Reginald Dwayne Betts spent more than eight years in prison. Today he's a Yale Law graduate, a MacArthur Fellow, and a poet. His nonprofit works to build libraries in prisons so that more incarcerated people can find hope. SOURCES: Reginald Dwayne Betts , founder and director of Freedom Reads, award-winning poet, and lawyer. RESOURCES: Doggerel: Poems , by Reginald Dwayne Betts (2025). “ The Poet Writing on Prison Underwear ,” by Adam Iscoe ( The New Yorker, 2023). The Voltage Effect , by John L...
Mar 08, 2025•49 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast Chemist Jack Szostak wants to understand how the first life forms came into being on Earth. He and Steve discuss the danger of "mirror bacteria," the origin of biology in poisonous chemicals, and the possibility that life might exist on other planets too. SOURCES: Jack Szostak, Nobel laureate and professor of chemistry at The University of Chicago. RESOURCES: Is Earth Exceptional?: The Quest for Cosmic Life, by Mario Livio and Jack Szostak (2024) " Q&A: How ‘Mirror Bacteria’ Could Take a Devasta...
Mar 01, 2025•47 min•Ep 152•Transcript available on Metacast Owen Flanagan's newest book details his 20-year dependence on alcohol and pills — and outlines his research on what addiction can tell us about the nature of consciousness. SOURCES: Owen Flanagan, philosopher, neurobiologist, and professor emeritus at Duke University. RESOURCES: What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse, by Owen Flanagan (2025). Consciousness Reconsidered, by Owen Flanagan (1993). Against Happiness, by Owen Flanagan, Joseph E. LeDoux, Bobby Bingle, Daniel M...
Feb 15, 2025•53 min•Ep 151•Transcript available on Metacast The primatologist discusses the thrill of observing chimpanzees in the wild, the value of challenging orthodoxy, and why dying is her next great adventure. SOURCES: Dr. Jane Goodall, GBE , founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and U.N. Messenger of Peace. RESOURCES: The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times , by Jane Goodall, Douglas Abrams, and Gail Hudson (2021). Jane , by Brett Morgen (2017). “ Remembering My Mentor: Robert Hinde ,” by Jane Goodall (2017). The Soul of an Octopus: A ...
Feb 08, 2025•54 min•Ep 91•Transcript available on Metacast Hank Green is an internet phenomenon and a master communicator, with a plan to reform higher education. He and Steve talk about the video blog that launched Hank’s career, the economics of the internet, and how a cancer diagnosis prompted him to become a stand-up comedian. SOURCES: Hank Green , founder of Complexly and science communicator RESOURCES: Complexly CrashCourse YouTube Channel SciShow YouTube Channel Vlogbrothers YouTube Channel The Show with Ze Frank Study Hall " An Absolutely Remark...
Feb 01, 2025•59 min•Ep 150•Transcript available on Metacast Jonathan Levin is an academic economist who now runs one of the most influential universities in the world. He tells Steve how he saved Comcast a billion dollars, why he turned down Steve’s unusual pitch to come to the University of Chicago, and why being a nice guy makes him a better college president. SOURCE : Jonathan Levin , president of Stanford University. RESOURCES: " Income Segregation and Intergenerational Mobility Across Colleges in the United States ," by Raj Chetty, John N Friedman, ...
Jan 18, 2025•56 min•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Hart investigates the mathematical structures underlying musical compositions and literature. Using examples from Monteverdi to Lewis Carroll, Sarah explains to Steve how math affects how we hear music and understand stories. SOURCE: Sarah Hart , professor emerita of mathematics at the University of London. RESOURCES: Once Upon a Prime: The Wondrous Connections Between Mathematics and Literature , by Sarah Hart (2023). " Ahab's Arithmetic: The Mathematics of Moby-Dick ," by Sarah B. Hart (...
Jan 11, 2025•49 min•Ep 104•Transcript available on Metacast Sarah Stein Greenberg runs Stanford’s d.school, which teaches design as a mode of problem solving. She and Steve talk about what makes her field different from other academic disciplines, how to approach hard problems, and why brainstorms are so annoying. SOURCE: Sarah Stein Greenberg , executive director of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University. RESOURCES: Creative Acts for Curious People: How to Think, Create, and Lead in Unconventional Ways , by Sarah Stein Greenberg (...
Jan 04, 2025•59 min•Ep 148•Transcript available on Metacast In her book, Rumbles , medical historian Elsa Richardson explores the history of the human gut. She talks with Steve about dubious medical practices, gruesome tales of survival, and the things that medieval doctors may have gotten right. SOURCE: Elsa Richardson , medical historian at the University of Strathclyde. RESOURCES: Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut: The Secret Story of the Body's Most Fascinating Organ , by Elsa Richardson (2024). Michael Levitt retirement speech (2024). " Was Ther...
Dec 21, 2024•58 min•Ep 147•Transcript available on Metacast How psychologist Dan Gilbert went from high school dropout to Harvard professor, found the secret of joy, and inspired Steve Levitt's divorce. SOURCE: Daniel Gilbert , professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES: " What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) About Crime in the United States ," by John Gramlich (Pew Research Center, 2020). Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress , by Stephen Pinker (2018). " Mistakenly Seeking Solitude ," by Nicholas Epley an...
Dec 14, 2024•50 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast Moon Duchin is a math professor at Cornell University whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult? SOURCE: Moon Duchin , professor of mathematics at Cornell University. RESOURCES: " Gerrymandering: The Origin Story ," by Neely Tucker ( Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress, 2024). " Redistricting for Proportionality ," by Gabe Schoenbach and Moon Duchin ( The Forum, 2023). " The Atlas Of Redistricting ," by ...
Dec 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep 146•Transcript available on Metacast The director of the Hayden Planetarium is one of the best science communicators of our time. He and Steve talk about his role in reclassifying Pluto, bad teachers, and why economics isn’t a science. SOURCE: Neil deGrasse Tyson , director of the Hayden Planetarium. RESOURCES: Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization , by Neil deGrasse Tyson (2022). “ The Universe and Beyond, with Stephen Hawking ,” by Neil deGrasse Tyson ( StarTalk , 2018). The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of Ameri...
Nov 23, 2024•52 min•Ep 145•Transcript available on Metacast He’s the chief creative officer of Pixar, and the Academy Award-winning director of Soul, Inside Out, Up, and Monsters, Inc. Pete Docter and Steve talk about Pixar’s scrappy beginnings, why wrong turns are essential, and the movie moment that changed Steve’s life. SOURCE: Pete Docter , chief creative officer of Pixar. RESOURCES: " ‘Inside Out 2’ Becomes the Highest-Grossing Animated Film of All Time Globally ," (The Walt Disney Company, 2024). Soul , film (2020). The Red Turtle , film (2016). In...
Nov 16, 2024•46 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast David Eagleman is a Stanford neuroscientist, C.E.O., television host, and founder of the Possibilianism movement. He and Steve talk about how wrists can substitute for ears, why we dream, and what Fisher-Price magnets have to do with neuroscience. SOURCE: David Eagleman , professor of cognitive neuroscience at Stanford University and C.E.O. of Neosensory. RESOURCES: Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain , by David Eagleman (2020). " Why Do We Dream? A New Theory on How It Protec...
Nov 09, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 144•Transcript available on Metacast Boys and men are trending downward in education, employment, and mental health. Richard Reeves, author of the book Of Boys and Men , has some solutions that don’t come at the expense of women and girls. Steve pushes him to go further. SOURCE: Richard Reeves , senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, and author. RESOURCES: Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do About It , by Richard Reeves (2022)....
Oct 26, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep 143•Transcript available on Metacast Daron Acemoglu was just awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in economics. Earlier this year, he and Steve talked about his groundbreaking research on what makes countries succeed or fail. SOURCES: Daron Acemoglu , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2024 . Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity , by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023). " Econo...
Oct 19, 2024•41 min•Ep 124•Transcript available on Metacast David Autor took his first economics class at 29 years old. Now he’s one of the central academics studying the labor market. The M.I.T. economist and Steve dissect the impact of technology on labor, spar on A.I., and discuss why economists can sometimes be oblivious. SOURCES: David Autor , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: " Does Automation Replace Experts or Augment Expertise? The Answer Is Yes ," by David Autor (Joseph Schumpeter Lecture at the Eur...
Oct 12, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep 142•Transcript available on Metacast Kate Douglass is a world-class swimmer and data scientist who’s used mathematical modeling to help make her stroke more efficient. She and Steve talk about why the Olympics were underwhelming, how she won gold, and why she won’t be upset to say goodbye to the pool. SOURCE: Kate Douglass , Olympic swimmer and graduate student. RESOURCES: " Kate Douglass HOLDS OFF Tatjana Smith to win 200m breaststroke | Paris Olympics " ( NBC Sports, 2024). “ The Plane Partition Function Abides by Benford’s Law ,...
Oct 05, 2024•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ken Ono is a math prodigy whose skills have helped produce a Hollywood movie and made Olympic swimmers faster. The number theorist tells Steve why he sees mathematics as art — and about his unusual path to success, which came without a high school diploma. SOURCE: Ken Ono , professor of mathematics and STEM adviser to the provost at the University of Virginia. RESOURCES: " ‘Digital Twins’ Give Olympic Swimmers a Boost ," by Katherine Douglass, Augustus Lamb, Jerry Lu, Ken Ono, and William Tenpas...
Sep 28, 2024•48 min•Ep 141•Transcript available on Metacast Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay. SOURCE: Wendy MacNaughton , artist and graphic journalist. RESOURCES: " What Happens if Two Complete Strangers Draw Each Other? " video by the National Gallery of Art (2024). How to Say Goodbye , by Wendy MacNaughton (2023). " How to Have Fun Again ," by Wendy MacNaugh...
Sep 21, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast Bestselling author James Nestor believes that we can improve our lives by changing the way we breathe. He’s persuasive enough to get Steve taping his mouth shut at night. He explains how humans dive to depths of 300 feet without supplemental oxygen, and describes what it’s like to be accepted into a pod of whales. SOURCES: James Nestor , author and journalist. RESOURCES: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art , by James Nestor (2020). Deep: Freediving, Renegade Science, and What the Ocean Tells U...
Sep 14, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep 140•Transcript available on Metacast People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals founder Ingrid Newkirk has been badgering meat-eaters, fur-wearers, and circus-goers for more than 40 years. For a woman who’s leaving her liver to the president of France in her will, she sounds quite sensible when she tells Steve what we can learn from animals, why she supports euthanasia, and who’ll get her other organs. SOURCE : Ingrid Newkirk , founding president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. RESOURCES: " Paradoxical Gender Effec...
Aug 31, 2024•1 hr•Ep 139•Transcript available on Metacast Revisiting Steve’s 2021 conversation with the economist and MacArthur “genius” about how to make memories stickier, why change is undervalued, and how to find something new to say on the subject of scarcity. SOURCE: Sendhil Mullainathan , university professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. RESOURCES: " Fictional Money, Real Costs: Impacts of Financial Salience on Disadvantaged Students ," by Claire Duquennois ( American Economic Revie...
Aug 24, 2024•47 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast Under his helm, the TED Conference went from a small industry gathering to a global phenomenon. Chris and Steve talk about how to build lasting institutions, how to make generosity go viral, and what Chris has learned about public speaking. SOURCE: Chris Anderson , head of TED. RESOURCES: Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading , by Chris Anderson (2024). TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking , by Chris Anderson (2016). " The Best Stats You've Ever Seen ," by Hans...
Aug 17, 2024•59 min•Ep 138•Transcript available on Metacast The former YouTube C.E.O. — and sixteenth Google employee — died on August 9, 2024. Steve talked with her in 2020 about her remarkable career, and how her background in economics shaped her work. SOURCES: Susan Wojcicki , former C.E.O. of YouTube. RESOURCES: " Susan Wojcicki, Former Chief of YouTube, Dies at 56 ," by John Yoon and Mike Isaac ( The New York Times, 2024)....
Aug 13, 2024•32 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast The author of the classic The Selfish Gene is still changing the way we think about evolution. SOURCE: Richard Dawkins , professor emeritus of the public understanding of science at Oxford University. RESOURCES: The Genetic Book of the Dead , by Richard Dawkins (2024). Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution , by Richard Dawkins (2021). " About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are Now Religiously Unaffiliated ," by Gregory A. Smith ( Pew Research Center, 2021). Cuckoo: Cheating by Natu...
Aug 03, 2024•53 min•Ep 137•Transcript available on Metacast Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards. SOURCE: Victoria Groce , “The Queen” on the television game show The Chase . RESOURCES: The Chase , TV series (2013-2015, 2021-present). LearnedLeague . Anki . EXTRAS: " Ken Jennings on How a Midlife Crisis Led Him to Jeopardy! (Replay) ," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021). ...
Jul 27, 2024•40 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the answer. Plus: You won't believe what female ducks use for contraception. SOURCE: Richard Prum , professor of ornithology, ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University. RESOURCES: " Stop Your Populist Grandstanding Over Wendy’s ‘Surge Pricing’ ," by Catherine Rampell ( The Washington Post, 2024). "...
Jul 20, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep 136•Transcript available on Metacast Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see woolly mammoths in the future, and why he was frustrated the day the Berlin Wall came down. SOURCES: Thomas Hildebrandt , head of the department of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research and professor of wildlife reproduction medicine at the veterinary faculty ...
Jul 06, 2024•56 min•Ep 135•Transcript available on Metacast She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple in ESPN The Magazine ’s Body Issue . SOURCE: Sue Bird , former professional basketball player. RESOU...
Jun 29, 2024•43 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast 
