Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss whether Jews in the U.S. are safer under Trump, due process rights and free speech, what Trump is doing to universities, the Trump family&rsquo;s latest corruption scandals, Sam&rsquo;s updated views on Bill Maher&rsquo;s dinner at the White House, what Sam got wrong about wokeness and the 2024 election, Pete Buttigieg&rsquo;s appearance on Andrew Schulz&rsquo;s podcast, Gavin Newsom, and Ezra Klein.
Produced by Griffin Katz
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack.

#413 - “More From Sam”: Trump & Israel, Corruption, Free Speech Violations, the Democrats, & Ezra Klein

Sam Harris speaks with Rutger Bregman about Rutger&rsquo;s new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4jCwmNN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference</a>. They discuss why it seems like we are at the hinge of human history, wealth inequality, how altruism should be rewarded, how we should think about philanthropic billionaires, effective altruism, why empathy is overrated, moral entrepreneurship, universal basic income, work and meaning, existential risk, and other topics.
Rutger Bregman is a Dutch historian and author. His books <a href="https://amzn.to/4lXO28f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Utopia for Realists</a> (2017) and <a href="https://amzn.to/4jG8RDL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Humankind</a> (2020) have sold over 2 million copies and have been translated into 46 languages. In 2024, he co-founded The School for Moral Ambition, a non-profit inspired by his book <a href="https://amzn.to/4jCwmNN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference</a> (Dutch edition 2024), which helps ambitious people tackle the world&rsquo;s most pressing problems. The English edition of Moral Ambition will be released on May 6, 2025.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://rutgerbregman.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rutgerbregman.com</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/rcbregman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@rcbregman</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Rutger Bregman about Rutger’s new book, "Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference."

A Conversation with Rutger Bregman

#412 - Better Things & Better People

Where Shall We Meet

On Meditation, Morality & Free Will with Sam Harris

Sam Harris speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman about Scott&rsquo;s new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/42Is3JI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential</a>. They discuss victimhood culture, narcissism and psychopathy, the personality traits of successful individuals, the dark triad of personality traits, how victimhood culture presents on the Left vs. the Right, free speech, self-esteem and meaning in the age of AI, the replication crisis, the personality traits of MAGA conservatives, IQ, psychedelics, and other topics.
Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is among the top 1 percent of the most cited scientists in the world for his groundbreaking research on intelligence, creativity, and human potential. He is a professor at Columbia University and the director of the Center for Human Potential. He has authored eleven books, including <a href="https://amzn.to/42Is3JI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rise Above</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4jv4FXi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Choose Growth</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/42uFwpC" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Transcend</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/44E1WGi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wired to Create</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/44JoCVJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ungifted</a>. Dr. Kaufman hosts The Psychology Podcast, which is widely considered one of the top psychology podcasts in the world. Dr. Kaufman received his Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Yale University. In 2015, he was named one of &ldquo;50 groundbreaking scientists who are changing the way we see the world&rdquo; by Business Insider.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://scottbarrykaufman.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scottbarrykaufman.com</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/sbkaufman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@sbkaufman</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman about Scott’s new book, "Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential."

A Conversation with Scott Barry Kaufman

#411 - The Victimhood Pandemic

The Moynihan Report

Sam Harris on Elon Musk, Free Speech, and the Trouble with Joe Rogan

Unholy: Two Jews on the News

Calm in the Storm - with Sam Harris

Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray about Douglas&rsquo;s new book, <a href="https://amzn.to/443qloy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization</a>. They discuss Douglas&rsquo;s recent experience on Joe Rogan&rsquo;s podcast, the need for experts, conspiracy theories, the origins and aims of Hamas, the moral asymmetries between Israel and Hamas, what makes jihadism a uniquely dangerous ideology, Hamas&rsquo;s attack on the Nova music festival, Douglas&rsquo;s associations with Trump and Trumpism, Elon Musk and X, antisemitism on the Right, and other topics.
Douglas Murray is a journalist and bestselling author of 8 books, including <a href="https://amzn.to/443qloy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization</a> (2025), <a href="https://amzn.to/42x2HQl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The War on the West</a> (2022), <a href="https://amzn.to/4lE9vTF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Madness of Crowds</a> (2019), and <a href="https://amzn.to/3S2qPE0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam</a> (2017). He has been a contributor to Spectator since 2000 and an associate editor since 2012. He is a columnist at the New York Post and regularly writes for The Telegraph and The Sun. He is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal.&nbsp;
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://douglasmurray.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener">douglasmurray.net</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/DouglasKMurray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@DouglasKMurray</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray about Douglas’s new book, "On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization."

A Conversation with Douglas Murray

#410 - The Whole Catastrophe

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to discuss current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. By far the most common feedback we hear from you guys is the following: &ldquo;We want more from Sam.&rdquo; So that's what we're trying to bring you with this new series, &ldquo;More From Sam.&rdquo; Sam and Jaron discuss community in the absence of religion, whether you should lie to your children about the existence of Santa Claus, Bill Ackman's response to Trump's tariff reversal, Douglas Murray's appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast, the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Bill Maher's visit to the White House, and other topics.
Produced by Griffin Katz
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to discuss current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack.

#409 - "More From Sam": Religion, Deportations, Douglas Murray vs. Rogan, & Bill Maher's Dinner with Trump

Dan Harris interviews Sam Harris for Dan&rsquo;s podcast, 10% Happier. They discuss how meditation helped Sam after evacuating his home during the LA fires, why Sam owns a gun, the ethics of violence, how to feel compassion for your political opponents, why it doesn&rsquo;t make sense to &ldquo;hate&rdquo; anyone, free will and determinism, psychedelics, the importance of training your mind, and other topics.
Dan Harris is the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling memoir <a href="https://amzn.to/3Gaj4cL" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10% Happier</a>,&nbsp;about a fidgety, skeptical news anchor who finds meditation. He&rsquo;s also the host of the&nbsp;10% Happier podcast, where he interviews celebrities, entrepreneurs, authors, scientists, and meditation teachers about how to do life better. For 21 years, he worked at ABC News, where he anchored such shows as Nightline and the weekend editions of Good&nbsp;Morning America.
Go to <a href="http://wakingup.com/tenpercent" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wakingup.com/tenpercent</a> for a 30-day free trial of the Waking Up app.
Website: <a href="https://www.danharris.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.danharris.com/</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/danbharris?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@danbharris</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Dan Harris interviews Sam Harris for Dan’s podcast, 10% Happier.

A Conversation with Dan Harris

#408 - Finding Equanimity in Chaos

Sam is interviewed by author and podcaster Dan Harris. They discuss Sam&rsquo;s experience evacuating with his family during the recent Los Angeles fires, how mindfulness helped him find equanimity and gratitude amid the chaos, the power of Stoic reframing, materialism and non-attachment, the special challenge posed by small everyday disruptions, free will, psychedelics, the pleasure of deep concentration, dualistic vs. nondual practice, advantages of eyes-open meditations, the possibility of sudden awakening, why Sam built the Waking Up app, and other topics.
Dan Harris is the author of the #1 New York Times best-selling memoir 10% Happier,&nbsp;about a fidgety, skeptical news anchor who finds meditation. He&rsquo;s also the host of the&nbsp;10% Happier podcast where he interviews celebrities, entrepreneurs, authors, scientists,&nbsp;and meditation teachers about how to do life better. For 21 years, he worked at ABC&nbsp;News, where he anchored such shows as Nightline and the weekend editions of Good&nbsp;Morning America. You can learn more about Dan at <a href="https://www.danharris.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">danharris.com</a>.

Sam is interviewed by author and podcaster Dan Harris.

Freedom from Seeking

10% Happier with Dan Harris

Sam Harris On: Equanimity in Turbulent Times; Compassion for Difficult People; And Dualistic vs Non-dualistic Mindfulness

Sam Harris speaks with Jon Favreau about the state of American politics. They discuss the Trump administration&rsquo;s wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, tariffs, why Trump&rsquo;s supporters don&rsquo;t care about his corruption, the next steps for Democrats, the energy behind AOC and Bernie Sanders, why Biden failed on the border, Biden&rsquo;s legacy, potential 2028 Democratic candidates, Elon Musk and DOGE, whether we can ever return to &ldquo;normal&rdquo; politics, and other topics.
Jon Favreau is the host of Pod Save America and co-founder of Crooked Media. He served as President Barack Obama&rsquo;s head speechwriter from 2005 to 2013. He is also the host of Offline with Jon Favreau and The Wilderness. His first book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3G5egFt" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democracy or Else</a>, which he co-authored alongside his Crooked Media co-founders, is now a New York Times best-seller. Jon lives in Los Angeles with his wife Emily, their sons, Charlie and Teddy, and their dog, Leo.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-america/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://crooked.com/podcast-series/pod-save-america/</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/jonfavs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@jonfavs</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Jon Favreau about the state of American politics.

A Conversation with Jon Favreau

#407 - Can We Ever Return to Normal Politics?

Sam Harris speaks with Tom Holland about his book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4i9eoky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dominion: How the</a><a href="https://amzn.to/4i9eoky" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Christian </a><a href="https://amzn.to/4i9eoky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Revolution Remade the World</a>. They discuss the enduring influence of Christianity on the modern world, historical interpretations of crucifixion, the moral systems of ancient societies, Paul's letters, the impact of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Islam and how it relates to Christian notions of morality, secular sources of morality, the collision between Western norms and traditional Islam, how Western societies take their values for granted, the relevance of the Roman Republic and the French Revolution, and other topics.
Tom Holland is an award-winning historian, translator, and broadcaster. His most recent book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4llb4FT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pax</a>, covers the heyday of the Roman Empire. He has translated Herodotus and Suetonius for Penguin Classics. He is a co-presenter of the world&rsquo;s most popular history podcast, The Rest Is History. He has written and presented several TV documentaries on subjects ranging from the Islamic State to dinosaurs. He is a trustee of the British Library, an honorary fellow of Queens&rsquo; College, Cambridge, and has been described in The Times as &ldquo;a leading English cricketer.&rdquo; He caught his first salmon last October.
X: <a href="https://x.com/holland_tom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@holland_tom</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Tom Holland about his book, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World.

A Conversation with Tom Holland

#406 - The Legacy of Christianity

Subscribers can watch the full video on Substack <a href="https://samharris.substack.com/p/making-sense-405-more-from-sam-tariffs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.
By far the most common feedback we hear from you guys is the following: &ldquo;We want more from Sam.&rdquo; More of his thoughts on current events, more frequently. So that&rsquo;s what we&rsquo;re trying here, with this new exploratory series we've creatively titled &ldquo;More From Sam.&rdquo; Sam jumped on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to run through some of the topics you all suggested. They discuss tariffs, SignalGate, Trump, Elon, Joe Rogan, Lex Fridman, The All-In podcast, Sam&rsquo;s upcoming podcast with Douglas Murray, and more.
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam jumped on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to run through some of the topics you all suggested.

#405 - "More From Sam": Tariffs, SignalGate, Trump, Elon, Douglas Murray, & Joe Rogan

How to Suffer Less: Joseph Goldstein, Sam Harris, and Dan Harris on the Buddha's Eightfold Path

Sam speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about <a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIGHTS ON</a>, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos. They discuss the hard problem of consciousness, whether consciousness is fundamental, what split-brain patients can teach us about consciousness, what consciousness being fundamental could mean for the world of physics, and other topics.
After Annaka&rsquo;s conversation with Sam, we present an excerpt from <a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIGHTS ON</a>.
<a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on-chapter-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chapter 5: The Self</a> features neuroscientists David Eagleman and Anil Seth. In Chapter 5, Annaka walks the audience through her personal experience of attending a silent meditation retreat and dropping the illusion of self in meditation. She then speaks with Anil Seth and David Eagleman about the experience of self at the level of the brain. Conversation References:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/jcs/2021/00000028/f0020009/art00011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Solution to the Combination Problem and the Future of Panpsychism by Annaka Harris</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://nautil.us/consciousness-isnt-self_centered-237720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consciousness Isn&rsquo;t Self-Centered by Annaka Harris</a>
</li>
</ul>
Annaka Harris&nbsp;is the&nbsp;New York Times&nbsp;bestselling author of <a class="c-link" href="https://annakaharris.com/conscious/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://annakaharris.com/conscious/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind</a>&nbsp;and writer and producer of the audio documentary series,&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">LIGHTS ON</a>. Her work has appeared in&nbsp;The New York Times,&nbsp;Nautilus Magazine, the&nbsp;Journal of Consciousness Studies, and&nbsp;IAI Magazine. She is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. Annaka is the author of the children&rsquo;s book&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://annakaharris.com/i-wonder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://annakaharris.com/i-wonder/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">I Wonder</a><a class="c-link" href="https://annaka-harris-development.mystagingwebsite.com/i-wonder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://annaka-harris-development.mystagingwebsite.com/i-wonder/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">,</a>&nbsp;coauthor of the&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://annakaharris.com/mindful-games/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://annakaharris.com/mindful-games/" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Mindful Games Activity Cards</a>, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the organization&nbsp;<a class="c-link" href="https://www.susankaisergreenland.com/inner-kids-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.susankaisergreenland.com/inner-kids-index" data-sk="tooltip_parent">Inner Kids</a>.

Sam speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about LIGHTS ON, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos.

A Conversation with Annaka Harris

What If Consciousness Is Fundamental?

Sam Harris speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about <a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIGHTS ON</a>, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos. They discuss the hard problem of consciousness, whether consciousness is fundamental, what split-brain patients can teach us about consciousness, what consciousness being fundamental could mean for the world of physics, and other topics.
After Annaka&rsquo;s conversation with Sam, we present an excerpt from LIGHTS ON.
<a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on-chapter-8/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chapter 8: Space and Time</a> features author and science writer George Musser, as well as physicists Lee Smolin and Carlo Rovelli. Annaka draws on their noted expertise to explore some of the most mystifying conclusions in quantum theory, how they may validate certain meditative insights, and the ways in which they challenge our basic understanding of reality.
Everyday experience tells us that space fills the universe; that causes have effects across time; that the future exists only as potential; that consciousness is confined to intelligent creatures, rather than fundamental to the very structure of being. These bedrock assumptions, when examined through both modern physics and contemplative practices, prove surprisingly fragile&mdash;and the fabric of existence profoundly counterintuitive.
Annaka Harris is the New York Times bestselling author of <a href="https://annakaharris.com/conscious/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CONSCIOUS: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind</a> and writer and producer of the audio documentary series, <a href="https://annakaharris.com/lights-on/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LIGHTS ON</a>. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Nautilus Magazine, the Journal of Consciousness Studies, and IAI Magazine. She is also an editor and consultant for science writers, specializing in neuroscience and physics. Annaka is the author of the children&rsquo;s book <a href="https://annakaharris.com/i-wonder/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I Wonder</a><a href="https://annaka-harris-development.mystagingwebsite.com/i-wonder/">,</a> coauthor of the <a href="https://annakaharris.com/mindful-games/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mindful Games Activity Cards</a>, and a volunteer mindfulness teacher for the organization <a href="https://www.susankaisergreenland.com/inner-kids-index" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inner Kids</a>.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://annakaharris.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://annakaharris.com/</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/annakaharris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@annakaharris</a>
Episode References:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/imp/jcs/2021/00000028/f0020009/art00011" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Solution to the Combination Problem and the Future of Panpsychism by Annaka Harris</a>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" aria-level="1">
<a href="https://nautil.us/consciousness-isnt-self_centered-237720/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Consciousness Isn&rsquo;t Self-Centered by Annaka Harris</a>
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about LIGHTS ON, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos.

#404 - What If Consciousness Is Fundamental?

Big Think

Sam Harris: Breaking the spell of propaganda | Full Interview

Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about the damage Trump is doing domestically and abroad. They discuss Trump&rsquo;s tariffs, Curtis Yarvin and the Tech Right, threats against Republicans who criticize Trump, why the arguments Republicans are using to defend Trump&rsquo;s position on Ukraine are flawed, America&rsquo;s deteriorating moral standing on the global stage, the recklessness of DOGE, why so many CEOs bent the knee to Trump, antisemitism on the Right, Trump&rsquo;s plan for Gaza, worst case scenarios for Trump 2.0, and other topics.
Jonah Goldberg is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Dispatch. A Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, Goldberg is also an LA Times columnist, CNN contributor, and three-time bestselling author.&nbsp;
Website: <a href="http://thedispatch.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TheDispatch.com</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/JonahDispatch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@JonahDispatch</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about the damage Trump is doing domestically and abroad.

A Conversation with Jonah Goldberg

#403 - Sanity Check on Trump 2.0

Sam Harris speaks with Niall Ferguson about the current geopolitical situation. They discuss how Trump is handling the war in Ukraine, Europe&rsquo;s changing relationship to the U.S., security concerns around Trump&rsquo;s appointees, the economic impacts of Trump&rsquo;s policies, how China views political turmoil in the U.S., whether democracy can withstand Trump 2.0, Elon Musk and X, free speech in the United Kingdom, Trump&rsquo;s plan for Gaza, and other topics.
Sir Niall Ferguson, MA, DPhil, FRSE, is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and a senior faculty fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He is the author of 16 books, including <a href="https://amzn.to/3QDEuRq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Pity of War</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4bokHPw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The House of Rothschild</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/3EXw9pj" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kissinger: 1923-1968: The Idealist</a>, which won the Council on Foreign Relations&rsquo; Arthur Ross Prize. He is a columnist with The Free Press and The Times. He is also the founder and managing director of Greenmantle, a New York-based advisory firm, a co-founder of the Latin American fintech company Ual&aacute;, and a co-founding trustee of the new University of Austin.
Website: <a href="http://niallferguson.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">niallferguson.com</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/nfergus" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@nfergus</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Niall Ferguson about the current geopolitical situation.

A Conversation with Niall Ferguson

#402 - The Geopolitics of Trump 2.0

Sam Harris speaks with Katherine Stewart about her new book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. They discuss Project 2025, Christian nationalism, white supremacy, whether the backlash against wokeness has been overblown, the asymmetric standards between right-wing and left-wing media, Trump&rsquo;s appeal to evangelicals, wealth inequality, political ideology in public schools, and other topics.
Katherine Stewart is the award-winning author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3X7CKn7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy</a> (Bloomsbury, 2025). Her previous book, <a href="https://amzn.to/4gQDCn8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Power Worshippers: Inside the Dangerous Rise of Religious Nationalism</a>, formed the basis of the documentary feature God &amp; Country, produced by Rob Reiner. Stewart's work appears in The New York Times opinion section, The New Republic, Religion News Service, and other publications.&nbsp;
Website: <a href="http://katherinestewart.me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">katherinestewart.me</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/kathsstewart" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@kathsstewart</a>
Bluesky: <a href="http://katherinestewart.bsky.social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@katherinestewart.bsky.social</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Katherine Stewart about her new book, "Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy."

A Conversation with Katherine Stewart

#401 - Christian Nationalism and the New Right

Sam Harris speaks with Helen Lewis about the culture wars. They discuss the role of journalists, DEI, political polarization, feminism, transgender activism, gender roles, the Rotherham scandal, Islam and jihadism, Elon Musk and X, the future of the Democratic Party, and other topics.
Helen Lewis is a staff writer at The Atlantic, where she writes about politics and culture. Last year, she traveled to Austin to explore what Joe Rogan has done to the city, profiled the controversial American literacy guru Lucy Calkins, and spent the election campaign season in Pennsylvania.
Helen is also the host of the BBC's Strong Message Here and Helen Lewis Has Left The Chat. Her first book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3Es1Ark" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Difficult Women: A History of Feminism in 11 Fights</a>, was a Sunday Times bestseller. Her second book, The Genius Myth, explores how the modern idea of genius―a class of special people―is distorting our view of the world. It will be published in the summer by Jonathan Cape (UK) and Thesis (US). She writes a weekly Substack, The Bluestocking.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://helenlewis.substack.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helenlewis.substack.com</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/helenlewis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@helenlewis</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Helen Lewis about the culture wars.

A Conversation with Helen Lewis

#400 - The Politics of Information

Sam speaks with author, writing coach, and Zen practitioner Natalie Goldberg. They discuss the enduring influence of her first book, Writing Down the Bones; her &ldquo;very deep awakening experience&rdquo;; her editing and revision process; overcoming one&rsquo;s inner critic; writing fiction vs. nonfiction; longhand composition vs. typing; the prospect of full awakening; persistence in one&rsquo;s writing practice; the importance of listening; impermanence as inspiration; the benefits of therapy and being in nature; psychedelics; loneliness; writer&rsquo;s block; and other topics.&nbsp;
<a class="c-link" href="https://nataliegoldberg.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-stringify-link="https://nataliegoldberg.com/" data-sk="tooltip_parent" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9353">Natalie Goldberg</a>&nbsp;is the author of sixteen books, including&nbsp;Writing on Empty, her latest, and&nbsp;Writing Down the Bones, which has sold over one million copies and has been translated into fourteen languages. Natalie is also a prolific painter. Her book&nbsp;Living Color: Painting, Writing, and the Bones of Seeing describes painting as her second art form. For more than forty years Natalie has practiced Zen and taught seminars in writing as a practice, and people from around the world attend her workshops. She lives in Northern New Mexico.
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Sam speaks with author, writing coach, and Zen practitioner Natalie Goldberg.

A Conversation with Natalie Goldberg

Writing as Practice

Sam Harris speaks with Rick Caruso about the Los Angeles fires. They discuss how mismanagement may have contributed to the severity of the fires, who&rsquo;s to blame, the practice of private firefighting, rebuilding and the future of L.A., how DEI fueled public cynicism toward government, the ethics of having immense wealth, philanthropy, and other topics.
Rick Caruso is a philanthropist and the founder and executive chairman of Caruso, one of the largest privately held real estate companies in the U.S. Early in his career, he served as Commissioner for the L.A. Department of Water and Power, before being selected to be President of the L.A. Police Commission. He also served as the chair of the board of trustees at the University of Southern California, and is on the boards of St. John&rsquo;s Hospital and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library Foundation.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://caruso.com/about/rick-caruso/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://caruso.com/about/rick-caruso/</a>
X: <a href="https://x.com/RickCarusoLA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@RickCarusoLA</a>
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Rick Caruso about the Los Angeles fires.

A Conversation with Rick Caruso

#399 - The Politics of Catastrophe

Sam provides an update about his experience of the LA fires and shares a few selections from the Waking Up app.
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam provides an update about his experience of the LA fires and shares a few selections from the Waking Up app.

#398 - Thoughts Without a Thinker

Club Random with Bill Maher

Sam Harris

Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

#397 - A New Year's Message from Sam

Sam Harris speaks with Matthew Yglesias about the future of Democratic politics. They discuss where the Democrats went wrong, the failure of identity politics, the Left&rsquo;s reaction to the Daniel Penny case, what a second Trump term might look like, immigration and the border, gender and racial disparities in crime, wealth inequality, Matthew&rsquo;s &ldquo;nine principles for a common sense Democrat comeback,&rdquo; and other topics.
Matthew Yglesias is a columnist for Bloomberg and author of the newsletter Slow Boring. He has also written for The American Prospect, The Atlantic, and Slate. He co-founded Vox in 2014.
Website: <a href="http://www.slowboring.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.slowboring.com</a>
X:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/mattyglesias" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@mattyglesias</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Matthew Yglesias about the future of Democratic politics.

A Conversation with Matthew Yglesias

#396 - The Way Forward

Sam Harris discusses the breakdown of trust in institutions, the nature of intellectual authority, the danger of bad incentives, the epidemic of conspiracy thinking and misinformation, Trump and Elon, and other topics.
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris discusses the breakdown of trust in institutions, the nature of intellectual authority, the danger of bad incentives, the epidemic of conspiracy thinking and misinformation, Trump and Elon, and other topics.

#395 - Intellectual Authority and Its Discontents

Stay Tuned with Preet

Mind Over Brain Rot (with Sam Harris)

In The Fundamental Insight, Sam is interviewed by author and meditation teacher Michael Taft. They discuss Sam&rsquo;s current contemplative interests; his most influential teachers; dualistic vs. nondual mindfulness; oneness vs. selflessness; the promise, risks, and meditative utility of psychedelics; the dynamics of suffering; insights from Sam&rsquo;s most recent MDMA trip; the power of radical non-reactivity; distinct levels of nonduality; Buddhism&rsquo;s three characteristics of existence; the liability of complacency in one&rsquo;s practice; and other topics.
Michael W. Taft is a meditation teacher, author, and podcaster. He teaches meditation courses, retreats, and individuals worldwide. He is the author of several books including the bestselling The Mindful Geek, and he is the founder and host of the Deconstructing Yourself podcast. Michael has been meditating for over thirty five years and has extensive experience in both Buddhist and Hindu Tantric practice. He is a co-founder of the groundbreaking Alembic center in Berkeley, was previously editor-in-chief of Being Human, and was the long-time editorial director of Sounds True. Michael lives with his family in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://deconstructingyourself.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deconstructingyourself.com</a>.

In The Fundamental Insight, Sam is interviewed by author and meditation teacher Michael Taft.

A Conversation with Michael W. Taft

The Fundamental Insight

Sam Harris speaks with Ben Lamm about his work at Colossal Biosciences. They discuss his efforts to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo; the difference between Colossal&rsquo;s approach and Jurassic Park; the details of resurrecting the mammoth; the relevance of this work to human health; the role of artificial intelligence; reintroducing mammoths, Tasmanian tigers, and dodos back into the wild; the environmental and business case for de-extinction; and other topics.
Ben Lamm is a technology and software entrepreneur. He is the CEO of Colossal Biosciences, which he co-founded alongside biologist George Church with the goal of resurrecting extinct species. Ben is also a fellow of The Explorer&rsquo;s Club, and he serves on the scientific advisory board of The Planetary Society.
Website: <a href="https://colossal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://colossal.com/</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/BenLamm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@BenLamm</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Ben Lamm about his work at Colossal Biosciences.

A Conversation with Ben Lamm

#394 - Bringing Back the Mammoth

Sam speaks with author and spiritual teacher Elias Amidon. They discuss Elias&rsquo;s atheistic upbringing; his activism; his &ldquo;extremely formative experience&rdquo; on LSD; nonduality in Sufism; mystical vs. psychological levels of spiritual training; strategies for dissolving bodily tension; our interdependence with ecological systems; the relationship between mental freedom and free will; Sufism&rsquo;s isolation across the Muslim world; Elias&rsquo;s three-part &ldquo;subtle opening&rdquo; practice, a version of which he guides; and other topics.
Elias Amidon is the spiritual director (Pir) of the Sufi Way, a contemporary and non-sectarian inner school in the lineage of the Indian mystic Inayat Khan. His books include The Open Path: Recognizing Nondual Awareness; Free Medicine: Meditations on Nondual Awareness; and Love&rsquo;s Drum: Sufi Views, Practices, and Stories. Elias worked for many years in the fields of peace and environmental activism, and co-founded several schools, including the Institute for Deep Ecology, the Boulder Institute for Nature and the Human Spirit, and the graduate program in Environmental Leadership at Naropa University. He holds frequent retreats, both online and in-person, on awakening and living a beautiful life. To learn more, visit <a href="http://sufiway.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sufiway.org</a>.

Sam speaks with author and spiritual teacher Elias Amidon.

A Conversation with Elias Amidon

The Sufi Way

Sam Harris speaks with Simon Sebag Montefiore about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the history of the Jews, and the rise of global antisemitism.
Simon Sebag Montefiore is an internationally bestselling author and historian. His books include <a href="https://amzn.to/4fHTDw2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Catherine the Great and Potemkin</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4i4zjXa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/49541LO" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Young Stalin</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3B0jwbg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jerusalem: The Biography - A History of the Middle East</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3AXvQJg">The Romanovs: 1613&ndash;1918</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4g614gn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The World: A Family History of Humanity</a>, and The Moscow Trilogy of novels: <a href="https://amzn.to/4i261IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sashenka</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4g3WSha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Sky at Noon</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3OriSGI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One Night in Winter</a>. They have been published in forty-eight languages and have won many prizes, such as the Samuel Johnson Prize, the British Book Awards History Book of the Year Prize, the LA Times Book Prize for Biography (USA), and the Costa Biography Award (UK). He is the presenter of five history series for the BBC, and many of his books are being developed for movies or drama series. He studied history at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University where he received his Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD).
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/simonmontefiore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@simonmontefiore</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Simon Sebag Montefiore about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the history of the Jews, and the rise of global antisemitism.

A Conversation with Simon Sebag Montefiore

#393 - Is History Repeating Itself?

The Bulwark

Sam Harris: Our Democracy Is Already Unraveling

Sam Harris speaks with Christine Rosen about how technology is changing our culture. They discuss the courage of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, lost practices like handwriting, tradeoffs in our use of technology, social media, conspiracy thinking, X as a platform for breaking news, the future of journalism, the importance of local news, the asymmetry right and left politically, the strange case of Tucker Carlson, the antisemitic hallucinations of Dan Bilzerian, expectations for a second Trump presidency, antisemitism in America, and other topics.
Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a columnist for Commentary magazine, and a fellow at the University of Virginia&rsquo;s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. She is the author of several books, and her writing has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, the New York Post, Politico, The Washington Post, National Review, and MIT Technology Review, among other outlets. Rosen has a PhD in history from Emory University and a BA in history from the University of South Florida. She also teaches martial arts and holds a third-degree black belt in aikido. Her most recent book is <a href="https://amzn.to/3ACwD2j" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World</a>.
 Website: <a href="https://www.aei.org/profile/christine-rosen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.aei.org/profile/christine-rosen/</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Christine Rosen about how technology is changing our culture.

A Conversation with Christine Rosen

#392 - Technology & Culture

Sam Harris discusses the result of the 2024 presidential election, the lessons that the Democratic Party should draw from it, and the implications of a second Trump term.

Sam Harris discusses the result of the 2024 presidential election, the lessons that the Democratic Party should draw from it, and the implications of a second Trump term.

#391 - The Reckoning

Sam recently joined author and publisher Tami Simon on her podcast,&nbsp;Insights at the Edge.&nbsp;They discuss Sam&rsquo;s definition of awakening, his years of study across East Asia, and how meditation has changed him; the hard problem of consciousness; the question of telepathy and other psychic phenomena; Douglas Harding&rsquo;s exercises; the physiology of anger and anxiety; the relationship between ethics and selflessness; secrecy around certain Dzogchen teachings; misconceptions about spiritual progress; the utility of regret; the importance of self-compassion; and other topics.
Tami Simon is the founder of Sounds True, a multi-media publisher dedicated to disseminating spiritual wisdom. Over 36 years, she has grown it into North America&rsquo;s leading publisher of spoken-word spiritual teachings, producing over 6,000 titles. Sounds True has expanded into book publishing, events, certifications, and online learning, while staying true to its mission. Tami established The Sounds True Foundation to make spiritual education more accessible. She hosts the podcast Insights at the Edge, and lives in Boulder, Colorado, and British Columbia with her wife, Julie, and their dogs, Raspberry and Bula. To learn more, visit <a href="http://soundstrue.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">soundstrue.com</a>.

Sam recently joined author and publisher Tami Simon on her podcast, Insights at the Edge.

A Conversation with Tami Simon

Cutting Through Illusion

Sam Harris speaks with Mark Cuban about the 2024 presidential election. They discuss Trump&rsquo;s ethics, his apparent political indestructibility, election denialism, the influence of Elon Musk, the strengths and weaknesses of the Harris campaign, the mystery of the southern border, Trump&rsquo;s immigration and deportation policies, Elon&rsquo;s trafficking in the &ldquo;great replacement theory,&rdquo; Trump&rsquo;s economic policy, Harris&rsquo;s tax and healthcare proposals, the effect of tariffs, the U.S. supply chain, the problem of wealth inequality, a proposed tax on unrealized capital gains, support for Israel, a return to normal politics, and other topics.
Mark Cuban is an entrepreneur and investor. He is also known for his role in the television series Shark Tank and his ownership of the Dallas Mavericks. He has been an outspoken supporter of the Harris campaign.
Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/mcuban" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@mcuban</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Mark Cuban about the 2024 presidential election.

A Conversation with Mark Cuban

#390 - Final Thoughts on the 2024 Presidential Election

Honestly with Bari Weiss

Trump or Kamala? Ben Shapiro and Sam Harris Debate.

Sam Harris speaks with Nate Silver about cultural attitudes toward risk and the state of American politics. They discuss the erosion of trust in liberal institutions, polling and political narratives, different camps of cultural elites, the influence of Silicon Valley, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, Sam Bankman-Fried and the fall of FTX, Gell-Mann amnesia, Christopher Rufo, why Kamala Harris can&rsquo;t admit to having changed her views, a problem with strict utilitarianism, AI and existential risk, what people misunderstand about election forecasting, which news events have affected the 2024 race, how current polls might be misleading, public vs. private polling, undecided and marginal voters, Gen Z, the gender divide, the likelihood that Trump won&rsquo;t accept the election results if he loses, election integrity in the swing states, the chance of a landslide, the prospect of public unrest, and other topics.
Nate Silver is a statistician, writer, and poker player. He is the founder of FiveThirtyEight and author of the New York Times best sellers <a href="https://amzn.to/48kNSBs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Signal and the Noise: Why So Many Predictions Fail&mdash;but Some Don't</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/48jsjkR" target="_blank" rel="noopener">On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything</a>. He writes the Substack <a href="https://www.natesilver.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Silver Bulletin</a>.
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/NateSilver538" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@NateSilver538</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Nate Silver about cultural attitudes toward risk and the state of American politics.

A Conversation with Nate Silver

#389 - The Politics of Risk

Sam Harris speaks with Sara Imari Walker about a scientific understanding of life. They discuss the contributions of physics to this topic, Erwin Schr&ouml;dinger, the inadequacy of standard definitions of life, the prospect of "artificial" life, the role of information, constructor theory, assembly theory, the space of all possible structures, a "block universe," the existence of abstract objects like numbers, the Fermi paradox, the likelihood of life elsewhere in the universe, experiments that could decide how likely life is to emerge, the possibility of a Great Filter, the number of Earth-like worlds, and other topics.
Sara Imari Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist. She is the deputy director of the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science and a professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University. She is also a fellow of the Berggruen Institute and a member of the external faculty at the Santa Fe Institute. She is a recipient of the Stanley L. Miller Early-Career Award for her research on the origin of life, and her research team at ASU is internationally regarded as being among the leading labs aiming to build a fundamental theory for understanding what life is. Her research has been featured in Scientific American, Quanta Magazine, and a variety of other international outlets. Her book, <a href="https://amzn.to/3BMnu7h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence</a>, is available now.
Website: <a href="https://search.asu.edu/profile/1731899" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://search.asu.edu/profile/1731899</a>
Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/Sara_Imari" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Sara_Imari</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Sara Imari Walker about a scientific understanding of life.

A Conversation with Sara Imari Walker

#388 - What Is Life?

Sam Harris speaks with Ambassador Rahm Emanuel about the state of world order and American politics. They discuss the mystery of Japan&rsquo;s economic health, U.S. competition with China, possible conflict over Taiwan and the Philippines, the significance of the South China Sea, the history of the Japan-U.S. friendship, how the Democratic Party lost its way, immigration, whether Vice President Harris needs a &ldquo;Sister Souljah moment,&rdquo; whether she should explain her changes of position better than she has, the standing of Israel in the eyes of the world, antisemitism, the Abraham Accords, Hamas, the West Bank, the influence of the religious right in Israel, a possible war with Iran, Netanyahu and Israeli security, a two-state solution, whether a Harris administration would reliably support Israel, and other topics.
Rahm Emanuel is currently the U.S. ambassador to Japan. He was a senior advisor to President Bill Clinton before being elected to represent Illinois in the House of Representatives in 2003. He was also President Barack Obama&rsquo;s chief of staff from 2009 to 2010. In 2011, he was elected mayor of Chicago, where he served until 2019.
Twitter: <a href="https://x.com/RahmEmanuel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@RahmEmanuel</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbJapan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@USAmbJapan</a> &nbsp;
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Ambassador Rahm Emanuel about the state of world order and American politics.

A Conversation with Rahm Emanuel

#387 - Politics & Power

Sam Harris speaks with Yuval Noah Harari about his new book, Nexus, and its application to current crises. They discuss humanity&rsquo;s capacity for self-destruction, democracy and dictatorship as information networks, the &ldquo;naive view of information,&rdquo; the advantages of fiction over truth, trust in institutions, self-correction in a democracy, truth vs. power, truth vs. order, the suicide of conservatism, fixing social media, algorithms as editorial choices, efficiency vs. inefficiency, threats to democracy, the authoritarian character of Trump&rsquo;s candidacy, the need for patriotism and nationalism, Israeli politics, the peaceful transfer of power, Putin and the war in Ukraine, the vulnerability of world order, the killing of Hassan Nasrallah, antisemitism and anti-colonialism, religious fanaticism among Israelis, the status of Arabs in Israeli society, biblical and post-biblical Judaism, whether a wider war in the Middle East is necessary, the danger of spirituality without ethics, and other topics. 
Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and the bestselling author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3zAD45v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4dw8XtD" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3YlFJJT" target="_blank" rel="noopener">21 Lessons for the 21st Century,</a> the series <a href="https://amzn.to/3zCq9zY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sapiens: A Graphic History</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3XZ6Usi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unstoppable Us</a>, and, most recently, <a href="https://amzn.to/3XTcwV9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI</a>. His books have sold over 45 million copies in 65 languages, and he is considered one of the world&rsquo;s most influential public intellectuals today.
Website: <a href="https://www.ynharari.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.ynharari.com/</a>
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/harari_yuval" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@harari_yuval</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Yuval Noah Harari about his new book, "Nexus," and its application to current crises.

A Conversation with Yuval Noah Harari

#386 - Information & Social Order

Sam Harris speaks with Nick Bostrom about ongoing progress in artificial intelligence. They discuss the twin concerns about the failure of alignment and the failure to make progress, why smart people don&rsquo;t perceive the risk of superintelligent AI, the governance risk, path dependence and "knotty problems," the idea of a solved world, Keynes&rsquo;s predictions about human productivity, the uncanny valley of utopia, the replacement of human labor and other activities, meaning and purpose, digital isolation and plugging into something like the Matrix, pure hedonism, the asymmetry between pleasure and pain, increasingly subtle distinctions in experience, artificial purpose, altering human values at the level of the brain, ethical changes in the absence of extreme suffering, our cosmic endowment, longtermism, problems with consequentialism, the ethical conundrum of dealing with small probabilities of large outcomes, and other topics.
Nick Bostrom is a professor at Oxford University, where he is the founding director of the Future of Humanity Institute. He is the author of more than 200 publications, including <a href="https://amzn.to/4gJ50Vu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anthropic Bias</a> (2002), <a href="https://amzn.to/3BlCOrr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Global Catastrophic Risks</a> (2008), <a href="https://amzn.to/3ZBYcmk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Human Enhancement</a> (2009), and <a href="https://amzn.to/3zBANqr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies</a> (2014), a New York Times bestseller which sparked the global conversation about the future of AI. His work has framed much of the current thinking around humanity&rsquo;s future (such as the concept of existential risk, the simulation argument, the vulnerable world hypothesis, astronomical waste, and the unilateralist&rsquo;s curse). He has been on Foreign Policy&rsquo;s Top 100 Global Thinkers list twice, and was the youngest person to rank among the top 15 in Prospect&rsquo;s World Thinkers list. He has an academic background in theoretical physics, AI, computational neuroscience, and philosophy. His most recent book is <a href="https://amzn.to/3ZJdZ2J" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World</a>.
Website: <a href="https://nickbostrom.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://nickbostrom.com/</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Nick Bostrom about ongoing progress in artificial intelligence.

A Conversation with Nick Bostrom

#385 - AI Utopia

The Remnant with Jonah Goldberg

Sam Harris and the Lemming Dilemma

Sam speaks with Shinzen Young for the second time. They discuss the utility of nondual insight, and the extent to which it can alleviate suffering; the mechanics of attachment; the Four Foundations of Mindfulness; inner vs. outer levels of experience; the relationship between equanimity and behavior; a scientific framing of mysticism; Leonard Cohen&rsquo;s Montreal Zen center; interfaith dialogue around Buddhist teachings; pathologies that resemble enlightenment; the normative goal of practice; the grieving process; post-traumatic recovery and growth; the &ldquo;focus factors&rdquo; of a mindful state; Shizen&rsquo;s See Hear Feel meditation, a 10-minute version of which he guides; and other topics.
<a href="http://www.shinzen.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shinzen Young</a> is a mindfulness teacher, neuroscience research consultant, and co-director of the Science-Enhanced Mindful Awareness (SEMA) Lab at the University of Arizona.
His systematic approach to categorizing, adapting, and teaching meditation, known as Unified Mindfulness, has resulted in collaborations with Harvard Medical School, Carnegie-Mellon University, and the University of Vermont in the burgeoning field of contemplative neuroscience.
He is the author of The Science of Enlightenment, Natural Pain Relief, and numerous audio offerings. To learn more about Shinzen's system, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.unifiedmindfulness.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.unifiedmindfulness.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1717882397566000&amp;usg=AOvVaw13PjFDmkxK5HuHLcZ2hMCZ">www.unifiedmindfulness.com</a>&nbsp;or the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.brightmind.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.brightmind.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1717882397566000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2eL2KUwTM_NGkT2WmlQc9f">Brightmind App</a>.

Sam speaks with Shinzen Young for the second time.

A Conversation with Shinzen Young

Edges of Freedom

Sam Harris speaks with Barton Gellman about election integrity and the safeguarding of American democracy. They discuss the war games he's run to test our response to an authoritarian president, using federal troops against American citizens, the difference between laws and norms, state powers to resist the federal government, voter identification and election integrity, political control over election certifications, the Bush-Gore election, the Electoral Count Reform Act, the prospect of public unrest after the November election, January 6th, George Soros, the "good people on both sides" calumny against Trump, what happens to Trump and Trumpism if Harris wins in November, the presidential debate with Harris, the authoritarian potential of a second Trump term, Project 2025, and other topics.
Barton Gellman is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author. He currently serves as Senior Advisor at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. Previously, he was a staff writer at The Atlantic and The Washington Post. He is the author of <a href="https://amzn.to/4gCVMd2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dark Mirror: Edward Snowden and the American Surveillance State</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/3Y45vCh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Angler: The Cheney Vice Presidency</a>, for which he won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.&nbsp;
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://bartongellman.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bartongellman.com</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/bartongellman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@bartongellman</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Barton Gellman about election integrity and the safeguarding of American democracy.

A Conversation with Barton Gellman

#384 - Stress Testing Our Democracy

Sam Harris talks about the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the cesspool of X, Tucker Carlson&rsquo;s conversation with Darryl Cooper, freedom of speech, and other topics.
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris talks about the recent assassination attempt on Donald Trump, the cesspool of X, Tucker Carlson’s conversation with Darryl Cooper, freedom of speech, and other topics.

#383 - Where Are the Grown-Ups?

Call Me Back with Dan Senor

One Year Since October 7th with Sam Harris

Sam Harris speaks with Richard Dawkins about his new book <a href="https://amzn.to/3X7oYQE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Genetic Book of the Dead</a>, the genome as a palimpsest, what scientists of the future may do with genetic information, genotypes and phenotypes, embryology and epigenetics, why the Lamarckian theory of acquired characteristics couldn't be true, how environmental selection pressure works, why evolution is hard to think about, human dependence on material culture, the future of genetic enhancement of human beings, viral DNA, symbiotic bacteria, AI and the future of scholarship, resurrecting extinct species, the problem of free speech in the UK, the problem of political Islam and antisemitism in the UK, reflections on Dan Dennett, and other topics.
Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist and a best-selling author. He is celebrated globally for his unwavering critique of religion and his commitment to critical thinking. His books include <a href="https://amzn.to/4dTM5Fu" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Ancestor&rsquo;s Tale</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4cWVCdI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Selfish Gene</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4gpmTIK" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Blind Watchmaker</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/47wzSEx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Climbing Mount Improbable</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3ZjnaH7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Unweaving the Rainbow</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3X7ly04" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Devil&rsquo;s Chaplain</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3Tg0K5q" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The God Delusion</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/4gfBQwU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Greatest Show on Earth</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3Td3noz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Magic of Reality</a>, his two-part autobiography <a href="https://amzn.to/3B1GjD2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An Appetite for Wonder</a> and <a href="https://amzn.to/47iX8pq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brief Candle in the Dark</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/4dR012S" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Outgrowing God: A Beginner&rsquo;s Guide</a>. His final book tour, &ldquo;An Evening with Richard Dawkins,&rdquo; is currently underway.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://richarddawkinstour.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">richarddawkinstour.com</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/RichardDawkins" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@RichardDawkins</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Richard Dawkins about his new book "The Genetic Book of the Dead"

A Conversation with Richard Dawkins

#382 - The Eye of Nature

Sam Harris speaks with &ldquo;Destiny&rdquo; (Steven Bonnell) about politics and public debate. They discuss how he approaches debate, &ldquo;Trump derangement syndrome,&rdquo; January 6th, why Trump&rsquo;s norm violations don&rsquo;t matter to many people, misadventures on the information landscape, social media and the problem of being too online, Islam and conflict in the Middle East, the difference between the far left and the far right, the lack of sane conservative policies to counterbalance the left, whether the pendulum is swinging back on the left, the ethics and politics of apology, private friendships and public disagreements, and other topics.
Steven Bonnell, otherwise known as Destiny, is a YouTuber and political streamer. His commentary on politics and culture has made him almost ubiquitous online, where he stirs up controversy on both the right and the left. He grew up in a conservative Catholic household, and now spends much of his time arguing against American conservatism. He&rsquo;s debated many controversial figures, such as Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes. 
Website: <a href="http://www.destiny.gg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.destiny.gg</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/TheOmniLiberal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@TheOmniLiberal</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with “Destiny” (Steven Bonnell) about politics and public debate.

A Conversation with “Destiny” (Steven Bonnell)

#381 - Delusions, Right and Left

Sam speaks with Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist, author, and mindfulness researcher. They discuss how attention is studied, the failure of brain-training games, the relationship between attention and awareness, mindfulness as an intrinsic mental capacity, the neurological implications of different types of meditation, the neural correlates of attention and distraction, the prospects of self-transcendence, the link between thought and emotion, the difference between dualistic and nondualistic mindfulness, studying nondual awareness in the lab, the influence of smartphones, the value of mind wandering, and other topics.
<a href="https://amishi.com/">Dr. Amishi Jha</a>, Ph.D., is Director of Contemplative Neuroscience and professor of psychology at the University of Miami. With grants from the Department of Defense and several private foundations, she leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance. Dr. Jha&rsquo;s national bestseller, Peak Mind, describes her work with a variety of high-demand groups, from special forces, elite athletes, and first responders, to teachers, business and medical professionals, and students. Her forthcoming app, Pushups for the Mind, will be available to U.S. military service members in the fall of 2024, and for public release in early 2025. She has appeared on top podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience, Dare to Lead with Brene Brown, 10% Happier, and Armchair Expert.

Sam speaks with Amishi Jha, a neuroscientist, author, and mindfulness researcher.

A Conversation with Amishi Jha

The Roots of Attention

Sam Harris speaks with Amishi Jha about attention and the brain. They discuss how attention is studied, the failure of brain-training games, the relationship between attention and awareness, mindfulness as an intrinsic mental capacity, the neurological implications of different types of meditation, the neural correlates of attention and distraction, the prospects of self-transcendence, the link between thought and emotion, the difference between dualistic and nondualistic mindfulness, studying nondual awareness in the lab, the influence of smartphones, the value of mind wandering, and other topics.
Dr. Amishi Jha, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she cofounded in 2010. She received her PhD from the University of California, Davis, and did postdoctoral training at the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center at Duke University. Her work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and the Pentagon, and she&rsquo;s been covered in The New York Times, NPR, Time magazine, and Forbes. With grants from the Department of Defense and several private foundations, she leads research on the neural bases of attention and the effects of mindfulness-based training programs on cognition, emotion, resilience, and performance. Dr. Jha&rsquo;s national bestseller, <a href="https://amzn.to/3AsPEn9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Peak Mind</a>, describes her work with a variety of high-demand groups, from special forces, elite athletes, and first responders, to teachers, business and medical professionals, and students. Her forthcoming app, Pushups for the Mind, will be available to U.S. military service members in the fall of 2024, and for public release in early 2025.
Website: <a href="https://amishi.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://amishi.com/</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/amishijha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@amishijha</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Amishi Jha about attention and the brain.

#380 - The Roots of Attention

Sam Harris speaks with Yoshua Bengio and Scott Wiener about AI risk and the new bill introduced in California intended to mitigate it. They discuss the controversy over regulating AI and the assumptions that lead people to discount the danger of an AI arms race.
Yoshua Bengio is full professor at Universit&eacute; de Montr&eacute;al and the Founder and Scientific Director of Mila - Quebec AI Institute. Considered one of the world&rsquo;s leaders in artificial intelligence and deep learning, he is the recipient of the 2018 A.M. Turing Award with Geoffrey Hinton and Yann LeCun, known as the Nobel Prize of computing.
He is a Canada CIFAR AI Chair, a member of the UN&rsquo;s Scientific Advisory Board for Independent Advice on Breakthroughs in Science and Technology, and Chair of the International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="https://yoshuabengio.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://yoshuabengio.org/</a>
&nbsp;
Scott Wiener has represented San Francisco in the California Senate since 2016. He recently introduced SB 1047, a bill aiming to reduce the risks of frontier models of AI. He has also authored landmark laws to, among other things, streamline the permitting of new homes, require insurance plans to cover mental health care, guarantee net neutrality, eliminate mandatory minimums in sentencing, require billion-dollar corporations to disclose their climate emissions, and declare California a sanctuary state for LGBTQ youth. He has lived in San Francisco's historically LGBTQ Castro neighborhood since 1997.
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Scott_Wiener" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@Scott_Wiener</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Sam Harris speaks with Yoshua Bengio and Scott Wiener about AI risk and the new bill introduced in California intended to mitigate it.

A Conversation with Yoshua Bengio and Scott Wiener

#379 - Regulating Artificial Intelligence

Sam Harris speaks with Ren&eacute;e DiResta about the state of our information landscape. They discuss the difference between influence and propaganda, shifts in communication technology, influencers and closed communities, the asymmetry of passion online and the illusion of consensus, the unwillingness to criticize one's own side, audience capture, what we should have learned from the Covid pandemic, what is unique about vaccines, Ren&eacute;e's work at the Stanford Internet Observatory, her experience of being smeared by Michael Shellenberger and Matt Taibbi, Elon Musk and the Twitter files, the false analogy of social media as a digital public square, the imagined "censorship-industrial complex," the 2024 presidential election, and other topics.
Ren&eacute;e DiResta is a social media researcher and the author of <a href="https://amzn.to/3WMIX8f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies Into Reality</a>. Her work focuses on adversarial abuse online, including child safety issues, spammers and scammers, and influence campaigns run by state actors. From 2019 to 2023, she was the Technical Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory, a cross-disciplinary program of research, teaching, and policy engagement for the study of abuse in current information technologies.
Ren&eacute;e has advised Congress and the executive branch, as well as academic, civic, and business organizations on technology policy and trust &amp; safety topics, including information operations, generative AI, election security, data transparency, and child safety.
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://reneediresta.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reneediresta.com</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Renée DiResta about the state of our information landscape.

A Conversation with Renée DiResta

#378 - Digital Delusions

In Stages of Practice, Sam speaks with Henry Shukman. They discuss Henry&rsquo;s new book and app; his poems, two of which he recites; integrating meditative insight; the generative quality of emptiness; resistance and clinging as opportunities; jhana meditation and flow states; aesthetic appreciation in Zen; the increasing accessibility of nondual teachings; emotional reactivity, and the need to train it; the centrality of compassion to the project of awakening; the value of practicing with others; the intrinsic dysregulation of the human mind; shortcomings in science and secular philosophy; Eastern vs. Western wisdom; the relationship between ethical conduct and nondual recognition; and other topics.
Henry Shukman&nbsp;is a poet, author and Zen master in the Sanbo Zen lineage, founder of the&nbsp;<a href="https://henryshukman.com/about-original-love" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://henryshukman.com/about-original-love&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716396064158000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2CgbqTo0NdVycsN6KfDiI6">Original Love</a>&nbsp;meditation program, and spiritual director emeritus at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.mountaincloud.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mountaincloud.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716396064158000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3w_t09Nc0EaduCBXJSimos">Mountain Cloud Zen Center</a>. He has taught at Google and Harvard Business School, and is the author of several award-winning books of poetry and fiction. His poems have appeared in The New Yorker, Sunday Times,&nbsp;and&nbsp;Financial Times, and his most recent books are the Zen memoir&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/One-Blade-Grass-Finding-Memoir/dp/1640092625/?tag=offsitoftimfe-20" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/One-Blade-Grass-Finding-Memoir/dp/1640092625/?tag%3Doffsitoftimfe-20&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716396064158000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0wJZeoMK2BnGcQ1hVJ5cZe">One Blade of Grass</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.amazon.com/s?k=original+love+henry+shukman&amp;crid=3F40Y3MU1X5WF&amp;sprefix=original+love%2Caps%2C119&amp;ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/s?k%3Doriginal%2Blove%2Bhenry%2Bshukman%26crid%3D3F40Y3MU1X5WF%26sprefix%3Doriginal%2Blove%252Caps%252C119%26ref%3Dnb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_13&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1716396064158000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2cUo3zaXf0oMK1ryjkVo69">Original Love: The Four Inns on the Path of Awakening</a> (HarperOne). He is co-founder of the single-path meditation app The Way, and has an M.A. from Cambridge and an M.Litt. from St. Andrews.

In Stages of Practice, Sam speaks with Henry Shukman.

A Conversation with Henry Shukman

Stages of Practice

EconTalk

Sam Harris on Jew-Hatred, Radical Islam, and the West

Sam Harris speaks with Dr. Jennifer Mitchell and Dr. Sarah Abedi about recent developments in research on psychedelics. They discuss the history of this research and the war on drugs, recent setbacks in the FDA approval process, MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the challenges of conducting this research, allegations of therapist misconduct, new therapeutic models for mental health treatment, psychoneuroimmunology, "non-psychedelic" psychedelics, good and bad trips, the FDA's coming decision on MDMA-assisted therapy, "right-to-try" policies for pharmaceuticals, the role of psychedelic therapists, the problem of having all this therapeutic work being done underground, and other topics.
Petition to approve MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD: <a href="https://www.approvemdmatherapy.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.approvemdmatherapy.com/</a>
Dr. Jennifer Mitchell is a professor in the UCSF Department of Neurology and Associate Chief of Staff for Research and Development at the San Francisco VA. Her research focuses on identifying and developing novel therapeutics for drug and alcohol abuse, PTSD, stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as on understanding the neural mechanisms responsible for these disorders. Dr. Mitchell has extensive and diverse experience with human and animal pharmacology, hypothesis-driven neuroscience, human proof-of-concept studies, and clinical trials. For the past few years, her work has centered around the development of psychedelic medicines for a broad range of mental health conditions, including PTSD.
Website: <a href="https://profiles.ucsf.edu/jennifer.mitchell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://profiles.ucsf.edu/jennifer.mitchell</a>
&nbsp;
Dr. Sarah Abedi is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and psychedelic facilitator for clinical trials. She has worked as a psychedelic facilitator at the Pacific Neuroscience Institute and is set to join the psilocybin and mindfulness study at the USC Center for Mindfulness Science. She works on policy change to expand funding for mental health research. She served as Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Campaign Manager for TREAT California, a citizen-driven ballot initiative aimed at establishing a $5 billion funding agency to explore novel therapeutics, including psychedelics. Currently, Dr. Abedi is the Chief Medical Officer of TREAT Humanity, an organization dedicated to advancing the research of mental health therapeutics, including psychedelics, through enhanced funding mechanisms.
Website: <a href="https://www.sarahabedimd.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">www.sarahabedimd.com</a>
&nbsp;
Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That&rsquo;s why Sam Harris created the <a href="https://www.wakingup.com/makingsense" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waking Up</a> app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life&rsquo;s most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.
&nbsp;

Sam Harris speaks with Dr. Jennifer Mitchell and Dr. Sarah Abedi about recent developments in research on psychedelics.

A Conversation with Dr. Jennifer Mitchell and Dr. Sarah Abedi

#377 - The Future of Psychedelic Medicine 2

Sam Harris and Anne Applebaum discuss the nature of modern autocracies and how democracies fail. They discuss the power of ideas, why autocracies seek to undermine democracies, cooperation among dictators, how Western financial experts and investors have enabled autocracies, how Putin came to power, the failure of engagement and investment to create political change, what&rsquo;s at stake in the war in Ukraine, Trump&rsquo;s charisma, the current symptoms of American democratic decline, the ideologues around Trump, the hollowing out of institutions, how things might unravel in America, anti-liberal tendencies in American politics, the role of social media, the different pathologies on the Left and Right, analogies to Vichy France, the weakness of the Democrats, the political effects of the assassination attempt on former President Trump, and other topics.
Anne Applebaum is a historian, journalist, and staff writer at The Atlantic. She was a columnist for The Washington Post for 17 years. She is the author of five critically acclaimed books:&nbsp;<a href="https://amzn.to/3xUG8IN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twilight of Democracy</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3YaTPOl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Red Famine</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3LxHwUG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iron Curtain</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3y34FeK" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Between East and West</a>, and <a href="https://amzn.to/3Wdv9SB" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gulag</a>, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize. She divides her time between Poland, where her husband is foreign minister, and Washington D.C. Her newest book is <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/725302/autocracy-inc-by-anne-applebaum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World</a>.&nbsp;
Website:&nbsp;<a href="http://anneapplebaum.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">anneapplebaum.com</a>
Twitter:&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/anneapplebaum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@anneapplebaum</a>
&nbsp;

Sam Harris and Anne Applebaum discuss the nature of modern autocracies and how democracies fail.