Smart People Podcast

Why and how did America, in a catastrophically enormous failure, become the world leader in COVID deaths? In this Episode, veteran journalist Joe Nocera offers fresh and provocative answers. We discuss what really happened when governments ran out of PPE due to snarled supply chains and the shock to the financial system when the world's biggest economy stumbled. We also cover the effectiveness of wildly polarized approaches, with governors Andrew Cuomo of New York and Ron DeSantis of Florida taking infamous turns in the spotlight. And we uncover why thousands died in hollowed-out hospital systems and nursing homes run by private equity firms to “maximize shareholder value.” Joe's book, The Big Fail: What the Pandemic Revealed About Who America Protects and Who It Leaves Behind, is available now. To learn more about Joe, follow him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/joenocera. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - Try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart! DraftKings - Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use code SMART -- new customers can bet $5 on the NFL Thanksgiving action to score $150 instantly in bonus bets! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You may feel as if you don't control your emotional energy, that it's an inevitable consequence of the world around you and the forces bearing down on you. But that's not the case. To reach your full potential, you can learn to recognize and harness the energy in your brain. Dr. Julia DiGangi is an expert in the connection between our brains, our emotions, and our relationships. Her work shows people how to harness the power of the brain to lead more satisfying and emotionally intelligent lives. Her lab and clinical work have been conducted at Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, the University of Chicago, DePaul, and University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. DiGangi's book, Energy Rising: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power, is available now. To learn more about Dr. DiGangi , go to drjuliadigangi.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Babbel - Get 55% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/SPP. HelloFresh - Go to HelloFresh.com/smartpeoplefree and use code smartpeoplefree for FREE breakfast for life! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kieran Setiya teaches philosophy at MIT, working mainly in ethics, epistemology, and the philosophy of mind. He is an author and also has a podcast called Five Questions. Kieran's book, Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way, is available now. To learn more about Kieran, go to ksetiya.net. You can also find more of his writings on his Substack: ksetiya.substack.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: DraftKings - Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app NOW and use code SMART. New customers can get two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly for betting just five dollars! ZBiotics - Go to zbiotics.com/SMART to get 15% off your first order when you use SMART at checkout. Notion - Try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart! Butcher Box - ButcherBox is offering our listeners turkey FREE in your first box plus $20 off your first order. Sign up at butcherbox.com/smart and use code SMART. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prof. Alexander Batthyány, PhD, holds the Chair of the Research Institute for Theoretical Psychology and Personalist Studies at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Budapest, Hungary. Since 2012, Batthyány is Visiting Professor for Existential Psychotherapy at the Moscow University Institute of Psychoanalysis, Russia. He is Director of the Viktor Frankl Institute and first editor of the 14-volume edition of the Collected Works of Viktor Frankl. Near the end of life, many people--including those who have suffered brain injuries or strokes, or have been silenced by mental illness or deep dementia--experience what seems a miraculous return. They regain their clarity and energy, are able to talk with families and caregivers, recall their lives and often appear to be aware of their nearing death. In this episode, cognitive scientist and Director of the Viktor Frankl Institute Dr. Alexander Batthyány offers the first major account of terminal lucidity, utilizing hundreds of case studies and his research in the related field of near-death studies to explore the mind, the body, the nature of consciousness, and what the living can learn from those who are crossing the border from life to death. Alexander's book, Threshold: Terminal Lucidity and the Border of Life and Death, is available now. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Babbel - Get 55% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/SPP. Hello Fresh - Go to HelloFresh.com/50smartpeople and use code 50smartpeople for 50% off plus free shipping! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Marcelo Gleiser is a theoretical physicist and public intellectual at Dartmouth College working on basic research ranging from cosmology and applications of information theory to complex phenomena to history and philosophy of science and how science and culture interact. He is devoted to the public understanding of science and is a popular speaker with a strong social media presence and books published in 15 languages. Marcelo's book, The Dawn of a Mindful Universe: A Manifesto for Humanity's Future, is available now. Learn more about Marcelo at marcelogleiser.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. ZBiotics - Go to zbiotics.com/SMART to get 15% off your first order when you use SMART at checkout. LinkedIn - Go to LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE for a 60-day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! The Structure of Success - The Structure of Success by Patrick Esposito is available now wherever books are sold! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Thomas Curran is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Behavioural Science at the London School of Economics. He is a world leading expert on perfectionism. He has written for the Harvard Business Review, was featured in the New Scientist, and his work has been covered by publications including the Guardian, Telegraph, and the Wall Street Journal. Thomas' book, The Perfection Trap: Embracing the Power of Good Enough, is available now. Learn more about Thomas at thomascurran.co.uk. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Butcherbox - Sign up today at butcherbox.com/smart and use code SMART to get $20 off your first order.​ DraftKings - Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code SMART to score two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five dollars! Babbel - Get 55% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/SPP. Graduate Debt Free - Visit Graduate-debt-free.com and take the first step to securing a debt free education by picking up your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and anywhere books are sold! LinkedIn - Go to LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE for a 60-day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Avi Loeb, the longest serving Chair of Harvard’s Astronomy Department, presented a theory that shook the scientific community: our solar system, Loeb claimed, had likely been visited by a piece of advanced alien technology from a distant star. This provocative and persuasive argument opened millions of minds internationally to the vast possibilities of our universe and the existence of intelligent life beyond Earth. But a crucial question remained: now that we are aware of the existence of extraterrestrial life, what do we do next? In this episode we will talk about what proof we have for alien technology, what it means, and what we can do about it. He also lays out the profound implications of becoming—or not becoming—interstellar; why we must seek out other life forms, and in the process, choose who and what we are within the universe. Avi's book, Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars, is available now. Learn more about Avi at avi-loeb.medium.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. LinkedIn - Go to LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE for a 60-day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! Graduate Debt Free - Visit Graduate-debt-free.com and take the first step to securing a debt free education by picking up your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and anywhere books are sold! ZBiotics - Go to zbiotics.com/SMART to get 15% off your first order when you use SMART at checkout. DraftKings - Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app and use code SMART to score two hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five dollars on college football! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Luana Marques is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Community Psychiatry PRIDE at Massachusetts General Hospital and serves as past-president of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) Dr. Luana's book, Bold Move: A 3-Step Plan to Transform Anxiety into Power is available now. Find out more about Dr. Luana at drluana.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Graduate Debt Free - Visit Graduate-debt-free.com and take the first step to securing a debt free education by picking up your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and anywhere books are sold! Babbel - Get 55% off your Babbel subscription at Babbel.com/SPP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Paying attention is a crucial human skill, yet many of us have forgotten how to listen carefully and observe intentionally. In this episode, we talk about how we can recapture our ability to pay attention that helps all of us to see with more empathy, accuracy, and connection to others. Christian Madsbjerg founded (and sold) ReD Associates - a strategic innovation consultancy - with a group of likeminded people in 2007. He is the author of books on social theory and discourse analysis. Christian's book, Look: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World is available now. Find out more about Christian at madsbjerg.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. LinkedIn - Go to LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE for a 60-day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

First we had IQ to predict success. Then Emotional Intelligence (EQ). Now, Experiential Intelligence (XQ) expands our understanding of what's needed to thrive in today's disruptive world. Experiential Intelligence reveals how our past experiences impact our present success and future opportunities in ways we often don't recognize. While you can't change what's happened to you or how you've responded to it, within your unique stories are hidden strengths waiting to be discovered. Do just that by uncovering your Experiential Intelligence—the mindsets and abilities gained from your personal and professional life experiences. Learn more about Soren at sorenkaplan.com. Soren's book, Experiential Intelligence: Harness the Power of Experience for Personal and Business Breakthroughs, is available now! Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - Try Notion for free today at Notion.com/smart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How you show up in person, over email, and on social media communicates your personal brand. That brand deserves thoughtful cultivation and crafting as you shape your narrative, build your network, grow your confidence, and plot your future. Aliza Licht, a former fashion executive who successfully turned her communications expertise into a multimedia brand and consultancy, shares both personal and professional advice from her lived experiences and from expert contributors to help you discover what your brand is: who you already are, who you want to be, and how to ensure others see you that way. Learn more about Aliza at alizalicht.com. Aliza's book, On Brand: Shape Your Narrative. Share Your Vision. Shift Their Perception, is available now! Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Neil Theise is a professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Through his scientific research, he has been a pioneer of adult stem cell plasticity and the anatomy of the human interstitium. Dr. Theise’s studies in complexity theory have led to interdisciplinary collaborations in fields such as integrative medicine, consciousness studies, and science-religion dialogue. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is in fact a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it. Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise makes accessible this “theory of being,” one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. Learn more about Neil at neiltheiseofficial.com. Neil's book, Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being, is available now! Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - Do your most efficient work with Notion Projects. You can try it for free today at notion.com/smart. LinkedIn - Visit LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE to get a sixty day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are on the cusp of a major transformation in healthcare—yet few people know it. At top hospitals and a few innovative health-tech startups, scientists are working closely with patients to dramatically extend their “healthspan”—the number of healthy years before disease sets in. In The Age of Scientific Wellness, two visionary leaders of this revolution in health take us on a thrilling journey to this new frontier of medicine. Today, most doctors wait for clinical symptoms to appear before they act, and the ten most commonly prescribed medications confer little or no benefit to most people taking them. Leroy Hood and Nathan Price argue that we must move beyond this reactive, hit-or-miss approach to usher in real precision health—a form of highly personalized care they call “scientific wellness.” Using information gleaned from our blood and genes and tapping into the data revolution made possible by AI, doctors can catch the onset of disease years before symptoms arise, revolutionizing prevention. Current applications have shown startling results: diabetes reversed, cancers eliminated, Alzheimer’s avoided, autoimmune conditions kept at bay. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - Try Notion for free today at Notion.com/smart. Collective - Go to Collective.com to save on taxes this year - and have someone who knows what they’re doing handle your setup, accounting, bookkeeping and taxes. LinkedIn - Visit LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE to get a sixty day free trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator! Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Social psychologist and Stanford professor Brian Lowery presents a provocative, powerful theory of identity, arguing that there is no essential "self"—our selves are social creations of those with whom we interact —exploring what that means for who we can be and who we allow others to be. There’s nothing we spend more time with, but understand less, than ourselves. You’ve been with yourself every waking moment of your life. But who—or, rather, what—are you? In this podcast, Brian Lowery argues for the radical idea that the “self” as we know it—that “voice in your head”—is a social construct, created in our relationships and social interactions. We are unique because our individual pattern of relationships is unique. We change because our relationships change. Your self isn’t just you, it’s all around you. Brian's book, Selfless: The Social Creation of “You”, is available now! Check out more about Brian at https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/leadership/leadership-society-program and knowwhatyousee.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - For a limited time, try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart BetterHelp - This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/smart today to get 10% off your first month. LinkedIn - Try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at LinkedIn.com/SMARTPEOPLE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Higgins was a Guest Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank, is an Executive Fellow and teacher at Harvard Business School, and, through RSE Ventures, the private investment firm he co-founded, an investor in some of America’s most beloved brands. Matt began his career as the youngest press secretary in New York City history, where he helped manage the global press response during 9/11. He has been an executive for two NFL teams – currently serving as vice chairman of the Miami Dolphins. Matt's newest book, Burn the Boats: Toss Plan B Overboard and Unleash Your Full Potential, is available now. Find out more about Matt at burntheboatsbook.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - For a limited time, try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart BetterHelp - This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/smart today to get 10% off your first month. Butcher Box - Receive two pounds of ground beef for a year and get $20 off your first box when you sign up today at butcherbox.com/SMART and use code SMART. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever been criticized for the way you speak? If you have, you're not alone. As human beings, our need to communicate is inherent, but linguistic standards are often indoctrinated in us early on, leading to a perception of slang and informal language as being incorrect. In our latest episode, we explore the true nature of language and its function beyond correctness. We discuss how language is an accident of socio-historical-political factors and how there is nothing intrinsically wrong with slang or informal language. In fact, they serve a purpose, and embracing them can lead to better communication and connections. We also delve into the evolution of language and how words and phrases that were once considered poor speech are now an integral part of standard English. Moreover, we explore how social forces and invasions have led to massive shifts in language, such as the Vikings being responsible for introducing Old Norse words like "window" and "sister" into the English language. Chris Stemp is joined by linguistic expert Valerie Fridland to discuss her new book, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English, which takes a scientific approach to language and challenges the misconceptions associated with slang and speech features. Join us now as we explore our relationship with language and the nuanced ways in which it affects our interactions. Don't forget to check out Valerie's website at valeriefridland.com and her monthly blog on Language in the Wild. Topics Discussed: Language as a socio-political accident The evolution of slang and speech features The usefulness and function of common phrases like 'like' The changing perception of speech throughout history The role of social forces in language change The impact of social influencers on language The role of children in language change The importance of efficient communication and reducing redundancy in language The challenges of linguistic accommodation Dr. Fridland's book, Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion - For a limited time, try Notion AI for free when you go to Notion.com/smart BetterHelp - This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/smart today to get 10% off your first month. LinkedIn - Right now, you can try LinkedIn Sales Navigator and get a sixty-day free trial at linkedin.com/smartpeople. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coleman Hughes is an American writer, podcast host, and opinion columnist who specializes in issues related to race, public policy and applied ethics. He was a fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research and a fellow and contributing editor at their City Journal, and is the host of the podcast Conversations with Coleman. Find out more about Coleman at colemanhughes.org and check out his Youtube channel. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Notion – Try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.com/smart. Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. ButcherBox - Sign up today at butcherbox.com/SMART and use code SMART to get a 100% grass-fed chuck roast and a whole chicken FREE in your first box plus $20 off. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It all started with the Big Bang. We all know that. But what does that even mean? And how did the big bang lead to us?! Our body is made up of “starstuff”, and by by understanding how everything started, we can make better choices on living. Dan Levitt spent over twenty-five years writing, producing, and directing award-winning documentaries for National Geographic, Discovery, Science, History, PBS, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya, teaching high school physics and biology. Dan's book, What's Gotten Into You: The Story of Your Body's Atoms, from the Big Bang Through Last Night's Dinner, is available now. Find out more about Dan at danlevitt.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Huel – Go to huel.com/smart and get a free t-shirt and shaker with your first order. Notion - Try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.com/smart. Wonolo – Head over to wonolo.com/smart and learn how Wonolo makes finding hard workers easy. Shopify - Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/spp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance and is the author of 11 bestselling books (out of 14!!!). His work has been nominated for two Pulitzer Prizes. Steven's newest book, Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad, is available now. Find out more about Steven at stevenkotler.com and gnarcountry.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast Sponsors: Huel – Get a free t-shirt and shaker with your first order by going to huel.com/smart. Notion - For a limited time, try Notion AI for free when you go to notion.com/smart. Wonolo – Head over to wonolo.com/smart and learn how Wonolo makes finding hard workers easy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Colin Coggins and Garrett Brown are adjunct professors of entrepreneurship at USC’s Marshall School of Business where they teach the popular class they created, “Sales Mindset for Entrepreneurs.” They are also authors, speakers, longtime sales professionals, and best friends who met while working at enterprise software startup Bitium, which they helped lead to an acquisition by Google. Garret and Colin's book, The Unsold Mindset: Redefining What It Means to Sell, is available now! Find more about Garret and Colin at colinandgarrett.com. Support the Show - Become a Patron! Help us grow and become a Patron today: https://www.patreon.com/smartpeoplepodcast. Sponsors: Huel – Get a free t-shirt and shaker with your first order by going to huel.com/smart. Wonolo – Head over to wonolo.com/smart and learn how Wonolo makes finding hard workers easy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices