Science doesn’t always advance step by step—it sometimes leaps, violently, from one worldview to another. From Copernicus moving Earth out of the cosmic center to Einstein rewriting space and time, Thomas Kuhn’s idea of paradigm shifts explains why revolutions—not gradual progress—shape our understanding of reality. In this episode, we’ll explore how scientific revolutions unfold, why old theories don’t simply “add up” to truth, and whether today’s breakthroughs in AI, genetics, and climate science signal a new shift in progress.
Science confirms it: pretending can make it real. When we “act as if” we already are the person we want to become, we engage neuroplastic pathways that eventually lock new behaviors into place. In this episode, we explore how habits reshape identity, how addicts recover by rewiring reward circuits, and why change often starts with small, deliberate steps.
Can the path to true artificial intelligence be found in mimicking biology? This episode examines the human brain as a massively parallel, low-energy, self-rewiring computer — and contrasts it with GPUs, TPUs, and neuromorphic chips. We explore the trade-offs between wetware and hardware, the rise of brain-computer interfaces, and what it means for the future of AI, ethics, and human identity.
We spend hours chasing instant gratification—yet wonder why we feel empty. This episode breaks down the difference between passive consumption and purposeful creation, showing how simple habit shifts can rewire your brain for focus, growth, and fulfillment. Backed by science and practical examples, this is your roadmap to trading dopamine hits for a meaningful life.
What if the secret to happiness isn’t money, success, or status — but relationships? In this episode, we explore decades of groundbreaking research, from the Harvard Study of Adult Development to the world’s Blue Zones, revealing why strong friendships, family bonds, and community ties are the most reliable predictors of health and well-being. We also investigate the modern loneliness epidemic, the impact of social media, and how hyper-individualism is eroding our connections. Most importantly, we’ll share practical ways to rebuild deeper relationships in today’s distracted world. Join us to discover why investing in people may be the ultimate investment in happiness.
Did Edison really invent the lightbulb? Was Steve Jobs the sole visionary behind Apple? The myth of the lone genius oversimplifies how innovation happens. In reality, scientific breakthroughs and technological inventions—from the telephone to DNA—emerge from collaboration, simultaneous discovery, and invisible contributors. This episode dives into the history of innovation, why hero narratives persist in education and media, and what we lose when we ignore the collective nature of invention. Perfect for listeners curious about science history, innovation ecosystems, and the truth behind famous invention stories.
Is religion really behind us—or has it simply shape-shifted? In this episode, we uncover how modern life smuggles back old religious forms: the Silicon Valley belief in AI salvation, the rituals of environmental guilt and redemption, the moral puritanism of progressive activism, and the priestly authority of scientists and influencers. We’ll look at the promises, the contradictions, and the hidden dogmas of a world that calls itself secular but still craves faith.
Nations don’t just compete with armies and weapons — they compete with railways, ports, and loans. China’s Belt & Road Initiative has poured trillions into highways, pipelines, and digital infrastructure across Asia, Africa, and beyond, while the United States and its allies rely on the World Bank, IMF, and aid programs to shape development. In this episode, we explore how these two models of global investment reveal the deeper ambitions of great powers: influence, dependency, and the right to set the rules of tomorrow’s world.
Why do we keep moving away from the real, physical world into layers of symbols and screens? This episode traces a deep human pattern: from playing sports to betting on them, from gathering in town squares to chatting with AI companions, from rituals and concerts to apps and streams. Along the way, we’ll explore the psychology of dopamine loops and escapism, the economics of platforms and attention markets, and the theories of McLuhan, Baudrillard, Debord, and Merleau-Ponty. Are we losing something essential when we trade embodiment for abstraction—or are we simply expanding what it means to be human?
From Gutenberg’s press to today’s digital networks, information revolutions have shattered old authorities and forced societies to rebuild legitimacy from the ground up. This episode traces how the printing press destabilized the Church, fueled the Reformation, and ultimately gave rise to the modern nation-state—and asks whether the internet is now driving a similar upheaval. Drawing on The Sovereign Individual (1997), we explore how digital technology undermines governments, media, and universities, while empowering individuals and networks in ways that could transform sovereignty itself. Will our future bring a “Digital Westphalia,” the rise of sovereign individuals, or an era of permanent instability?
Is “evil” a real human trait, or just a folk label for complex causes we don’t fully understand? In this episode, two hosts engage in a spirited debate over whether harmful behavior stems from an inherent disposition toward evil—or whether it can be better explained by the interplay of environment, biology, and social context.
From childhood adversity and inequality to psychopathy and sadism, the discussion examines the evidence, wrestles with free will and moral responsibility, and considers how society should respond if we abandon “evil” as a primitive category. The result is a challenging but enlightening conversation that forces us to rethink punishment, prevention, and what it means to hold people accountable.
The word meme comes from the same insight René Girard uncovered: we don’t invent our desires—we copy them. Girard called this mimetic desire, and it explains why trends, fads, and internet memes spread like wildfire. But imitation also sparks rivalry, envy, and social conflict. To restore peace, societies have long turned to the scapegoat mechanism: uniting against a common victim. In this episode, we reveal how Girard’s theory explains the rise of memes, consumer culture, workplace rivalries, and even today’s culture wars—and how understanding it can free us from blind imitation.
Thousands of years ago, Odysseus tied himself to a mast so he wouldn’t fall prey to the Sirens. That ancient trick was a commitment device—a way of designing the rules to protect yourself from your own worst impulses. In this episode, we explore how to use modern versions of that same idea: automating savings, building friction into bad habits, creating social contracts, and turning defaults to your advantage. By the end, you’ll know how to “hack” your environment so the smart choice is the easy choice—and the bad choice feels impossible.
While headlines focus on global hotspots like Ukraine and Taiwan, a major confrontation is brewing much closer to home. Over the past six months, the United States and Venezuela have escalated into one of the hemisphere’s most dangerous standoffs — with little mainstream coverage.
In this episode, we break down:
Why the U.S. doubled its bounty on Nicolás Maduro to $50 million
The quiet return of “maximum pressure” oil sanctions and their global fallout
The surprise U.S. warship deployment to the Caribbean
How Russia and China are deepening ties with Caracas, out of sight of most Western media
The humanitarian cost for Venezuelans, and why millions keep fleeing
What this means for U.S. foreign policy, regional stability, and whether we’re seeing the start of a new Cold War in Latin America
If you haven’t been following Venezuela, this is the story you didn’t know you were missing — and it may reshape the geopolitics of the Americas.
Hyperscale and AI datacenters are being called the new railroads and power plants of the digital age — with nearly $7 trillion in projected investment by 2030. But is this a sustainable industrial revolution, or just another bubble in disguise?
In this episode, we unpack the core thesis of The New Digital Backbone report:
Why datacenters have become strategic national assets, not just IT warehouses
The business models driving hyperscalers — from IaaS and AI-as-a-Service to GPU monetization
How depreciation, cost segregation, and financial engineering shape returns
Who really profits: chipmakers, utilities, and REITs — and who bears the risk
The GPU shortage, power grid strain, and regulatory roadblocks that could derail growth
Geopolitical battles over digital sovereignty and supply chain fragility
Lessons from the dot-com and telecom busts — and why this cycle may be different
Join us as we explore whether the global datacenter build-out is laying the foundations for decades of innovation, or racing toward an overcapacity trap.
World War II wasn’t a simple clash between “freedom” and “tyranny.” It was a global conflict where wildly different ideologies—Nazism, Fascism, Japanese ultranationalism, Stalinist communism, liberal democracy, and colonial conservatism—collided, coexisted, and sometimes even aligned.
In this episode, we dive into a comparative study of WWII’s political ideologies, exploring:
How Nazi racial mysticism, Italian corporatism, and Japanese State Shintō differed but shared a rejection of liberal democracy.
The contradictions of the Allies—fighting for liberty while maintaining segregation, empire, and repression.
Why pragmatic wartime alliances like the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact or the US/UK partnership with the USSR were marriages of necessity, not shared vision.
The fragile ideological bargains that won the war but unraveled into the Cold War.
By tracing the gap between ideology and practice, this episode reveals WWII not just as a fight for survival, but as a collision of worldviews whose aftershocks still shape our politics today.
From the invention of the wheel to reusable rockets, history’s greatest breakthroughs have one thing in common: they were built from the ground up, using first-principles thinking. In this episode, we break down the philosophy that Aristotle first defined, explore how innovators from Archimedes to Elon Musk have used it to defy convention, and show you how to apply the same framework to solve your own toughest problems. You’ll discover how to strip away assumptions, uncover fundamental truths, and rebuild solutions that others thought were impossible — plus, we’ll leave you with a practical “First-Principles Toolkit” you can use immediately.
Why do some people take charge of their destiny while others feel life just happens to them? In this episode, we dive deep into the Locus of Control—the psychological lens that shapes how you see your ability to influence events. From Julian Rotter’s groundbreaking theory to the brain science behind agency, we explore how this mindset drives success in education, career, health, and mental well-being. You’ll learn how stress and trauma can shift your sense of control, why balance—not blind self-reliance—is key, and practical strategies to strengthen your own agency. Packed with real-world examples and actionable takeaways, this is your guide to turning belief into action and action into achievement.
Explore the Late Bronze Age as history’s first global network — a vast trade web powered by copper and tin that connected empires from Britain to Afghanistan. This episode uncovers the economic, cultural, and diplomatic “internet” of 3,200 years ago, explains how climate change, famine, and invasions triggered its catastrophic collapse, and draws striking parallels to today’s interconnected world. Perfect for history lovers, systems thinkers, and anyone curious about the lessons ancient globalization can teach our modern age.
Why do things break, age, collapse, or get messy over time? In this episode of Learn Anything, we dive deep into the Second Law of Thermodynamics—exploring entropy as both a scientific principle and a profound lens for understanding life, time, and decay. From melting ice cubes and aging bodies to broken systems and creative burnout, this episode reveals why disorder is inevitable—and why maintaining order requires constant energy, intelligence, and care. Learn how entropy shapes the universe and your daily life—and how to spot and resist it with a powerful mental model.