Podcast Episodes

Goodbye Baby Boom—Hello Population Bust: How a 60% Drop Could Change Everything (#257)

Season 1 Episode 257

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 bill…

Published on 2 months, 1 week ago

The Knowledge Illusion: How Overconfidence Shapes Our Lives (#256)

Season 1 Episode 256

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 depe…

Published on 2 months, 2 weeks ago

The Surprising Science Behind Falling—and Staying—in Love (#255)

Season 1 Episode 255

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…

Published on 2 months, 3 weeks ago

Former National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on What Xi and Putin Are Really Like Behind Closed Doors (#254)

Season 1 Episode 254

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, …

Published on 2 months, 4 weeks ago

Editing Life Itself: A Conversation with David Liu, the Scientist Who’s Rewriting DNA and the Future (#253)

Season 1 Episode 253

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 sci…

Published on 3 months ago

This Is Your Brain on Beauty — And It's Powerful (#252)

Season 1 Episode 252

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 …

Published on 3 months, 1 week ago

Why America’s Poorest State Is Richer Than France (#251)

Season 1 Episode 251

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…

Published on 3 months, 2 weeks ago

The U.S. Alone Can’t Compete with China. Here’s What Absolutely Can. (#250)

Season 1 Episode 250

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…

Published on 3 months, 3 weeks ago

The 50% Enigma: Why Trump’s Vote Mirrors the Past (#249)

Season 1 Episode 249

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 …

Published on 4 months ago

Swipe, Tap, Ghost: The New Rules of Human Connection (#248)

Season 1 Episode 248

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 …

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago