Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonian government to give his radical curriculum a try — so why is the rest of the world so resistant? SOURCE: Conrad Wolfram, strategic director and European cofounder/C.E.O. of Wolfram Research, and founder of computerbasedmath.org. RESOURCES: "In California, a Math Problem: Does Data Science = Algebra II?" by Amy Harmon (The New York Times, 2023). The...
Jun 22, 2024•59 min•Ep 134•Transcript available on Metacast Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our physical health by changing our mind? SOURCE: Ellen Langer , professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES: Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing) , by Sal Khan (2024). " F.D.A.’s Review of MDMA Cites Health Risks and Study Flaws ," by Andrew Jaco...
Jun 08, 2024•1 hr•Ep 133•Transcript available on Metacast Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears. SOURCE: John Green , best-selling author and YouTube creator. RESOURCES : " The Deadliest Infectious Disease Isn’t a Science Problem. It’s a Money Problem ," by John Green ( The Washington Post, 2024). “ Tuition Inflation Isn’t as Bad as You Think ,” by Felix Salmon ( Axios, 2022). “ Fast Facts: Expenditures ,” by the National Center fo...
Jun 01, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep 92•Transcript available on Metacast Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations. SOURCE: Suleika Jaouad , author. RESOURCES: " The Art of Survival ," by Jennifer Senior ( The Atlantic, 2024). American Symphony , film by Matthew Heineman (2023). Between Two Kingd...
May 25, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep 132•Transcript available on Metacast Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk about fighting fires, walking on airplane wings, and finding awe in birdwatching. SOURCE: Caroline Paul , author and former firefighter. RESOURCES : Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking ― How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as We Age , by Caroline Paul (2024). " FAA Halts Sequim Wing-Walking Flights, Revokes Owner’s Pilot License ...
May 11, 2024•53 min•Ep 131•Transcript available on Metacast Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision not to go to college, while Lily speaks candidly about her battle with anorexia and the conversation she had with Steve that led her to seek treatment. SOURCES: Lily Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt. Amanda Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt. RESOURCES: Can I Ask You a Question? by Amanda Levitt (2020). " Does “Early Education” Come W...
May 04, 2024•48 min•Ep 46•Transcript available on Metacast The economist Joseph Stiglitz has devoted his life to exposing the limits of markets. He tells Steve about winning an argument with fellow Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, why small governments don’t lead to more freedom, and why he’s not afraid to be an advocate. SOURCE: Joseph Stiglitz , professor at Columbia University and chief economist at the Roosevelt Institute. RESOURCES : The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society , by Joseph Stiglitz (2024). " Equilibrium in Competitive Insuran...
Apr 27, 2024•56 min•Ep 130•Transcript available on Metacast Monica Bertagnolli went from a childhood on a cattle ranch to a career as a surgeon to a top post in the Biden administration. As director of the National Institutes of Health, she’s working to improve the way we find new treatments — despite regulatory constraints and tight budgets. SOURCE : Monica Bertagnolli , director of the National Institutes of Health. RESOURCES: " Steven Levitt and John Donohue Defend a Finding Made Famous by 'Freakonomics' ," by Steven Levitt and John Donohue ( The Econ...
Apr 13, 2024•56 min•Ep 129•Transcript available on Metacast Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (cowritten with Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein) and much more. SOURCES: Daniel Kahneman , professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University. RESOURCES: Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment , by Olivier Sibony, Daniel Kahneman, and Cass R. Sunstein (202...
Apr 06, 2024•42 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Google researcher Blaise Agüera y Arcas spends his work days developing artificial intelligence models and his free time conducting surveys for fun. He tells Steve how he designed an algorithm for the U.S. Navy at 14, how he discovered the truth about printing-press pioneer Johannes Gutenberg, and when A.I. first blew his mind. SOURCE: Blaise Agüera y Arcas , fellow at Google Research. RESOURCES: Who Are We Now? , by Blaise Agüera y Arcas (2023). " Artificial General Intelligence Is Already Here...
Mar 30, 2024•56 min•Ep 128•Transcript available on Metacast After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Rajiv Shah headed the largest humanitarian effort in U.S. history. As chief economist of the Gates Foundation he tried to immunize almost a billion children. He tells Steve why it’s important to take big gambles, follow the data, and own up to your mistakes. SOURCE : Rajiv Shah , president of the Rockefeller Foundation. RESOURCES: Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens , by Rajiv Shah (2023). " The Root of Haiti’s Misery: Reparations to Enslavers ,"...
Mar 16, 2024•57 min•Ep 127•Transcript available on Metacast The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own conversational weaknesses. SOURCES: Charles Duhigg , journalist and author. RESOURCES : Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection , by Charles Duhigg (2024). " 2023 Word of the Year Is 'Enshittification ,'" by the American Dialect Association (2024). " When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question ,...
Mar 02, 2024•48 min•Ep 126•Transcript available on Metacast Cat Bohannon’s new book puts female anatomy at the center of human evolution. She tells Steve why it takes us so long to give birth, what breast milk is really for, and why the human reproductive system is a flaming pile of garbage. SOURCE: Cat Bohannon , researcher and author. RESOURCES: Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution , by Cat Bohannon (2023). “ Genomic Inference of a Severe Human Bottleneck During the Early to Middle Pleistocene Transition ,” by Wangjie Hu,...
Feb 17, 2024•49 min•Ep 125•Transcript available on Metacast Economist Daron Acemoglu likes to tackle big questions. He tells Steve how colonialism still affects us today, who benefits from new technology, and why democracy wasn’t always a sure thing. SOURCE: Daron Acemoglu , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. RESOURCES: Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity , by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson (2023). " Economists Pin More Blame on Tech for Rising Inequality ," by Steve Lohr ( The...
Feb 03, 2024•45 min•Ep 124•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist Walt Hickey uses data to understand how culture works. He and Steve talk about why China hasn’t produced any hit movies yet and how he got his own avatar in the Madden NFL video game. SOURCE: Walter Hickey , author, journalist, and data expert. RESOURCES: You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything , by Walter Hickey (2023). " France Gave Teenagers $350 for Culture. They’re Buying Comic Books ," by Aurelien Breeden ( The New York Times, 2021). " How I Escaped a Chinese...
Jan 20, 2024•51 min•Ep 123•Transcript available on Metacast Arnold Schwarzenegger has been a bodybuilder, an actor, a governor, and, now, an author. He tells Steve how he’s managed to succeed in so many fields — and what to do when people throw eggs at you. SOURCE: Arnold Schwarzenegger , professional bodybuilder, actor, and former governor of California. RESOURCES: Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life , by Arnold Schwarzenegger (2023). " Arnold Schwarzenegger: Environmentalists Are Behind the Times. And Need to Catch Up Fast ," by Arnold Schwarzenegger ( USA...
Jan 06, 2024•40 min•Ep 122•Transcript available on Metacast Physicist Helen Czerski loves to explain how the world works. She talks with Steve about studying bubbles, setting off explosives, and how ocean waves have changed the course of history. SOURCE: Helen Czerski , physicist and oceanographer at University College London. RESOURCES: The Blue Machine: How the Ocean Works , by Helen Czerski (2023). " Ocean Bubbles Under High Wind Conditions – Part 1: Bubble Distribution and Development ," by Helen Czerski, Ian M. Brooks, Steve Gunn, Robin Pascal, Adri...
Dec 23, 2023•45 min•Ep 121•Transcript available on Metacast The filmmaker doesn’t want to be known only for his movies. He tells Steve why he considers himself a writer first, how it feels to be recognized for his role in The Mandalorian , and why he once worked as a rodeo clown. SOURCE: Werner Herzog , filmmaker, author, and actor. RESOURCES: Every Man for Himself and God Against All , by Werner Herzog (2023). The Mandalorian , TV show (2019-2023). The Twilight World , by Werner Herzog (2021). Family Romance, LLC , film by Werner Herzog (2019). Fitzcarr...
Dec 09, 2023•51 min•Ep 120•Transcript available on Metacast Economist Michael D. Smith says universities are scrambling to protect a status quo that deserves to die. He tells Steve why the current system is unsustainable, and what’s at stake if nothing changes. RESOURCES: The Abundant University: Remaking Higher Education for a Digital World , by Michael D. Smith (2023). " Diversifying Society’s Leaders? The Determinants and Causal Effects of Admission to Highly Selective Private Colleges ," by Raj Chetty, David J. Deming, and John N. Friedman ( NBER Wor...
Nov 25, 2023•47 min•Ep 119•Transcript available on Metacast Computer scientist Fei-Fei Li had a wild idea: download one billion images from the internet and teach a computer to recognize them. She ended up advancing the state of artificial intelligence — and she hopes that will turn out to be a good thing for humanity. RESOURCES: The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of A.I. , by Fei-Fei Li (2023). " Fei-Fei Li's Quest to Make AI Better for Humanity ," by Jessi Hempel ( Wired, 2018). " ImageNet Large Scale Visual Recognition...
Nov 11, 2023•44 min•Ep 118•Transcript available on Metacast Data scientist Nate Silver gained attention for his election predictions. But even the best prognosticators get it wrong sometimes. He talks to Steve about making good decisions with data, why he’d rather write a newsletter than an academic paper, and how online poker led him to the world of politics. RESOURCES " Not Everyone Who Disagrees With You Is a Closet Right-Winger ," by Nate Silver ( Silver Bulletin, 2023). " The 2 Key Facts About U.S. Covid Policy That Everyone Should Know ," by Nate S...
Oct 28, 2023•43 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast Abraham Verghese is a physician and a best-selling author — in that order, he says. He explains the difference between curing and healing, and tells Steve why doctors should spend more time with patients and less with electronic health records. RESOURCES: The Covenant of Water , by Abraham Verghese (2023). " Abraham Verghese’s Sweeping New Fable of Family and Medicine ,” by Andrew Solomon ( The New York Times, 2023). “ Watch Oprah’s Emotional Conversation with Abraham Verghese, Author of the 101...
Oct 14, 2023•49 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast Claudia Goldin is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics. Steve spoke to her in 2021 about how inflexible jobs and family responsibilities make it harder for women to earn wages equal to their male counterparts. SOURCES: Claudia Goldin , professor of economics at Harvard University.
Oct 09, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast For 37 years, Rick Doblin has been pushing the F.D.A. to approve treating post-traumatic stress disorder with MDMA, better known as Ecstasy. He tells Steve why he persisted for so long, why he doesn’t like calling drug use “recreational,” and what he learned from his pet wolf. RESOURCES: " MDMA-Assisted Therapy for Moderate to Severe PTSD: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Phase 3 Trial ," by Jennifer M. Mitchell, Marcela Ot’alora G., Bessel van der Kolk, Scott Shannon, Michael Bogenschutz, Rick ...
Sep 30, 2023•53 min•Ep 115•Transcript available on Metacast Psychologist Thomas Curran argues that perfectionism isn’t about high standards — it’s about never being enough. He explains how the drive to be perfect is harming education, the economy, and our mental health.
Sep 16, 2023•59 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast Avi Loeb is a Harvard astronomer who argues that we’ve already encountered extraterrestrial technology. His approach to the search for interstellar objects is scientific, but how plausible is his argument?
Sep 02, 2023•50 min•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast 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.
Aug 19, 2023•54 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast Obi Felten used to launch projects for X, Google’s innovation lab, but she’s now tackling mental health. She explains why Steve’s dream job was soul-destroying for her, and how peer support could transform the therapeutic industry.
Aug 05, 2023•56 min•Ep 111•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.
Jul 22, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep 110•Transcript available on Metacast Sal Khan returns to discuss his innovative online high school’s first year — and Steve grills a member of the school’s class of 2026 about what it’s really like.
Jul 15, 2023•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
