#154 – Why Objectives Are the Enemy of Greatness | Kenneth Stanley

What if the surest way to fail at something ambitious is to have a clear plan to achieve it? What if a robot that doesn’t know it’s trying to walk learns faster than one explicitly trained to walk?

Kenneth Stanley is one of the most provocative minds in artificial intelligence. Former professor and team leader at OpenAI, he co-authored the cult classic Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned—a manifesto that challenges everything we think we know about achievement. His research discovered something shocking: in AI experiments, robots seeking novelty learned to walk better than robots explicitly trained to walk. Over the last two years, Ken has taken these theories from the lab into the real world. As Senior Vice President of Open-Endedness at Lila Sciences, he’s building scientific super intelligence—AI that autonomously discovers new biology and chemistry. He’s also the founder of Maven, a social network designed to replace popularity contests with genuine serendipity. His work reveals a profound truth: the path to greatness is paved with stepping stones you can’t predict, and the greatest discoveries come from following what’s interesting, not what’s planned.

#153 – Your Brain Is a Detective Minimizing Surprise | Karl Friston

What if anxiety, bad habits, and even curiosity can all be explained by a single mathematical principle? What if your brain isn’t processing information—it’s actively constructing fantasies to explain the world?

Professor Karl Friston is the most cited neuroscientist alive. His Free Energy Principle attempts something audacious: to explain what all living things, from cells to humans to future AI, are fundamentally trying to do. His work underpins modern theories of prediction, perception, consciousness, and how the brain actually works. But beyond the mathematics lies something deeply human—a framework for understanding why we feel anxious, why we can’t break bad habits, what makes us curious, and how our minds construct reality moment by moment. His ideas are being explored not just in neuroscience, but across psychology, biology, robotics, and AI development. Now Chief Scientist at Verses AI, Karl is building the next generation of agentic artificial intelligence based on these same principles.

#152 – Building the Impossible: Moonshots, AI, and Zero to One | Sebastian Thrun

What separates founders who dream from founders who build category-defining companies? How do you take something considered science fiction and make it inevitable?

Dr. Sebastian Thrun is the founder of Google X, Waymo, and Udacity—the architect behind self-driving cars, democratized education, and Google’s moonshot culture. He’s turned the impossible into reality repeatedly. From winning the DARPA Grand Challenge with a robot that drove 140 miles through the desert autonomously, to building flying cars at Kitty Hawk, Sebastian operates at the intersection of audacious ambition and rigorous execution. Now focused on enterprise AI with Cresta and Sage AI Labs, he brings decades of experience turning zero-to-one ideas into billion-dollar realities.

#151 – The Education System Isn’t Broken—It’s Obsolete | Sugata Mitra

What if everything we believe about teaching and learning is based on a system designed for empires that no longer exist—and children can teach themselves advanced biochemistry without a single qualified teacher?

In 1999, Professor Sugata Mitra carved a hole in a wall in a Delhi slum, installed a computer, and walked away. What unfolded over the next decade would challenge everything we believe about teaching and learning. Children across different experiments taught themselves to use computers, learned English, and explored complex topics from DNA to advanced mathematics. This “Hole in the Wall” experiment sparked a global movement, inspiring over 36,000 educators across 110 countries and earning him a $1 million TED Prize in 2013 and the Brock Prize in 2022. Now Professor Emeritus at NIIT University, Sugata’s work challenges the very foundation of modern education—arguing that in an age of AI and infinite information, our schools aren’t broken, they’re beautifully constructed for a world that no longer exists.

#150 – Your Future Self Is a Stranger | Hal Hershfield

What if you procrastinate, avoid saving money, and make decisions you later regret not because of willpower—but because your brain treats your future self as a different person?

Professor Hal Hershfield from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management has uncovered a profound insight in psychology: on a neural level, when we think about our future selves, our brains light up the same way they do when we think about strangers. This finding sheds light on why we often struggle with everything from retirement savings to health decisions to career choices. He’s been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and Harvard Business Review. His book “Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today” translates rigorous research into practical strategies for bridging the gap between who we are now and who we’re becoming.

#149 – The Case Against AI Consciousness | Anil Seth

In a world racing toward artificial general intelligence, one of the world’s leading consciousness researchers argues we’re chasing the wrong goal entirely. What if the brain isn’t a computer at all—and consciousness requires something silicon can never replicate?

Professor Anil Seth is a cognitive and computational neuroscientist at the University of Sussex, editor-in-chief of Neuroscience of Consciousness, and bestselling author of “Being You: A New Science of Consciousness.” His TED talk has been viewed over 15 million times. Rather than getting swept up in AI hype, Anil has become one of the most compelling voices challenging the assumption that advanced AI will—or even could—become conscious, advocating instead for “biological naturalism”: the idea that consciousness is intimately tied to being alive.

#148 – Why We Stop Noticing Joy (And How to Get It Back) | Tali Sharot

What if the secret to happiness isn’t finding more pleasure, but learning how to keep feeling the pleasure you already have? Neuroscientist Tali Sharot reveals why our brains are wired to stop noticing the good things in life—and what we can do about it.

Tali Sharot is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London and author of influential books including “The Optimism Bias,” “The Influential Mind,” and “Look Again” (co-written with Cass Sunstein). Her groundbreaking research on decision-making, belief, and emotion has reshaped how we understand why we believe what we believe and how we can design better lives in an age of AI and algorithmic influence.

#147 – The Paradox of Choice in the AI Age | Barry Schwartz Returns

In this episode I sit down with psychologist Barry Schwartz whose groundbreaking work continues to shape how we understand choice, freedom, and human flourishing in our rapidly evolving world.

Eight years after our first conversation, Barry returns to explore how his seminal ideas from “The Paradox of Choice” have become even more relevant—and challenging—in our AI-driven era. With over 35 million views on his TED Talks, Barry’s insights have influenced millions, yet as he candidly admits, the problems he identified in 2004 have only grown worse.

#146 – Carl Honoré returns

Today I’ve got a friend back on the show for round 2, Carl Honoré. Carl is the author of the international bestseller, ‘In Praise of Slow’ which dissects our speed-obsessed society and celebrates those who have gotten in touch with their “inner tortoise”, as well as the books: ‘Under Pressure’, ‘The Slow Fix’ and his latest book, ‘Bolder’. Carl’s TED Talks have been viewed million times and he’s been described as “The unofficial godfather of a growing cultural shift toward slowing down”.

#145 – Dr. Michael Shermer returns

Today I have the pleasure of having Dr. Michael Shermer back on the show for round 2! Dr. Shermer is the founding publisher of Skeptic magazine, the host of the Science Salon podcast, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. For 18 years he was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers; Why People Believe Weird Things and The Believing Brain, Why Darwin Matters, The Science of Good and Evil, The Moral Arc, and Heavens on Earth. His new book is Giving the Devil His Due. He’s appeared on Oprah, The Colbert Report, Larry King Live and his two TED talks have been viewed by millions. Neil deGrasse Tyson described Michael as “a beacon of reason in an ocean of irrationality.”

#144 – Mark Wolynn

Today’s guest is Mark Wolynn. Director and founder of The Family Constellation Institute in San Francisco, Mark is a world leader in the field of inherited family trauma. A bestselling author and sought-after lecturer, he teaches at hospitals, clinics and universities around the world including: the University of Pittsburgh, JFK University and the Western Psychiatric Institute. His book: ‘IT DIDN’T START WITH YOU: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle’ is the winner of the 2016 Silver Nautilus Book Award in psychology and has been translated into 19 languages.

Marci Shimoff – My Favourite Forgiveness Tool

Marci Shimoff is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a world-renowned transformational teacher and an expert on happiness, success, and unconditional love. Her books include the international bestsellers ‘Love for No Reason’ and ‘Happy for No Reason’. Marci is also the woman’s face of the biggest self-help book phenomenon in history as co-author of six books in the ‘Chicken Soup for the Soul’ series. With total book sales of more than 15 million copies worldwide in 33 languages, she is one of the bestselling female nonfiction authors of all time. She is also a featured teacher in the international film and book sensation, ‘The Secret’ and the host of the national PBS TV show called ‘Happy for No Reason’.

#143 – Laura Huang Ph.D.

Today I’m speaking with Laura Huang. Many of us sit back quietly, hoping that our hard work and effort will speak for itself—only to be left frustrated and discouraged. Or we try to force ourselves into the mould of someone we think is “successful,” but in doing so, we stifle the creativity and charm that make us unique and memorable. Laura is a professor at Harvard Business School, who has spent her academic career studying interpersonal relationships and implicit bias in entrepreneurship and in the workplace. Her research has been featured in the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes and Nature. She’s been named one of the 40 Best Business School Professors Under the Age of 40, and she’s the author of EDGE: Turning Adversity into Advantage.

#142 – John Ratey M.D.

Best selling author, Dr. John Ratey M.D. is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognised expert in Neuropsychiatry. He has published over 60 peer-reviewed articles and 11 books published in 17 languages. With the publication of  ‘Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain’, Dr. Ratey has established himself as one of the world’s foremost authorities on the brain-fitness connection. Recognised by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America since 1997, Dr. Ratey was recently honoured by the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society as “Outstanding Psychiatrist of the Year” for advancing the field. He’s frequently profiled in the media from: ABC, CBS, NBC, The New York Times, Newsweek, The Washington Post, and that’s just scratching the surface. (This interview was recorded in April 2019).

#141 – Dr. Michael Greger

Dr. Michael Greger is a physician, an internationally recognised speaker on a number of important public health issues, and a bestselling author of multiple titles including the instant New York Times bestseller ‘How Not To Die’. He’s testified before Congress, has appeared on shows such as: The Colbert Report and The Dr. Oz Show, and Oprah Winfrey invited him to be her expert witness in the infamous “meat defamation” trial. He is a Council of Directors member of True Health Initiative which is a coalition of more than 360 world experts representing 35 countries, who together offer clarity as to the principles behind healthy eating and healthy living.

#140 – Hank Greely

Hank Greely is a professor of law and a professor of genetics at Stanford University. He specialises in ethical, legal and social issues arising from advances in the biosciences, particularly from genetics, neuroscience and human stem cell research. He was the president of the International Neuro-ethics Society and is the chairman of the California Advisory Committee on Human Stem Cell Research. He joined Stanford in 1985 after working in private law practice and in the Defence and Energy Departments during President Carter’s administration. Last but not least he is the author of the book ‘The End of Sex and the Future of Human Reproduction’.

#139 – Dr. Scilla Elworthy

Dr. Scilla Elworthy is a three time Nobel Peace Prize nominee for her work with the Oxford Research Group, a non-governmental organisation she founded in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policy-makers worldwide and their critics. In 2002 Cilla founded ‘Peace Direct’a charity to fund, promote and learn from local peace-builders in conflict areas. She was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize in 2003 and she advised Peter Gabriel, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Sir Richard Branson in setting up ‘The Elders’. She now leads ‘The Business Plan for Peace’ to help prevent violent conflict and build sustainable peace throughout the world, because peace is possible; and she lays out how in her latest books: The Business Plan for Peace: Building a World Without War and The Mighty Heart: How to Transform Conflict. Last but not least her TED talk on nonviolence has been viewed by over 1,500,000 people.

#138 – Maria Konnikova Ph.D.

Maria Konnikova is an award winning journalist and the author of three New York Times bestsellers, Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes and The Confidence Game which is an investigation into the minds, motives, and methods of con artists. Her latest book, The Biggest Bluff is a journey into the world of high-stakes poker – it’s an exploration of the role that luck plays in our lives and what it truly means to take control of our destinies. Maria doesn’t do things half heartedly so in the process of researching this book she went from having never played a single game of poker in her life, to becoming an international poker champion, turning professional and earning over $300,000 in tournament earnings.

#137 – Dr. Dan Siegel

Dr. Dan Siegel is a: Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, a clinical professor of psychiatry, an award winning educator and an internationally acclaimed author of five New York Times bestselling books. Amongst these are: Brainstorm: The Power and Purpose of the Teenage Brain; Aware: The Science and Practice of Presence, and Mind: A Journey to the Heart of Being Human. Dan is also the executive director of the Mindsight Institute and has lectured for the King of Thailand, Pope John Paul II, Google University and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

#136 – Greg Lukianoff

Greg Lukianoff is: an attorney, a New York Times best-selling author, and the President and CEO of FIRE, which stands for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. His books include, ‘Unlearning Liberty’ and ‘The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure’ which he co-authored with social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. He’s an executive producer of ‘Can We Take a Joke?’, a feature-length documentary that explores the collision between comedy, censorship and outrage culture. He frequently appears on TV shows such as CBS Evening News and The Today Show and he’s testified before both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives about free speech issues on America’s college campuses.

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