Dr. Luke Kemp, an Existential Risk Researcher at the University of Cambridge shows how today’s plutocracy and tech-fueled surveillance imperil society—and what we can do to build resilience.

Guest bio:
Dr. Luke Kemp is an Existential Risk Researcher at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge and author of Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse. His work examines how wealth concentration, surveillance, and arms races erode democracy and heighten global catastrophic risk.

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A deep dive with historian Dr. Fyodor Tertitskiy on how North Korea’s dynasty survives—through isolation, terror, and nukes—and why collapse or unification is far from inevitable.

Guest bio:
Fyodor Tertitskiy, PhD, is a Russian-born historian of North Korea and a senior research fellow at Kookmin University (Seoul). A naturalized South Korean based in Seoul, he is the author of Accidental Tyrant: The Life of Kim Il-sung. He speaks Russian, Korean, and English, has visited North Korea (2014, 2017), and researches using Soviet, North Korean, and Korean-language sources.

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Dr. Devon Price unpacks “the laziness lie,” how AI and “bullshit jobs” distort work and higher ed, and why centering human needs—not output—leads to saner lives.

Guest bio: Devon Price, PhD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology at Loyola University Chicago, a social psychologist, & writer. Prof Price is the author of Laziness Does Not Exist, Unmasking Autism, and Unlearning Shame, focusing on burnout, neurodiversity, and work culture.

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Dr. Joseph Crawford unpacks how AI is reshaping higher education - eroding student belonging, redefining assessment in a post-plagiarism era, and raising the stakes for soft skills.

Guest bio
Dr. Joseph “Joey” Crawford is a Senior Lecturer in Management at the University of Tasmania and ranks among the top 1% of most-cited researchers globally. His work centers on leadership, student belonging, and the role of AI in higher education, and he serves as Editor-in-Chief of a leading education journal.

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Author Eric Weiner argues that happiness depends less on wealth or location than on relationships, meaning, trust, and realistic expectations—while tech and social media often push the other way.

Guest bio:
Eric Weiner is a bestselling author and former NPR foreign correspondent whose books include The Geography of Bliss, The Geography of Genius, The Socrates Express, and Ben and Me. He writes about place, meaning, creativity, and how to live well.

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A conversation with Stella Morabito on how the weaponization of loneliness—from Soviet propaganda to modern social media—threatens free speech, family, and community.

👤 Guest Bio

Stella Morabito – Writer and former CIA intelligence analyst specializing in Soviet propaganda and media during the 1980s. She is the author of The Weaponization of Loneliness: How Tyrants Stoke Our Fear of Isolation to Silence, Divide, and Conquer (2022) and a senior contributor at The Federalist.

📌 Topics Discussed

Neuroscientist explains why school crushes creativity—and how to fix it—teaching “primal intelligence” and special-operations tactics you can use at work, at home, and in the classroom to think and innovate better.

Guest Bio: Dr. Angus Fletcher is a neuroscientist and professor of Story Science at The Ohio State University. He studies how intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense work in the brain and advises U.S. Special Operations, Fortune 50 firms, and schools on creativity and resilience. His new book is Primal Intelligence: You Are Smarter Than You Know.

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Homeowner-advocate Shelly Marshall explains why many HOAs function like private governments—often stripping owners’ rights—and how to protect yourself (or avoid them entirely).

Guest bio

Shelly Marshall is a homeowner advocate and author of HOA Warrior. After battling abusive HOA boards in her own community, she’s spent 15+ years researching HOA law, advising homeowners, and pushing for reforms nationwide. She can be reached at info@hoawarrior.com and hoawarrior.com. She can be reached at info@hoawarrior.com and hoawarrior.com.

Topics discussed

A spirited debate between Chadwick Turner and Emmanuel Maggiori on whether AI is a transformative technology or overhyped disruption, exploring its impact on jobs, society, and the economy.

👥 Guest Bios

🗂️ Topics Discussed

Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Gary Rivlin discusses his book AI Valley, exploring Silicon Valley’s AI hype cycle, the dominance of tech giants, and the venture capital forces shaping the industry.

Guest Bio
Gary Rivlin is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter and author of eleven books, including AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Dollar Race to Cash In on Artificial Intelligence. He has covered Silicon Valley since the mid-1990s and has written extensively on technology, venture capital, inequality, and politics.

Topics Discussed

Marketing lecturer & former Fortune 100 exec Melise Panetta discusses how AI is reshaping entry-level jobs, Gen Z’s career prospects, and the future of skills and education.

GUEST BIO: Melise Panetta, a lecturer in marketing at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics and former Fortune 100 executive with over 20 years of global leadership experience, is the founder of Brand U and an expert in consumer behavior, corporate strategy, and preparing the next generation of business leaders.

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A deep dive with Dr. Jeffrey Funk on AI hype, startup bubbles, Gen Z’s job struggles, and the broken higher education system.

Guest Bio

Dr. Jeffrey Funk is a retired technology economist and former university professor in Japan and Singapore. He specializes in innovation, startup bubbles, and the economic effects of emerging technologies, and is the author of Unicorns, Hype, and Bubbles: A Guide to Spotting, Avoiding, and Exploiting Bubbles in Tech.

Topics Discussed

An in-depth discussion with legal scholar Jeffrey Seaman debunking popular myths about mass incarceration, examining crime clearance rates, sentencing trends, and exploring justice-focused reforms.

Guest bio:
Jeffrey Seaman is a Levy Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, researcher, and co-author of Confronting Failures of Justice. His work focuses on criminal justice policy, sentencing reform, and aligning the system with community standards of justice.

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Graham Hillard, editor at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, discusses the rapid professionalization of college sports under NIL, the legal chaos reshaping athletics, and the uncertain future of the NCAA’s role.

Guest bio:
Graham Hillard is the editor at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and a contributing writer for Washington Examiner magazine. He writes on higher education, athletics, and public policy, with a focus on costs, governance, and legal trends.

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Economist Richard Vedder argues that U.S. colleges are bloated, inefficient, and increasingly out of touch with students and the job market. He explains why creative destruction is necessary—and inevitable—in higher education.

👤 Guest Bio

Richard Vedder is Professor of Economics Emeritus at Ohio University, Director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute, and author of Let Colleges Fail: The Power of Creative Destruction in Higher Education. He has taught since 1963 and is one of the most prominent critics of administrative bloat and inefficiency in academia.

🎙️ T...

Neurologist Dr. Robert P. Friedland discusses how lifestyle choices influence aging and Alzheimer's risk.

Guest Bio:
Dr. Robert P. Friedland is a neurologist at the University of Louisville, specializing in Alzheimer's research, brain health, and aging. He is the author of Unaging: The Four Factors That Impact How You Age.

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Main Points:

Former Marlins president and Survivor contestant David Samson breaks down how the game mirrors office politics, alliances, and power dynamics in everyday life and the workplace.

👤 Guest Bio:
David Samson is the former president of the Miami Marlins (2002–2017) and a contestant on Survivor: Cagayan (Season 28), where he was the first person voted out. He's now the host of the daily podcast Nothing Personal with David Samson, a regular MLB analyst on CBS Sports, and a frequent guest on The Dan Le Batard Show and Pablo Torre Finds Out.

🧩 Topics Discussed:

Journalist Ted Genoways reveals the untold, action-packed history behind Jose Cuervo and the birth of Mexico’s tequila industry—and how it became the country’s first cartel.

👤 Guest Bio:
Ted Genoways is a two-time James Beard Award-winning journalist, senior editor at the Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN), and author of Tequila Wars: Jose Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico. A veteran of longform investigative work, Genoways has spent over a decade researching the political, cultural, and economic roots of tequila in Mexico.

📚 Topics Discussed:

The real Jose Cuervo...

Indiana University professor John T. Holden explains how lawsuits, NIL deals, and direct payments are transforming college sports—and why athletes may soon be recognized as employees.

👤 Guest Bio

John T. Holden is a business professor at Indiana University specializing in sports betting, gambling regulation, and legal issues in college athletics. His research focuses on the intersection of sports, law, and policy.

📚 Topics Discussed

Finance professor Alex Edmans joins to expose how research, statistics, and stories are often weaponized to mislead us—and what we can do to resist confirmation bias in a post-truth world.

👤 Guest Bio

Alex Edmans is a Professor of Finance at London Business School, a former investment banker, TED speaker, and the author of May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases—and What We Can Do About It.

🧠 Topics Discussed

Tony Edwards, author of The Good News About Booze, argues that moderate alcohol consumption—especially wine—offers significant health benefits that public health authorities deliberately downplay.

Guest Bio:
Tony Edwards is a medical research journalist and author of The Good News About Booze and The Very Good News About Wine. A self-described "research nerd," he draws from hundreds of peer-reviewed studies to argue that moderate alcohol consumption—especially red wine—has significant health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, dementia, and arthritis.

Topics Discussed:

Marketing executive and business lecturer Melise Panetta breaks down why Gen Z is drinking less alcohol—and what that means for wellness culture, social life, and the future of consumer marketing.

👤 Guest Bio:
Melise Panetta is a seasoned business executive with over 20 years of experience at major firms like PepsiCo and General Mills. She is currently a marketing lecturer at the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario, Canada, with deep expertise in wellness trends, consumer behavior, and brand strategy.

🧭 Topics Discussed:

Graham Hillard reflects on how AI (especially ChatGPT) is reshaping teaching, learning, and the future viability of higher education and related careers.

Guest bio:

Graham Hillard is a writer and former university English professor with 15 years of teaching at a liberal arts college in Nashville. He now serves as an editor at the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and contributes to the Washington Examiner, focusing on higher education policy and cultural commentary.

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A deep dive into Michael Heller & James Salzman’s Mine, exploring how modern “ownership engineering” shapes innovation, resource access, and societal outcomes.

Guest Bios

Topics Discus...

In this episode, Mark Quann, founder of the Perfect Portfolio, discusses his "Buy, Borrow, Die" strategy for building wealth, legally avoiding taxes, and achieving financial independence.

Guest Bio:
Mark Quann is the founder of the Perfect Portfolio, a tax strategist, and the author of Top 10 Ways to Avoid Taxes and Be Smart, Pay Zero Taxes. With a background in finance and business, Mark teaches everyday people how to use the Buy, Borrow, Die strategy to grow their wealth while minimizing taxes.

Topics Discussed:

Dr. Paul Turke, a pediatrician and anthropologist, discusses his book Bringing Up Baby, exploring evolutionary insights on child health, grandparent roles, and the social aspects of aging, with a focus on how early life and kinship networks impact development.

Guest Bio:
Dr. Paul Turke is a pediatrician and anthropologist with expertise in child development, evolutionary health, and pediatrics. He is the author of Bringing Up Baby, which explores child health through an evolutionary lens, with a particular focus on grandparent involvement, autism, and mental well-being.

Topics Discussed:

Dr. Jeffrey Funk discusses his book Unicorns, Hype, and Bubbles, offering critical insights on the current tech bubble, the limitations of AI, and the dangers of overhyped investments in today's startup culture.

Guest Bio:
Dr. Jeffrey Funk is a technology consultant, engineer, and retired professor with experience in academia and industry across the U.S., Singapore, and Japan. He holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and has been involved in the tech sector for decades, teaching courses on economics and new technologies.

Topics Discussed:

The AI bubble and its financial...

Luke S. Carlson, founder of LS Carlson Law, discusses his book Bad HOA and shares insights into common issues homeowners face with HOAs, including how to reclaim power from abusive boards.

Guest Bio:
Luke S. Carlson, Esq. is the founder of LS Carlson Law, specializing in helping homeowners fight against HOA abuse. With over 17 years of experience, Luke provides strategic legal advice in business, real estate, and estate planning, and is the author of Bad HOA: The Homeowner’s Guide to Going to War and Reclaiming Your Power.

Topics Discussed:

Patrick Winn discusses his book Narcotopia, exploring the rise of the most powerful drug cartel in Asia, its ties to the CIA, and its transition from heroin to methamphetamine production in Myanmar's Wa State.

Guest Bio:
Patrick Winn is an investigative journalist based in Bangkok, Thailand, specializing in black markets and underworld economies across Asia. His latest book, NarcoTopia, delves into the powerful narco-state in Myanmar, its history with drug trafficking, and the complex relationship with the CIA.

Topics Discussed:

Vauhini Vara explores the impact of technology on identity, grief, and personal agency in a world dominated by AI and surveillance capitalism.

Guest Bio:
Vauhini Vara is a journalist and prize-winning author whose work focuses on technology, its societal impacts, and selfhood in the digital age. She has written for numerous outlets and authored books such as Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age. Wahini has worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and has written extensively on the role of tech companies in shaping modern life.

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Medical research journalist Tony Edwards joins us to discuss the research behind his books The Good News About Booze and The Very Good News About Wine. He challenges common myths about alcohol and health, based on deep dives into medical literature.

Topics covered:

Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/Q0AYwStXsHw

🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright
💬 Fo...

🎙️ In this episode, economist and futurist Robin Hanson (George Mason University) explores the global fertility decline and what it means for innovation, culture, and civilization’s future.
We discuss:

A fascinating, wide-ranging look at what happens after the peak.

🎙 The Pod is h...

In this episode, Jesse talks with Dr. Donald Asher, renowned career strategist and author of Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why. They dive into how to survive toxic workplaces, master office politics, manage your boss (without brown-nosing), and build a reputation that gets you promoted — even in remote and AI-disrupted workplaces.

Topics Discussed:

Sociologist Timothy Gill joins us to explore the roots of Venezuela’s crisis, the role of U.S. foreign policy, and how race, oil, and ideology shape the country's fate. We dig into the real impact of sanctions, the legacy of Hugo Chávez, the rise of Nicolás Maduro, and the tangled web of neocolonialism, corruption, and mass migration.

🔍 Topics include:

🎧 T...

Is cholesterol really the villain? Or have we been misled by decades of flawed research?

In this explosive interview, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick—author of The Great Cholesterol Con—challenges the mainstream narrative around heart disease, cholesterol, and statins. He unpacks the real root causes of cardiovascular disease, including blood clotting, stress, and the overlooked role of chronic inflammation.

We discuss:

In this episode, Jesse speaks with Professor Richard Faragher, one of the UK’s leading researchers on the biology of aging. They dive deep into why only 18% of people age well, what it means to age badly, and how emerging science is changing our understanding of aging itself.

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Philosophy professor and Hi-Phi Nation host Barry Lam joins Jesse to discuss his new book Fewer Rules, Better People. They dive into the rise of bureaucracy in American life, from healthcare to housing, and examine how complex rules and compliance culture are quietly reshaping society. Topics include:

A provocative co...

Economist Bryan Caplan joins the show to discuss his new graphic novel Build Baby Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation. We unpack how housing prices have skyrocketed due to artificial scarcity created by zoning laws, minimum lot sizes, height restrictions, parking mandates, and outdated local codes.

Caplan argues that cutting these burdensome rules could massively increase supply, slash housing costs, reduce inequality, and improve economic mobility—all without sacrificing safety or quality of life. Along the way, we discuss the Empire State Building, million-dollar trailer parks, licensing bottlenecks in the trades, and why even small to...

In this episode, sociologist and Venezuela expert Dr. Timothy Gill joins us to unpack the controversy surrounding USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and America’s post–World War II global influence strategy. We explore the historical origins of U.S. foreign aid programs, their Cold War intentions, and how they've evolved into tools of soft power, cultural diplomacy—and sometimes, regime destabilization.

Topics covered include:

AEI’s Rick Hess joins Jesse for a wide-ranging conversation on the collapse of academic performance in American schools. They unpack why test scores haven’t recovered since the pandemic, the long-term impact of smartphones, and why nearly 1 in 4 students are now chronically absent. Hess also explains how schools are often structured more for the convenience of adults than the learning needs of children, and why $190 billion in federal aid has done little to reverse the decline.

Topics include: