Best Informed Secular Minds Podcasts (2025)

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#434 — Can We Survive AI? 36:26

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24m ago36:26

36:26

Sam Harris speaks with Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares about their new book, If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: The Case Against Superintelligent AI. They discuss the alignment problem, ChatGPT and recent advances in AI, the Turing Test, the possibility of AI developing survival instincts, hallucinations and deception in LLMs, why many prominent…

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Gender Identity 45:29

5h ago45:29

45:29

In a world of confusion as Christ followers we can trust what the Bible says on this subject. In this episode, we will tackle this subject through the lens of a Biblical worldview with the aim of opening up a discussion within the faith community that speaks the truth in love.

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#433 — How Did We Get Here? 22:06

9d ago22:06

22:06

Sam Harris speaks with Dan Carlin about the decades-long buildup to our current political moment. They discuss the growing powers of the presidency, executive orders, different factions within the Republican Party, the fragmentation of our society, Libertarianism, the growing prospect of political violence, racism and scapegoating, foreign interfer…

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#432 — The Undoing of America 25:59

16d ago25:59

25:59

Sam Harris speaks with David French about Trump’s assault on American democracy. They discuss Trump’s persecution of political opponents, abuse of the pardon power, Congress’s ineffectiveness, David’s proposed change to Article II of the Constitution, whether democracy in the U.S. has passed the point of no return, the future of election integrity,…

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#431 — What Is Happening on College Campuses? 23:29

14d ago23:29

23:29

Sam Harris speaks with Michael Roth about the state of higher education in the U.S. They discuss whether concerns about wokeness were overblown, how colleges should handle campus protests, where universities should draw the line on extreme political views, DEI, why Jews should be wary of Trump’s proclaimed protections, perceptions of Israel, how th…

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#430 — “More From Sam”: Trump, Gavin Newsom, Class War, DOGE, & Rapid Fire Questions 15:17

17d ago15:17

15:17

In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Trump and his attempts at peace deals, Gavin Newsom as the potential 2028 Democratic nominee, rising class tensions and the ethical responsibilities of the ultra-wealthy, DOGE, & …

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#429 — The New World Order 26:52

29d ago26:52

26:52

Sam Harris speaks with Anne Applebaum about the erosion of democracy at home and abroad. They discuss the Sudanese civil war and the outside forces involved, America’s retreat from global leadership, the impacts of USAID cuts, gerrymandering, the integrity of U.S. elections, the capitulation of Republican representatives to Trump, tariffs, what a p…

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#428 — Political Extremism 27:06

1M ago27:06

27:06

Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about Trump 2.0 and wealth inequality. They discuss the horseshoe theory, illiberalism on the Right and the Left, the fallout of the Trump-Epstein controversy, cracks in Trump’s cult following, the difference between MAGA activists and average republican voters, why the Democrats still haven’t course-corrected,…

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#427 — AI Friends & Enemies 23:28

2M ago23:28

23:28

Sam Harris speaks with Paul Bloom about AI and current events. They discuss the state of LLMs, the risks and benefits of AI companionship, what it means to attribute consciousness to AI, relationships with AI as a form of psychosis, Trump’s attacks on science and academia, what Trump may be trying to hide in the Epstein files, how damaging Trump’s …

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#426 — How Bad Is It? 27:37

2M ago27:37

27:37

Sam Harris speaks with David Frum about the current state of American politics. They discuss the extent of Trump’s corruption, his immigration crackdowns, what’s going well under Trump 2.0, Trump’s support for Ukraine and Israel, U.S. foreign policy, nuclear proliferation, Israel’s security and internal political conflicts, perceptions of the war i…

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#425 — Are We Prepared for the Next Pandemic? 27:14

2M ago27:14

27:14

Sam Harris speaks with Marc Lipsitch about pandemic preparedness. They discuss what we learned from Covid, loss of trust in institutions, how to effectively communicate scientific information in the current media landscape, vaccine hesitancy, the safety of mRNA vaccines, the origins of Covid, gain-of-function research, virus hunting, the Trump admi…

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#424 — "More From Sam": Nazi Grok, ICE, Epstein, Social Media, Rapid Fire Questions 26:49

2M ago26:49

26:49

In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Nazi Grok, immigration, ICE raids, Jeffrey Epstein, how to stay focused in the age of distraction, and rapid fire questions. Produced by Griffin Katz…

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Is All Pride Haram? 34:42

2M ago34:42

34:42

Is all pride haram? Not all pride is forbidden—Islam teaches that arrogance and looking down on others is haram, but feeling grateful for your blessings is not. True humility means recognizing your strengths while staying grounded, treating everyone with respect, and remembering that all good comes from Allah. Stay humble, stay kind. Join us on thi…

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#423 — “More From Sam”: Democracy, Populism, Wealth Inequality, News-Induced Anxiety, & Rapid Fire Questions 19:28

2M ago19:28

19:28

In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss Epstein’s “client list,” how to safeguard democracy, populism, wealth inequality, the allure of socialism, how to manage feeling overwhelmed by current events, and rapid fire ques…

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Lessons Learned 52:05

3M ago52:05

52:05

But The Bible Says invites its first guest Jason Bailey. Jason and I will have a conversation on "3 things I wished I learned sooner as a believer."

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#422 — Zionism & Jihadism 2:04:11

3M ago2:04:11

2:04:11

Sam Harris speaks with Haviv Rettig Gur about Israel and her enemies. They discuss Israel’s war with Iran and America’s role in the conflict, Israel’s military capabilities, Iran’s nuclear program, what a ground invasion of Iran could look like, how Iranians view the regime, antisemitism, the history of Zionism, Islam and jihadism, extremism on the…

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#421 — “More From Sam”: Political Violence, Iran, Deportations, Protests, & Rapid Fire Questions 17:58

3M ago17:58

17:58

In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the assassination of Minnesota state representative Melissa Hortman and the recent uptick in political violence, E…

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#420 — Countdown to Superintelligence 20:29

3M ago20:29

20:29

Sam Harris speaks with Daniel Kokotajlo about the potential impacts of superintelligent AI over the next decade. They discuss Daniel’s predictions in his essay “AI 2027,” the alignment problem, what an intelligence explosion might look like, the capacity of LLMs to intentionally deceive, the economic implications of recent advances in AI, AI safety…

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#419 — "More From Sam": Elon vs. Trump, Religion, Jordan Peterson, & Rapid Fire Questions 15:05

3M ago15:05

15:05

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. This episode was originally recorded on June 4th, but in light of today's events, Sam and Jaron recorded an additional segment (on June 5) about the latest news on Trump and Musk's …

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#418 — A Future for Democrats 45:42

4M ago45:42

45:42

Sam Harris speaks with Congressman Ritchie Torres about the future of American politics. They discuss how growing up in public housing inspired Ritchie to pursue a career in politics, how the Biden administration became ideologically captured by the far-Left, how Democratic politicians are resisting Trump, why the Democrats should focus on governan…

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#417 — Philosophy for Life 22:30

4M ago22:30

22:30

Sam Harris speaks with Donald Robertson about Stoicism and the good life. They discuss the relationship between wisdom and virtue, ancient versions of psychotherapy, parallels between Stoicism and Buddhism, practical vs. analytical styles of philosophy, CBT’s origins in Stoicism, the difficulty of self-criticism, techniques for reframing upsetting …

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Scriptural Context 45:06

4M ago45:06

45:06

Preachers have a lot to say. What guides them in their preaching? Is what they are saying biblical, authoritative, inspired? Is it sound doctrine? Let's talk about it.

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#416 — “More From Sam”: Biden's Big Lie, Review of Tapper Interview, Trump, & a Case Against Israel's Actions in Gaza 19:45

4M ago19:45

19:45

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the Biden cover-up and how it compares to Trump’s transgressions, Sam’s latest episode with Jake Tapper, whether Tapper had a journalistic responsibility to share what …

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#415 — The Cover-Up 24:14

4M ago24:14

24:14

Sam Harris speaks with Jake Tapper about Jake’s new book (with Alex Thompson), Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. They discuss how the mainstream media failed to cover the issue of Biden’s health, how Biden shielded himself from criticism, the false notion that Biden was simply a bad speak…

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#414 — Strange Truths 22:30

4M ago22:30

22:30

Sam Harris speaks with David Deutsch about quantum physics and current events. They discuss the “many-worlds” interpretation of QM, Schrödinger’s cat, constructor theory, quantum computing and whether it will ever be practically possible, recent developments in AI, the prospects of artificial super-intelligence, the alignment problem, antisemitism …

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#413 — “More From Sam”: Trump & Israel, Corruption, Free Speech Violations, the Democrats, & Ezra Klein 26:35

5M ago26:35

26:35

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss whether Jews in the U.S. are safer under Trump, due process rights and free speech, what Trump is doing to universities, the Trump family’s latest corruption scandals, …

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#412 — Better Things & Better People 26:47

4M ago26:47

26:47

Sam Harris speaks with Rutger Bregman about Rutger’s new book, Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference. They discuss why it seems like we are at the hinge of human history, wealth inequality, how altruism should be rewarded, how we should think about philanthropic billionaires, effective altruism, why empathy is overr…

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#411 — The Victimhood Pandemic 31:12

5M ago31:12

31:12

Sam Harris speaks with Scott Barry Kaufman about Scott’s new book, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential. They discuss victimhood culture, narcissism and psychopathy, the personality traits of successful individuals, the dark triad of personality traits, how victimhood culture presents on the Left …

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Kingdom Values 39:29

5M ago39:29

39:29

God's values are determined not by worldly standards, but by divine principles. The values in God's kingdom are often countercultural. In this episode we hope to gain Biblical insight regarding kingdom values.

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#410 — The Whole Catastrophe 1:07:58

5M ago1:07:58

1:07:58

Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Murray about Douglas’s new book, On Democracies and Death Cults: Israel and the Future of Civilization. They discuss Douglas’s recent experience on Joe Rogan’s podcast, the need for experts, conspiracy theories, the origins and aims of Hamas, the moral asymmetries between Israel and Hamas, what makes jihadism a unique…

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#409 — "More From Sam": Religion, Deportations, Douglas Murray vs. Rogan, & Bill Maher's Dinner with Trump 48:50

5M ago48:50

48:50

Sam hopped back on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to discuss current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. By far the most common feedback we hear from you guys is the following: “We want more from Sam.” So that's what we're trying to bring you with this new series, “More From Sam.” Sam and…

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#408 — Finding Equanimity in Chaos 1:50:04

5M ago1:50:04

1:50:04

Dan Harris interviews Sam Harris for Dan’s podcast, 10% Happier. They discuss how meditation helped Sam after evacuating his home during the LA fires, why Sam owns a gun, the ethics of violence, how to feel compassion for your political opponents, why it doesn’t make sense to “hate” anyone, free will and determinism, psychedelics, the importance of…

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#407 — Can We Ever Return to Normal Politics? 19:48

5M ago19:48

19:48

Sam Harris speaks with Jon Favreau about the state of American politics. They discuss the Trump administration’s wrongful deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, tariffs, why Trump’s supporters don’t care about his corruption, the next steps for Democrats, the energy behind AOC and Bernie Sanders, why Biden failed on the border, Biden’s legacy, potent…

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#406 — The Legacy of Christianity 25:22

5M ago25:22

25:22

Sam Harris speaks with Tom Holland about his book, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. They discuss the enduring influence of Christianity on the modern world, historical interpretations of crucifixion, the moral systems of ancient societies, Paul's letters, the impact of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Islam and how it rela…

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#405 — "More From Sam": Tariffs, SignalGate, Trump, Elon, Douglas Murray, & Joe Rogan 20:19

5M ago20:19

20:19

By far the most common feedback we hear from you guys is the following: “We want more from Sam.” More of his thoughts on current events, more frequently. So that’s what we’re trying here, with this new exploratory series we've creatively titled “More From Sam.” Sam jumped on with his manager and business partner, Jaron Lowenstein, to run through so…

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#404 — What If Consciousness Is Fundamental? 2:20:36

6M ago2:20:36

2:20:36

Sam Harris speaks with his wife, Annaka Harris, about LIGHTS ON, her ten-part audio documentary exploring the perplexities of consciousness and the cosmos. They discuss the hard problem of consciousness, whether consciousness is fundamental, what split-brain patients can teach us about consciousness, what consciousness being fundamental could mean …

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#403 — Sanity Check on Trump 2.0 37:12

6M ago37:12

37:12

Sam Harris speaks with Jonah Goldberg about the damage Trump is doing domestically and abroad. They discuss Trump’s tariffs, Curtis Yarvin and the Tech Right, threats against Republicans who criticize Trump, why the arguments Republicans are using to defend Trump’s position on Ukraine are flawed, America’s deteriorating moral standing on the global…

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#402 — The Geopolitics of Trump 2.0 32:40

7M ago32:40

32:40

Sam Harris speaks with Niall Ferguson about the current geopolitical situation. They discuss how Trump is handling the war in Ukraine, Europe’s changing relationship to the U.S., security concerns around Trump’s appointees, the economic impacts of Trump’s policies, how China views political turmoil in the U.S., whether democracy can withstand Trump…

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#401 — Christian Nationalism and the New Right 32:37

7M ago32:37

32:37

Sam Harris speaks with Katherine Stewart about her new book, Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy. They discuss Project 2025, Christian nationalism, white supremacy, whether the backlash against wokeness has been overblown, the asymmetric standards between right-wing and left-wing media, Trump’s appeal to evangeli…

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#400 — The Politics of Information 36:48

7M ago36:48

36:48

Sam Harris speaks with Helen Lewis about the culture wars. They discuss the role of journalists, DEI, political polarization, feminism, transgender activism, gender roles, the Rotherham scandal, Islam and jihadism, Elon Musk and X, the future of the Democratic Party, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you ca…

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Jews and Jesus 42:57

8M ago42:57

42:57

Orthodox Judaism stumbles at the idea of Jesus as Messiah. In this episode we will uncover the reasons why.By Robert Smith

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#399 — The Politics of Catastrophe 1:15:49

8M ago1:15:49

1:15:49

Sam Harris speaks with Rick Caruso about the Los Angeles fires. They discuss how mismanagement may have contributed to the severity of the fires, who’s to blame, the practice of private firefighting, rebuilding and the future of L.A., how DEI fueled public cynicism toward government, the ethics of having immense wealth, philanthropy, and other topi…

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#398 — Thoughts Without a Thinker 24:57

8M ago24:57

24:57

Sam provides an update about his experience of the LA fires and shares a few selections from the Waking Up app. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. Tha…

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#397 — A New Year's Message from Sam 18:03

8M ago18:03

18:03

If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That’s why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life’s mo…

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#396 — The Way Forward 32:48

9M ago32:48

32:48

Sam Harris speaks with Matthew Yglesias about the future of Democratic politics. They discuss where the Democrats went wrong, the failure of identity politics, the Left’s reaction to the Daniel Penny case, what a second Trump term might look like, immigration and the border, gender and racial disparities in crime, wealth inequality, Matthew’s “nine…

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#395 — Intellectual Authority and Its Discontents 31:28

9M ago31:28

31:28

Sam Harris discusses the breakdown of trust in institutions, the nature of intellectual authority, the danger of bad incentives, the epidemic of conspiracy thinking and misinformation, Trump and Elon, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris…

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#394 — Bringing Back the Mammoth 23:12

10M ago23:12

23:12

Sam Harris speaks with Ben Lamm about his work at Colossal Biosciences. They discuss his efforts to de-extinct the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger, and the dodo; the difference between Colossal’s approach and Jurassic Park; the details of resurrecting the mammoth; the relevance of this work to human health; the role of artificial intelligence; …

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#393 — Is History Repeating Itself? 38:15

10M ago38:15

38:15

Sam Harris speaks with Simon Sebag Montefiore about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the history of the Jews, and the rise of global antisemitism. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe. Learning how to train your mind is the single gr…

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#392 — Technology & Culture 52:59

10M ago52:59

52:59

Sam Harris speaks with Christine Rosen about how technology is changing our culture. They discuss the courage of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, lost practices like handwriting, tradeoffs in our use of technology, social media, conspiracy thinking, X as a platform for breaking news, the future of journalism, the importance of local news, the asymmetry right and l…

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Let's Talk About Faith 34:32

10M ago34:32

34:32

Many people including Christians struggle with a good definition of Faith. I believe the Bible teaches us that faith is trusting in God's character, His Word, and His promises as revealed in His Word. Let's talk about it!