#2419 - John Lisle
Historian John Lisle discusses the history of CIA mind control research, focusing on MKUltra, its OSS roots, and figures like Sidney Gottlieb, George White, and psychiatrist Ewen Cameron. He explains how the program was structured, the drugs and psychological techniques that were tested, the disastrous impacts on unwitting subjects, and the near-total lack of oversight. The conversation expands into government secrecy, real versus fabricated conspiracies, cognitive dissonance, cult dynamics, social media disinformation, and how human psychology shapes both science and belief in conspiracies.
BTC255: Bitcoin Is For Everyone w/ Natalie Brunell (Bitcoin Podcast)
Host Preston Pysh interviews journalist and educator Natalie Brunel about her book "Bitcoin Is for Everyone" and how her immigrant family's experience with the American dream and the 2008 financial crisis shaped her worldview. They discuss why the current fiat-based financial system feels broken, how inflation and debt erode savings and opportunity, and why Natalie believes Bitcoin is a hopeful, apolitical form of money that can restore property rights, enable low time preference, and counter systemic wealth concentration. The conversation also covers the challenge of explaining Bitcoin simply, its relationship to energy and human rights, and broader geopolitical and industrial vulnerabilities in the US.
Cold War Santa with Sarah Archer
Host Sarah Marshall and historian Sarah Archer explore how Santa Claus and American Christmas traditions evolved from the 19th century through the Cold War, focusing on consumerism, design, and media. They trace Santa from a tiny artisan figure in Victorian illustrations to a postwar, space-age and domesticated icon wrapped in department stores, aluminum trees, and televised specials like Miracle on 34th Street, A Charlie Brown Christmas, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Throughout, they examine how Christmas has always been bound up with retail, nostalgia, gender roles, and changing ideas about patriotism and the future.
X's Foreign Trolls, Google's AI Wins, and MTG's Resignation
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss foreign-operated troll accounts on X, broader Russian and other foreign influence operations on U.S. politics, and the GOP's shifting stance on Russia, including Marco Rubio's role in a controversial Ukraine peace plan. They analyze Google's new Gemini 3 model and Alphabet's AI strategy versus OpenAI, evaluate market jitters around the AI boom and crypto, and cover Marjorie Taylor Greene's announced resignation, Eli Lilly's GLP-1-fueled valuation, elite wealth and political power, and the importance of competent public servants and everyday gratitude practices.
Meta Monopoly Verdict, Trump Signs the Epstein Bill, and Nvidia's Q3 Earnings
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss Nvidia's blowout Q3 earnings, the sustainability of the current AI boom, and the risks of having the broader economy so dependent on a handful of tech giants. They analyze the federal court ruling that Meta did not break antitrust law with its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions, Trump's signing of the bill to release the Jeffrey Epstein files, and the emerging cultural backlash against billionaire entitlement revealed in leaked Epstein-related emails. The conversation also covers Trump's fawning visit with Mohammed bin Salman, Elon Musk's presence at that dinner, the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery among Paramount, Comcast, and Netflix, and political implications including New York City Mayor-elect Zoran Mamdani's upcoming meeting with Trump and a possible progressive shift in U.S. politics.
Bezos's AI Start-up, Thiel's Nvidia Sell-off, and Trump-MTG Breakup
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway recap their recent live tour and Scott's appearance on Bill Maher's show before diving into U.S. politics, including Donald Trump's push to release the Epstein files and his public break with Marjorie Taylor Greene. They analyze Greene's apparent pivot and apology, debate a new Republican health care proposal and broader healthcare reform, and then turn to concerns about an AI-driven market bubble, Peter Thiel's NVIDIA sell-off, OpenAI's economics, Jeff Bezos's new AI startup, the recent bond rally, and the fragility created by extreme stock market concentration. The episode closes with wins and fails focused on Seth Meyers vs. Trump, Tom Cruise's honorary Oscar, and worries about systemic financial risk.
#2412 - Adam Carolla
Joe Rogan and Adam Carolla reconnect after several years and discuss aging, time perception, and the uniquely human ability to change. They explore insecurity, the value of coaching and criticism, the importance of developing real skills, and how many people drift through life without a passion or craft. The conversation ranges through sports, construction, Malibu fires and Los Angeles regulation, climate and COVID responses, media dishonesty, over-sterilized modern life, curiosity, motivation, and advice for younger people to take risks before they are weighed down by obligations.
#2411 - Gavin de Becker
Joe Rogan talks with criminologist Gavin about historical and modern government operations, pharmaceutical industry behavior, and public health policy. They discuss CIA covert programs like Project Gladio, patterns of propaganda and information control, and parallels between the AIDS crisis and the COVID-19 response. Gavin argues that citizens must adopt deep skepticism toward government, media, and pharmaceutical narratives, using examples from vaccine policy, Agent Orange, baby powder litigation, population control documents, and the war in Ukraine.
#2410 - Jeff Dye
Joe Rogan talks with comedian Jeff Dye about social media, stand-up comedy, MMA, politics, and the future of work. They discuss Ronda Rousey's legacy, how fame and distraction affect elite fighters, and why maintaining focus is critical for high performance. The conversation also covers culture-war polarization, media manipulation, assisted suicide policy in Canada, skepticism toward certain health practices, sports gambling scandals, AI-driven automation, and why doing work you genuinely love matters more than chasing status.
Two US governors - a Democrat and a Republican - on why there's hope for democracy | Matt Meyer and J. Kevin Stitt
Democratic Governor of Delaware Matt Meyer and Republican Governor of Oklahoma J. Kevin Stitt interview each other on stage at TED Next 2025 about the health and future of American democracy. They discuss restoring trust in government through effective service delivery and federalism, navigating polarized information ecosystems, leveraging AI and apprenticeships in education, and preserving the American dream through integrity-driven, bipartisan leadership. The conversation emphasizes shared values, personal rapport, and practical reforms over partisan point-scoring.
What Happens When You Turn 20
Stephen Dubner first reads the new foreword to the 20th anniversary edition of the book Freakonomics, reflecting on his long partnership with economist Steve Levitt, the unexpected success of their work, and how the world and their own lives have changed over two decades. He then has a live onstage conversation with PBS NewsHour host Jeff Bennett at Sixth and I in Washington, D.C., discussing journalism, data, incentives, curiosity without cynicism, the evolution of Freakonomics Radio, the role of government data and politics, and how to think more clearly in an age of noise, misinformation, and emerging technologies like AI. Audience questions prompt Dubner to talk about riskier findings, career choices, updating past research, decency, and the future of technology and investing.
#2409 - Brian Redban
Joe Rogan and Brian Redban have a wide-ranging conversation about emerging technologies, politics, media manipulation, culture, comedy, and everyday life. They discuss quantum computing, AI, phones, drones, surveillance, and SpaceX, alongside U.S. politics, media bias around Donald Trump, war in Ukraine, drugs, gambling, porn and OnlyFans, and the future social impact of AI and virtual reality. They also talk about cars and racing, simulation theory, AIDS/AZT controversies, aging pets, and Redban's current creative projects using VR and AI-generated music.
Flight Cancellation Chaos, SNAP Ruling, and U.S.-Canada Trade War
In this live Pivot taping from Toronto, hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss escalating U.S. flight delays tied to FAA staffing and a government shutdown, using airline safety and history to illustrate how policy choices affect economic vitality and public trust. They examine the U.S. Supreme Court's handling of SNAP food benefits, child hunger, and what budget priorities reveal about American values, before turning to U.S.-Canada tariffs, asymmetric trade benefits, Canadian efforts to diversify away from the U.S., and missed innovation opportunities. The episode also explores progressive urban politics, models of modern masculinity, debates over state-run grocery stores versus higher minimum wage, falling cross-border tourism, and audience questions on defending democracy, advertising careers, and AI-driven disinformation.
#2406 - Russell Crowe
Joe Rogan talks with Russell Crowe about Crowe's new film "Nuremberg" and the psychological, historical, and moral questions raised by portraying Hermann Göring and the Nazi leadership at the post‑war trials. They range across topics including gambling and addiction, alcohol and social media use, war and political polarization, Crowe's intense recent work schedule and burnout, and his long‑term project restoring and rewilding his Australian farm. The conversation also examines invasive species and land management, media consolidation and propaganda, healthcare systems, and the need for nuance when understanding both historical figures and contemporary issues.
Kamala Harris: America Is At Breaking Point & I'm Deeply Concerned About The State Of The Country!
Kamala Harris discusses her upbringing in a civil-rights-oriented family, her legal career, and how those experiences shaped her commitment to justice and public service. She reflects in detail on serving as vice president, the 107‑day presidential campaign, internal tensions within the Biden White House, and her experiences debating Donald Trump. Harris also talks about media dynamics, disinformation, her regrets about not having more time to campaign, the emotional impact of losing the 2024 election, and how she is thinking about a potential future run for president.
#2401 - Avi Loeb
Avi Loeb discusses the anomalous interstellar object 3I Atlas, arguing that its unusual trajectory, mass, and composition warrant serious consideration of technological or otherwise non-standard explanations rather than automatic classification as a normal comet. He contrasts the scientific community's resistance and institutional inertia with the high potential stakes of discovering alien technology, and describes his own efforts such as the Galileo Project and an expedition to recover fragments of an interstellar meteor. The conversation also explores AI-driven societal risks, philosophical humility about humanity's place in the cosmos, and concrete proposals for systematically searching for extraterrestrial intelligence and technosignatures.
Introducing: The Devil You Know with Sarah Marshall
Host Sarah Marshall introduces her mini-series "The Devil You Know," exploring the 1980s satanic panic through individual stories and sociological context. This first episode focuses on "Diane," a pseudonymous photographer who became the target of satanism rumors while teaching photography in rural Kentucky, and on how a Hollywood film shoot involving black dresses in Hazard, Kentucky was misread as evidence of devil worship. With commentary from sociologist Mary de Young and local resident Patrick Balch, the episode shows how small, unusual events were amplified by anxiety, rumor, and self-appointed experts into a nationwide moral panic.
What Up Holmes?
This episode traces how Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, initially hostile to broad free speech protections, radically changed his views during World War I and authored the famous Abrams dissent that introduced the 'marketplace of ideas' metaphor. The hosts, along with law professor Thomas Healy, explore what caused Holmes's shift, then examine how that marketplace metaphor has shaped a century of First Amendment thinking and how it breaks down in the age of social media and misinformation, drawing on MIT researcher Sinan Aral's Twitter study and media lawyer Nabiha Syed's critiques. The episode closes by proposing that free speech should be seen as an ongoing democratic experiment that must be continually rethought, including by centering listeners' rights and information health.
#2398 - Francis Foster & Konstantin Kisin
Joe Rogan speaks with Francis and Constantine about censorship and hate-speech policing in the UK, the social and psychological aftermath of the pandemic and protest era, and how social media algorithms amplify outrage and extremism. They discuss protests, ideological labeling, gender and puberty-blocker debates, AI-generated music, ancient history and human nature, Middle East geopolitics, political violence, and the role of religion and myth in giving people meaning and moral frameworks.
#2397 - Richard Lindzen & William Happer
Joe Rogan speaks with atmospheric scientist Dick Linson and physicist Will Happer about climate science, the history of climate narratives, and how they believe politics and funding have distorted the field. They discuss CO2, water vapor, ice ages, solar variability, and climate models, while arguing that the current climate crisis narrative is exaggerated and tightly tied to financial and political incentives. The conversation also explores historical analogies like eugenics and the Salem witch trials, structural issues in academia and peer review, and the psychological and societal impacts of climate alarmism.
#2396 - Andrew Schulz
Joe Rogan and Andrew Schulz discuss AI-generated music, internet outrage dynamics, stand-up comedy culture, and the political climate in the U.S. and abroad. They explore topics ranging from pool hustling, parenting, and child stardom to free speech, immigration policy, and the possibility of alien contact as hinted in ancient religious texts. The conversation also covers MMA matchups, the psychology of cancel culture, and the importance of having humbling, skill-based hobbies outside of work.
#2395 - Mariana van Zeller
Joe Rogan talks with investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller about her high‑risk reporting on global black and gray markets, the end of her TV series "Trafficked," and the launch of her new podcast "The Hidden Third" exploring the underground economy and people living outside the law. They discuss drug cartels, counterfeit money, rehab and insurance fraud, the fentanyl and "tranq dope" crisis, and systemic failures in U.S. drug policy and healthcare. The conversation also covers immigration raids and asylum, pharmaceutical corruption around OxyContin and fentanyl, the explosion of sophisticated online scams and scam factories in Asia, political polarization, and Mariana's belief that empathy‑driven journalism is essential to understanding crime and fixing broken systems.
Content Warning
Host Simon Adler talks with law professor Kate Koenig about how social media content moderation has shifted in recent years, especially under the influence of TikTok's proactive, algorithm-driven model. They contrast earlier "keep it up unless we have to take it down" approaches with newer systems that pre-screen and algorithmically promote or bury content, raising concerns about prior restraint, invisible censorship, and concentrated power over public discourse. The episode also revisits controversies like the Hunter Biden laptop story and COVID-19 lab leak discussions, explores the idea of platforms as "platform islands" or camouflaged broadcasters, and considers the future "productification" of speech.
Instagram Goes PG-13, ChatGPT Allows Erotica, and Netflix Grabs Podcasts
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss a series of political and tech stories, including leaked racist and violent Telegram messages from young Republican leaders and J.D. Vance's response, Virginia Giuffre's new book on Jeffrey Epstein, and concerns about Gavin Newsom's approach to AI regulation. They examine OpenAI's plan to allow erotica for verified adults, the risks of AI-powered synthetic relationships and pornography for young men, Instagram's new teen protections, and broader debates about regulating tech platforms and protecting minors. The hosts also cover Meta's removal of an ICE-doxxing Facebook page, fears of weaponizing agencies like the IRS and Pentagon under Trump, criticism of Mark Benioff's call for the National Guard in San Francisco, the Pentagon's contested new press rules, and Netflix's move to bring video podcasts onto its platform as part of a larger shift from traditional TV to low-cost podcast-based video content.
#2394 - Palmer Luckey
Palmer Luckey discusses his path from building virtual reality headsets as a teenager and founding Oculus to running the defense technology company Anduril. He and the host explore VR's impacts, robot combat and training, UFOs and government secrecy, U.S. defense waste and reform, China's industrial and military buildup, as well as Anduril's autonomous weapons like AI fighter jets and the Eagle Eye augmented-reality combat helmet. They also delve into media manipulation, interspecies communication, uplifted animals, simulation theory, nostalgia in product design, and the ethics of working on advanced weapon systems.
How Can We Break Our Addiction to Contempt? (Update)
Stephen Dubner interviews Arthur Brooks about his argument that American politics has fallen into an addictive cycle of contempt, driven by media incentives, populism, and habits of communication, and that the most effective antidote is deliberately practiced love and warmheartedness. Brooks, drawing on economics, neuroscience, psychology, and his own varied career, explains how contempt differs from anger, how financial crises fuel polarization, and why media and political structures amplify division. He offers concrete techniques for individuals and leaders to reduce contempt, cultivate love as a verb, and reorient politics toward a competition over opportunity rather than mutual hatred.
#2392 - John Kiriakou
Former CIA officer and whistleblower John Kiriakou describes his career in U.S. intelligence, including counterterrorism work, the capture of Abu Zubaydah, and his refusal to participate in the CIA's post‑9/11 torture program. He explains how he went public about torture, the subsequent federal investigation and prosecution that led to his imprisonment, and his experiences inside federal prison and reentering society. The conversation broadens into critiques of the "deep state," FBI entrapment tactics, propaganda laws, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and Ukraine, and the influence of Israel and AIPAC on American politics.
#2390 - Jack Carr
Jack Carr discusses his new novel set in 1968 Vietnam, explaining the extensive historical research and immersive process he used to authentically capture the era and the experience of soldiers on the ground. He and Joe Rogan explore the Vietnam War, media influence on public perception, the decline of reading, the rise of AI in creative work, and the realities of Hollywood adaptations of his books like "The Terminal List" and "Dark Wolf." They also range into topics like stunt work, physical training, security concerns, political polarization, immigration, and the disturbing public reaction to the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
#615 - Ken Burns
Filmmaker Ken Burns discusses his career in historical documentary filmmaking, including the origin of the "Ken Burns effect" and how the early loss of his mother shaped his lifelong drive to "wake the dead" and keep the past alive. He dives deeply into his new six-part, 12-hour series "The American Revolution," arguing that the Revolution is the most important event since the birth of Christ, unpacking its ideas about equality, citizenship, virtue, and the pursuit of happiness, and correcting common myths about key events and figures. The conversation broadens into a reflection on American identity, media and social media, polarization, public institutions like PBS and the national parks, and the ongoing need for self-examination and civic responsibility to keep the American experiment from "dying by suicide."
Craigslist: Craig Newmark - The Forrest Gump of the Internet
Guy Raz interviews Craigslist founder Craig Newmark about how a simple email list for San Francisco tech and arts events in 1995 evolved into one of the world's most-used online classified sites. Newmark describes his socially awkward childhood, early work in computer science and the internet, the organic growth and minimalist philosophy behind Craigslist, his decision to hand over leadership to CEO Jim Buckmaster, and his later-life focus on philanthropy in journalism, veterans' support, and animal rescue. They also discuss the disputed impact of Craigslist on newspaper classified revenue and Newmark's belief that he was largely lucky and in the right place at the right time.
This Shocking Truth About Other People Will Change Your Life
Mel Robbins interviews researcher and author Dr. Todd Rose about how our hardwired need to belong drives conformity and how this, combined with social media dynamics, creates "collective illusions"-situations where most people go along with things they privately don't agree with because they wrongly assume everyone else does. Rose explains data showing that people overwhelmingly value relationships, character, meaningful work, and contribution, not fame and status, and that self-silencing to fit in damages both physical and mental health. They explore how authenticity and the simple practices of "let them" and "let me" can dismantle illusions, rebuild social trust, and dramatically improve individual life satisfaction and societal cohesion.
#2383 - Ian Edwards
Joe Rogan and Ian Edwards reflect on three decades in stand-up comedy, from New York and Boston club days to the current Austin and Kill Tony scene, breaking down how comics develop, sustain, or lose their edge. They also dive into boxing and MMA, brain damage and fighter longevity, historical boxing greats like Muhammad Ali, and broader issues of war, government deception, corporate greed, social media control, and how individuals can maintain independence and purpose in a corrupt system.
#2382 - Andrew Santino
Joe Rogan and Andrew Santino discuss the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, from AI-generated music and art to the looming impact on jobs, the economy, and social structures, including potential moves toward universal basic income. They examine recent political controversies around Jimmy Kimmel, Donald Trump, and the fictional assassination of Charlie Kirk, focusing on censorship, media manipulation, bot farms, and how social media inflames division. They also explore broader themes like quantum computing and a "new god" of superintelligent AI, government overreach, crime and civil unrest, conspiracy-laden shootings, wildlife management and mountain lions, overlooked musical talents, and the importance of generosity, community, and keeping perspective amid escalating chaos.
#481 - Norman Ohler: Hitler, Nazis, Drugs, WW2, Blitzkrieg, LSD, MKUltra & CIA
Lex Fridman talks with writer Norman Ohler about his research on drug use in Nazi Germany, including methamphetamine in the Wehrmacht and opioids in Hitler's inner circle. They discuss how overlooked pharmaceutical and illicit substances shaped military campaigns like the Blitzkrieg, Hitler's declining leadership, and postwar CIA programs such as MKUltra. The conversation also explores German resistance within the Third Reich, Berlin's postwar drug and club culture, and Ohler's broader project on the role of psychoactive drugs across human history.
ABC Pulls Jimmy Kimmel, Pam Bondi's Free Speech Mess, and Trump Sues The New York Times
Hosts Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway discuss ABC's decision to pull Jimmy Kimmel Live after a segment about the Charlie Kirk shooting, criticizing pressure from FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, conservative station owners, and Disney CEO Bob Iger as an attack on free speech. They examine Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's comments about targeting "hate speech," Trump's defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, media consolidation, and Scott's idea of economic pushback by affluent consumers. The episode also covers FBI Director Kash Patel's combative congressional testimony, NVIDIA's stake in Intel and China's response, Trump's extended TikTok deadline and proposed sale structure, and closes with political chatter about Pete Buttigieg and a prediction of a coming M&A wave.