Best Hugh Benjamin Podcasts (2025)

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Holden Karnofsky: "We're not racing to AGI because of a coordination problem" and all his other AI takes 4:30:19

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21h 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

1d 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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From Cop Shop to Zen - Greg Garret's journey 2:01:35

2d ago2:01:35

2:01:35

Join my FREE 'Just Getting Started' Community here https://www.skool.com/justgettingstarted/about In this episode, Greg Garrett shares his journey from the corporate world to becoming a yogi, discussing the challenges and transformations he experienced along the way. He talks about his upbringing, the influence of his family, and his career in insu…

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

4d 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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Hannah Ritchie On Climate Honesty, Hope, And The Future. Discussing her book Clearing The Air. 1:15:37

5d 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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Brewing Change - The Coffee Revolution in Kenya 56:55

5d ago56:55

56:55

Join the FREE 'Just Getting Started' community https://www.skool.com/justgettingstarted/about In this conversation, Nicky and Ann Wakina explore the world of coffee farming in Kenya, discussing its economic challenges, the generational legacy of coffee production, and the emerging specialty coffee culture. Ann shares her personal journey from growi…

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

8d 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

8d 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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The #1 Dementia risk factor nobody talks about, and what to do 55:13

15d 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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The Coffee Nomad Who Refused to Settle - Benjamin Sand 58:50

20d ago58:50

58:50

Benjamin Sand has built a life without borders - travelling the world, writing about food and specialty coffee, and proving that purpose can be found anywhere. In this episode, Nicky explores what happens when curiosity becomes a career and freedom becomes home. - How Benjamin’s global childhood shaped a life of movement and meaning - The moment he…

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

22d 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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He Walked Away From a Top Job - And it Changed Everything 1:42:56

22d ago1:42:56

1:42:56

For most people, leaving a secure, pensionable job would be madness. For Harry Maharaj, it was the smartest move he ever made. In this episode of Just Getting Started, Nicky Hughes sits down with Harry to unpack the courage it takes to walk away from certainty, and how that leap led him to rediscover purpose, family, and legacy on the banks of the …

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From Glasgow Swimming Pools to Dubai Coffee Rituals: Robert Hamilton's Reinvention Story 1:31:42

24d ago1:31:42

1:31:42

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

24d ago16:45

16:45

By ZOE

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Reversing Type 2 Diabetes - Darin “Doc” Berntson’s 80lb (36kg) Transformation Story 1:37:17

28d ago1:37:17

1:37:17

What if everything you were told about diabetes, health, and food was wrong? My guest today, Darin ‘Doc’ Berntson, spent 30 years in sales and marketing, only to face a health crisis that nearly cost him his sight. In less than a year, he lost 80lbs, reversed type 2 diabetes, and completely reawakened his life. This is a story about second chances,…

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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

29d 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

29d 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

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

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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

1M 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…

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Robert Beckley: Lessons from 40 Years in Policing, Hillsborough & Civic Service 1:05:30

2M ago1:05:30

1:05:30

Retired police officer Robert Beckley reflects on 40 years of service — from Brixton to Hillsborough and beyond. We discuss crisis response, institutional change, community policing, and why public service and volunteering still matter today. We explore: The misunderstood role of policing: “Policing is about being there in a crisis — when someone n…

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5 threats to your immune system–and how to fight them | Prof. Daniel Davis MBE 52:29

2M ago52:29

52:29

Many supplements claim to “boost” your immune system. Now, we all want to avoid getting sick during the winter months, but do any of these products really work? And is trying to “boost” your immune system even a good idea? Jonathan speaks with Professor Daniel M. Davis, MBE — a leading expert on immunology and Head of Life Sciences at Imperial Coll…

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Recap: The truth about seed oils | Prof. Sarah Berry 15:58

2M ago15:58

15:58

From Instagram reels to viral tweets, seed oils have become one of the latest nutrition villains. And the fear’s getting real. People are emptying their cupboards, terrified these everyday oils are silently wreaking havoc on their health. So is this panic justified? Or does the science require further scrutiny? Well, ‘scrutiny’ is Professor Sarah B…

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#222 – Can we tell if an AI is loyal by reading its mind? DeepMind's Neel Nanda (part 1) 3:01:11

2M ago3:01:11

3:01:11

We don’t know how AIs think or why they do what they do. Or at least, we don’t know much. That fact is only becoming more troubling as AIs grow more capable and appear on track to wield enormous cultural influence, directly advise on major government decisions, and even operate military equipment autonomously. We simply can’t tell what models, if a…

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Top Doctor: The hidden dangers in your daily multivitamin | Dr David Seres 58:41

2M ago58:41

58:41

We’re told vitamins are essential for our health. That they boost our immune systems, fight fatigue, and protect us from disease. But what if most of it isn’t true? In the 20th century, vitamin supplements were hailed as a breakthrough, curing diseases like scurvy and rickets. But that success story took a turn. In the US, a law passed in 1994 — he…

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Recap: Make the most out of EVERY meal | Christopher Gardner & Sarah Berry 14:21

2M ago14:21

14:21

Today, we’re asking: What should you eat? This is the million-dollar question, one that we at ZOE have spent countless hours of podcast episodes trying to answer. However, all of this information can be overwhelming, turning breakfast, lunch, and dinner into a daily dilemma. So, are there any simple tips we can keep in mind to reduce the stress aro…

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Flesh by David Szalay 33:25

2M ago33:25

33:25

Anna and Geoff discuss Sally Rooney pledging royalties to Palestine Action and the Library of South Australia being second on the list of the world's most beautiful libraries. Our book of the week is FLESH, the new novel by David Szalay which has been long-listed for the 2025 Booker Prize. It tells the story of Istvan, a Hungarian British man, in a…

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#221 – Kyle Fish on the most bizarre findings from 5 AI welfare experiments 2:28:53

2M ago2:28:53

2:28:53

What happens when you lock two AI systems in a room together and tell them they can discuss anything they want? According to experiments run by Kyle Fish — Anthropic’s first AI welfare researcher — something consistently strange: the models immediately begin discussing their own consciousness before spiraling into increasingly euphoric philosophica…