Statistics plays a role in virtually every facet of our lives. And throughout the pandemic, we’ve heard more stats than ever before, whether through headlines about Covid infection rates or vaccine effectiveness. But how are these figures calculated? How do we know when data is manipulated for nefarious reasons, and when it represents some true thing out the ... Show More
Oct 7
How Autism Became Political with Richard Grinker
In the Trump-era, and within the public health narrative shaped by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a debunked but persistent myth has taken hold: that infant vaccinations cause autism. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence disproving this claim, the narrative remains central to anti-va ... Show More
55m 17s
Sep 30
The True Cost of Violence on Black Life in America with Trymaine Lee
A few years ago, MSNBC contributor and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Trymaine Lee, though healthy and only 38, nearly died of a heart attack. That experience forced him to confront the multitude of factors that almost killed him. In his new book, “A Thousand Ways to Die: The ... Show More
57m 19s
Nov 2022
#304 — Why I Left Twitter
Sam Harris explains why he deleted his Twitter account. He then speaks with Cal Newport about the fragmentation of modern life. They discuss the history of computer science, how information technology has changed our lives, the effects of social media, the business model of the I ... Show More
1h 9m
Aug 2022
#292 — How Much Does the Future Matter?
Sam Harris speaks with William MacAskill about his new book, What We Owe the Future. They discuss the philosophy of effective altruism (EA), longtermism, existential risk, criticism of EA, problems with expected-value reasoning, doing good vs feeling good, why it's hard to care a ... Show More
2 h
Jan 2021
Book Discussion - The Tyranny of Merit
In this episode, we discuss Michael J Samuel's book the Tyranny of Merit, which talks about the problems with the ideals of Meritocracy. We take a look at the history of the Rhetoric of Rising, and end with a discussion about why praising people for their achievements feels probl ... Show More
1h 37m
Mar 2024
How to Make New Habits Stick, Why You Can’t Break Old Habits and The Secret to Great Communication with Charles Duhigg #436
My philosophy as a doctor has always been connect first, educate second. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. And this goes for all relationships, not just doctor-patient.
Good communication is something we’d all like to master. And today’s guest ... Show More
2h 23m