What really causes addiction -- to everything from cocaine to smart-phones? And how can we overcome it? Johann Hari has seen our current methods fail firsthand, as he has watched loved ones struggle to manage their addictions. He started to wonder why we treat addicts the way we do -- and if there might be a better way. As he shares in this deeply personal talk, his questions took him around the world, and unearthed some surprising and hopeful ways of thinking about an age-old problem.

Johann Hari: Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong

Everything you think you know about addiction is wrong

Rat Park experiment reveals addiction is less about individual chemical hooks and more about one's environment and connections.

Portugal's bold move to decriminalize all drugs and focus on social reintegration cuts injecting drug use by 50% and lowers HIV rates.

At the heart of addiction lies a deep craving for connection, challenging the conventional war on drugs with a call for compassion.