Before the Mona Lisa became one of the most famous and beloved paintings in the world, it sat in obscurity for hundreds of years away from the public eye. During that time, no one would have considered it the timeless, classic masterpiece that it is today. How did that change? Who decides what is worthy of the title “classic” and is it possible to have classics in our modern age? Rochelle Gurstein is an intellectual historian, critic, and fellow at the New York Institute for the Humanities. Her ...
Jul 16, 2025•55 min•Ep. 567
It’s a button most people these days don’t think twice about before clicking online: the like button. But there's no argument that the button has turned into a powerhouse of an icon, with its purpose now reaching far beyond the creators’ original intent. So, how did we get here? Why was the button originally invented, and what can its ubiquitous role online teach us about our culture? Martin Reeves, chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, and Bob Goodson, founder of Quid, are the authors of the...
Jul 14, 2025•57 min•Ep. 566
It makes sense that economic principles could be a useful guide in deciding what career to pursue, but what if they’re also the key to deciding whether to ask for a promotion, who to marry, or what house to buy? Daryl Fairweather is the chief economist at Redfin and the author of the book, Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work . Through the lens of behavioral economics and game theory, the book provides readers with practical strategies for navigating some of life’s bigges...
Jul 11, 2025•52 min•Ep. 565
How can you make philosophy accessible to everyone without stripping it of essential depth and complexity? Where can philosophy take hold in diet and everyday activities? Julian Baggini is a philosopher, journalist and the author of over 20 books about philosophy. His latest are How to Think Like a Philosopher: Twelve Key Principles for More Humane, Balanced, and Rational Thinking, How the World Eats: A Global Food Philosophy, and The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten: 100 Experiments for the Armchair ...
Jul 09, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 564
It may be not much to look at, but the unassuming shipping container has had a massive impact on the global economy since its invention in the 1950s. The story of its rise as the dominant form of shipping is filled with dramatic turns and insights into the explosion of globalization. Marc Levinson is a journalist, economist, and a former senior fellow of the Council on Foreign Relations. His books like, The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger and O...
Jul 07, 2025•48 min•Ep. 563
It might sound counterintuitive but digital transformation is not about technology. So, what does it mean for companies to keep up in an ever-evolving digital age? Well, according to today’s guest, it’s about having a “strategic imagination.” David Rogers, an instructor at Columbia Business School, is an OG thinker on digital transformation. His books, The Digital Transformation Playbook: Rethink Your Business for the Digital Age and The Digital Transformation Roadmap: Rebuild Your Organization ...
Jul 04, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 562
What drives humans to seek and discover the previously unknown? Does the wanderlust that so many of us share in common have a scientific explanation? Science journalist Alex Hutchinson is the author of The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map , as well as the book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance . His work focuses on expanding our understanding of human performance, particularly in relation to fitness, ...
Jul 02, 2025•52 min•Ep. 561
Being easily distracted by the latest technologies has been a consistent feature of the human race since the time of Plato. But is the technology to blame? Or is the key to being more productive and present in life have to do with forming healthy habits around the technology? Nir Eyal, writer, consultant, and former lecturer in marketing at Stanford, is the author of Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life and Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products . In his work, ...
Jun 30, 2025•51 min•Ep. 560
There is a shift happening in the complex world of proof. Simulation and probabilistic approaches are increasingly accepted as ‘good enough’ in areas traditionally dominated by exact proofs. Persuasion depends on the degree of certainty needed. Adam Kucharski is a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and also the author of three books, Proof: The Art and Science of Certainty, The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread--And Why They Stop, and The Perfect Bet: How Scienc...
Jun 27, 2025•55 min•Ep. 559
How do individuals navigate moral typecasting? What is the dual nature of empathy in the context of human pain and suffering? When is there a disconnect between the perceptions of what is right and what is moral? Kurt Gray is a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and the Center for the Science of Moral Understanding. In the autumn of 2025, he will join the faculty of the Department of Psychology at ...
Jun 25, 2025•48 min•Ep. 558
You know what they say — Silicon Valley wasn’t built in a day, nor was it built by just a small group of tech gurus. In fact, the origin story of the Valley is a complex story involving government, industry, and academia. Margaret O’Mara is a history professor at the University of Washington. Her latest book, The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America gives an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the tech empire, and how it’s grown into an economic engine. Margaret and Gre...
Jun 23, 2025•52 min•Ep. 557
Are there ways to change your personality? What traits are easier to change than others? How does environment and life events tend to influence the Big Five traits of your personality? Olga Khazan is a staff writer at The Atlantic magazine and also the author of the books Me, But Better: The Science and Promise of Personality Change and Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World. Greg and Olga discuss the concept of personality change, focusing on the Big Five personality traits: ...
Jun 20, 2025•42 min•Ep. 556
Could the key to a happier life be found with our most ancient ancestors and the way they depended on community over autonomy? In a modern world built to encourage independence, how do we find the right balance between connectedness and autonomy? William Von Hippel is a retired professor of psychology from the University of Queensland and the author of The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness. His research, also found in his first book The Social Leap and ...
Jun 18, 2025•58 min•Ep. 555
What happens to the speed of trading as technology advances? How do we move from automated button pressing machines to ultra-fast algorithms? What surprising impact does the rain have on the trading windows of financial markets? Donald MacKenzie is a professor of sociology at the University of Edinburgh and also the author of several books. His most recent works are Trading at the Speed of Light: How Ultrafast Algorithms Are Transforming Financial Markets and An Engine, Not a Camera: How Financi...
Jun 16, 2025•53 min•Ep. 554
How are effective leadership practices evolving to keep up in a continually changing world? What can be learned from the leaders of companies like Stitchfix or Waste Management? How can AI in education be handled in a way that is open and enriching to all? Robert Siegel is a lecturer at Stanford University GSB and author of the books The Systems Leader: Mastering the Cross-Pressures That Make or Break Today's Companies and The Brains and Brawn Company: How Leading Organizations Blend the Best of...
Jun 13, 2025•52 min•Ep. 553
What are the effects of stress on memory? How does age change the nature of this vital piece of human cognition? What are the limitations of memory, and how can we embrace them? Ciara M. Greene is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychology, UCD, where she also heads up the Attention and Memory Laboratory. She’s also the co-author of the book Memory Lane: The Perfectly Imperfect Ways We Remember . Greg and Ciara discuss the nature of memory, challenging the common belief that the best mem...
Jun 11, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 552
What is the role of active versus passive learning for math? How would data science become an avenue of math study for high school students and why isn’t it already? Where does change in math education start? At the college level or before? Jo Boaler is a professor of mathematics education at Stanford University and also the author of a number of books, including Math-ish: Finding Creativity, Diversity, and Meaning in Mathematics, Limitless Mind: Learn, Lead, and Live Without Barriers, and Mathe...
Jun 09, 2025•52 min•Ep. 551
What is ‘good stress’ and what are the benefits of it? How does an upbringing in uncertainty prepare you in some ways better for the world than others? How are intolerance and uncertainty linked? What is the important purpose of daydreaming for creativity and business? Maggie Jackson is a journalist and the author of the books Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure, Distracted: Reclaiming Our Focus in a World of Lost Attention, and What's Happening to Home: Balancing Work, Life and Ref...
Jun 06, 2025•54 min•Ep. 550
How can the leadership power be wielded for both good and ill? How can leaders use their influence more ethically and effectively, and why is that important for the growth of the whole superorganism? Adam Galinsky is a professor of leadership and ethics at Columbia Business School, and also the author of the books Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others and Friend & Foe: When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both . Greg and Adam discuss Adam’s research...
Jun 04, 2025•52 min•Ep. 549
There have been periods throughout history when cultural aficionados of the time proclaimed that painting was dead! Yet, the artform has risen over and over again. What is it about painting that makes it so timeless and gives it the ability to continuously evolve? Why, after centuries, can we still be awestruck by the right combination of brushstokes? Art critic Martin Gayford has interviewed many artists over his lifetime about their craft. His books explore painting through a multitude of eras...
Jun 02, 2025•45 min•Ep. 548
What is the intrinsic link between philosophical inquiry and personal development? How can academic thought and theory be applied well to practical living in the real world? Kieran Setiya is a professor of philosophy at MIT and also the author of a number of books, including Knowing Right From Wrong , Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way , and Midlife: A Philosophical Guide . Greg and Kieran discuss how philosophy and self-help have diverged over time and the potential for their...
May 30, 2025•55 min•Ep. 547
How does strategy factor into the mindsets of presidents like Lincoln and Reagan on both a micro and macro level? What parts of grand strategy are at play when new countries enter NATO due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict? John Lewis Gaddis is a professor of history at Yale University and also the author of several books on history and strategy. His latest books include The Landscape of History: How Historians Map the Past , On Grand Strategy , and The Cold War: A New History . Greg and John discu...
May 28, 2025•53 min•Ep. 546
Contrary to popular belief – making more money doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be happier in life. The same can be said for societies as a whole, especially when it comes to countries with lopsided wealth distribution leading to high levels of inequality. So what are the connections between that inequality,people’s general wellbeing, and politics? Keith Payne is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at UNC Chapel Hill. His books, Good Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America's Dange...
May 26, 2025•51 min•Ep. 545
When did the idea of parenthood become less of a certainty and more of a choice? How have anxieties about the modern world impacted our desire to procreate and thus impacted the world’s population? Is that impact even a big deal? Anastasia Berg is an assistant professor of philosophy at UC Irvine and co-author of the new book What Are Children For?: On Ambivalence and Choice in which she takes a philosophical approach to the question of whether or not to have children. Anastasia and Greg delve i...
May 23, 2025•56 min•Ep. 544
How is our fear of uncertainty holding us back? Could an acceptance and willingness to embrace the unknown unlock new potential and innovation? Margaret Heffernan is a professor of Practice at the University of Bath, an entrepreneur, and a mentor to CEOs. Her books include Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril , Uncharted: How to Navigate the Future , and most recently Embracing Uncertainty: How writers, musicians and artists thrive in an unpredictable world . Margaret and Gr...
May 21, 2025•53 min•Ep. 543
Why is there a need for a cultural and educational shift towards appreciating, building, and maintaining industrial systems? What would a rebirth of manufacturing look like in 2025? How would we go about setting up a new Industrial Enlightenment? David A. Mindell is a professor of aerospace engineering and the history of engineering and manufacturing at MIT. He is also the author of several books. The title of his latest book and the primary subject of this discussion is The New Lunar Society: A...
May 19, 2025•54 min•Ep. 542
What does it mean to learn something? While many living things have the capacity for learning, humans have taken this ability to unmatched levels. Our ability to learn and apply knowledge sets us apart from most other species, and now we’re passing that ability on to AI. Leslie Valiant is a professor of computer science and applied mathematics at Harvard University. His latest book, The Importance of Being Educable: A New Theory of Human Uniqueness, explores our ability to take in new informatio...
May 16, 2025•42 min•Ep. 541
What does it take to go from a criminal prosecutor to a pioneer of the “originalism” movement and one of the top constitutional law scholars in America? Randy Barnett is a professor of law at Georgetown University and the director of Georgetown Center for the Constitution. He has written numerous books including, Our Republican Constitution: Securing the Liberty and Sovereignty of We the People , The Original Meaning of the Fourteenth Amendment: Its Letter and Spirit , and most recently a memoir...
May 14, 2025•57 min•Ep. 540
Why is historical awareness so important in order to form a strong personal identity? What are the risks of a culture overly centered on safety and fragility? Frank Furedi is an emeritus professor at the University of Kent and director of the think tank MCC Brussels. Frank is also the author of several books. His latest work is titled The War Against the Past: Why The West Must Fight For Its History , and he has also written How Fear Works: Culture of Fear in the Twenty-First Century , First Wor...
May 12, 2025•50 min•Ep. 539
What are the broader implications of specialized bankruptcy courts on the U.S. legal system? How are bankruptcies being used and misused by debtors and creditors today? Melissa B. Jacoby is a professor of law at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She’s also the author of the book Unjust Debts: How Our Bankruptcy System Makes America More Unequal . Greg and Melissa discuss the complexities of the U.S. bankruptcy code, highlighting its impact on both individuals and corporations. The...
May 09, 2025•59 min•Ep. 538
