a contributing editor for U.S. News & World Report. Boser is also the author of The Leap: The Science of Trust and Why It Matters, which Forbes called “recommended reading.” Earlier in his career, he wrote The Gardner Heist: The True Story of the World’s Largest Unsolved Art Theft, which became a national best-seller. USA Today called The Gardner Heist “a public service,” while The Wall Street Journal described the book as “captivating.”

Boser's work is often featured in the media, ranging from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to the front page of USA Today. He has also served as an Arthur F. Burns fellow and an adviser to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He has frequently appeared on CNN, National Public Radio, and NBC Nightly News sharing his insights on human behavior and business strategy.

Boser’s career has also included stints as a reporter, editor, and English language instructor. He graduated from Dartmouth College with honors.

Learning to Learn. With this talk, Boser maps out the new science of learning, showing how simple techniques like self-questioning can help people gain expertise in almost any field by using dramatically better techniques than those widely available and practiced now. Among the important findings, Boser details the best way to gain expertise in everything from Spanish to coding software.

The Science of Solving Problems. Here, Boser breaks down the science of problem solving, detailing a clear and dedicated process that has been honed over decades of research. Boser shows captivated audiences the ways that these proven techniques can improve someone’s ability to act decidedly, draw a clear solution and strategy from the trickiest of problems, and resolve any issue more efficiently.

Never Forget. It might take a few days—or just a few minutes. But learning often leaves as soon as it arrives. People who take advantage of this fact can learn a lot more, according to new research. Here, Boser explains the science of forgetting, laying out a roadmap for how we can all remember—and learn—a lot more.