Best Andy Rao Podcasts (2025)

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Feeling stuck on climate change? Here’s what to do | Kris De Meyer 15:27

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14m ago15:27

15:27

To spark action on climate change, the conventional wisdom says that awareness must precede action — but neuroscientist Kris De Meyer suggests the opposite is true: actions drive beliefs. He digs into the science behind decision-making and shows how you can rewire your brain to get unstuck on big challenges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f…

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Interview: Grief is complicated — but drawing cartoons can help with Dr. Nathan Gray 31:38

3d ago31:38

31:38

With just a few lines, cartoons can say so much with so little. In a moving talk, cartoonist Navied Mahdavian shares his process for distilling huge concepts into drawings on the page — and shows how his work helped him grieve the death of his beloved grandmother, flaws and all. After the talk, Shoshana interviews Nathan Gray on the use of comics a…

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Could Mental Workouts Keep Your Brain Young? | NPR’s Short Wave 11:42

10d ago11:42

11:42

Today, we’re featuring an episode from NPR’s science podcast Short Wave. In it, host Regina G. Barber talks to NPR brain correspondent Jon Hamilton about MENTAL EXERCISES. Scientists have found the first compelling evidence that cognitive training can boost levels of a chemical that typically declines as people age. And previous studies of people h…

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From Hindsight Bias to Machine Bias: Dr. Laura Zwaan on Learning from Mistakes 38:09

19d ago38:09

38:09

As a cognitive psychologist, Dr. Laura Zwaan studies how humans make—and learn from—mistakes. In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, she brings that lens to AI, showing how machines inherit our biases and why both need transparency and reflection. From the challenge of defining diagnostic error to the promise of “machine psychology,” Dr. Zwaan ex…

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Interview: What happens in your brain when you pay attention? with Dr. Sasha Hamdani 34:56

17d ago34:56

34:56

Attention isn't just about what we focus on -- it's also about what our brains filter out. By investigating patterns in the brain as people try to focus, computational neuroscientist Mehdi Ordikhani-Seyedlar hopes to build computer models that can be used to treat ADHD and help those who have lost the ability to communicate. Hear more about this ex…

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Mark Cuban and Dr. Fumiko Chino Try to F-Up Healthcare | from Before We Go 41:54

24d ago41:54

41:54

Today’s episode features two people who are shaking up the U.S. healthcare system in very different but deeply humane ways. Dr. Fumiko Chino knows firsthand how devastating medical debt can be. After losing her husband to cancer and being left with overwhelming bills, she went to medical school to become a radiation oncologist and made it her missi…

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Your zip code shouldn’t determine your lifespan with Dion Dawson 16:16

1M ago16:16

16:16

What if ending food insecurity meant ditching charity models that haven’t been updated since the 1960s? Dion Dawson, TED Fellow and founder of Dion’s Chicago Dream, shares how he turned a spontaneous idea for giving back to his community into a thriving social enterprise, delivering top-quality produce to thousands of Chicago households every week …

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The surprising cause of stomach ulcers with Rusha Modi 7:02

1M ago7:02

7:02

It’s a common misconception that stomach ulcers are caused by emotional upset, psychological distress, or spicy food. Yet no convincing study has ever demonstrated that these factors directly cause ulcer disease. So what does cause stomach ulcers? Rusha Modi explains how one doctor’s famous (and dangerous) experiment led us to the answer. [Directed…

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Introducing So Your Parents Are Old 3:14

1M ago3:14

3:14

Journalist Vanessa Grigoriadis talks to friends, experts, and celebrities about the chaos of dealing with aging parents. From Medicaid nightmares to emotional meltdowns in storage units, it’s a brutally honest, often hilarious look at one of life’s most disorienting stages. Come for the catharsis, stay for the gallows humor and unfiltered conversat…

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Interview: Could we detect breast cancer with a fingerprint? with Dr. Dhivya Srinivasa 31:57

2M ago31:57

31:57

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women globally. And yet, many people pass up opportunities to get screened for the disease, often because of the invasive and sometimes painful process of mammograms. Chemist and professor Simona Francese presents a potentially groundbreaking alternative that could transform how and when we identify thi…

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Medicine, Machines, and Magic: Dr. Jonathan Chen on Medical AI 48:17

2M ago48:17

48:17

In this episode, Dr. Jonathan Chen joins the hosts to discuss his path from teenage programmer to Stanford physician-informatician and why machine learning has both thrilled and unnerved him. From his 2017 NEJM essay warning about “inflated expectations” to his latest studies showing GPT‑4 outperforming doctors on diagnostic tasks, Dr. Chen describ…

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Can cannabis help you sleep? Here's the science | Jen Walsh 13:23

2M ago13:23

13:23

Can cannabis actually treat insomnia? It's complicated, says sleep physiologist Jen Walsh. While the plant has been used across time and cultures, there's been little scientific research on how it impacts sleep disorders like insomnia. That's precisely where she and her team come in. Learn about the world's first study into the potential of medicin…

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How Texas became America’s biggest producer of wind energy | Speed & Scale 26:57

2M ago26:57

26:57

This is the surprising story of how Texas – rich in oil and gas – became America's biggest producer of wind energy. For our first episode, Ryan and Anjali talk with Pat Wood, once George W. Bush’s right hand man and head of Texas's Public Utility Commission, to uncover the innovative approach that turned Texas into a renewable energy powerhouse. It…

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Interview: The life-saving secrets in your baby's DNA | Robert C. Green 41:14

2M ago41:14

41:14

What if we could get a heads-up about serious health issues before they begin, from the moment a baby is born? In this groundbreaking talk, medical geneticist and physician-scientist Robert C. Green shares how his team at the BabySeq Project became the first in the world to comprehensively sequence and analyze the DNA of healthy infants, revealing …

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Collagen's dirty secret — and its clean future | Fei Luo 8:29

2M ago8:29

8:29

From cosmetics to nutrition, collagen is seemingly everywhere — but we don't often discuss its ethically questionable sources, says chemical engineer Fei Luo. She delves into the groundbreaking technology that uses genetically modified yeast to brew animal-free collagen, a process that could pave the way for a functional, tasty and harm-free future…

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Interview: What actually causes high cholesterol? | Hei Man Chan 29:32

2M ago29:32

29:32

In 1968, the American Heart Association made an announcement that would influence people’s diets for decades: they recommended that people avoid eating more than three eggs a week. Their reasoning was that the cholesterol packed into egg yolks could increase cardiovascular disease risk. So, what exactly is cholesterol? And is it actually bad for yo…

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From Clinician to Chief Health AI Officer: A Conversation with Dr. Karandeep Singh 1:02:32

3M ago1:02:32

1:02:32

Dr. Karandeep Singh brings two worlds together: programming and medicine. In this conversation, he explains how early experiments with code led him to biomedical informatics, why gaps between paper performance and clinical reality must be confronted, and how governance committees weigh ethics and safety. Now serving as Chief Health AI Officer at UC…

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Do you really need to take 10,000 steps a day? | Shannon Odell 6:49

3M ago6:49

6:49

For years, Jean Béliveau walked from country to country, with the goal of circumnavigating the globe on foot. While few people have the time or desire to walk such extreme lengths, research shows that adding even a modest amount of walking to your daily routine can dramatically improve your health. So, what exactly happens to your body when you inc…

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Interview: A parent's guide to raising kids after loss | Andy Laats 41:41

3M ago41:41

41:41

Andy Laats had the textbook fairytale family setup ... a great job, a happy marriage, three wonderful kids and everything going for them. Until one day, they didn't anymore. In this tender, wise and unexpectedly funny talk, Laats describes the profound lessons he's learned over the years as a father, offering insights that will resonate with anyone…

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I'm an adult! Why do I have acne? | CBC's The Dose 23:27

3M ago23:27

23:27

While most people think of acne as a skin condition for adolescents, it can also develop in adults. In this bonus episode from CBC’s The Dose, host Dr. Brian Goldman speaks with the head of dermatology at Dalhousie University, Dr. Kerri Purdy. She shares some of the risk factors for acne (genes and hormones, not necessarily diet) as well as the lat…

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Interview: Why daylight is the secret to great sleep | Christine Blume 31:21

3M ago31:21

31:21

Does the type and amount of light you’re exposed to during the day change how well you sleep at night? Diving into the effects of daylight on your internal biological clock, sleep scientist Christine Blume shares practical tips for making natural light part of your daily routine — and shows why stepping outside might be the simplest, most impactful…

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Radiologist Turned CEO: Dr. Jeremy Friese on AI for Prior Authorization 42:59

4M ago42:59

42:59

Dr. Jeremy Friese knows medicine from both sides. A practicing radiologist and technology executive, he’s seen firsthand how administrative burden undermines care. In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, he walks through the origins of prior authorization, explains why he believes artificial intelligence can close the gap between patients and paye…

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Why your body fights weight loss | Katherine Saunders 13:20

4M ago13:20

13:20

Why does losing weight often feel like an uphill battle? Physician Katherine Saunders unpacks how our bodies are wired to store fat, revealing that obesity isn’t simply a lack of willpower — it’s a complex, chronic disease rooted in evolutionary biology. She shares the science behind the latest breakthroughs in treatment, from lifestyle interventio…

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The science of taste and smell with Rachel Herz | from ReThinking with Adam Grant 35:18

4M ago35:18

35:18

Do you hate the taste of cilantro and chocolate? You might be a super taster! Rachel Herz is a neuroscientist at Brown University who specializes in taste and smell. In this episode, Adam, Rachel, and Adam’s wife Allison Sweet Grant investigate the sources of their different food preferences, uncover the overlooked power of smell, and analyze the e…

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Why social health is key to happiness and longevity | Kasley Killam 11:27

4M ago11:27

11:27

You know it's important to take care of your physical and mental health. But what about your social health? Social scientist Kasley Killam shows how feeling a sense of belonging and connection has concrete benefits to your overall health — and explains why it may be the missing key to living a longer and happier life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com…

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How I make vegan food sexy | from TED Talks Daily 20:06

4M ago20:06

20:06

At the plant-based burger chain Slutty Vegan, Pinky Cole is flipping the script on vegan food with bold style. In conversation with host of "TED Radio Hour" Manoush Zomorodi, she shares the highs and lows of her entrepreneurial journey, from her roots in Baltimore to the grease fire that took her first storefront in Harlem. Learn more about the aut…

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Interview: The razor-thin line between contagion and connection | Dan Taberski 29:37

5M ago29:37

29:37

After a mysterious wave of tics and twitches swept through a small-town high school in New York, documentary podcaster Dan Taberski set out to investigate what was really happening. Drawing on extensive research and intimate interviews with the people involved, he explores the roots of mass hysteria — and what it reveals about the line between illn…

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Can AI Accelerate Science? Dr. Andy Beam on AI’s Next Frontier 1:07:28

5M ago1:07:28

1:07:28

Dr. Andy Beam has trained models, mentored scientists, and used data to quantify the value of treatments. In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, Raj Manrai turns the table on his co-host, reflecting on how Andy’s childhood misdiagnosis, and the failure of human recall, revealed the diagnostic promise of machine learning. As a Harvard professor, h…

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How to make anxiety your friend | David H. Rosmarin 15:42

5M ago15:42

15:42

When anxiety rears its head, we often just want it to go away. Clinical psychologist David H. Rosmarin asks us to consider instead the positive role anxiety can play in our lives, sharing four practical steps to transform it from your enemy into your ally. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

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How to talk about your body without shame (w/ Anita Rao) | from How to Be a Better Human 34:58

5M ago34:58

34:58

Why is having the sex talk, admitting you passed gas, or being open about your body hair so seemingly uncomfortable for all of us? Journalist and host of the podcast, Embodied, Anita Rao, joins Chris this week to discuss why having open conversations about taboo topics like sex, relationships, and our bodies can help us understand ourselves better …

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Interview: 1 simple question that could improve women's health | Meryam Sugulle 34:47

5M ago34:47

34:47

There's a reliable indicator of a woman's future likelihood of cardiovascular disease — but it rarely gets asked about, says obstetrician and researcher Meryam Sugulle. She delves into the role of the placenta in pregnancy, how it can predict health outcomes and the single question that should be worked into routine health screenings. After the tal…

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Why do some bodies respond differently to disease? | Erika Moore 5:42

6M ago5:42

5:42

TED Fellow and equity bioengineer Erika Moore investigates how cells controlling inflammation behave differently depending on a patient's background. By focusing on the "who" behind the disease, Moore is uncovering why certain diseases disproportionately affect certain ethnicities, paving the way for more inclusive and effective health care. Hosted…

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Google’s Efforts to Build Patient-Facing AI: A Conversation with Drs. Alan Karthikesalingam and Anil Palepu 38:22

6M ago38:22

38:22

In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, guests Drs. Alan Karthikesalingam and Anil Palepu of Google walk co-hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam through the making and evaluation of AMIE, an AI system designed to conduct clinical conversations with patients. Alan and Anil explain how AMIE was trained using synthetic doctor-patient interactions generated…

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Information Inoculation: Defending Against Medical Myths: The real reason polio is so dangerous | Dan Kwartler 34:45

6M ago34:45

34:45

In 1952, polio was everywhere: killing or paralyzing roughly half a million people annually. Yet just 10 years later, paralytic polio cases in the US dropped by 96% and we were on track to get rid of polio for good. But in recent years, the virus started striking back. So, what’s behind these recent spikes? Explore the dangers of poliovirus and the…

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Information Inoculation: Defending Against Medical Myths: Why do you need to get a flu shot every year? | Melvin Sanicas 30:33

6M ago30:33

30:33

All year long, researchers at hospitals around the world collect samples from flu patients and send them to top virology experts with one goal: to design the vaccine for the next flu season. But why do we need a new one every year? Vaccines for diseases like mumps and rubella offer a lifetime of protection with two shots early in life; what’s so sp…

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Information Inoculation: Defending Against Medical Myths: Why we need to fight misinformation about vaccines | Ethan Lindenberger 44:23

6M ago44:23

44:23

Ethan Lindenberger never got vaccinated as a kid. So one day, he went on Reddit and asked a simple question: "Where do I go to get vaccinated?" The post went viral, landing Lindenberger in the middle of a heated debate about vaccination and, ultimately, in front of a US Senate committee. Less than a year later, the high school senior reports back o…

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What happens as we die? | Kathryn Mannix (re-release) 23:19

7M ago23:19

23:19

Have we lost the practical wisdom of what happens as people die? With lessons from a career witnessing thousands of people's final breaths, palliative care expert Kathryn Mannix urges us to demystify the experience of death, sharing how a better understanding of what actually happens can reduce fear in the final days, for you and your loved ones. A…

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Rewriting the Clinical Playbook: Dr. Shiv Rao on Scaling Empathy with AI 54:53

7M ago54:53

54:53

Dr. Shiv Rao, cardiologist and CEO of Abridge, joins hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam on NEJM AI Grand Rounds for an inspiring conversation at the intersection of medicine, technology, and meaning. Shiv shares the origin story of Abridge, reflecting on how a deeply human encounter in clinic sparked the idea for a company now transforming clinical doc…

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Why smell matters more than you think | Paule Joseph 6:56

7M ago6:56

6:56

TED Fellow and chemosensory researcher Paule Joseph unveils the hidden power of a sense that's too often overlooked: smell. She delves into the science behind smell — from how it evokes memory and emotion to its potential for early disease detection — and advocates for the creation of a baseline test for taste and smell that could open the door to …

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Interview: Aging, menopause, and rethinking fashion for comfort in midlife | Stacy London 52:11

7M ago52:11

52:11

“My lens around style doesn’t have anything to do with style anymore — it’s about physicality,” says stylist and fashion consultant Stacy London. “What do I want to be able to do? How do I keep myself strong?” Stacy’s message has resonated for many women, and for this episode, she joins Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, host of TED Health, at TED2025 for a…

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Interview: Why you shouldn't trust boredom | Kevin H. Gary (re-release) 27:16

7M ago27:16

27:16

Are you actually bored, or is something else going on? Educator Kevin H. Gary shares three practical takeaways to deal with the doldrums, so you can take control of your attention, figure out which feelings to trust and name the real problem. After the talk, join Shoshana for a sweeping conversation with Dr. Elizabeth Harstad on the relationship be…

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Interview: 3 reasons why medications are so expensive in the US | Kiah Williams 28:56

7M ago28:56

28:56

A century after its discovery, insulin remain essential in treating diabetes, and has a relatively low production cost, with a vial generally costing less than $6 to make. But those in the US pay on average 10 times more than those in other countries— leading some patients to take less than prescribed. Kiah Williams takes a look at the US supply ch…

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A hospital in the cloud bringing health care anywhere in the world | Mohamed Aburawi 6:57

8M ago6:57

6:57

What if AI could help connect you with the right medical care, exactly when you need it? Health systems entrepreneur, surgeon and TED Fellow Mohamed Aburawi explores how his digital health platform, Speetar, uses AI to bridge the healthcare gap in underserved regions, like his native Libya, by connecting patients with doctors who truly understand t…

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Pixels to Protocols: Building the AI Future of Pathology with Dr. Faisal Mahmood 35:23

8M ago35:23

35:23

Dr. Faisal Mahmood, Associate Professor of Pathology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, joins hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam on NEJM AI Grand Rounds to explore the frontier of computational pathology. From pioneering foundational models for whole slide imaging to commercializing a multimodal generative AI copilot for pathol…

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What are those colors you see when you rub your eyes? | Paul CJ Taylor 7:06

8M ago7:06

7:06

In the 1600s, Isaac Newton conducted a series of experiments to better understand the lights and colors that sometimes appear when your eyes are closed. If you’ve ever sat around an evening campfire or unintentionally glanced at the Sun, you may have noticed illuminated patterns briefly dance along your vision. So how do these visual illusions form…

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Does your heartbeat shape your sense of time? | Irena Arslanova 11:35

8M ago11:35

11:35

Do you ever feel like time slows down when you’re bored but flies when you’re having fun? Cognitive neuroscientist Irena Arslanova explores the ways your brain and heart shape your perception of time, revealing how your heartbeat doesn’t just keep you alive — it also influences whether moments feel fleeting or stretched. Hosted on Acast. See acast.…

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Interview: How do kidney transplants work? | Alexander H. Toledo 23:31

8M ago23:31

23:31

In 1954, Joseph Murray attempted a type of kidney swap that no doctor had tried before. The surgery was a success, and the patient would go on to live with the transplanted organ thanks to one key factor: it came from his identical twin. 70 years later, nearly 100,000 kidneys are transplanted annually in the US alone. So how does this surgery work …

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Your relationship expectations could be holding you back | Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile 10:36

9M ago10:36

10:36

What if the secret to a happy relationship isn’t following the rules, but rewriting them? In this refreshing talk, couples therapist Stephanie R. Yates-Anyabwile explores why letting go of traditional societal expectations of romantic relationships — like sharing the same routines or even, in some cases, living together — can help couples embrace t…

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From Bedside to Boardroom: How AI, Multi-Omics, and New Business Models Are Shaping the Biomedical Frontier with Morgan Cheatham 58:22

9M ago58:22

58:22

Morgan Cheatham joins hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam on NEJM AI Grand Rounds to discuss the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in health care, from its role in automating clinical documentation to its transformative potential in genomic medicine. A venture capitalist and future physician, Morgan shares how his background in computational…

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What staying up all night does to your brain | Anna Rothschild 15:29

9M ago15:29

15:29

You’re just one history final away from a relaxing spring break. But you still have so much to study! You decide to follow in the footsteps of many students before you, and pull an all-nighter. So, what happens to your brain when you stay up all night? And does cramming like this actually help you prepare for a test? Anna Rothschild explores how a …