🇺🇸 United States Episodes

"From populist demagogues, we will learn the indispensability of democracy," says novelist Elif Shafak. "From isolationists, we will learn the need for global solidarity. And from tribalists, we will learn the beauty of cosmopolitanism." A native of Turkey, Shafak has experienced firsthand the devastation that a loss of diversity can bring -- and she knows the revolutionary power of plurality in response to authoritarianism. In this passionate, personal talk, she reminds us that there are no binaries, in politics, emotions and our identities. "One should never, ever remain silent for fear of complexity," Shafak says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s an IPO, it’s a bailout, it’s an... acquisition? We’re joined by the one and only Dan Primack from Axios to recount the epic saga of the We Company in all its tragic glory. How did this business somehow go from chopping up commercial real estate to elevating global consciousness to rewarding its ousted CEO with a $1.7B “platinum parachute”, all while the company can’t afford severance for thousands of soon-to-be laid-off employees? Where did it all go wrong? And most importantly, who gets the Gulfstream G650??Sponsors:Rippling: https://bit.ly/acquiredripplingStatsig: https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig25Odd Lots: https://bit.ly/acquiredoddlotsServiceNow: https://bit.ly/acquiredsnMore Acquired!Get email updates with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodesJoin the SlackSubscribe to ACQ2Merch Store!© Copyright 2015-2025 ACQ, LLC

How can we stop the spread of misleading, sometimes dangerous content while maintaining an internet with freedom of expression at its core? Misinformation expert Claire Wardle explores the new challenges of our polluted online environment and maps out a plan to transform the internet into a place of trust -- with the help everyday users. “Together, let’s rebuild our information commons,” she says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove forests are crucial to the health of the planet, gobbling up CO2 from the atmosphere and providing a home for a diverse array of species. But these rich habitats are under continual threat from deforestation and industry. In an empowering talk, conservationist and TED Fellow Ashwin Naidu shares how community-driven efforts in South and Southeast Asia are helping to protect mangroves -- all with a little help from the mysterious and endangered fishing cat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonny Webster is a weightlifter and online coach. Some days you're feeling it, some days not so much. All of us have good and bad periods to contend with but it's how we respond which ultimately determines the outcome. Sonny is one of the most resilient humans I know and today we get a fantastic insight into how he overcomes setbacks in life, lifting and everything else. Extra Stuff: Follow Sonny on Instagram -https://instagram.com/sonnywebstergb/ Check out Sonny's Academy - http://sonnywebsteracademy.com Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Consumer software may have adopted and incorporated AI ahead of enterprise software, where the data is more proprietary, and the market is a few thousand companies not hundreds of millions of smartphone users. But recently AI has found its way into B2B, and it is rapidly transforming how we work and the software we use, across all industries and organizational functions.

Brian Grazer is a film and television producer and screenwriter. He co-founded Imagine Entertainment in 1986, with Ron Howard. His new book "Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection" is now available: https://www.amazon.com/Eye-Contact-Power-Personal-Connection/dp/1501147722 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the heels of the breakout success of his film "Crazy Rich Asians," director Jon M. Chu reflects on what drives him to create -- and makes a resounding case for the power of connection and on-screen representation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you fix broken public systems? You spark people's competitive spirit. In a talk about getting people motivated to make change, public sector strategist Abhishek Gopalka discusses how he helped improve the health system of Rajasthan, a state in India home to more than 80 million people, using the powers of transparency and public accountability. "Motivation doesn't just appear," Gopalka says. "Something needs to change to make you care." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The infatuation of Celebrity is something we can all relate to and Steven Galanis (@Mr312) is making sure to take opportunity of that. When was the last time you got a celeb to sign something of yours? Nowadays you'd grab your phone in a heartbeat to snap a pic and share it on the gram or "it didn't happen". Steven built Cameo so you can just pay your favorite celebrity to say (almost) whatever you want. And it's becoming huge. It's a great story that I think you'd love to hear.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Buddhist nun, author and a pioneer of the mindfulness movement, Pema Chödrön discusses her new book, Welcoming the Unwelcome. Pema reminds us how to connect to our basic goodness. She shares the first thing we should do when things show up for us that are uncomfortable, stressful or hopeless. Pema also addresses the recent sexual abuse allegations that rocked the Buddhist community.

Edward Snowden is an American whistleblower who copied and leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency in 2013 when he was a Central Intelligence Agency employee and subcontractor. His new book "Permanent Record" is now available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Christopher Ryan, PhD is a psychologist, speaker, and author of New York Times best seller “Sex At Dawn” and he also hosts a podcast called “Tangentially Speaking" available on Spotify. His latest book “Civilized To Death” is available now: https://www.amazon.com/Civilized-Death-What-Lost-Modernity/dp/1451659105 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fashion designers have the power to change culture -- and Becca McCharen-Tran is using her platform to expand the industry's narrow definition of beauty. Sharing highlights of her work, McCharen-Tran discusses the inspiration behind her norm-shattering designs and shows how she's celebrating beauty in all forms. "I want the consumer to know that it's not your body that needs to change -- it's the clothes," she says. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Young, who gained fame for teaching himself the four-year MIT computer science curriculum in just 12 months, says that the type of fast, focused learning he employed is possible for all of us -- whether we want to master coding, become fluent in a foreign language, or excel at public speaking. And, in a dynamic, fast-paced business environment that leaves so many of us strapped for time and struggling to keep up, he believes that the ability to quickly develop new knowledge and skills will be a tremendous asset. After researching best practices and experimenting on his own, he has developed a set of principles that any of us can follow to become "ultralearners." Young is the author of the book "Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career."

Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, futurist, and professor at the City College of New York. He is the author of many fascinating books on the nature of our reality and the future of our civilization. This conversation is part of the Artificial Intelligence podcast. If you would like to get more information about this podcast go to https://lexfridman.com/ai or connect with @lexfridman on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Medium, or YouTube where you can watch the video versions of these conversations. If you enjoy the podcast, please rate it 5 stars on Apple Podcasts or support it on Patreon. Here’s the outline with timestamps for this episode (on some players you can click on the timestamp to jump to that point in the episode): 00:00 – Introduction 01:14 – Contact with Aliens in the 21st century 06:36 – Multiverse and Nirvana 09:46 – String Theory 11:07 – Einstein’s God 15:01 – Would aliens hurt us? 17:34 – What would aliens look like? 22:13 – Brain-machine interfaces 27:35 – Existential risk from AI 30:22 – Digital immortality 34:02 – Biological immortality 37:42 – Does mortality give meaning? 43:42 – String theory 47:16 – Universe as a computer and a simulation 53:16 – First human on Mars

Bridget Phetasy is a writer and comedian. Check out her show on YouTube called "Dumpster Fire" -- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5SQnm72FspDNUXK4cB2_xg%C2%A0& and her podcast called "Walk-Ins Welcome" available on Spotify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today, despite the critical importance of open source to software, it’s still seen by some as blasphemous to make money as an open source business. In this podcast, Armon Dadgar, Cofounder and CTO of HashiCorp; Ali Ghodsi, CEO of Databricks; and a16z General Partner Peter Levine explain why it's necessary to turn some open source projects into businesses.

We're far from developing robots that feel emotions, but we already have feelings towards them, says robot ethicist Kate Darling, and an instinct like that can have consequences. Learn more about how we're biologically hardwired to project intent and life onto machines -- and how it might help us better understand ourselves. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Hutchinson is a journalist, athlete and author. Eliud Kipchoge recently rocked the world by breaking the previously unthinkable 2 Hour Marathon Record. Today we get to hear a full analysis of his performance from endurance expert and previous Modern Wisdom guest Alex Hutchinson. Expect to learn about the controversy surrounding his new Nike shoes, the course selection, the racing strategy, Eliud's mindset, training approach, pace setters and everything else. Do not miss this one. - Extra Stuff: Follow Alex on Twitter - https://twitter.com/sweatscience Endure The Book - http://amzn.eu/d/f19Ihzf Check out everything I recommend from books to products and help support the podcast at no extra cost to you by shopping through this link - https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me... Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices