Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Admiral Bill Owens, fervently believes we need to see “the other side of the story” — the perspective of other countries and people. With that in mind, wait till you hear his surprising thoughts on China, Taiwan, Russia, the war in Ukraine, and other hot button issues of the day.
Aug 08, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 157
Becoming more influential is within your grasp, and it doesn't mean becoming a selfish ass — says Yale professor Zoe Chance, who teaches the wildly popular course Mastering Influence and Persuasion. Here, she shares brilliant, simple strategies — including the “magic question” to ask — to get what you want in a graceful way. “The bedrock principle of influencing behavior is … to have people react unconsciously in a favorable way.”
Aug 01, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 156
Now for some wonderful news. There’s a global public-private alliance that has done what no other organization could: helped vaccinate almost half the world’s children, about a billion, against deadly and debilitating diseases. Learn about Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, from its CEO Seth Berkley, and the innovative funding mechanisms that have helped it succeed.
Jul 25, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 155
A wristband that enables deaf people to “hear.” Brain implants that enable you to control a robotic arm. Neurotechnology that enables blind people to “see.” In this mind-boggling talk, Stanford neuroscientist David Eagleman reveals how the brain’s plasticity and breakthroughs in neurotech are enabling us to ask: How do you want to experience the universe? What kind of senses and body do you want to have?
Jul 18, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 154
Why do some schools routinely produce high-performing students? How truly important is class size? Why do charter schools typically outperform regular schools — is it the schools themselves, the students they attract, or a combination of both? Get ready to be educated on crucial issues of education by Nobel Prize laureate Joshua Angrist.
Jul 11, 2023•17 min•Season 1Ep. 153
How did legendary business leader Alan Mulally rescue both Ford and Boeing? With a detailed set of principles and practices he calls love by design. Inspired by the teachings of his parents, this cultural manifesto stresses love and respect for all participants, radical honesty and humility, and an ironclad commitment to the greater good.
Jul 04, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 152
The transformation to AI-enabled warfare is happening at breakneck speed. The stakes are huge and — given the sophistication and vulnerability of the weapons systems — so are the risks. Former Pentagon defense expert Paul Scharre explains in chilling detail how the future of global security is at stake and how AI changes everything.
Jun 27, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 151
Tech companies, including Apple, Facebook, Netflix, and others, go to great lengths to hook us and keep us addicted to their devices and programs. The deliberateness and details of how they do it are shocking. And the addiction is so harmful, many tech execs (like Steve Jobs) don’t allow their own kids to use the devices. Listen, and learn from NYU’s Adam Alter.
Jun 20, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 150
Why do we have so many incompetent male leaders in both government and the private sector? According to a University College London professor, we focus too much on stylistic indicators like charisma and confidence. What are the best traits for effective leaders? Are female leaders different? Who are examples of great leaders? Listen and learn.
Jun 13, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 149
New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is a beloved and important cultural icon. Here, its President and CEO, Dan Weiss, shares his brilliant insight into the essential role of art museums in contemporary life, the astonishing growth of the Met’s online audience, how technology helps satisfy the human need to connect with art, and more.
Jun 06, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Now for some good news: According to Abhijit Banerjee, a Nobel Prize winner for his work fighting poverty, extreme global poverty is “entirely solvable.” Hear what this practical visionary says about the necessity and limitations of aid, why the poor often end up with harmful healthcare, and the surprising optimism of many who are impoverished.
May 30, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 147
Fasten your seatbelt. One month after becoming CEO of United Airlines, Oscar Munoz had a massive heart attack. Hear what this warm and wise man born in Mexico says about leadership, beating death, his immigrant experience, DEI, the return of supersonic air travel, the inevitability of flying cars, and much more.
May 23, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 146
Breakthroughs in bio-acoustic technology are enabling scientists, including Karen Bakker, to “hear” an astonishing assortment of sounds made by animals, insects, and even plants. The implications are stunning, will impact environmental governance, and may fundamentally alter our relationships with other species.
May 16, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 145
One of America’s most popular governors, Phil Murphy (Dem. NJ), lowers his guard and reveals what life is really like as governor, what surprised him most about the job, why he’s a work in progress, his thoughts on partisanship, how he’s been successful in four different careers, and more.
May 09, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 144
Some words have extraordinary power to help us persuade others, build stronger relationships, improve customer satisfaction, and captivate audiences. Here, Wharton professor Jonah Berger reveals six key types of magic words that can dramatically increase your impact and help you get what you want. Words matter, especially these.
May 02, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Don't miss this wide-ranging conversation with Airbnb Global Head of Hosting Catherine Powell on the new importance of travel, the blurring of business and leisure travel, what some of the most unusual and fabulous Airbnb experiences are, how a company actually executes on core values like curiosity and the keys to post-pandemic leadership.
Apr 25, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 142
The workplace is filled with challenging situations and people, and how we handle them plays a major role in our success. Here, Harvard Business Review contributing editor and noted workplace expert Amy Gallo discusses the benefits of both friction and humility, provides tips for how to succeed at difficult conversations, and offers important communication do’s and don’ts.
Apr 18, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 141
As Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer, Tal Zaks spearheaded the creation of the company’s revolutionary Covid vaccine. Here, this visionary scientist talks about the game changing impact AI will have on drug development, emerging treatments for cancer and other diseases, the real safety profile of mRNA vaccines, and more. “A revolution in drug development is coming thanks to AI and machine learning, and it’s going to be fascinating.”
Apr 11, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Buckle your seat belt. Chris Leonard, author of The Lords of Easy Money, explains in searing detail how the Federal Reserve’s years of easy money have led to bank failures, market turmoil, income inequality and more — and why the necessary corrective action is “going to be really ugly.” Major mistakes were made. Now what? Chris Leonard's book, The Lords of Easy Money, was The Wall Street Journal's Best Book of the Year and a New York Times bestseller.
Apr 04, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 139
There is massive, well-funded deception that enables many toxic chemicals and products to go unregulated — says former OSHA head David Michaels. He calls it the science of deception and the manufacture of doubt. Listen, as he explains in shocking detail how corporations pay for corrupt science and disinformation to influence government agencies, and where it’s happening today. “We have this image that the government is protecting us [from toxic chemicals] and I saw from the inside that this is n...
Mar 28, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 138
AI is transforming society. We can still determine how. MIT dean and co-author with Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt of The Age of AI , discusses how and why we need to partner with this foundational technology. He also shares some surprising examples how AI is being integrated into the basic fabric of human activity. “It’s critical that we do not interact with AI as if it were human.”
Mar 21, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Blackstone’s Byron Wien is known for his annual, and remarkably prescient, Ten Surprises. Here, he shares some fascinating 2023 predictions on U.S. presidential politics, interest rates, China, and a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. He also reveals some invaluable life lessons that have helped make him a huge success. Byron Wien is Vice Chairman of the Private Wealth Solutions Group at Blackstone.
Mar 14, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Brain sensors embedded in watches. Earbuds that decode our brainwaves. Neurotechnology that reads our emotions and thoughts, and can be used to manipulate them. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s science fact. Don’t miss this chilling and cautionary talk with Duke professor Nita Farahany, author of The Battle for Your Brain.
Mar 07, 2023•23 min•Season 1Ep. 135
We are biologically wired to need connection with others, but live in an age of serious and debilitating isolation. What are the ramifications of this to our health and happiness, and even to our longevity? Stanford’s Geoffrey Cohen brilliantly diagnoses the problem and offers stunningly simple solutions.
Feb 28, 2023•20 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Are liberal democracies in long-term decline? Why is the U.S. so intensely polarized and how can it recover from it? What is the serious problem with identity politics? Internationally acclaimed political scientist and author, Stanford’s Frank Fukuyama, has valuable answers.
Feb 21, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 133
The one and only Alan S. Blinder, former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and member of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors, shines a brilliant light on some of today’s hottest economic topics — including the politicization of economic policy, the criminality of cryptocurrency, the likelihood of a soft landing, the prospect of a national digital currency, and more.
Feb 14, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 132
There’s an epidemic of deception taking place, and while some lying has a valid function, it helps to know when you’re being deceived. Expert Pamela Meyer reveals why we lie, how to spot deception in work and life situations, and how she knew Bill Clinton’s claim that he “never had sex with that woman” was bs.
Feb 07, 2023•18 min•Season 1Ep. 131
At a time when government-imposed racial and ethnic classifications are increasingly used to determine peoples’ rights, it’s important for them to make sense. According to law professor and author David Bernstein, they definitely do not. They’re absurd, have negative consequences, and are widely manipulated by “identity entrepreneurs.”
Jan 31, 2023•22 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus (Ret.) continues his brilliant, in-depth analysis of the Ukraine war, including whether or not Putin will use nuclear weapons and the risks of a wider war. Also hear his expert views on China, the battlefield of cyberspace, threats posed by Iran, N. Korea and Islamic terrorists, plus the stunning new importance of NATO. Don’t miss this remarkable talk with a remarkable man.
Jan 24, 2023•24 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus (Ret.), one of the most brilliant military leaders of our generation, talks as only he can about the Ukraine war — how it will end, the likelihood of Putin going nuclear, the risk of a wider war, the weapons Ukraine needs to prevail, and more. Be sure to listen to Part 2 of this engrossing talk next week.
Jan 17, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 128