I began listening to podcasts in 2016 and have really enjoyed learning from so many of these incredible resources.
Here are a few of my favorite resources :
Shane Parish, The Knowledge Project | Podcast
Shane is exceptional, and some of his conversations have been eye-openers. “The Knowledge Project Podcast unlocks your potential. We interview world-class doers and thinkers so you can better analyze problems, seize opportunities, and master decision-making. Every episode is packed with lessons and insights that never expire.”
Andrew Huberman | Youtube | Podcast
Andew is a Prof at Stanford, and his podcast is one of the best resources for a science-based approach to health and fitness. One of the top-15 podcasts, globally.
Engaging debates about significant issues of our time. Audiences will hear strong and passionate arguments from both sides of an issue so they will have enough information to make up their own minds about where they stand.
Bret Weinstein, The DarkHorse | Podcast
A Show for Curious Minds and Free Thinkers
Peter Attia, The Drive | Podcast
A deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing longevity, and all that goes into that from physical to cognitive to emotional health. With over 30 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.
Eric Weinstein, The Portal site | Podcast
The Portal is an exploration into discovery, including conversations with thought leaders. The show will feature people whose lives demonstrate that portals into what we would normally consider impossible, are indeed possible.
Sam Harris, Making Sense | Podcast
Sam explores some of the most important questions about the human mind, society, and current events.
Ben Thompson, Stratechery | Podcast
Ben writes one of the most influential tech blogs on the web. Shane’s interview of Ben.
Tim Ferris, Episodes & extras | Podcast
700M downloads.
Jordan Peterson, Site | Podcast
Dr. Peterson concentrates primarily on the role of the individual, and the responsibilities that accompany mature individuality, assuming that productive, engaging, peaceful and otherwise highly functional social systems depend on the idea of the sovereign person, and the burden and opportunity of adventure, vision and destiny that accompany that idea.
Here are a few “stand-out” episodes:
1. In part 1 of this 3 part series, Matthew Walker, professor of neuroscience at UC Berkeley and expert on sleep, describes the different stages and cycles of sleep, including what he calls the 4 pillars of sleep, and how they contribute to memory consolidation and numerous important pathways to mental health. We also get into the dangers of chronic sleep deprivation, such as the development of dementia, and the more acute dangers of sleep deprivation like fatal car crashes which are most often caused by drowsy driving. We also discuss the different and important roles of REM vs. non-REM sleep, and the impact that bad sleep habits can have specifically on those sleep stages.
2. Former National Security analyst turned author Jamie Metzel has written a book called Hacking Darwin. The book attempts to use storytelling to explore where we are as the new era of rewriting our cells and ourselves gets into full swing. Here he sits down with Eric to explore the negatives and positives of our seemingly ineluctable future of God-like power to rewrite biology. Together they discuss the role of story telling and fiction in understanding cutting edge science, the limits of bio-hacking regulation and the rise of mainland China as the outlying superpower of state sponsored experimentation.
3. “Naval is an incredibly deep thinker who challenges the status quo on so many things. This is an interview you’ll want to listen to, think a bit, and then listen to again. Just a heads up, this is the longest podcast I’ve ever done. While it felt like only thirty minutes, our conversation lasted over two hours! And although it is the longest, it’s also our most downloaded episode on the Knowledge Project, so make sure you have a pen and paper handy. There’s a lot of wisdom up for grabs here. Enjoy this amazing conversation.”
4. In this episode of the Making Sense podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray about his book The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam.
5. On rationality, changing minds (our own and others), filtering information, and a lot more.
6. What do Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, Benjamin Franklin and Jennifer Doudna all have in common? Celebrated journalist and author Walter Isaacson calls upon his years of research to explain how curiosity has always fueled creativity among history’s greatest innovators, and how each of those individuals shaped the world around them.
7. Sam Harris speaks with Ayaan Hirsi Ali about Islamism, the migrant crisis in Europe, and other topics.
8. Two-time NBA champion and 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Chris Bosh goes in-depth on the skills it takes to become a winner on the basketball court and in life. On this episode Bosh discusses the rare combination of talent and hunger, emulating others before becoming your own person, individual success vs. team success, the subjective traits that set championship teams apart, what it means to lead by example, where confidence comes from, and so much more.
9. Acclaimed economist and author Noreena Hertz breaks down the world’s loneliness crisis, and what it means for the well-being of our minds, bodies, economies and democratic institutions. In this episode we define loneliness and how to recognize it, its mental and physical health implications, the shame around admitting you’re lonely, what we can do to help alleviate the crisis for ourselves and our kids, and so much more.
10. If you don’t know Douglas Murray, in the estimation of the The Portal, this may well be the most important voice you will hear from the United Kingdom for some time. I have met many men who train in combat sports, or extoll the virtues of masculinity. However, I know of none braver than Douglas Murray. In our time, this is one voice of relentless reason that everyone needs to hear. It’s courage. Raw physical, moral, reputational and professional courage to speak what must be said. This is a mini-book length conversation, nearing almost 5 hours. Here’s the transcript.
11. Celebrated organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant provides compelling insight into why we should spend time not just thinking, but rethinking. In this episode we cover how to change our own views, how to change the views of others, hiring processes, psychological safety, tribes and group identity, feigned knowledge, binary bias, and so much more.