"Benedict Cumberbatch"
Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes talk with Benedict Cumberbatch about fatherhood, his upbringing as the only child of two working actors, and how that shaped his path into acting. They cover his experiences at British boarding schools, a formative gap year teaching in a Tibetan community near Darjeeling, and his early TV and film work, before diving into his approach to roles, working with major directors and actors, and navigating fan expectations around iconic characters. Benedict also discusses learning to surf in his 40s, dealing with a serious shoulder injury, and his producing work on a new film adaptation of Max Porter's grief-focused novella "Grief is the Thing with Feathers," as well as his long-gestating adaptation of the novel "Rogue Male."
Introducing Business History: How Free Whisky, Hot Pants and Low Fares Led to Southwest's Success
Hosts Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith trace the rise of Southwest Airlines from a Texas intrastate startup sketched on a cocktail napkin to one of the most consistently profitable airlines in U.S. history. They explain how regulatory structures, low fares, aggressive legal battles, operational innovations, and a deliberately unglamorous business strategy gave Southwest a durable edge in a notoriously bad industry. The episode then examines how those same strengths later exposed vulnerabilities, culminating in the 737 MAX grounding, a holiday meltdown, activist investor pressure, and strategic changes like adding assigned seating.
"Claire Danes"
The hosts open with light banter about facials, manicures, and self-care before welcoming actor Claire Danes, who talks about her relatively low-key beauty routine, life in a New York City brownstone, and becoming a mother of three after an unexpected pregnancy at 44. She describes growing up in an artist loft in Soho, starting acting as a child, the whirlwind of early fame from "My So-Called Life" and "Romeo + Juliet," and how therapy and family grounded her. Danes also shares how she researches roles-including observing brain surgery and visiting Langley-her experiences on "Homeland," working with directors like Baz Luhrmann and Francis Ford Coppola, her eccentric family history (including an ancestor hanged in the Salem witch trials), and her new psychological thriller series "The Beast in Me" with Matthew Rhys.
My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee | A.J. Jacobs (re-release)
Author A.J. Jacobs describes how his tendency to focus on negatives led him to experiment with gratitude by thanking all the people involved in making his daily cup of coffee. What began as a family mealtime ritual evolved into a global quest to thank more than a thousand people along the coffee supply chain, yielding five key lessons about attention, savoring, invisible work, behavioral change, and global interconnectedness. He argues that genuine gratitude not only improves personal well-being but also inspires concrete action to help others, such as supporting access to safe water.
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.
"Tom Freston"
The hosts talk with media executive Tom Freston about his unconventional path from advertising into years of travel across North Africa and Asia, building a clothing business in India and Afghanistan, and eventually helping launch MTV and other major cable brands. Freston recounts the creation and impact of MTV, the birth of Comedy Central, his tumultuous years leading Viacom under Sumner Redstone, early views on platforms like YouTube and MySpace, and his later work in philanthropy and Afghan media. The conversation also explores his philosophy on travel, risk-taking, and using media for social change, plus colorful anecdotes involving Jimmy Buffett, Bangkok sex clubs, and a desert music festival near Timbuktu.
Backroads: Tom Hale. How a desk worker became a trailblazer in active travel
Guy Raz interviews Tom Hale, founder and CEO of Backroads, about how he turned a spontaneous idea into one of the largest active travel companies in the world. Hale describes leaving an unfulfilling environmental planning job, bootstrapping bike trips through U.S. national parks and later internationally, and building a logistics- and people-intensive business without outside capital. He also explains how Backroads survived major shocks like 9/11, the Great Recession, and COVID-19 while expanding beyond bike tours into hiking and multi-adventure travel.
The Mystery of the Death Valley Germans
The hosts recount the disappearance of a German family in Death Valley National Park in July 1996, tracing their planned vacation, the discovery of their abandoned minivan, and the initial failed search efforts. They then follow retired civil engineer and desert explorer Tom Mahood's detailed reconstruction of the family's decisions and route, culminating in his 2009 discovery of their remains nine miles south of the van. The episode highlights how misleading maps, underestimated desert danger, and reasonable but tragic choices led to the deaths, while also exploring theories that circulated in the years when the case was cold.
Advice Line with Tariq Farid of Edible Arrangements
This advice-line episode features Edible Arrangements founder Tariq Farid joining host Guy Raz to answer real-time questions from three entrepreneurs. Tariq first shares an update on Edible Arrangements, including generational leadership transition, brand reinvention, and navigating the emerging "edibles" space. Callers then seek advice on educating consumers about Filipino banana ketchup, naming a highly sustainable polar expedition company, and scaling a service-focused screen printing business from $3M to $5M in revenue without losing its culture.
#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.
#622 - Miles Teller
Theo Von sits down with actor Miles Teller for a wide-ranging conversation about his life, career, and new film "Eternity." They talk about growing up in Florida and moving frequently as a kid, his family background and early injuries, and how experiences with illness and loss in his family shaped his empathy and outlook. They also dive into the themes of love, mortality, and the afterlife in "Eternity," discuss military service and veterans' mental health, and reflect on prioritizing relationships and normal life over constant work.
Advice Line with Niraj Shah of Wayfair
In this Advice Line episode of How I Built This Lab, host Guy Raz and Wayfair co-founder and CEO Neeraj Shah take calls from three founders seeking help with branding, financing, and career-risk decisions. They discuss how to clearly communicate a novel cooking ingredient (CookStix), when and how to seek funding for a mineral sunscreen brand (Daily Shade), and how a founder of a solo-women-travel housing app (HerHouse) should think about leaving a well-paid job. Neeraj also reflects on his long co-founder relationship, Wayfair's scale and focus strategy, and the non-linear nature of entrepreneurial journeys.
#621 - Andrew Santino
Theo Von and comedian Andrew Santino catch up about touring, filming stand-up specials, and the intense pressure that comes with trying to "capture lightning in a bottle" on camera. They discuss Theo's turbulent Netflix taping, mental health struggles, paranoia after a government video used his clip, and the way online media distorted what happened. The conversation widens into technology and AI, Saudi and Qatari comedy festivals, hypocrisy in public outrage, aging, family, community, and what to do when having children may not be in the cards.
#2402 - Miranda Lambert
Joe Rogan speaks with a touring musician about hearing protection, life on the road, and the role of hobbies like mounted shooting, golf, archery, and pool in maintaining focus and mental balance. They discuss her animal rescue nonprofit work, experiences with allergies and moving between cities, and how the COVID shutdown changed her relationship to touring. The conversation also explores fate, early stage experiences, education, ADHD-like traits, impactful teachers, and the mental challenges of high-pressure performance and skill-based pursuits.
Short Stuff: The Bell Witch
Josh and Chuck recount the 19th-century legend of the Bell Witch, a purported haunting of the Bell family in Adams, Tennessee. They describe the family's strange encounters, the escalation from eerie animals and noises to physical attacks and a talking witch, and the deaths and ruined relationships attributed to the entity. The hosts also cover theories about the witch's identity, the real historical records behind the people involved, and how the story lives on today as a local tourist attraction.
#832: The Return of The Lion Tracker - Boyd Varty on The Wild Man Within, Nature's Hidden Wisdom, and How to Feel Fully Alive
Tim Ferriss speaks with lion tracker, storyteller, and retreat leader Boyd Varty about formative experiences in the African bush, including leading an "elite" firefighting team, assisting his wild filmmaker uncle, and close calls with dangerous animals. They explore what Boyd has learned from a decade of nature-based retreats, the power of silence and wordlessness, and how time in the wilderness reawakens innate capacities for awareness, healing, and meaning. The conversation also covers Bushmen persistence hunting, modern masculinity and men's groups, and comedic but revealing encounters with a notorious baboon named Lunch.
#618 - Sam and Colby
Sam and Colby, two YouTube creators known for exploring haunted and abandoned locations, talk with Theo about how they met in small‑town Kansas, built an online career from Vine days, and eventually shifted from illegal urban exploration to structured paranormal investigations. They describe the pivotal Queen Mary experience that changed their beliefs about the afterlife, the methods and equipment they use to investigate alleged hauntings, and some of the most disturbing locations they have visited, including Pendle Hill, the Paris catacombs, and the Smurl house. Throughout, they and Theo connect paranormal exploration to faith, intention, manifestation, and how people show up in their lives and relationships.
A pastry chef works his chocolatier magic - live | Amaury Guichon
Pastry chef and chocolatier Amaury Guichon speaks with Latif Nasser at TED 2025 about how he uses chocolate to create intricate edible sculptures that inspire wonder around the world. He explains his journey from struggling student in France to Vegas-based pastry artist, his focus on taste and texture as much as visual impact, and his mission to showcase the hidden labor behind pastry. During the talk he live-assembles his elaborate "coffee clock" dessert on stage, revealing both the artistic process and the multi-layered flavors inside.
Brainstorming $100M Ideas with the $1B+ King of Brands
The hosts interview consumer brand entrepreneur Eric Ryan about how he repeatedly reinvents everyday product categories like soap, vitamins, and bandages into large, culturally resonant brands. Ryan explains his simple but disciplined model for spotting category white space, stealing inspiration from distant industries and geographies, and balancing familiarity with novelty, then applies that thinking in a live brainstorming session for new $100M+ brand ideas. He also discusses the challenges of execution, leadership, and funding, including a recent failed retail jewelry venture and his current shift toward incubating brands and investing via a new consumer fund.
"Kirsten Dunst"
Kirsten Dunst joins the SmartLess hosts for a wide-ranging conversation about her life as a former child actor, her evolving relationship to auditions and awards, and her current slate of films including "Roofman" and Ruben Östlund's "The Entertainment System is Down." She talks about balancing a dual-actor household with parenting two young sons, her preference for a low-key life in the Valley, and an acting process that includes "dream work" to deepen characters. The group also digresses into food, TV habits, SNL memories, and why she now craves doing a big, fun comedy next.
#829: James Nestor - Breathing Protocols to Reboot Your Health, Fix Your Sleep, and Boost Performance
Tim Ferriss interviews science journalist James Nestor about how everyday breathing habits profoundly affect health, sleep, mental performance, and athletic capacity. They discuss historical and modern breathwork practices, the dangers of mouth breathing and sleep-disordered breathing (especially in kids), and simple, low-cost ways to improve nasal breathing, sleep quality, and CO2 tolerance. Nestor also explores indoor CO2 levels and cognition, the emerging field of bioelectric medicine, breathing for athletes, and how he approached structuring and writing his bestselling book "Breath."
#613 - Forrest Galante
Forrest Galante discusses growing up on a farm and safari operation in Zimbabwe, witnessing wildlife decline and later violent land seizures that forced his family to flee during the land reform era. He explains how that background led him into wildlife biology and television, covering his work on "Extinct or Alive," his new series "Animals on Drugs," and hands-on conservation projects like chemically and surgically castrating invasive hippos in Colombia. The conversation ranges through close calls with deadly snakes, the ethics of extinction and de‑extinction, invasive species, and why reconnecting with wild places can ground people in a hyperconnected world.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harvey's Casino Bombing of 1980
The hosts recount the 1980 Harvey's Casino bombing in Lake Tahoe, a meticulously planned extortion attempt involving a uniquely sophisticated 1,000‑pound dynamite bomb that ultimately detonated without injuring anyone. They walk through the placement of the bomb, the detailed ransom note and helicopter instructions, the failed money drop, the FBI's risky attempt to disable the device, and the investigation that led to mastermind John Waldo Burgess Sr., his family, and accomplices. The episode closes with listener mail about using positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) in child behavior management.
Are You Investing in Tomorrow or Robbing It?
This episode features Dave Ramsey and co-host Ken Coleman taking live calls about real-world financial decisions, from handling debt and housing choices to navigating career changes and family dynamics. Callers wrestle with issues like credit card use in marriage, whether to use windfalls to pay off debt or buy homes, job loss and underemployment late in life, enabling adult children, and how to balance generosity and enjoyment when wealthy. Throughout, Dave and Ken emphasize shared vision, personal responsibility, ethical choices, and prioritizing debt freedom and long-term stability over short-term comfort.
Sunday Pick: Mexico City | Far Flung
TED Talks Daily shares an episode of the TED Audio Collective podcast Far Flung, hosted by Salim Reshemwala, that explores how Mexico City channels the creativity of its 21 million residents. Through interviews with pedestrian activist-turned-public-servant Jorge Canes (a.k.a. Peatonito) and former head of the Laboratorio para la Ciudad, Gabriela Gomez-Mont, the episode shows how citizens and government collaborate to improve pedestrian safety, map chaotic bus routes, crowdsource a city constitution, and create play streets for children. The conversation highlights how viewing crowds as sources of imagination and talent can transform a megalopolis' approach to governance and public space.