Best Ada Palmer Podcasts (2025)

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Essays 1:33:33

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8h ago1:33:33

1:33:33

Waweru doesn't read the essays, Liam wishes he didn't, and we argue about whether it should be legal for teachers to be fans of the x-men. https://reactormag.com/designing-people-and-societies-cj-cherryhs-cyteen/ * Contains a line about Regenesis (Edited out of version received by Liam) https://reactormag.com/who-killed-ariane-emory-cj-cherryhs-cyt…

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A New History of the Fourteenth Century with Helen Carr 37:46

3d ago37:46

37:46

The fourteenth-century is one of the most turbulent periods in European history. Famine, war, plague, royal depositions – you name it, this century’s got it. This week, Danièle speaks with Helen Carr about how England fared in these wild times, what her take is on some famous Plantagenets, and why we need to take a fresh look at this calamitous cen…

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Dr Dan McClellan on the Hebrew Bible 1:02:27

2d ago1:02:27

1:02:27

My guest today is Dr Dan McClellan. Dan is the presenter of the Data over Dogma podcast and a public educator who has won the Society of Biblical Literature's 2023 Richards Award for Public Scholarship for his YouTube and TikTok videos on the academic study of the Bible. He is also the author of The Bible Says So: What We Get Right (and Wrong) Abou…

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Cyteen Endings Part 3 1:43:34

5d ago1:43:34

1:43:34

Waweru argues against radical change, Liam argues red lobster is insufficiently red, We publicly accuse a cardinal of being mildly rude Support the showBy Liam Nolan, Waweru Kariuki

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Medieval Wills and Testaments with Robert A. Wood 28:38

10d ago28:38

28:38

One of the difficult truths of life in the Middle Ages is that death was never far away. While the vast majority of medieval people owned far fewer possessions than we do today, they were just as concerned with making sure everything was taken care of according to their wishes before they passed. This week, Danièle speaks with Robert A. Wood about …

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Eliezer Yudkowsky vs Mark Miller | ASI Risks: Similar premises, opposite conclusions 4:12:32

7d ago4:12:32

4:12:32

What are the best strategies for addressing extreme risks from artificial superintelligence? In this 4-hour conversation, decision theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky and computer scientist Mark Miller discuss their cruxes for disagreement. They examine the future of AI, existential risk, and whether alignment is even possible. Topics include AI risk scenar…

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Forensic Medicine and Death Investigation with Sara Butler 49:24

16d ago49:24

49:24

Everyone loves a good medieval whodunit, but how did real people investigate homicides in the Middle Ages? What did they look for? And how did they decide if a person’s death was an unfortunate accident or foul play? This week, Danièle speaks with Sara Butler about forensic medicine, and how death investigation was conducted in medieval England. Yo…

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Cyteen Ending rants: Part 2 1:20:14

19d ago1:20:14

1:20:14

Sorry for the late release I've been sick all week Support the showBy Liam Nolan, Waweru Kariuki

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History in Flames with Robert Bartlett 46:08

23d ago46:08

46:08

Part of the reason a lot of people figure nothing much went on during the Middle Ages is because we’ve lost a whole lot of sources telling us what actually did happen. Through malice and misfortune, medieval manuscripts have been destroyed in their thousands. So, how do we know what may have gone up in smoke? And what can we do to keep our beloved …

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Æthelstan, First King of England with David Woodman 48:31

1M ago48:31

48:31

On September 4, 925 – 1100 years to the day this episode is released – King Æthelstan was crowned at Kingston-upon-Thames. Æthelstan is most often talked about in the context of the famous Battle of Brunanburh, but maybe we should remember him instead as the first king of England. This week, Danièle speaks with David Woodman about Æthelstan’s life,…

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Robert DeVere, Royal Favourite with James Ross 50:00

1M ago50:00

50:00

When the power of an entire kingdom rests in the hands of just one man, it’s both incredibly valuable and incredibly dangerous to be that man’s bestie - and the legacies of royal favourites tend to retain the taint of contemporary snark. So, maybe it’s about time we take a second look. This week, Danièle speaks with James Ross about the life of Rob…

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Cyteen Ending rants: Part 1 1:48:21

1M ago1:48:21

1:48:21

This a taste of what the patrons of the show get Support the showBy Liam Nolan, Waweru Kariuki

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Joan of Arc with Deborah McGrady 59:54

1M ago59:54

59:54

Maid, hero, heretic, saint - Joan of Arc is one of the most fascinating figures of the Middle Ages. This week, Danièle speaks with Deborah McGrady about Joan’s incredible life and death, her voice, and her complex and enduring legacy. You can enrol in Danièle's online course Calamity and Change: An Introduction to the Fourteenth Century at https://…

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Medieval Love Letters with Ad Putter and Myra Stokes 42:30

2M ago42:30

42:30

The people of the Middle Ages were no strangers to Cupid’s arrows, and just like us, they loved a good love letter. But in a world where literacy rates were far below what they are today, who was writing their most heartfelt feelings down? And how do we know? This week, Danièle speaks with Myra Stokes and Ad Putter about where we find love letters,…

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Cyteen | Whole Book 2:15:04

2M ago2:15:04

2:15:04

Waweru admires torturers, Liam admires people who hurt children, and we criticize Harriet Tubman for owning a gun. Reseune Educational Publications: Banned DIscussion of radical Paxer propaganda Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. Support the showBy Liam Nolan, Waweru Kariuki

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Marco Polo and his World with Sharon Kinoshita 48:04

2M ago48:04

48:04

He's one of the most popular figures in all of medieval history, and his book was a bestseller for literally centuries. So what do we know about the life and times of Marco Polo? This week, Danièle speaks with Sharon Kinoshita about why Marco travelled so far, what sort of detail he wanted to share with his readers, and what was going on in the wor…

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2 Kill a Serpent | Serpent's Reach 1:46:19

2M ago1:46:19

1:46:19

Waweru wonders if eliminating oppression is anti-diversity, Liam claims Azi aren't fit to rule, and we don't understand a book. Banned by the Alliance XenBureau: Unauthorized publication of data from Hydri Support the showBy Liam Nolan, Waweru Kariuki

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Episode 300! 48:20

2M ago48:20

48:20

This week, in celebration of Episode 300, Danièle answers your questions on everything from Hastings to hose, with a couple of surprises along the way. You can support this podcast on Patreon - go to https://www.patreon.com/medievalists And join on This is History's Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/thisishistory and use the code 'glassking' to ge…

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141. The Renaissance and Byzantium are characters in the same play, with Ada Palmer 1:19:08

2M ago1:19:08

1:19:08

A conversation with Ada Palmer (University of Chicago) about the invention of the idea of the Italian Renaissance and the functions that it serves in the western historical imagination. "Byzantium" is a similarly invented category that often works in tandem with "the Renaissance" to mark good and bad moments in the history of culture. The conversat…

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Cyteen | End 1:02:42

2M ago1:02:42

1:02:42

Waweru says slaves can't be noble, Liam says loving your master gets you credit,and we try to justify Ariane Emory. Reseune Educational Publications: Banned DIscussion of radical Paxer propaganda Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. Read Serpent's Reach! Support the show…

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Vikings Behaving Reasonably with Robert Lively 43:48

3M ago43:48

43:48

If you asked the average person how Vikings solved their problems, they probably wouldn’t say through lawyers. And yet, early Scandinavian people were sticklers for due process. This week, Danièle speaks with Robert Lively about how a person became a Viking lawyer, what the process was for solving disputes, and how fixing bad behaviour worked in th…

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Dr Thomas C. Schmidt on Josephus' Testimonium 1:39:24

3M ago1:39:24

1:39:24

My guest today is Dr Thomas C. Schmidt of Fairfield University. Tom has just published an interesting new book through Oxford University Press: Josephus and Jesus – New Evidence for the One Called Christ. In it he makes a detailed case for the authenticity of the Testimonium Flavianum; the much disputed passage about Jesus in Book 18 of Flavius Jos…

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Cyteen | Chapter 14: Sections 10-13 58:47

3M ago58:47

58:47

Waweru condemns revolution, Liam wonders if murder can solve political problems, and we assert the cops should be called on burn victims. Reseune Educational Publications: Banned DIscussion of radical Paxer propaganda Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep with our review please finish the book! Supp…

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140. A newly identified portrait of Konstantinos XI Palaiologos (1448-1453), with Anastasia Koumousi 54:32

3M ago54:32

54:32

A conversation with Anastasia Koumousi (Director of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Achaea, Greek Ministry of Culture) about the recently identified portrait of the last emperor of the Romans in Constantinople, Konstantinos XI Palaiologos, in a monastery church in the northern Peloponnese. The discussion is based on her article ‘Παλαιά Μονή Ταξιαρχώ…

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Elephants and Ivory with John Beusterien 49:58

3M ago49:58

49:58

Elephants were known throughout most of the medieval world, even if most people had never encountered one, themselves. In bestiaries, elephants are praised for their long memories, intelligence, and monogamy. And, of course, their ivory. This week, Danièle speaks with John Beusterien about elephants and ivory in medieval China and Spain, including …

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Cyteen | Chapter 14: Sections 6-9 57:33

3M ago57:33

57:33

Waweru compliments Hong Kong Press Regulation, Liam does a cost benefit analysis for assassination , and Waweru questions the expertise of someone smarter than him. Reseune Educational Publications: Approved for 70+ Discussion of Medical Consent hypotheticals Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep wi…

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Royal Grief in Medieval Iberia with Nuria Silleras-Fernandez 56:45

3M ago56:45

56:45

For three medieval Iberian queens, grief - and the way they expressed it - had immense and far-reaching consequences. This week, Danièle speaks with Núria Silleras-Fernández about what grief and widowhood were "supposed" to look like, how grief and madness were thought to be intertwined with love, and how the grieving women in the famous Isabella t…

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Mysterious Manuscripts with Garry Shaw 55:07

3M ago55:07

55:07

There are several famous examples of mysterious medieval writing, including the so-far unbreakable Voynich Manuscript. So, what secrets were medieval people trying to hide? And why? This week, Danièle speaks with Garry Shaw about who was encrypting their manuscripts, the codes they used, and the centuries of attempts to crack the Voynich Manuscript…

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139. Captivity and enslavement in the late medieval Aegean, with Alasdair Grant 1:04:26

3M ago1:04:26

1:04:26

A conversation with Alasdair Grant (University of Hamburg) about the captivity and enslavement that many Greeks (Romaioi) experienced in the late medieval period, a period of state collapse during which they were subject to Italian and Turkish raids and attacks. We talk about the differences between captivity and enslavement, the prospects for bein…

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Cyteen | Chapter 14: Sections 1-5 51:49

3M ago51:49

51:49

Waweru asserts you can bomb people to free them, Liam wonders if the social contract has loopholes, and we think about abolishing the future. Reseune Educational Publications: Approved for 70+ Discussion of Medical Consent hypotheticals Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep with our review please re…

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Johannes Gutenberg with Eric White 52:06

4M ago52:06

52:06

There are a lot of gamechanging inventions that shifted the trajectory of the Middle Ages, but one machine managed to hit at just the right time and place to create a massive enterprise in medieval Europe, with consequences that touched the entire globe: Gutenberg's printing press. This week, Danièle speaks with Eric White about Johannes Gutenberg’…

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Cyteen | Chapter 13: Section 7-tape 1:52:44

4M ago1:52:44

1:52:44

Waweru thinks it's bad to help prisoners become better people, Liam thinks pamphelets and psychoactive drugs are the same, and we solve medical ethics. Reseune Educational Publications: Approved for 70+ Discussion of Medical Consent hypotheticals Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep with our review…

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Nobel Laureate David Baker on Using AI for Science to Solve Humanity's Biggest Problems [TEASER] 4:52

4M ago4:52

4:52

This is a teaser episode of the Existential Hope Podcast with Nobel Laureate David Baker. David reveals how scientists are now inventing entirely new proteins—life's fundamental building blocks—to tackle some of the world's most pressing challenges. David shares his journey and his vision for a future where custom-built "molecular machines," an ide…

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138. Romeyka, a parallel branch of Greek surviving in northeastern Turkey, with Ioanna Sitaridou 1:01:56

4M ago1:01:56

1:01:56

A conversation with Ioanna Sitaridou (University of Cambridge) about a Greek language (Romeyka) still spoken in northwestern Turkey, though now endangered, whose grammar retains interesting archaic features. The ancestors of its current speakers were not exchanged in 1923 because they were Muslim; the primary language in their communities today is …

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Inventing the Renaissance with Ada Palmer 55:55

4M ago55:55

55:55

Given that the term literally means “rebirth”, the Renaissance throws some not-so-subtle shade on the period that comes before it. So, where did the idea of the Renaissance actually come from? And was it truly a golden age? This week, Danièle speaks with Ada Palmer about Petrarch, Machiavelli, atheism, and how we should look at the period formerly …

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Welcome to Foresight Institute Radio 0:43

4M ago0:43

0:43

This feed is now Foresight Institute Radio—your place for standout talks on frontier technology: from AI and neurotech to nanotech, longevity, and space. You’ll hear highlights from Foresight’s global conferences and seminars featuring top scientists and builders. For long-form interviews, follow our sister show: The Existential Hope Podcast, with …

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Jonathan Anomaly | Embryo selection for health, longevity and intelligence 11:04

4M ago11:04

11:04

What happens when parents can choose their children's genetic traits, and which selections benefit society versus harm it? In this talk, Jonathan Anomaly explores the emerging field of embryo selection for intelligence, disease prevention, and longevity. He covers how polygenic risk scores work to predict complex traits and why most diseases involv…

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Mary Lou Jepsen | The handheld hospital 10:13

4M ago10:13

10:13

What if you could diagnose stroke, treat cancer, and cure depression with a smartphone-sized device that costs $1,000 instead of millions? In this talk, Mary Lou Jepsen demonstrates her revolutionary handheld medical devices that use ultrasound and infrared light to selectively target diseased cells while leaving healthy tissue unharmed. She covers…

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Jean Hebert | ARPA-H: Accelerate better health outcomes for everyone 8:53

4M ago8:53

8:53

What if a government agency could fund transformative health research with $200 million budgets and no bureaucratic committees? In this talk, Jean Hebert explores ARPA-H's – a research funding agency – unique mission to accelerate health breakthroughs, from 3D-printed organs to functional eye transplants. He covers how ARPA-H operates differently f…

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Irina Rish | AI & Scale 12:18

4M ago12:18

12:18

How has the history of AI been shaped by the "bitter lesson" that simple scaling beats complex algorithms, and what comes next? In this talk, Irina Rish traces AI's evolution from rule-based systems to today's foundation models, exploring how scaling laws predicted performance improvements and recent shifts toward more efficient approaches. She cov…

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Cyteen | Chapter 13: Section 1-6 1:35:47

4M ago1:35:47

1:35:47

Waweru claims spending time with people is a form of manipulation, Liam wonders if people need to consent to medical treatment, and we wonder if weasels are capable of good intentions. Reseune Educational Publications: Approved for 60+ Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep with our review please rea…

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Saint Thomas Becket with Michael Staunton 57:16

4M ago57:16

57:16

It's one of the most notorious political assassinations in history: the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket. The story of two friends who became bitter enemies in a struggle between church and state that drew in some of the most powerful people from all over medieval Europe. So, how did a pretty ordinary kid from London end up as …

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Cyteen | Chapter 12: Sections 7-tape 1:16:25

4M ago1:16:25

1:16:25

Waweru claims tops can't have relationships, Liam says vitamins are useless, We wonder if twins are guilty for each others crimes. Reseune Educational Publications: Approved for 60+ Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep with our review please read chapters chapter 13, sections 1-6 Support the show…

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Dr Ada Palmer on Myths of "the Renaissance" 1:42:18

4M ago1:42:18

1:42:18

My guest today is Dr Ada Palmer, Associate Professor of Early Modern European History at the University of Chicago and author Inventing the Renaissance: Myths of a Golden Age. I must say I haven’t enjoyed reading a book as much as this one in quite some time. Dr Palmer takes the traditional idea of the Renaissance – that it was a glorious rebirth o…

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What history can teach us about doing better science – Eric Gilliam 1:06:39

4M ago1:06:39

1:06:39

Eric Gilliam studies how organizations like Bell Labs, early MIT, and the Rockefeller Foundation helped drive scientific progress — and what made them unusually effective. In this conversation, we explore how those models worked, why many of them disappeared, and what it would take to bring them back. Eric explains why fast-moving, engineering-driv…

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137. Conspiracy theories and the deep state, now and then, with Winston Berg 1:15:56

4M ago1:15:56

1:15:56

Winston Berg is a political scientist (University of Chicago) who studies modern American conspiracy theories about politics and the deep state; his dissertation studied the movement known as QAnon. Given our political moment, I thought it would be interesting to discuss with him the different contours and valences that conspiracy theories and deep…

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Medieval Infancy with Julie Singer 47:42

4M ago47:42

47:42

One of the most celebrated moments in childhood is when a person utters their very first words, stepping over a brand new threshold of communication. And from that moment on, all bets are off. This week, Danièle speaks with Julie Singer about what medieval people thought about infancy in general, how literary children could be vehicles for truth an…

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Cyteen | Chapter 12: Sections 1-6 1:08:48

4M ago1:08:48

1:08:48

Waweru thinks panic attacks are fun, Liam is surprised sexual harassment still happens, and we wonder if 80 year olds are capable of change. Reseune Educational Publications: Approved for 60+ Remember to subscribe in your preferred podcasting portal and Support the show. To keep with our review please read chapters chapter 12, sections 7-tape Suppo…

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Existential Hope Podcast: Glen Weyl | Can we use AI to build a fairer society? 26:27

4M ago26:27

26:27

Most AI discussions focus on its risks to democracy – disinformation, surveillance, centralization of power. But what if AI could make governance better? Glen Weyl, political economist at Microsoft Research and founder of RadicalxChange, argues that AI could be used to create more participatory, decentralized, and democratic systems, if we design i…

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Prester John with Chris Taylor 43:52

5M ago43:52

43:52

A mysterious figure ruling at the fringes of the known world, Prester John might be the most famous person you've never heard of. Like a medieval Carmen Sandiego, Prester John was a man people searched the globe for, from Ethiopia, to Tibet, to the New World, never quite catching up to him in the end. So, who was Prester John and why were medieval …