Best T Dillon Podcasts (2026)

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Daniel Martinez, NPS Pearl Harbor Historian and Interpreter Talks Story with Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman 38:47

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4d ago38:47

38:47

Tim Merriman and Bill Gwaltney talk story with Daniel Martinez on Reflections on Interpretation. For historian Daniel Martinez, history isn’t just something to study—it’s something you feel. After 44 years with the National Park Service, most recently as historian at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, Martinez reflects on a career dedicated to kee…

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Why Peter Thiel’s Founder Rules Keep Paying Off 1:08:04

13d ago1:08:04

1:08:04

A Note from James: One of my favorite conversations on this show was with Peter Thiel. Yes—PayPal, Facebook, Palantir, and a dozen other hits. I first ran this episode years ago, and the advice still holds up. The same stories, the same frameworks—and the same challenge to think from first principles. Here’s Peter Thiel, one of the most influential…

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“If You’re Still Trying to Be Rational Now, You’re Crazy:” Comedian Tim Dillon on Being Informed vs. Being Ignorant 1:49:04

17d ago1:49:04

1:49:04

A Note from James: Tim Dillon is crazy—in the best way. Not “institution” crazy. Crazy smart. Years ago he told me things about Epstein, hustle culture, and how the world really works that felt outlandish then and obvious now. He’s quirky, honest, and usually right about what to pay attention to. Also, he’s flat-out funny. Let’s bring Tim back and …

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How to Challenge Moon Landing Hoax Theories: Insights from Brian Keating 1:01:32

27d ago1:01:32

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James brings back astrophysicist Brian Keating for a practical takedown of moon-landing conspiracy claims—and a wider lesson in how to reason when everyone has a microphone. From the Van Allen belts to “the flag waving,” Keating separates physics from folklore, explains what evidence actually looks like (hello, laser retroreflectors), and gives a p…

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Digital Social Hour Podcast by Sean Kelly: Why Gen Z Might Be the Most Talented Generation in History 57:48

29d ago57:48

57:48

Today, we're sharing the recent episode of the Digital Social Hour Podcast by Sean Kelly. James Altucher joins the show to break down why the 10,000-hour rule is a myth, how to cheat your way into the top 1%, why obsession matters more than talent, and how AI is now the greatest mentor of all time. From entrepreneurship and failure… to mental healt…

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Gary Candelaria Talks Story with Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman on Reflections on Interpretation 39:31

21d ago39:31

39:31

Gary Candelaria brings a lifetime of dedication to America’s public lands to this episode of Reflections on Interpretation: Talking Story with Guides and Interpreters. Raised in Los Angeles and inspired early on to become a park ranger, he pursued that dream through a forestry degree at Oregon State University before entering the prestigious Intake…

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How AI Will Change Hollywood Forever: Tye Sheridan & Nikola Todorovic on AI, VFX, and the Future of Filmmaking 1:03:35

1M ago1:03:35

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A Note from James: Tye Sheridan is one of my favorite actors. You might know him as Cyclops in the X-Men movies (Apocalypse, etc.) or as the lead in Ready Player One—which is not only a great movie but also one of my favorite sci-fi books. One of his first films was Mud with Matthew McConaughey. What I didn’t realize: since 2016, while still acting…

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AI That Helps, Schools That Don’t, and How Not to Go Crazy with Prof. Brian Keating 1:41:08

1M ago1:41:08

1:41:08

Episode Description: James sits down with astrophysicist Brian Keating for a candid, useful tour through three hot zones: how to think about AI (and where it actually helps), what’s broken in higher ed and admissions right now, and why outsourcing your mood to politics is a losing strategy. You’ll hear first-hand stories (from UC San Diego classroo…

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Kent Heckenlively on Catastrophic Disclosure: UFO Whistleblowers, Government Spin, and James’s 85% Rule 1:01:38

1M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

A Note from James: Are UFOs real or not? For 80 years there have been credible whistleblowers saying the government recovered craft—and even bodies. That’s why I wanted Kent Heckenlively on, the author of Catastrophic Disclosure: The Deep State, Aliens, and the Truth. I’m not here to decide for you. I want to hear the best evidence, ask the obvious…

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Costa Dillon Talks Story with Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman on Reflections on Interpretation 45:09

1M ago45:09

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Costa Dillon is a retired National Park Service ranger and park superintendent who worked in more than a dozen parks in his 35-year career including as Superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Park, Fire Island National Seashore, and the Horace Albright Training Center. He is the recipient of the Department of the Interior’s Meritorious Service Awa…

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Wisdom Takes Work: Ryan Holiday on What AI Can’t Teach You 1:02:08

2M ago1:02:08

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A Note from James: Wisdom Takes Work is Ryan Holiday’s fourth book exploring the Stoic virtues, and this time he’s taking on the big one — wisdom. His earlier books on courage, temperance, and justice were all great conversations, but this one hit me personally. I’ve often thought I had wisdom, only to realize later that I didn’t — or at least not …

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T. Lindsay Baker, Historian and Author, Talks Story with Tim Merriman and Bill Gwaltney on Reflections on Interpretation 39:12

2M ago39:12

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Join Tim Merriman and Bill Gwaltney for a fascinating conversation with T. Lindsay Baker, a historian of the American West who doesn’t just write about the past, he’s lived it. Author of more than two dozen peer-reviewed histories and a lifelong interpreter, Baker brings academic rigor and interpretive insight together in ways few others do. Known …

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Jeff Pearlman on Tupac Shakur: The Myths, the Music, and the Man Behind the Legend 52:26

2M ago52:26

52:26

A Note from James Tupac Shakur—one of the greatest rap artists ever—was shot and killed almost two decades ago. What else is there left to say about him? What new things can be said? Well, Jeff Pearlman’s new book, Only God Can Judge Me: The Many Lives of Tupac Shakur, takes on that challenge. In our conversation, we talk about what Jeff uncovered …

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Former FBI Agent, Eric O’Neill on Spies, Lies, and the Cyber Wars We’re Already Losing 57:47

2M ago57:47

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A Note from James Oh my gosh—I was scared after this one. In this episode, I learned about what’s really on the dark web… and the even scarier stuff on what’s called the deep web. Eric O’Neill—who, by the way, is the former FBI agent who brought down Robert Hanssen, the biggest double agent in U.S. history—joined me for this conversation. Hanssen w…

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Tim Merriman Talks Story on Reflections on Interpretation: What is the Purpose of Heritage Interpretation? 12:57

2M ago12:57

12:57

For more than fifty years, I’ve been asking one question: What is the purpose of heritage interpretation? Early in my career, a few key experiences set me on a path of reflection—a path that has shaped every step of my professional life since. Few of us have the luxury of working in isolation or for ourselves alone. If interpretation is to be meani…

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I Know that She Knows that I Know that She Knows: Steven Pinker on the Mysteries of Money, Power, and Everyday Life 1:07:50

2M ago1:07:50

1:07:50

A Note from James I first got really impressed with Steven Pinker when he wrote The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. He basically shows that over the past 10,000 years, every single century has been less violent than the one before it. You might think, “That can’t include the 20th century,” right? We had World War I, World Wa…

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Obsession, Secrets, and Sleight of Hand: Inside the Hidden World of Modern Magicians with Ian Frisch 1:26:14

3M ago1:26:14

1:26:14

A Note from James I’ve always loved books where a journalist gets so deep into a subculture that they become part of it. Magic Is Dead by Ian Frisch is one of those. He starts out covering a secret society of magicians—“The 52,” named for the cards in a deck—and ends up becoming one of them. It reminded me of other favorites like Word Freak (Scrabb…

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Jayden Daniels Takes the Heat 🔥 Commanders’ Loss Breakdown + Wild NFL Week 6 Storylines! 56:35

3M ago56:35

56:35

Jayden Daniels is catching all the heat after the Commanders’ brutal Week 6 loss — but is he really the one to blame? 🔥In this episode, we break down what went wrong in Washington, the coaching decisions that cost them, and how this loss shapes the Commanders’ season moving forward.We also dive into the wildest NFL Week 6 storylines — shocking upse…

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Dr. Robert Powell and Dr. Marc J. Stern Talk Story with Bill Gwaltney and Tim Merriman on Reflections on Interpretation 48:42

3M ago48:42

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Dr. Robert Powell’s research at Clemson University focuses on informal STEM education, interpretation, protected area management, and sustainable tourism. He has led multiple NSF-funded national studies on learning outcomes in parks and environmental education, publishing over 100 peer-reviewed articles. A former U.S. Canoe and Kayak Team member, B…

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Morgan Housel on The Art of Spending Money and Why Independence Is the Real Luxury 1:06:30

3M ago1:06:30

1:06:30

A Note from James I’m such a fan of this guy. I loved The Psychology of Money — it felt like he was writing directly about me. I’ve made a lot of money, lost it all, made it again, lost it again. Over and over. And Morgan gets it. His new book, The Art of Spending Money, hits even deeper. It’s not just about being rich; it’s about freedom, simplici…

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Browns Are Self-Destructing: Why Starting Dillon Gabriel and Trading Flacco Feels Like a Setup. 55:22

3M ago55:22

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By Lawz,Aaron and D

4M ago1:13:13

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Episode Description James sits down once again with cosmologist Brian Keating—longtime friend of the show and author of Into the Impossible: Focus Like a Nobel Prize Winner. In this candid conversation, they challenge each other’s views on focus, curiosity, and the trade-offs of staying in your lane. Brian shares behind-the-scenes lessons from inte…