Best Ed Barnett Podcasts (2026)

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Live at EA Global - The future of U.S. foreign aid (with Dean Karlan) 1:26:03

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9h ago1:26:03

1:26:03

Read the full transcript here. What is the core public interest case for foreign aid beyond soft power? How should we define safety and prosperity? Why do many voters believe aid is a quarter of the budget when it is a tiny fraction and how does that shape support? How did a political decision to halt awards ripple through real programs and what sa…

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Improving your skill of emotional regulation (with Shireen Rizvi) 1:08:47

8d ago1:08:47

1:08:47

Read the full transcript here. How can we distinguish “real CBT” from supportive talk - does it include homework, clear goals, or a manualized plan? When therapy “doesn’t work,” is it the modality, the match, or weak training? Are common factors enough once symptoms disrupt daily life? Why does fragmented care push patients to choose meds or therap…

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When voting fails (with Nicholas Gruen) 1:35:23

12d ago1:35:23

1:35:23

Read the full transcript here. Which decisions should be made by election and which by random sampling? Where is competition healthy for choosing leaders, and where must rule-setting be unitary and impartial? What would credible umpires look like - judges, statisticians, pay reviewers - and how do we insulate them from parties? Can citizen juries a…

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GSB at 100: "The Moment" 28:34

21d ago28:34

28:34

This week on If/Then we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs as Stanford GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next 100 years may hold. On this epis…

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Why aren't we relying on nuclear power? (with Isabelle Boemeke) 1:22:33

25d ago1:22:33

1:22:33

Read the full transcript here. What explains fearing nuclear more than the harms we tolerate from fossil fuels? Can we judge energy risk by evidence rather than headlines? What mix of firm power and renewables actually keeps costs low and lights on? How much should we pay up front for safety, and who decides? Do iconic disasters outweigh statistics…

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A conversation with a person with OCD (with David Adam) 1:17:47

1M ago1:17:47

1:17:47

Read the full transcript here. Where is the line between ordinary intrusive thoughts and an OCD pattern that hijacks the day? How do obsessions and compulsions condition each other so that brief relief entrenches the loop? What clinical markers - ego-dystonic content and intact reality testing - separate OCD from psychosis? How do thought–action fu…

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What, if anything, will save the environment? (with Dan Stein) 1:11:23

1M ago1:11:23

1:11:23

Read the full transcript here. Are we going to solve climate change with technology rather than personal sacrifice? If most offsets fail on additionality, should we stop pretending they meaningfully cut emissions? Can policy push dollars into the hard stuff - steel, cement, shipping, aviation - where tech is still nascent? Will clean-firm power unl…

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Are markets rational or is sentiment contagious? (with Alex Imas) 1:16:20

2M ago1:16:20

1:16:20

Read the full transcript here. Are stock prices set by cash flows or crowd vibes? Why do bubbles last if “smart money” can short them? What should retail traders learn from GameStop and zero-commission options? When does momentum make sense - and when does it burn you? Why don’t obvious mispricings get fixed - what actually stops arbitrage? Will AI…

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GSB at 100: "The Experience" 29:01

2M ago29:01

29:01

This week on If/Then we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs as Stanford GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next 100 years may hold. On this epis…

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34. Can You Really Nurse Across NZ Ski Slopes and Aussie EDs? Nurse Nicole Proves It 40:57

1M ago40:57

40:57

What’s it like to go from treating ski injuries on the slopes of Queenstown to working ED shifts under the red-hot skies of rural Australia? For Nicole Watts - emergency nurse, adventure-seeker and proud member of the cmr community - it’s a career that blends adrenaline, autonomy and purpose. Nicole shares what it takes to thrive as both a ski fiel…

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Can you do 100x more good? (with Sjir Hoeijmakers) 1:23:29

2M ago1:23:29

1:23:29

Read the full transcript here. What does “100x more good” mean relative to your current giving? How can your giving more closely align with your pre-existing values? If cost-effectiveness is the denominator we forget, what changes when dollars per outcome sit front and center? Can independent evaluators fix a charity market that rewards storytellin…

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What is psychosomatic illness? (with Suzanne O'Sullivan) 1:49:04

2M ago1:49:04

1:49:04

Read the full transcript here. Note: Please note that in this episode, Spencer and Dr. O'Sullivan discuss a controversial and complex medical topic where the science is still in development and there is a lot of ongoing debate. We don't know whether or not the perspective that Dr. O'Sullivan expresses is correct, but the topic appears to be an impo…

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GSB at 100: "The Spirit" 24:30

2M ago24:30

24:30

This week on [If/Then or View From The Top] we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs as Stanford GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next 100 years…

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33. From Overseas to Aged Care: How Neha Built a Nursing Career in Australia 36:20

2M ago36:20

36:20

Neha arrived in Brisbane from Nepal with good grades, high hopes, and a postcard-perfect image of Australia, but the reality was tougher. Cultural shocks, unfamiliar accents, and the quiet weight of starting over left her searching for solid ground. Nursing became her anchor and in time, aged care quietly captured her heart. Now a registered nurse,…

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What causes mass shootings? (with Ragy Girgis) 1:20:31

2M ago1:20:31

1:20:31

Read the full transcript here. What do we miss when we treat public shootings as the whole story of mass murder? If public events are a small slice, how should prevention and attention shift? Does saturation coverage turn tragedy into aspiration for the fame-seeking few? Do school “active-shooter” drills protect kids—or seed fear and imitation? Sho…

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Contempt-free public discourse (with Robert Rosenkranz) 1:11:06

2M ago1:11:06

1:11:06

Read the full transcript here. What makes a forum truly open-minded rather than performative? When does listening change minds instead of just hardening identities? Are we teaching citizens to separate facts from frames? Do the best debates surface values as well as evidence? How can we reward calm argument over outrage economics? What reforms redu…

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What's Your Problem: "Teaching Computers to See" 27:03

3M ago27:03

27:03

This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of What’s Your Problem?, a show from Pushkin Industries where entrepreneurs, engineers, and scientists talk about the future they’re trying to build—and the problems they must solve to get there. Hosted by former Planet Money co-host Jacob Goldstein, each conversation explores the challenges and breakt…

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32. “I Just Wanted the Pain to Stop”: Erin Barnett on Endo & Empowerment 36:27

2M ago36:27

36:27

You might know Erin Barnett from Love Island or I'm a Celebrity…, but her most powerful story isn’t one that played out on screen. A registered nurse living with endometriosis, adenomyosis and PCOS, Erin opens up about what it’s taken to be heard in a system that too often overlooks women’s pain. From a tough start in the health system to becoming …

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Beyond the assumption that humans are rational (with Barry Schwartz) 1:21:44

3M ago1:21:44

1:21:44

Read the full transcript here. What does rationality mean when life won’t fit a spreadsheet? If models demand one common scale, what happens to values that can’t be compared? Are we optimizing choices, or narrowing them to what’s easy to count? When do toy problems stop teaching us about real ones? Can preferences be “mapped” if the act of asking r…

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Will AI superintelligence kill us all? (with Nate Soares) 1:24:17

3M ago1:24:17

1:24:17

Read the full transcript here. Are the existential risks posed by superhuman AI fundamentally different from prior technological threats such as nuclear weapons or pandemics? How do the inherent “alien drives” that emerge from AI training processes complicate our ability to control or align these systems? Can we truly predict the behavior of entiti…

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31. Behind Recruitment Special: Curiosity in Every Interaction with Sophie Robertson 42:08

3M ago42:08

42:08

What happens when you flip the mic from healthcare workers to the people who help place them? In this Behind Recruitment Special of It Takes Heart, we sit down with global recruitment coach Sophie Robertson to explore what 'good' really looks like in recruitment and why it matters more than ever. With three decades in the industry, Sophie shares ho…

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Do facts have an expiration date? (with Samuel Arbesman) 1:15:37

3M ago1:15:37

1:15:37

Read the full transcript here. What does it mean to treat facts as drafts rather than monuments? If truth is something we approach, how do we act while it’s still provisional? When definitions shift, what really changes? How do better instruments quietly rewrite the world we think we know? Are we mostly refining truths or replacing them? When do sc…

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From prisoner to escaping inner prisons (with Shaka Senghor) 1:16:44

3M ago1:16:44

1:16:44

Read the full transcript here. What changes when we treat violence as a human problem rather than a demographic story? Are fear, anger, and shame the real levers behind sudden harm? How much agency can we ask of people shaped by chaos without ignoring that chaos? Where is the line between explanation and excuse? What would an honest narrative about…

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30. Dr Chris G on Finding Freedom in the Chaos 45:24

3M ago45:24

45:24

What happens when the path you’ve worked so hard for starts to wear you down? In this honest episode, UK-trained doctor and content creator. Dr Chris G, opens up about burnout, sabbaticals, and building a version of medicine that actually feels sustainable. Dr Chris takes us from the intense pace of under-resourced NHS wards to new rhythms of pract…

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A new paradigm for psychology research (with Slime Mold Time Mold) 1:27:01

4M ago1:27:01

1:27:01

Read the full transcript here. What changes when psychology stops naming traits and starts naming parts - can “entities and rules” turn fuzzy labels into testable mechanisms? If the mind is a web of governors with set points, what exactly is being controlled - and how do error signals become feelings? Are hunger, fear, and status-seeking all negati…

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GSB at 100: The Magic 20:44

4M ago20:44

20:44

This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of GSB at 100, a limited audio series created especially for Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Centennial. GSB at 100 presents a scrapbook of memories, ideas, and breakthroughs, as the GSB celebrates its first century and looks around the corner to what the next hundred years may hold. The first e…

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Beyond saving lives: happiness and doing good (with Michael Plant) 1:12:05

4M ago1:12:05

1:12:05

Read the full transcript here. Are we trying to maximize moment-to-moment happiness or life satisfaction? Can self-reports really guide policy and giving? What happens to quality of life metrics when we judge impact by wellbeing instead of health or income? How should we compare treating depression to providing clean water when their benefits feel …

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29. Three Hard Truths from Bek Woodbine on Burnout, Nurse Culture & Ethical Aesthetics 52:12

4M ago52:12

52:12

Content warning: This episode includes discussions of alcoholism, depression, and occasional course language, which may be sensitive for some listeners. What happens when a nurse known for looking after everyone else hits her own breaking point? For Bek Woodbine (Nurse Practitioner, host of podcast Tenderness for Nurses, and founder of a successful…

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Darwinian Demons: Climate Change and the AI Arms Race (with Kristian Rönn) 1:17:40

4M ago1:17:40

1:17:40

Read the full transcript here. Are existential risks from AI fundamentally different from those posed by previous technologies such as nuclear weapons? How can global cooperation overcome the challenges posed by national interests? What mechanisms might enable effective governance of technologies that transcend borders? How do competitive pressures…

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28. What Your Body’s Been Trying to Tell You with Dr Anthea Todd – Part 2 52:18

4M ago52:18

52:18

What if the way you walk, rest, or hydrate could shift your entire nervous system? In Part 2 of our chat with Dr Anthea Todd, we explore how to apply the Fundamentals Framework, offering practical, everyday ways to reconnect with your body’s wisdom. We dive into what hair testing can reveal (including Sam and Kate’s own results), how minerals mirro…

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Seeing through cognitive traps (with Alex Edmans) 1:31:43

4M ago1:31:43

1:31:43

Read the full transcript here. How do we distinguish correlation from causation in organizational success? How common is it to mistake luck or data mining for genuine effects in research findings? What are the challenges in interpreting ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) criteria? Why is governance considered distinct from environmental and so…

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28. What Your Body’s Been Trying to Tell You with Dr Anthea Todd – Part 1 26:57

4M ago26:57

26:57

What if dry skin, headaches or exhaustion weren’t just annoying symptoms, but messages your body’s trying to send? In this two-part episode, we sit down with Dr Anthea Todd, women’s health expert and author of What’s My Body Telling Me, to explore the space between: that frustrating place where test results are “normal,” but you still don’t feel we…

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The most important century (with Holden Karnofsky) 1:48:10

5M ago1:48:10

1:48:10

Read the full transcript here. Has society reached ‘peak progress’? Can we sustain the level of economic growth that technology has enabled over the last century? Have researchers plucked the last of science's "low-hanging fruit?" Why did early science innovators have outsized impact per capita? As fields mature, why does per-researcher output fall…

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View From The Top: “Lisa Su Is Still Curious About How Things Work” 56:14

5M ago56:14

56:14

This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of View From The Top: The Podcast, an audio series featuring leaders from around the world in conversation with MBA students. Recorded live at the CEMEX Auditorium at Stanford Graduate School of Business, episodes feature insights on effective leadership, the values that guide it, and lessons learned a…

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Should we try to live forever? (with Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston) 1:14:01

5M ago1:14:01

1:14:01

Read the full transcript here. Why do humans live as long as they do? Since whales have literally tons more cells than humans, why don't they develop cancers at much higher rates than humans? What can the genetic trade-offs we observe in other organisms teach us about increasing human longevity? Will we eventually be able to put people into some ki…

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27. Surviving NDIS Changes with My Therapy Crew’s Judy Scott 44:24

5M ago44:24

44:24

When the government announced sudden changes to the NDIS with only weeks’ notice, allied health business owners across Australia were thrown into crisis mode. For Judy Scott, occupational therapist and founder of My Therapy Crew, it meant pivoting her business while staying true to the values-led culture she’s nurtured over years of practice. From …

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Trying to convince Spencer to be a utilitarian (with Tyler John) 1:29:06

5M ago1:29:06

1:29:06

Read the full transcript here. How has utilitarianism evolved from early Chinese Mohism to the formulations of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill? On what points did Bentham and Mill agree and disagree? How has utilitarianism shaped Effective Altruism? Does utilitarianism only ever evaluate actions, or does it also evaluate people? Does the "veil …

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The Joy of Discovery and Why Research Matters 16:25

5M ago16:25

16:25

As we celebrate the conclusion of the second season of the If/Then podcast, we present a bonus episode featuring Deborah H. Gruenfeld, the Joseph McDonald Professor and Professor of Organizational Behavior and a Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Gruenfeld, who appeared on the first season of If/Then…

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A conversation with an autistic person (with Megan Neff) 1:35:19

5M ago1:35:19

1:35:19

Read the full transcript here. What does autism feel like from the inside? Do autistic people lack empathy? What is context insensitivity? What are some ways special interests can manifest in autistic people? What are some less common ways stimming can manifest? What are the main components of autism? Can you be diagnosed with autism if you meet al…

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26. Why Oral Health Therapist Karli Says Taking Risks Led to Her Most Fulfilling Life 50:28

5M ago50:28

50:28

What happens when you say yes to adventure, purpose, and the unknown? In this episode, we meet oral health therapist Karli Grace, whose journey from private practice to working in Australia’s most remote Indigenous communities is as inspiring as it is impactful. Karli shares what it’s really like delivering oral healthcare across Central Australia,…

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AI: Autonomous or controllable? Pick one (with Anthony Aguirre) 1:31:28

6M ago1:31:28

1:31:28

Read the full transcript here. Is AI that's both superintelligent and aligned even possible? Does increased intelligence necessarily entail decreased controllability? What's the difference between "safe" and "under control"? There seems to be a fundamental tension between autonomy and control, so is it conceivable that we could create superintellig…

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The Future of Everything: "The Future of Motivation" 34:02

6M ago34:02

34:02

This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of The Future of Everything, a podcast hosted by Stanford School of Engineering professor and friend of the show Russ Altman. Everyone has goals — some are monumental, others modest — but every goal matters. Szu-chi Huang, an associate professor of marketing at Stanford Graduate School of Business, is …

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How much does global population decline matter? (with Dean Spears) 1:07:33

6M ago1:07:33

1:07:33

Read the full transcript here. What is the current global birth rate? What factors have contributed, or are currently contributing, to this rate? What outcomes will we experience as a result, and when? How accurate are demographers' projections on this topic? How much of a problem is local over-population? Could a low global birth rate eventually b…

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25. Burnout or Worn Out? Ruth Limkin on the Six Pillars of Wellbeing 46:19

6M ago46:19

46:19

What happens when rest doesn’t work? When even after sleep, time off, or a holiday, you still feel depleted? That’s the reality of burnout and it’s something Ruth Limkin has seen up close. As Founder of The Banyans, Ruth shares how burnout often hides in plain sight - from professionals quietly struggling with addiction to healthcare workers pushin…

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Is AI going to ruin everything? (with Gabriel Alfour) 1:19:00

6M ago1:19:00

1:19:00

Read the full transcript here. Is AI going to ruin everything? What kind of AI-related dangers should we be most worried about? What do good institutions look like? Should designing better institutions be a major priority for modern civilizations? What are the various ways institutions decay? How much should we blame social media for the current st…

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What listeners think Spencer's wrong about: steel-manning critiques 1:25:49

6M ago1:25:49

1:25:49

Read the full transcript here. What defines a cult? Is there such a thing as a good cult? Do Clearer Thinking's tools actually help people? Why does Clearer Thinking share its tools for free for everyone to use? How legitimate is the research Clearer Thinking does to create its tools? Is that research too reliant on self-report? Do Clearer Thinking…

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Think Fast, Talk Smart: "Ambiguity to Action: Tensions and Trade-Offs of Leadership and Communication" 23:45

6M ago23:45

23:45

This week on If/Then, we’re sharing an episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, a podcast hosted by Stanford Graduate School of Business lecturer and friend of the show, Matt Abrahams. How do you communicate with others when you’re confused yourself? For fellow GSB lecturer Rob Siegel, leadership isn’t about avoiding uncertainty: it’s about embracing the…

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24. Can a Digital Passport Fix Healthcare Shortages? Dr. Nick Yim from AMA Weighs In 37:17

6M ago37:17

37:17

What does it take to truly fix healthcare in Queensland? According to Dr. Nick Yim, it starts with smarter systems, not just more funding. In this episode, we sit down with the AMA Queensland President to unpack a bold new idea: a statewide digital passport for clinicians. It’s a simple solution with the power to break down bureaucratic barriers an…

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What do we know about psychology that matters? (with Paul Bloom) 1:21:09

6M ago1:21:09

1:21:09

Read the full transcript here. NOTE: The video version of this conversation is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hWNknrc23Fo In light of the replication crisis, should social scientists try to replicate every major finding in the field's history? Why is human memory so faulty? And since human memory is so faulty, why do we take eyewitness test…

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Bringing your "A-game" to your relationships (with Annie Lalla) 1:19:58

7M ago1:19:58

1:19:58

Read the full transcript here. What does it mean to bring your "A-game" to relationships? What is emotional "fitness"? What forces do relationships need to balance to remain stable and healthy? Are we attracted to a particular brand of heartbreak? What are "original attachment wounds"? Can Dark Triad traits be tamed? What emergent properties do rel…