In a Paris hospital delivery room, Thomas Chatterton Williams, writer for The Atlantic and author of Self-Portrait in Black and White, held his newborn daughter for the first time. Blonde hair. Blue eyes. And in that instant, everything he thought he knew about race shattered. Thomas lives the questions about race and identity that most of us only debate. The son of a Black father who grew up under Jim Crow and a white mother, he had accepted America's racial categories without question. Until h...
Nov 25, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 277
What if fatigue, fear, and even failure aren’t real limits, but signals from the brain trying to protect us? Nick Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic and former Editor-in-Chief of Wired reveals the surprising psychology behind fatigue, focus, and fear and how our biggest limits often come from within. Nick isn’t just one of the most thoughtful leaders in media, he’s also a record-breaking ultramarathoner who’s learned that endurance begins in the mind. This conversation will change how you think about...
Nov 18, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 276
We’re told youth is life’s peak — but what if that story is wrong? Stanford psychologist Laura Carstensen reveals how time itself reshapes what we value and how we find meaning. Her research offers profound lessons for living well at every age — and for finding more meaning in the moments we have. It’s a conversation that will change how you think about time, happiness, and life itself.
Nov 11, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 275
We’ve entered a new age. Where nature once took a million years to make a few genetic changes, scientists can now make billions in an afternoon — and even imagine adapting humans for life beyond Earth. George Church, a Harvard geneticist, pioneer of the Human Genome Project, and founder of more than 50 biotech companies, helped lay the foundation for CRISPR, personal genomics, and even de-extinction. In this episode, he explains how biotechnology, AI, and materials science are converging to tran...
Nov 04, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 274
AI doesn’t just predict our behavior — it can shape it. Cass Sunstein, Harvard professor and co-author of Nudge, reveals how artificial intelligence uses classic tools of manipulation — from scarcity and social proof to fear and pleasure — to steer what we buy, believe, and even feel. Its influence is so seamless, we may not even notice it. The battle for the future isn’t for our data — it’s for our minds. In a world this personalized, how do we keep control of our own minds?...
Oct 28, 2025•24 min•Season 1Ep. 273
When Vladimir Putin first rose to power, few expected him to become the world’s most confrontational autocrat. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, who has studied and worked with Putin for decades, explains what changed — and why. From paranoia about democracy to the drive to rebuild Russia’s sphere of influence, McFaul shows how personal power and national destiny became one and the same. His insights reveal not just who Putin is, but what he wants next.
Oct 21, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 272
The dollar has been one of America’s most powerful weapons and a major source of global influence, in ways few fully realize. It doesn’t just shape trade and finance; it also gives the U.S. a unique window into the world’s financial flows. But what if that power is beginning to slip? Harvard’s Ken Rogoff examines the mounting pressures that could threaten the dollar’s supremacy — and reveals how a cornerstone of U.S. power could also become its Achilles’ heel.
Oct 14, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 271
Grief and trauma are part of being human, yet most of us have little idea what to expect. We picture them as overwhelming, endless, and all-consuming. But what if that story is wrong? Columbia professor George Bonanno reveals a surprising truth about how people actually cope — and it may change the way you think about loss.
Oct 07, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 270
Artificial intelligence isn’t just another invention — it may be humanity’s first non-biological species. Craig Mundie, former Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer and co-author of Genesis with Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt, explores what happens as AI begins to make decisions once made by humans. Who decides what AI should do? Who makes it obey? And what if it doesn’t? The stakes? Nothing less than the future of human civilization.
Sep 30, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 269
What do kitchen renovations, Olympic Games, and nuclear power plants have in common? Most of them fail — spectacularly. World-renowned expert Bent Flyvbjerg explains why 199 out of 200 big projects go over budget, over time, and under expectations — and what the rare successful ones do differently. From Pixar films to the Empire State Building, learn the principles that separate disasters from triumphs.
Sep 23, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 268
Populists on the right and left say globalization gutted America’s middle class. David Brooks says that story is “75% bonkers.” In this episode, he reveals what’s myth, what’s true, and the deeper crisis shaping our politics today.
Sep 16, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 267
Why do some people seem to effortlessly connect — while the rest of us stumble through awkward small talk or tense conversations? The secret isn’t charisma or confidence — it’s a few learnable habits that anyone can practice. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Charles Duhigg explains what separates great communicators from everyone else — and how to start practicing those skills today.
Sep 09, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 266
Every country wants strong industries and good jobs. But do tariffs actually deliver? Few people have been closer to the frontlines of global trade, tariffs, and innovation than America’s former chief trade negotiator Mike Froman. He takes us inside the myths, the hidden costs, and the bigger choices ahead. The question: what will truly define America’s edge in the global economy?
Sep 02, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 265
Space may look empty, but it’s crowded, fragile, and under threat. Former Congresswoman Jane Harman and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Nina Armagno — former U.S. Space Force Director of Staff who oversaw missile warning, satellite operations, and space launches — reveal how satellites quietly keep the world running, and how quickly it could all go dark. Imagine waking up to no internet, no GPS, and no air travel. They share what’s happening above our heads, and why we can’t afford to ignore it....
Aug 26, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 264
Variable rewards once powered slot machines; now they’re inside your pocket. Behavior-design expert Nir Eyal shows how modern apps turned casino psychology into daily routine. He unpacks the psychological levers hidden in everyday products. Hear the science and the clever design tricks that turn a few minutes into far more time than you intended. If knowledge is power, this episode hands you the switch.
Aug 19, 2025•17 min•Season 1Ep. 263
The global order that brought decades of peace and prosperity is coming apart. The Economist’s Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes takes us inside the world’s power centers, where America is both admired and doubted — and China’s influence is on the rise. She reveals how shifting alliances and economic rivalries are rewriting the balance of power — with consequences that will touch us all.
Aug 12, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 262
Imagine owing over $100,000—not for a home or college, but simply for being an American. That’s each citizen’s share of the nearly $40 trillion U.S. national debt—and it’s climbing fast. The government now spends more on interest than on Medicare or defense. Former Council of Economic Advisers Chair Greg Mankiw explains why this path is unsustainable and what it will take to fix it. He lays out five possible outcomes: some painful, some unlikely, and all politically explosive. One thing is clear...
Aug 05, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 261
How does AI go from predicting the next word to powering robots that navigate the real world? Princeton computer science professor Sanjeev Arora explains how today’s models learn, adapt, and even teach themselves.From chatbots to multimodal machines that process text, images, and video, you’ll learn how it all works—and where it’s headed next. This conversation will change how you think about intelligence, language, and the future of AI.
Jul 29, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 260
Crypto runs on stablecoins — and they’re far less stable than they sound. Bloomberg investigative journalist Zeke Faux followed the money behind the scenes. What he uncovered will change the way you see digital money — and the trust it’s built on. Listen to understand the hidden forces shaping the future of money.
Jul 22, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 259
How do the savviest investors navigate today’s uncertainty? Jon Gray, President of Blackstone, one of the world’s most successful asset management firms, shares the timeless principles that helped grow the firm from under $1B to over $1T in assets. He reveals how to spot great businesses, invest with conviction, and think decades ahead. This episode is a masterclass in building lasting wealth—especially in turbulent and uncertain times. This is a rare window into the mindset of someone who’s hel...
Jul 15, 2025•19 min•Season 1Ep. 258
Global birth rates are collapsing—sometimes to half the level needed to keep populations stable. UT-Austin’s Michael Geruso explains how that trend could shrink the world’s population from eight billion to three billion in just three generations. He unpacks the silent drivers behind falling fertility, why cash incentives rarely work, and what disappearing people mean for innovation, cities, pensions, and geopolitical power. If you’ve never worried about a world that’s too small, this conversatio...
Jul 08, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 257
We’ve landed on the moon and built global networks—yet most of us don’t understand how a toilet works. Cognitive scientist Philip Fernbach explores the paradox of human intelligence: our success depends on shared knowledge, not personal depth. But that creates an illusion—we think we know far more than we do. How does this illusion quietly shape our politics, beliefs and risks and is it time we all got a little more curious - and less certain?
Jul 01, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 256
Love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a science. Arthur Aron, the psychologist behind the 36 questions that went viral, shares what really makes people fall and stay in love. You’ll hear why new experiences matter, how to deepen intimacy, and what most couples get wrong. Whether you’re looking to strengthen a relationship, connect more deeply with friends, or understand human bonding, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Jun 24, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 255
Jake Sullivan spent four years at the highest level of U.S. foreign policy—sitting across the table from Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and leading the national response to crises like Ukraine, Taiwan, cyberattacks, and AI risks. He shares a rare look behind the scenes of global power, including: what intelligence gets wrong (and why); how AI, drones & disinformation are reshaping war; why the U.S. is more vulnerable than it seems and what a China-Taiwan conflict might actually look like. His i...
Jun 17, 2025•33 min•Season 1Ep. 254
What if we could rewrite the code of life—just like editing a Word doc? Gene-editing pioneer David Liu takes us behind the scenes of the revolutionary tools transforming medicine. He’s the Harvard scientist who invented base editing—a breakthrough that lets scientists fix a single DNA letter to correct genetic disease at its root. This is science fiction come to life—and it's happening now. He edits DNA like we edit text. Come meet the man who's changing lives, one letter at a time....
Jun 10, 2025•23 min•Season 1Ep. 253
What if music, color, scent, and art could actually change your brain? Science now shows they do. Join Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins, as she explores how art and beauty impact our brains and well-being. From the transformative power of music to the subtle magic of sensory environments, she reveals how simple aesthetic moments can boost your health and joy.
Jun 03, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 252
Mississippi is richer than France. No, really. The poorest U.S. state now has a higher GDP per person than France, the U.K., Italy, and Spain. How did that happen? Don’t miss this eye-opening episode with George Mason University's Tyler Cowen.
May 27, 2025•18 min•Season 1Ep. 251
China is on the march, is very determined, and has some significant advantages over the U.S. What are they and how should we respond? Two esteemed China experts, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and National Security Council Deputy Senior Director for China Rush Doshi, say the key is to counter China’s enormous scale by finding common cause with allies. Listen, and learn a lot.
May 20, 2025•21 min•Season 1Ep. 250
As the dust settles on the 2024 presidential election, now is an excellent time to take a fresh, clear-eyed look at what really happened. Join us as Larry Bartels, political scientist extraordinaire and Co-Director of Vanderbilt University's Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, explains why Trump’s win was not unusual and the roles played by the economy, loyalty to the political parties, and Trump’s unique personality.
May 13, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 249
What if your phone is quietly changing your brain—and your relationships? The brilliant Christine Rosen explores how digital life is reshaping everything from childhood to public discourse, often in ways we barely notice. With insight and urgency, she challenges the assumptions driving our always-online world. This conversation will make you see your screen—and our society—differently.
May 06, 2025•20 min•Season 1Ep. 248
