People I (Mostly) Admire

Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations. SOURCES:Suleika Jaouad, author. RESOURCES:The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life, by Suleika Jaouad (2025).The Alchemy Journal, by Suleika Jaouad (2025).“The Art of Survival,” by Jennifer Senior (The Atlantic, 2024).American Symphony, film by Matthew Heineman (2023).Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted, by Suleika Jaouad (2021).“Max Ritvo, Poet Who Chronicled His Cancer Fight, Dies at 25,” by John Schwartz (The New York Times, 2016).“Life, Interrupted,” column by Suleika Jaouad (The New York Times, 2012-2015).The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green (2012).Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America, by Barbara Ehrenreich (2009).The Isolation Journals, newsletter by Suleika Jaouad. EXTRAS:“John Green’s Reluctant Rocket Ship Ride,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022).“Does Death Have to Be a Death Sentence?” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Physicist and former pop star Brian Cox tells Steve about discovering the Higgs boson, having a number-one hit, and why particle physics research will almost certainly not create a black hole that destroys all life on earth. SOURCES:Brian Cox, physicist at the University of Manchester. RESOURCES:Black Holes: The Key to Understanding the Universe, by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw (2023)."Higgs10: The Higgs boson and the rise of the Standard Model of Particle Physics in the 1970s," by John Ellis (CERN, 2022).Out of Silence, by Dare (2004)."WW scattering at the LHC," by J. M. Butterworth, Brian Cox, and J. R. Forshaw (CERN, 2002).A Brief History of Time, by Stephen Hawking (1998)."Gravitational Collapse and Space-Time Singularities," by Roger Penrose (Physical Review Letters, 1965)."The Value of Science," by Richard P. Feynman (Internet Archive, 1955)."Brian Cox Live." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Irving Finkel is an expert on cuneiform — the oldest known writing system. He tells Steve the amazing story of how an ancient clay tablet unlocked the truth about Noah’s ark (and got Finkel in trouble with some Christians). SOURCES:Irving Finkel, curator in the department of the Middle East at the British Museum. RESOURCES:"How to write cuneiform," by Irving Finkel (The British Museum, 2021)."PBS Nova: Secrets of Noah's Ark," (2015).The Ark Before Noah: Decoding the Story of the Flood, by Irving Finkel (2014)."Epic Hero," by David Damrosch (Smithsonian Magazine, 2007)."How Egyptian hieroglyphs were decoded, a timeline to decipherment," (The British Museum). EXTRAS:"Jane Goodall, Who Chronicled the Social Lives of Chimps, Dies at 91," by Keith Schneider (New York Times, 2025)."Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done." by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022)."D:Ream - Things Can Only Get Better," (1993). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Moon Duchin is a math professor at the University of Chicago whose theoretical work has practical applications for voting and democracy. Why is striving for fair elections so difficult? SOURCES:Moon Duchin, professor of mathematics at Cornell University. RESOURCES:"Gerrymandering: The Origin Story," by Neely Tucker (Timeless: Stories from the Library of Congress, 2024)."Redistricting for Proportionality," by Gabe Schoenbach and Moon Duchin (The Forum, 2023)."The Atlas Of Redistricting," by Aaron Bycoffe, Ella Koeze, David Wasserman, and Julia Wolfe (FiveThirtyEight, 2018)."In a Comically Drawn Pennsylvania District, the Voters Are Not Amused," by Trip Gabriel (The New York Times, 2018). EXTRAS:"State of Texas to begin calling witnesses in federal hearing over Trump-backed congressional map," by Blaise Gainey (KUT News, 2025)."Utah's Redistricting Battle Explained," (PBS Utah, 2025)."Is This the Future of High School?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Frances Arnold pioneered the process of directed evolution — mimicking natural selection to create new enzymes that have changed everything from agriculture to laundry. SOURCES:Frances Arnold, professor of chemistry at the California Institute of Technology.  RESOURCES: "Innovation by Evolution: Bringing New Chemistry to Life," by Frances Arnold (Nobel Lecture, 2018)."Bacteria taught to bond carbon and silicon for the first time," by Aviva Rutkin (New Scientist, 2016)."Directed evolution of cytochrome c for carbon–silicon bond formation: Bringing silicon to life," by S. B. Jennifer Kan, Russell D. Lewis, Kai Chen, and Frances H. Arnold (Science, 2016)."The Director of Evolution," by Jennifer Ouellette (Slate, 2013)."Engineered ketol-acid reductoisomerase and alcohol dehydrogenase enable anaerobic 2-methylpropan-1-ol production at theoretical yield in Escherichia coli," by Sabine Bastian, Xiang Liu, Joseph T. Meyerowitz, Christopher D. Snow, Mike M. Y. Chen, and Frances H. Arnold (Metabolic Engineering, 2011).Gevo.Provivi. EXTRAS:"How to Help Kids Succeed," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025).The Levitt Lab. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Steven Pinker’s new book argues that all our relationships depend on shared assumptions and “recursive mentalizing” — our constant efforts to understand what other people are thinking. He and Steve talk about the psychology of eye contact, the particular value of Super Bowl ads, and what it’s like to get cancelled. SOURCES:Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES:When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows, by Steven Pinker (2025)."Why I Left Harvard," by Carole Hooven (The Free Press, 2024).Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, by Steven Pinker (2021)."Economics of Toilet Paper X Thread," by Justin Wolfers (2020)."How a Famous Harvard Professor Became a Target Over His Tweets," by Michael Powell (New York Times, 2020)."Police Killings of Blacks: Here Is What the Data Say," by Sendhil Mullainathan (2015).SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (2011).Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge, by Michael Suk-Young Chwe (2003)."Open Letter to the LSA." EXTRAS:"Steven Pinker: 'I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own conversational weaknesses. SOURCES:Charles Duhigg, journalist and author. RESOURCES:Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, by Charles Duhigg (2024)."2023 Word of the Year Is 'Enshittification,'" by the American Dialect Association (2024)."When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question," by Jancee Dunn (The New York Times, 2023).Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg (2016)."The 36 Questions That Lead to Love," by Daniel Jones (The New York Times, 2015).The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg (2012)."The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings," by Arthur Aron, Edward Melinat, Elaine N. Aron, Robert Darrin Vallone, and Renee J. Bator (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1997). EXTRAS:"How Can You Get Closer to the People You Care About?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."How Do You Connect With Someone You Just Met?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?" by Freakonomics Radio (2021)."Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Marina Nitze: 'If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."How to Be More Productive," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).Frozen, film (2013). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Seth Berkley used to run the world's largest vaccine funding organization. He and Steve talk about the incredible value of vaccines, the economics of immunizing the developing world, and the current attacks on public health. SOURCES:Seth Berkley, epidemiologist at Brown University School of Public Health. RESOURCES:"Trump Administration Ends Program Critical to Search for an H.I.V. Vaccine," by Apoorva Mandavilli (New York Times, 2025).Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity, by Seth Berkley (2025)."How a partnership saved millions of children’s lives with vaccines," (Gates Foundation).Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. EXTRAS:"Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stefanie Stantcheva’s approach seemed like career suicide. In fact, it won her the John Bates Clark Medal. She talks to fellow winner Steve Levitt about why she uses methods that most of the profession dismisses — and what she’s found that can’t be learned any other way. SOURCES:Stefanie Stantcheva, professor of political economy at Harvard University. RESOURCES:"Understanding Economic Behavior Using Open-ended Survey Data," by Ingar Haaland, Christopher Roth, Stefanie Stantcheva, and Johannes Wohlfart (Working Paper, 2025)."Fighting Climate Change: International Attitudes toward Climate Policies," by Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Adrien Fabre, Tobias Kruse, Bluebery Planterose, Ana Sanchez Chico, and Stefanie Stantcheva (American Economic Review, 2025)."Zero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political Divides," by Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2024)."Why Do We Dislike Inflation?," by Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2024)."How to Run Surveys: A Guide to Creating Your Own Identifying Variation and Revealing the Invisible," by Stefanie Stantcheva (Annual Review of Economics, 2022)."Eliciting People's First-Order Concerns: Text Analysis of Open-Ended Survey Questions," by Beatrice Ferrario and Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2022)."Understanding Tax Policy: How Do People Reason?," by Stefanie Stantcheva (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2021)."Immigration and Redistribution," by Alberto Alesina, Armando Miano, and Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2018). EXTRAS:VerbAI by Generation Lab. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side.  SOURCES:Rick Rubin, music producer and record executive. RESOURCES:The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin (2023).“How Google’s AlphaGo Beat a Go World Champion,” by Christopher Moyer (The Atlantic, 2016).“DMC: The Real Story of Aerosmith + Run-D.M.C.’s ‘Walk This Way’,” by Loudwire (2016).“Hurt,” by Johnny Cash, music video (2003).“Walk This Way,” by Run-DMC, ft. Aerosmoth (1986).“It’s Yours,” by T La Rock (1984).“Walk This Way,” by Aerosmith (1975).The Way of Code. EXTRAS:“How To Be Creative,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2018). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More than two decades ago, Adam Riess’s Nobel Prize-winning work fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe. His new work is reshaping cosmology for a second time. RESOURCES:Adam Riess, astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University. SOURCES:"The Nobel Prize Winner Who Thinks We Have the Universe All Wrong," by Ross Andersen (The Atlantic, 2025)."The answer to life, the universe and everything might be 73. Or 67," by Hannah Devlin (The Guardian, 2018)."Adam G. Riess Nobel Prize Lecture," (The Nobel Foundation, 2011)."Breakthroughs 1998," by Floyd Bloom (Science, 1998)."Observational Evidence from Supernovae for an Accelerating Universe and a Cosmological Constant," by Adam Riess, Alexei Filippenko, Peter Challis, Alejandro Clocchiatti, Alan Diercks, Peter Garnavich, Ron Gilliland, Craig Hogan, Saurabh Jha, Robert Kirshner, Bruno Leibundgut, Mark Phillips, David Reiss, Brian Schmidt, Robert Schommer, Chris Smith, Jason Spyromilio, Christopher Stubbs, Nicholas Suntzeff, and John Tonry (The Astronomical Journal, 1998)."1912: Henrietta Leavitt Discovers the Distance Key," (Carnegie Institution for Science). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Uri Simonsohn is a behavioral science professor who wants to improve standards in his field — so he’s made a sideline of investigating fraudulent academic research. He tells Steve Levitt, who's spent plenty of time rooting out cheaters in other fields, how he does it. SOURCES:Uri Simonsohn, professor of behavioral science at Esade Business School. RESOURCES:"Gino v. President and Fellows of Harvard College," (Court Listener, 2025)."Statement from Dan Ariely," (2024)."Data Falsificada (Part 4): 'Forgetting The Words,'" by Uri Simonsohn, Leif Nelson, and Joe Simmons (Data Colada, 2023)."They Studied Dishonesty. Was Their Work a Lie?" by Gideon Lewis-Kraus (The New Yorker, 2023)."Evidence of Fraud in an Influential Field Experiment About Dishonesty," by Uri Simonsohn, Leif Nelson, and Joe Simmons (Data Colada, 2023)."Signing at the beginning makes ethics salient anddecreases dishonest self-reports in comparison tosigning at the end," by Lisa Shu, Nina Mazar, Francesca Gino, Dan Ariely, and Max Bazerman (PNAS, 2021)."Power Posing: Reassessing The Evidence Behind The Most Popular TED Talk," by Uri Simonsohn and Joe Simmons (Data Colada, 2015)."Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are," by Amy Cuddy (TED, 2012)."Daily Horizons: Evidence of Narrow Bracketing in Judgment from 10 Years of MBA-Admission Interviews," by Uri Simohnson and Francesa Gino (Psychological Science, 2012)."Spurious? Name similarity effects (implicit egotism) in marriage, job, and moving decisions," by Uri Simohnson (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011)."False-Positive Psychology: Undisclosed Flexibility in Data Collection and Analysis Allows Presenting Anything as Significant," by Joe Simmons, Leif Nelson, and Uri Simohnson (Psychological Science, 2011). EXTRAS:"Will We Solve the Climate Problem?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."Why Is There So Much Fraud in Academia?" by Freakonomics Radio (2024)."When I'm Sixty Four," by The Beatles (1967). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former U.S. Secretary of Education, 3x3 basketball champion, and leader of an anti-gun violence organization are all on Arne’s resume. He’s also Steve’s neighbor. The two talk about teachers caught cheating in Chicago public schools and Steve shares a story he’s never told Arne, about a defining moment in the educator’s life. SOURCES:Arne Duncan, the 9th U.S. Secretary of Education; founder of C.R.E.D.; former head of Chicago Public Schools; and former professional basketball player. RESOURCES:How Schools Work, by Arne Duncan (2018)."Benji," (ESPN's 30 for 30, 2012). EXTRAS:Chicago C.R.E.D. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kate Marvel spends her days playing with climate models, which she says are “like a very expensive version of The Sims.” As a physicist she gets tired of being asked to weigh in on economics, geopolitics, and despair — but she still defends the right of scientists to have strong feelings about the planet. SOURCES:Kate Marvel, climate scientist and science writer. RESOURCES:Human Nature: Nine Ways to Feel About Our Changing Planet, by Kate Marvel (2025)."Are Americans Concerned About Global Warming?" (Gallup, 2024)."Can clouds buy us more time to solve climate change?" by Kate Marvel (TED, 2017).SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, by Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt (2011)."Global Warming’s Six Americas," (Yale Program on Climate Change Communication)."Fred Rogers: Look for the Helpers." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Twenty years ago, before the Freakonomics book tour, Bill McGowan taught Steve Levitt to speak in public. In his new book he tries to teach everyone else. SOURCES:Bill McGowan, founder and C.E.O. of Clarity Media Group. RESOURCES:Speak, Memorably: The Art of Captivating an Audience, by Bill McGowan (2025)."Sheryl Sandberg Gives UC Berkeley Commencement Keynote Speech," (UC Berkeley, 2016)."Our failing schools. Enough is enough!" by Geoffrey Canada (TED, 2013). EXTRAS:"The Power of a Bad Example – A Field Experiment In Household Garbage Disposal," by Robert Dur and Ben Vollaard (Tilburg Law and Economics Center, 2013)."Unit pricing of municipal solid waste and illegal dumping: an empirical analysis of Korean experience," by Geum-Soo Kim, Young-Jae Chang and David Kelleher (Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, 2008)."Garbage, Recycling, and Illicit Burning or Dumping," by Don Fullerton and Thomas Kinnaman (Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 2002). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former professional poker player Annie Duke wrote a book about Steve’s favorite subject: quitting. They talk about why quitting is so hard, how to do it sooner, and why we feel shame when we do something that’s good for us. SOURCES:Annie Duke, author and former professional poker player. RESOURCES:Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away, by Annie Duke (2022)."Heads or Tails: The Impact of a Coin Toss on Major Life Decisions and Subsequent Happiness," by Steven Levitt (NBER Working Papers, 2016).Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction, by Philip E. Tetlock and Dan Gardner (2015)."Knee-Deep in the Big Muddy: A Study of Escalating Commitment to a Chosen Course of Action," by Barry M. Staw (Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 1976).Alliance for Decision Education. EXTRAS:"How to Make Your Own Luck," by Freakonomics Radio (2020)."How Do You Know When It’s Time to Quit?" by No Stupid Questions (2020)."The Upside of Quitting," by Freakonomics Radio (2011). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Psychologist David Yeager thinks the conventional wisdom for how to motivate young people is all wrong. His model for helping kids cope with stress is required reading at Steve’s new high school. SOURCES:David Yeager, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. RESOURCES:10 to 25: The Science of Motivating Young People: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation―And Making Your Own Life Easier, by David Yeager (2024)."A synergistic mindsets intervention protects adolescents from stress," by David Yeager, Christopher Bryan, James Gross, Jared Murray, Danielle Krettek Cobb, Pedro Santos, Hannah Gravelding, Meghann Johnson, and Jeremy Jamieson (Nature, 2022)."Harnessing adolescent values to motivate healthier eating," by Christopher Bryan, David Yeager, Cintia Hinojosa, Aimee Chabot, Holly Bergen, Mari Kawamura, and Fred Steubing (Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Sciences, 2016)."Breaking the Cycle of Mistrust: Wise Interventions to Provide Critical Feedback Across the Racial Divide," by David Yeager, Julio Garcia, Patti Brzustoski, William Hessert, Valeria Purdie-Vaughns, Nancy Apfel, Allison Master, and Matthew Williams (Journal of Experimental Psychology, 2014)."The Influence of the National truth Campaign on Smoking Initiation," by Matthew Farrelly, James Nonnemaker, Kevin Davis, Altijani Hussin (American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2009)."Tobacco is Whacko Commercial," (2002)."Florida Tobacco Pilot Program: Thanking Customers," (2000)."Think, Don't Smoke PSA Commercial," (1999)."The Mentor’s Dilemma: Providing Critical Feedback Across the Racial Divide," by Geoffrey Cohen, Claude Steele, and Lee Ross (Personal and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1999). EXTRAS:"The Suit, Savile Row, and Smartly Dressed Men," by The Rest is History (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

She’s a botanist, a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the author of the bestselling Braiding Sweetgrass. In her new book she criticizes the market economy — but she and Steve find a surprising amount of common ground. SOURCES:Robin Wall Kimmerer, botanist and founder and director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment. RESOURCES:The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2024).Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2015).Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (2003)."The Deadweight Loss of Christmas," by Joel Waldfogel (The American Economic Review, 1993)."Reproductive Ecology of Tetraphis pellucida. I. Population Density and Reproductive Mode," by Robin Wall Kimmerer (The Bryologist, 1991). EXTRAS:"The Deadliest Disease in Human History," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."How Smart Is a Forest?" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023)."Jane Goodall Changed the Way We See Animals. She’s Not Done." by People I (Mostly) Admire (2022). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Palliative physician B.J. Miller asks: Is there a better way to think about dying? And can death be beautiful? SOURCES:B.J. Miller, palliative-care physician and President at Mettle Health. RESOURCES:A Beginner’s Guide to the End: Practical Advice for Living Life and Facing Death, by Shoshana Berger and B.J. Miller and (2019).“After A Freak Accident, A Doctor Finds Insight Into ‘Living Life And Facing Death,'” by Fresh Air (W.Y.P.R., 2019).“Dying In A Hospital Means More Procedures, Tests And Costs,” by Alison Kodjak (W.Y.P.R., 2016).“The Final Year: Visualizing End Of Life,” by Arcadia (2016).“What Really Matters at the End of Life,” by B.J. Miller (TED, 2015).“The Flexner Report ― 100 Years Later,” by Thomas P. Duffy (Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 2011).“My Near Death Panel Experience,” by Earl Blumenauer (The New York Times, 2009).The Center for Dying and Living. EXTRAS:“Max Tegmark on Why Superhuman Artificial Intelligence Won’t be Our Slave (Part 2),” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Max Tegmark on Why Treating Humanity Like a Child Will Save Us All,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Edward Glaeser Explains Why Some Cities Thrive While Others Fade Away,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Sendhil Mullainathan Explains How to Generate an Idea a Minute (Part 2),” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time,” by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021).“How Does Facing Death Change Your Life?” by No Stupid Questions (2021).“How to Be Better at Death,” by Freakonomics Radio (2021). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Historian Tom Holland narrowly escaped a career writing vampire novels to become the co-host of the wildly popular podcast The Rest Is History. At Steve’s request, he compares President Trump and Julius Caesar and explains why the culture wars are arguments about Christian theology. SOURCES:Tom Holland, historian and host of The Rest is History. RESOURCES:Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World, by Tom Holland (2019).Rubicon, by Tom Holland (2005). EXTRAS:Unforgiving Places: The Unexpected Origins of American Gun Violence, by Jens Ludwig (2025)."A Solution to America’s Gun Problem," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2025)."Richard Dawkins on God, Genes, and Murderous Baby Cuckoos," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2024). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.