Best Hugh Benjamin Podcasts (2025)

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The Gold Season 1, Postscript | MASTERPIECE Studio 14:02

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2h ago14:02

14:02

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Gold. In preparation for Season 2 of The Gold, coming to MASTERPIECE in 2026, we wanted to wrap up Season 1 with this special postscript episode. You’ll hear first from The Gold writer and executive producer Neil Forsyth about a few final details of the real-life story, followed by actor H…

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Fermented foods: what to eat to cut inflammation | Prof. Tim Spector 1:04:27

4d ago1:04:27

1:04:27

Are fermented foods the missing link in our health, or just the latest wellness trend? In this episode, Professor Tim Spector, a world-leading scientist in gut health and co-founder of ZOE, challenges what we think we know about yogurt, cheese, kombucha, and more. Tim uncovers why milk and cheese aren’t the same in your body - and the surprising sc…

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OpenAI: The nonprofit refuses to be killed (with Tyler Whitmer) 1:56:06

6d ago1:56:06

1:56:06

Last December, the OpenAI business put forward a plan to completely sideline its nonprofit board. But two state attorneys general have now blocked that effort and kept that board very much alive and kicking. The for-profit’s trouble was that the entire operation was founded on the premise of — and legally pledged to — the purpose of ensuring that “…

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Recap: Tips for a healthy immune system | Jenna Macciochi 13:33

6d ago13:33

13:33

Today we’re diving into our immune health. You can think of your immune system as your body’s personal physician. Diligently working around the clock to monitor, detect, and repair anything that might disrupt your health. However, because it’s work is so seamless and silent, we often take it for granted. So, how can we better support our internal M…

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Benjamin Wainwright, Maigret Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 32:11

5h ago32:11

32:11

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Maigret. Actor Benjamin Wainwright is no stranger to MASTERPIECE audiences, having appeared in Endeavour, World on Fire, and Unforgotten. Today, he joins the podcast to talk about his latest MASTERPIECE role as the lead actor in a new production of Maigret. In this conversation, we discuss stepping into t…

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Flashlight by Susan Choi 39:25

4d ago39:25

39:25

Anna and Geoff discuss their Booker Prize winner predictions. We haven't read enough of the shortlist to know who will win, but Geoff is tipping THE LAND IN WINTER (a DNF for Anna). Our book of the week is FLASHLIGHT by Susan Choi. This is Choi's follow-up novel after winning the National Book Award for TRUST EXERCISE. It is a sweeping family saga …

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How learning to savour flavour can transform your health | Spencer Hyman 51:21

11d ago51:21

51:21

Is flavour just a sensory experience? Or the secret key to eating for health? In this episode, Spencer Hyman, flavour expert and co-founder of Cocoa Runners, joins Professor Tim Spector, world-leading scientist in nutrition and gut health, to uncover how the food industry manipulates taste to make us overeat, and how rediscovering real flavour coul…

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The Geopolitics of AGI | Helen Toner (Director of CSET & past OpenAI board member) 2:20:02

12d ago2:20:02

2:20:02

With the US racing to develop AGI and superintelligence ahead of China, you might expect the two countries to be negotiating how they’ll deploy AI, including in the military, without coming to blows. But according to Helen Toner, director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology in DC, “the US and Chinese governments are barely talking at…

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Hugh Bonneville, The Gold Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 29:21

10d ago29:21

29:21

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of The Gold. Actor Hugh Bonneville is a familiar face here at MASTERPIECE, having appeared in Downton Abbey, Miss Austen Regrets, The Cazalets, and more. Today, Hugh joins us to talk about The Gold and playing the ethical, determined, and legendary DCI Brian Boyce. Hugh shares what he …

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#226 – Holden Karnofsky on unexploited opportunities to make AI safer — and all his AGI takes 4:30:19

18d ago4:30:19

4:30:19

For years, working on AI safety usually meant theorising about the ‘alignment problem’ or trying to convince other people to give a damn. If you could find any way to help, the work was frustrating and low feedback. According to Anthropic’s Holden Karnofsky, this situation has now reversed completely. There are now large amounts of useful, concrete…

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The science of winter depression with Prof. Debra Skene – leading chronobiologist 59:49

18d ago59:49

59:49

Try ZOE’s NEW app and gut health test: ZOE.com Winter is almost here! Temperatures are dropping, clouds are descending, and the clocks have changed. Many of you might be worrying that the Winter Blues are on their way, but perhaps they don’t need to be? Perhaps we can work with our natural, biological rhythms to fend off this blue phase. Today, we’…

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#225 – Daniel Kokotajlo on what a hyperspeed robot economy might look like 2:12:01

21d ago2:12:01

2:12:01

When Daniel Kokotajlo talks to security experts at major AI labs, they tell him something chilling: “Of course we’re probably penetrated by the CCP already, and if they really wanted something, they could take it.” This isn’t paranoid speculation. It’s the working assumption of people whose job is to protect frontier AI models worth billions of dol…

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Stefanie Martini, Maigret | MASTERPIECE Studio 22:00

11d ago22:00

22:00

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Maigret. Actor Stefanie Martini’s Louise Maigret may just be the most patient woman in Paris, forever adjusting to her husband Jules Maigret’s demanding work schedule. But she’s a professional in her own right, working as a psychiatric nurse helping those in need. In this conversation, Stefan…

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Hannah Ritchie On Climate Honesty, Hope, And The Future. Discussing her book Clearing The Air. 1:15:37

22d ago1:15:37

1:15:37

Hannah Ritchie — one of the most lucid and data-driven voices in climate and sustainability — returns to talk about her new book Clearing the Air: 50 Questions and Answers about Climate. Ben and Hannah explore why honesty builds trust in climate science, why the 1.5 °C target is likely out of reach (and why that’s not the end of hope), and China’s …

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Tired and hungry? How the wrong breakfast will ruin your day | Prof. Benjamin Gardner & Professor Tim Spector 54:35

25d ago54:35

54:35

Get 6+ FREE breakfast recipes from nutrition experts: https://zoe.com/breakfastguide Why do so many of us eat a "healthy" breakfast like cereal or muesli, only to feel hungry, tired, and foggy by 11 AM? And why is it so hard to break this routine, even when we know it’s not working? In this episode, Jonathan Wolf speaks to Professor Ben Gardner, a …

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Seed with Bri Lee 23:42

15d ago23:42

23:42

Annie was lucky enough to catch Bri Lee on her book tour for her second novel, Seed. Set in Antarctica, Seed follows two scientists, Mitch and Frances, as they spend a month at the seed vault that they have been creating and protecting. But as strange things keep happening to the facility, culminating in their helicopter failing to pick them up, th…

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Stefanie Martini, The Gold Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 23:54

18d ago23:54

23:54

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Gold S1. For actor Stefanie Martini, getting into character to play Marnie Palmer involved doing away with her drama school style of speaking, and pulling out her native Bristolian accent. Today, Stefanie talks about portraying the real life Marnie Palmer, and what it was like to be stuck…

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The #1 Dementia risk factor nobody talks about, and what to do 55:13

1M ago55:13

55:13

Get your free 5-step plan for hearing loss diagnosis and treatment: click here Hearing loss affects 1 in 5 people globally, increases the risk of developing dementia, and has no cure. An astonishing half a billion people have hearing loss, which impacts their ability to communicate and connect with others. Hearing loss cases are increasing fast, es…

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Patrick Harbinson, Maigret | MASTERPIECE Studio 30:28

1M ago30:28

30:28

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Maigret When adapting Georges Simenon’s Maigret for the screen, lead writer, director, and executive producer Patrick Harbinson wanted to bring the classic character into the modern day. In this conversation, Patrick talks about the decisions he made to showcase Maigret as a younger detective…

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Elements of the Heist, The Gold, Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 20:14

28d ago20:14

20:14

The Gold writer and creator Neil Forsyth returns to the podcast in this special episode for an in-depth discussion on details of the larger-than-life heist. He explains the massive social transformation in 1980s Britain, why three tons of gold was at the Brink’s-Mat warehouse, the rumors of police corruption, and more. After this conversation, we g…

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Lose weight by controlling these hormones | Bariatric surgeon Dr. Andrew Jenkinson 54:27

1M ago54:27

54:27

🥑 Make smarter food choices. Become a member at http://zoe.com Have you ever wondered why you can lose weight on a diet, only for it to come back with a vengeance? If you’ve blamed yourself for a lack of willpower, our guest today argues you’ve been misled. The old mantra of “eat less, move more” is failing us, and the key to understanding why lies…

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Recap: Why you should eat 30 different plants every week | Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall & Tim Spector 16:45

1M ago16:45

16:45

By ZOE

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Neil Forsyth, The Gold Episode 1 Season 1| MASTERPIECE Studio 27:00

1M ago27:00

27:00

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 1 of The Gold. Writer and executive producer Neil Forsyth had his work cut out for him when adapting the larger-than-life true story of the Brink’s-Mat robbery. Too big for a single film adaptation, Neil decided this vast web of characters, plot, and conspiracy would be best told as a drama series…

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#224 – There's a cheap and low-tech way to save humanity from any engineered disease | Andrew Snyder-Beattie 2:31:11

2M ago2:31:11

2:31:11

Conventional wisdom is that safeguarding humanity from the worst biological risks — microbes optimised to kill as many as possible — is difficult bordering on impossible, making bioweapons humanity’s single greatest vulnerability. Andrew Snyder-Beattie thinks conventional wisdom could be wrong. Andrew’s job at Open Philanthropy is to spend hundreds…

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HRV vs. VO2 max vs. ECG: Which wearable metric ACTUALLY matters? | Prof. Malcolm Findlay 47:29

2M ago47:29

47:29

Is your smartwatch just a fun gadget, or a serious medical device? In this episode, Jonathan Wolf is joined by Dr. Malcolm Findlay, a leading consultant cardiologist, to explore the powerful health data available on your wrist. They decode the most misunderstood metric, Heart Rate Variability (HRV), and reveal how your wearable can provide clinical…

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Recap: Why you should be wary of ‘low fat’ foods | Sarah Berry 14:55

2M ago14:55

14:55

If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, you’ll know that our cholesterol level is closely linked to heart health. With that in mind, it’s easy to be drawn to foods labelled as ‘low fat’, ‘reduced fat’ or ‘fat free’ - all of which promise to keep our cholesterol low and heart strong. However, is it really that simple? I’m joined by Professor S…

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Jo Martin, The Marlow Murder Club Season 2 | MASTERPIECE Studio 29:55

1M ago29:55

29:55

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Season 2 of The Marlow Murder Club. For actor Jo Martin, returning to Marlow for a second season of The Marlow Murder Club felt like returning to a new family. And for her character, dog walker turned sleuth Suzie Harris, a new family is being forged with her friends Judith and Becks. In this conversation…

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Inside the Biden admin’s AI policy approach | Jake Sullivan, Biden’s NSA | via The Cognitive Revolution 1:05:58

2M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Jake Sullivan was the US National Security Advisor from 2021-2025. He joined our friends on The Cognitive Revolution podcast in August to discuss AI as a critical national security issue. We thought it was such a good interview and we wanted more people to see it, so we’re cross-posting it here on The 80,000 Hours Podcast. Jake and host Nathan Labe…

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I Make Envy On Your Disco with Eric Schnall 39:26

1M ago39:26

39:26

A special episode: Anna chats with author and Tony-award winning Broadway producer Eric Schnall about his debut novel I MAKE ENVY ON YOUR DISCO. Sam Singer flies to Berlin for an art gallery opening, needing a break from his partner in New York. He meets enigmatic hotel receptionist Magda and ex-pat Jeremy, goes clubbing, and discovers the 2000s no…

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Fix your sleep with the Royal Marine's sleep consultant Dr. Sophie Bostock 56:54

2M ago56:54

56:54

We’ve all been there: tossing and turning, checking the clock, and stressing about not getting enough sleep. But what if the secret to a good night’s rest isn’t in a pill or a product, but in changing your mindset and daily habits? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Sophie Bostock, a leading sleep scientist and founder of The Sleep Scientist. Sop…

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Recap: This type of daily chocolate could improve gut health | Spencer Hyman and Prof Sarah Berry 15:18

2M ago15:18

15:18

Today, we’re unwrapping the truth about chocolate. For many of us, chocolate is a guilty pleasure. But what if I told you that you didn’t need to feel guilty? Because it turns out that not all chocolate is created equal. And by changing the type of chocolate you eat, you can support your health instead of harming it. In this episode, I’m joined by …

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Endling by Maria Reva 23:32

2M ago23:32

23:32

Anna and Annie discuss the settlement offer by Anthropic to pay $1.5bn to settle a book piracy lawsuit and the 2025 National Book Awards fiction longlist. Our book of the week is ENDLING by Maria Reva. Yeva is a snail conservationist in Ukraine who becomes caught up in Nastia and Sol's scheme to disrupt the romance tour industry. A heist ensues but…

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3 gut bacteria that protect your heart–and what to feed them | Prof. Tim Spector & Prof Nicola Segata 1:08:24

2M ago1:08:24

1:08:24

There's an unseen world inside you, teeming with trillions of tiny inhabitants. Just like any ecosystem, some bugs inside your gut microbiome are beneficial, while others wreak havoc, quietly disrupting your health. What if these disruptive "invasive species" are silently driving the rise of cardiometabolic diseases, the leading cause of illness an…

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Recap: Simple ways to improve gut health today | Dr. Karan Rajan 13:58

2M ago13:58

13:58

Research continues to confirm how important the gut is for overall health. From energy to immunity and even mood, it all seems to start with the gut. It’s no surprise then that the hunt for the next gut boosting hack has exploded in recent years. So, are probiotics really the answer? Or is the fix already sitting on our supermarket shelf? In this e…

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#223 – Neel Nanda on leading a Google DeepMind team at 26 – and advice if you want to work at an AI company (part 2) 1:46:49

2M ago1:46:49

1:46:49

At 26, Neel Nanda leads an AI safety team at Google DeepMind, has published dozens of influential papers, and mentored 50 junior researchers — seven of whom now work at major AI companies. His secret? “It’s mostly luck,” he says, but “another part is what I think of as maximising my luck surface area.” Video, full transcript, and links to learn mor…

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A Woman Talks to Her Tongue with Alison Gorman 22:18

2M ago22:18

22:18

A special episode: Anna chats with award-winning poet Alison Gorman about her debut poetry collection A WOMAN TALKS TO HER TONGUE. These poems examine family secrets, silences and women's voices. Beautiful and assured, we loved this book. Alison joins us fresh from her sold-out launch in Sydney to discuss the moving themes from the collection and o…