Tamer Elnoury is an Arabic-speaking Muslim American, a longtime elite counterterrorism undercover agent, and co-author of American Radical: Inside the World of an Undercover Muslim FBI Agent . What We Discuss with Tamer Elnoury: What unique psychological skills (and desire for thrills) drew Tamer to the exciting and dangerous life of undercover law enforcement work? Why, when working undercover, you're only as good as your informant. How an agent is trained to work undercover (and why the FBI un...
Oct 12, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep 572•Transcript available on Metacast As an exemplary member of the clergy for 29 years, you'd think honesty to your superiors would be rewarded unconditionally. Alas, when you disclosed a need to seek counseling during a rough patch between you and your spouse (which resulted in a stronger relationship), you were unceremoniously booted from your position. Now you can't find work at another church because you've been unfairly branded a pariah among those of your faith, and you can't find a job among the secular because your clerical...
Oct 08, 2021•Ep 571•Transcript available on Metacast Marc Fennell ( @MarcFennell ) is an award-winning journalist, interviewer, author, and documentary maker. He is also the writer and narrator of Audible Original Nut Jobs: Cracking California's Strangest $10 Million Dollar Heist . What We Discuss with Marc Fennell: Who stole $10 million in nuts (specifically almonds and pistachios) from California's Central Valley farmers -- and why ? Why are nuts (and prepackaged food in general) such ideal targets for theft , and how do current security protoco...
Oct 07, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep 570•Transcript available on Metacast Rick Ross ( @RickRoss ) is a multi-platinum-selling, multi-Grammy-nominated rapper, artist, songwriter, investor, and author of The Perfect Day to Boss Up: A Hustler's Guide to Building Your Empire . What We Discuss with Rick Ross: Why Rick, in spite of growing up middle class with a computer programmer father, got involved with dealing drugs in his early teens. Where Rick's "no complaints" policy originated and how it keeps him focused on what's important. How embracing the difficulty of the pr...
Oct 05, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep 569•Transcript available on Metacast You're a bit embarrassed to say you went through a debaucherous sugar daddy phase, but your sweet tooth for the lifestyle turned sour and left you feeling empty. Now you're in a more confident headspace to pursue regular dating, but should you disclose this part of your life to a hypothetical significant other should things turn serious? We'll try to find a good answer (devoid of any candy coating) to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger...
Oct 01, 2021•57 min•Ep 568•Transcript available on Metacast Kai-Fu Lee ( @kaifulee ) is an AI expert, CEO of Sinovation Ventures, former President of Google China, and co-author (with Chen Qiufan) of AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future . What We Discuss with Kai-Fu Lee: How AI will magnify the effects of the energy revolution, materials revolution, and life science revolution currently under way. How can we keep the data that trains AI to operate free from human and cultural biases and other inaccuracies? The four waves of AI and where we are on the path...
Sep 30, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Ep 567•Transcript available on Metacast Brian Chesky ( @bchesky ) is co-founder and CEO of the peer-to-peer lodging service Airbnb , named as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People of 2015. What We Discuss with Brian Chesky: How Airbnb not only survived the pandemic after losing 80 percent of its business during the first eight weeks , but is now thriving like never before. Why a company that still conducts itself like a startup is better poised to withstand and grow from business crises than the behemoths who have everyth...
Sep 28, 2021•2 hr 32 min•Ep 566•Transcript available on Metacast You have a manipulative half-sister who disrespects your father by referring to him as "bio-dad" and ghosts him when it suits her, but never hesitates to contact him when she needs money. Your attempts to salvage a relationship with her always go unanswered, yet your father believes she should still be invited to your wedding next year. Should you cut her out of your life for good, or try to make nice with her again for your dad's sake? We'll tackle this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in ...
Sep 24, 2021•56 min•Ep 565•Transcript available on Metacast A.J. Jacobs ( @ajjacobs ) is a New York Times best-selling author who went on a quest to help build the biggest family tree in history, as detailed in his latest book It’s All Relative: Adventures Up and Down the World’s Family Tree . What We Discuss with A.J. Jacobs: What did A.J. Jacobs learn by following every rule of the Bible literally for one year? How much do you really know about your heritage? See how relating to one another on a family tree of millions is a step toward overcoming the i...
Sep 23, 2021•54 min•Ep 564•Transcript available on Metacast Bobby Hall (aka Logic) ( @Logic301 ) is a Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling recording artist, actor, streamer, film producer, and author of NYT best-seller Supermarket and his latest, This Bright Future: A Memoir . What We Discuss with Bobby Hall (aka Logic): Why Logic's good memories of childhood make him sad . The challenges of living with cervical dystonia . Why Logic was suicidal when his song 1-800-273-8255 became a big hit (and what stopped him from going through with it). How Logic got h...
Sep 21, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep 563•Transcript available on Metacast Your family helped a 62-year-old convict who was "wrongfully convicted" of the statutory rape of his stepdaughter get back on his feet -- until he went off and eloped with your 23-year-old sister. Now that conviction seems like it might not have been so wrongful after all, and you're wondering how you can protect your sister if he's just been on the hunt for another victim. We'll try to help find answers to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Har...
Sep 17, 2021•52 min•Ep 562•Transcript available on Metacast Charles Duhigg ( @cduhigg ) is a Pulitzer prize-winning reporter at The New York Times and author of Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business and The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business . [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh listen!] What We Discuss with Charles Duhigg: What’s the difference between what we think and how we think ? Learn m...
Sep 16, 2021•55 min•Ep 561•Transcript available on Metacast Dan Carlin ( @hardcorehistory ) is the host of the wildly popular Hardcore History and Common Sense podcasts, and author of The End Is Always Near: Apocalyptic Moments, from the Bronze Age Collapse to Nuclear Near Misses . What We Discuss with Dan Carlin: Do tough times make for tougher people? How do we define what "tough" means? Will war ever become obsolete , or will we always need to be prepared to engage in military force on some level? Why do the people who are best qualified to lead rarel...
Sep 14, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep 560•Transcript available on Metacast How do you find your way back to high achievement when coping with the aftermath of extreme trauma keeps you low? We'll try to find an answer to this and more here on Feedback Friday! We'll try to find an answer to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger ( @JordanHarbinger ) and Gabriel Mizrahi ( @GabeMizrahi ) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right here every week! If you want us to answer your question, regi...
Sep 10, 2021•54 min•Ep 559•Transcript available on Metacast Jack Schafer ( @jackschafer ) is a retired FBI special agent, current assistant professor at Western Illinois University, and co-author of The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over . [This is part two of a two-part episode. Catch up with part one here !] What We Discuss with Jack Schafer: How undercover cops get made just by the way they look at people. The spotlight effect: why we all overestimate how much other people notice about ...
Sep 09, 2021•48 min•Ep 558•Transcript available on Metacast Jack Schafer ( @jackschafer ) is a retired FBI special agent, current assistant professor at Western Illinois University, and co-author of The Like Switch: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide to Influencing, Attracting, and Winning People Over . [This is part one of a two-part episode. Keep an eye out for part two later this week!] What We Discuss with Jack Schafer: Why happy people make terrible spy recruits. How the Friendship Formula (Friendship = Proximity + Frequency + Duration + Intensity)...
Sep 07, 2021•1 hr•Ep 557•Transcript available on Metacast You live in an extended family situation and the only contribution one member makes to the collective is drinking, smoking pot, eating your food, stealing your old phones to pawn, and making messes they can't be bothered to clean up. Since they're not liable to move away from free room and board of their own volition, is there anything you can do to expunge the family sponge and restore sanity to the homestead? We'll try to find a solution to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case yo...
Sep 03, 2021•55 min•Ep 556•Transcript available on Metacast Jessica Tracy ( @ProfJessTracy ) is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she also directs the Emotion & Self Lab . She is the author of Take Pride: Why the Deadliest Sin Holds the Secret to Human Success . [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh listen!] What We Discuss with Jessica Tracy: Pride is a universal human emotion and a force that can be harnessed to help humans succeed — it’s a...
Sep 02, 2021•53 min•Ep 555•Transcript available on Metacast Laurie Santos ( @lauriesantos ) is a professor of psychology at Yale University, instructor of Coursera's The Science of Well-Being course (adapted from her popular Psychology and the Good Life course at Yale), and host of The Happiness Lab podcast. What We Discuss with Laurie Santos: Happiness is actually a set of skills we can learn and master as opposed to some ideal state of being. While there's no denying that genetics and circumstances play a role in happiness, the good news is that we're ...
Aug 31, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep 554•Transcript available on Metacast Your best friend speaks glowingly about her fiancé, but she lives far away and your recent communications have only taken place by text and telephone. The thing is, this fiancé seems to be ever-present and listening in the background whenever she's in contact , and she let it slip that he's fantasized about seeing her lick from a dog's dish. You're worried he might be controlling every aspect of her life, but she doesn't seem to be distressed. Could what you perceive to be tyrannic...
Aug 27, 2021•56 min•Ep 553•Transcript available on Metacast Will Storr ( @wstorr ) is an award-winning investigative journalist and best-selling author. His latest book is The Status Game: On Social Position and How We Use It . What We Discuss with Will Storr: The evolutionary purpose of status and why it's always been important for human survival. How seeking status spurs innovation. The three kinds of status games we've been playing throughout human history : dominance, virtue, and success. The connection between low status and depression: why Will bel...
Aug 26, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep 552•Transcript available on Metacast T-Pain ( @TPAIN ) is a rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer known for popularizing auto-tune in modern music, and host of the Nappy Boy Radio podcast. What We Discuss with T-Pain: Why T-Pain will wear a Fitbit over a Rolex , and why there's no shame in wearing fake jewelry in public. T-Pain's tattoo goals and the meaning behind the ones he already has. What T-Pain learned after avoiding time with his own family pursuing the ambition to be #1. How T-Pain went from having $90 million in the ...
Aug 24, 2021•1 hr 23 min•Ep 551•Transcript available on Metacast Your father was physically violent toward you and your brother on at least two occasions that would have warranted police intervention, but your also-abusive mother begged you not to call them. Years later, how can you reframe the anger you have toward yourself for putting up with your mother's manipulations and not reporting your father's abuse to the police when you had a chance? We'll try to find an answer to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jorda...
Aug 20, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep 550•Transcript available on Metacast Mickey Royal ( @mickey_royal ) is a former gangster, drug dealer, pimp, mob enforcer, and bestselling author of The Pimp Game: Instructional Guide and The Pimp Guide: Secrets of Mind Manipulation . [This is part two of a two-part episode. Catch up with part one here !] What We Discuss with Mickey Royal: How Mickey's pseudobulbar affect and bipolar disorder came in handy as advantages in his line of work. What being deemed "capable" in certain circles means -- and why it's a networking mistake am...
Aug 19, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Ep 549•Transcript available on Metacast Mickey Royal ( @mickey_royal ) is a former gangster, drug dealer, pimp, mob enforcer, and bestselling author of The Pimp Game: Instructional Guide and The Pimp Guide: Secrets of Mind Manipulation . [This is part one of a two-part episode. Stay tuned for part two later this week!] What We Discuss with Mickey Royal: How Mickey's pseudobulbar affect and bipolar disorder came in handy as advantages in his line of work. What being deemed "capable" in certain circles means -- and why it's a networking...
Aug 17, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep 548•Transcript available on Metacast When your stepfather passed away and your mother posted about it on Facebook, an old friend -- a self-described "swami" who claims to be psychically linked to her -- called to reconnect. Now, he seems to be taking advantage of her grief and loneliness to get closer, and based on a number of his wild, unlikely claims, you're worried that his end game may be less than altruistic. What can you do to stop this "swami" from swindling your mommy? We'll tackle this and more here on Feedback Friday! And...
Aug 13, 2021•52 min•Ep 547•Transcript available on Metacast Scott Adams ( @ScottAdamsSays ) of Dilbert fame revisits us to discuss his book Win Bigly: Persuasion in a World Where Facts Don't Matter . [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh listen!] What We Discuss with Scott Adams: Is Scott Adams a Trump supporter? People don’t use facts to make decisions. They use emotion. Learn the three types of persuaders and how they operate. See how master persuaders move the topic to things they understand a...
Aug 12, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep 546•Transcript available on Metacast Rachel Nuwer ( @RachelNuwer ) is an award-winning freelance journalist who reports about science, travel, food, and adventure for The New York Times , National Geographic , Scientific American , and more. Her multi-award-winning first book, Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking , is out now. What We Discuss with Rachel Nuwer: What drives the global demand for resources cruelly derived from endangered wildlife. Why poachers and smugglers are willing to risk their own lives to mee...
Aug 10, 2021•1 hr 20 min•Ep 545•Transcript available on Metacast You stopped renting from a violent, paranoid landlord as soon as you saw the warning signs, but you fear a future tenant may not be so lucky. Can you publish some kind of APB as a heads up to potential victims without getting in legal trouble? We'll try to find an answer to this and more here on Feedback Friday! And in case you didn't already know it, Jordan Harbinger ( @JordanHarbinger ) and Gabriel Mizrahi ( @GabeMizrahi ) banter and take your comments and questions for Feedback Friday right h...
Aug 06, 2021•52 min•Ep 544•Transcript available on Metacast R. Douglas Fields ( @RDouglasFields1 ) is a neuroscientist specializing in the cellular mechanisms of nervous system development, plasticity, and memory, and author of Why We Snap: Understanding the Rage Circuit in Your Brain . [Note: This is a previously broadcast episode from the vault that we felt deserved a fresh listen!] What We Discuss with R. Douglas Fields: What is rage , and what evolutionary purpose does it serve? What makes ordinary people “snap” — that is, react vio...
Aug 05, 2021•1 hr•Ep 543•Transcript available on Metacast 
