The Escaped Sapiens Podcast
Episodes
Reviving Ancient Greece Through Its Lost Texts | Richard Janko | Escaped Sapiens #89
30 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Recently, new AI-based techniques have begun to allow researchers to decipher ancient Greek texts from scrolls burned almost beyond recognition by the...
How Anesthetics Affect The Brain | Anthony Kaveh | Escaped Sapiens #88
23 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
* Note: This Episode was filmed over two years ago in mid 2023. In the lead up to my own surgery I speak with Stanford and Harvard trained, board-cert...
A Path To Quantum Gravity | Sabrina Pasterski | Escaped Sapiens #87
16 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What are holographic dualities, and is our universe really a hologram? In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Sabrina Pasterski, a faculty membe...
The Philosophy Of Antinatalism | David Benatar | Escaped Sapiens #86
09 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I speak with philosopher and author David Benatar. David is best known for advancing the position of philanthropic antinatalism, which...
How We Know What Killed the Dinosaurs | Jan Smit | Escaped Sapiens #85
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For over forty years, Dutch geologist and paleontologist Jan Smit has been at the center of one of the most profound scientific detective stories of o...
Causal Fermion Systems: A Radical New Vision Of Reality | Felix Finster | Escaped Sapiens #84
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For over three decades, Felix Finster has been developing a unique and ambitious reformulation of physics known as Causal Fermion Systems (CFS). Physi...
Is Aging Treatable? Radical Mouse Experiments Begin | Aubrey de Grey | Escaped Sapiens #83
29 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aging has long been treated as inevitable. But what if it’s not? What if aging is, at its core, a problem to be solved? In this episode, I speak wit...
`Last Unsolved Problem of Classical Physics' | Sasha Migdal | Escaped Sapiens #82
08 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Feynman once dubbed turbulence “the last unsolved problem of classical physics.” Beyond the Navier–Stokes equations, no comprehensive st...
Are We More Divided Now Than Ever? | Sam Richards & Laurie Mulvey | Escaped Sapiens #81
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I ask Professors Sam Richards & Laurey Mulvey about some of the most controversial topics concerning race and ethnicity in th...
Solving Quantum Gravity | Pedro Vieira | Escaped Sapiens #80
02 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is Holography and how does it help us Quantize gravity? In this conversation I speak with Pedro Vieira, one of the worlds leading experts on holo...
Drone Warfare in Ukraine and the Future Of Combat | Sam Bendett | Escaped Sapiens #79
09 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I speak with Sam Bendett, one of the worlds leading experts on Russian weapons development and capabilities, drones, AI, and the ...
AI, Control, and the path to Dystopia | Pedro Domingos | Escaped Sapiens #78
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Will we ever have an AI for president? In this episode of the podcast I speak with Pedro Domingos about the impact of AI on society, industry, and pol...
From Destruction to Regeneration: The Future of Economics | Kate Raworth | Escaped Sapiens #77
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I speak with renegade economist and creator of doughnut economics Kate Raworth. Kate is a Senior Associate at Oxford University’...
The Surprising Impact of Regenerative Farming | Joel Salatin | Escaped Sapiens #76
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation is the second part of a two part mini-series on Regenerative cattle farming. The question is: Does raising cattle really have to be ...
Regenerative Farming And Carbon Negative Beef | Will Harris | Escaped Sapiens #75
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I speak with Will Harris, who is a fourth generation cattle farmer. Will originally ran a standard industrial farm, but increasin...
What is Reality Made Of? Unscrambling the Quantum Omelet | Rob Spekkens | Escaped Sapiens #74
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In quantum mechanics the state of a physical system is described by a wavefunction, which provides information about the probabilities of various outc...
The Future of Protein: Breeding The Super Tuber | Padraic Flood | Escaped Sapiens #73
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wheat, soy, corn, potatoes—did we really domesticate the best crops nature had to offer? In this episode of the podcast, I speak with geneticist Pad...
The "Self" Is An Illusion | Thomas Metzinger | Escaped Sapiens #72
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I speak with Professor Thomas Metzinger about how our strong, consciously experienced subjectivity emerges out of objective events in ...
Alcohol And The Birth Of Civilization | Edward Slingerland | Escaped Sapiens #71
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is alcohol use so widespread? The usual thinking is that despite its negative effects, alcohol is pleasurable and that is why we drink it. But thi...
Building A Theory Of Everything | Stephen Wolfram | Escaped Sapiens #70
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a conversation with Stephen Wolfram about his proposed theory of everything. Stephen is a British-American computer scientist, mathematician, ...
Should We Deregulate Housing? | Bryan Caplan | Escaped Sapiens #69
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Housing regulation is often put in place for good reasons, namely comfort, safety, environmental protection, availability of utilities and services, a...
Decoding Human Speech From Brain Signals | Julia Berezutskaya | Escaped Sapiens #67
09 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Julia Berezutskaya is one of the worlds leading researchers working in the area of brain computer interfaces. She is part of the brain-computer interf...
Is Mathematics Invented or Discovered? | Carl Bender | Escaped Sapiens #67
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Carl Bender is an applied mathematician and mathematical physicist holding positions at Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Heidelbe...
Nuclear Energy: Rewards, Costs, and Advanced Reactors | Rachel Slaybaugh | Escaped Sapiens #66
21 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What role should Nuclear Power play in energy production? This episode of the podcast explores the case for Nuclear Energy. I speak with Rachel Slayba...
Marx, Capitalism, and Neoclassical Economics | Steve Keen | Escaped Sapiens #65
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with UCL Honorary Professor of Economics and ISRS Distinguished Research Fellow Steve keen. Steve famously pred...
Does Capitalism Destroy The Environment? | Jeffrey Sachs | Escaped Sapiens #64
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the Podcast I speak with economist and public policy analyst Jeffrey Sachs. Jeffrey is Director of the Center for Sustainable Devel...
Avoiding The Threats From AI | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #63
20 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast I speak with David Shapiro about some of the threats associated with AI development. We discuss the impact that generat...
Narcissism And Success | Mitja Back | Escaped Sapiens #62
21 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is narcissism, and why do so many successful people seem to be narcissists? In this conversation I speak with Professor Mitja Back from the unive...
Creating Synthetic Life | Kerstin Goepfrich | Escaped Sapiens #61
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I speak with Professor Kerstin Göpfrich, who works at Heidelberg University at the Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), and who ...
Earth & Life. 3.77 Billion Years Under Construction | Olivia Judson | Escaped Sapiens #60
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This conversation is about the history of life and earth. I speak with evolutionary biologist and author Olivia Judson, who is best known for her book...
Scientific Literacy And Democracy | Johannes Vogel | Escaped Sapiens # 59
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
NOTE: From 0:01:07-0:02:36 the sound quality is lower than the rest of the episode as you are hearing the backup recording. This conversation is ...
The Ethics and Practice of Plastic Surgery | Gary Linkov | Escaped Sapiens #58
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I speak with Dr. Gary Linkov about the ethics and practice of plastic surgery. Gary is a double board certified facial plastic su...
Rise Of The Blockchain | JP Vergne | Escaped Sapiens #57
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this conversation I discuss distributed and decentralized organizations with Jean-Philippe Vergne, who is an associate professor of strategy at Uni...
Feeding The Future : The Ocean Farmers | Shawn Robinson | Escaped Sapiens #56
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of our oceans? On this episode of the Podcast I speak with Dr. Shawn Robinson about marine ecology, aquaculture, and the politics a...
Genetic Biocontrol and De-Extinction | Stephen Frankenberg | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #55
26 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In only 250 years since colonization, Australia has seen the extinction of 38 species of mammals. Much of the devastation to Australia's native wildli...
The Birth Of Synthetic Intelligence | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #54
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Progress in AI development seems to be accelerating, and we might be living through a period in human history that is every bit as significant as the ...
What Science Learned From The Pandemic | Peter Doherty | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #53
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Now that the dust has settled to a certain extent, how did we do with the pandemic? Which countries handled the situation best? Did we learn anything?...
Behind Closed Doors: The High Stakes Game Of Diplomacy | John Kornblum | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #52
23 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It is easy to take peace for granted. In this episode of the podcast I speak with John Kornblum about the hard work that diplomats do in the backgroun...
Vertical Farming: A New Food System | Viviana Correa Galvis | Escaped Sapeins Podcast #51
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us live nowhere near where our food comes from. which means that the food that we have access to is dictated by conderations like does it trav...
Reconstructing Limbs With Advanced Prosthetics | Munjed Al Muderis | Escaped Sapiens #50.b
19 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Podcast I speak with Professor Munjed Al Muderis about a new technology that is allowing amputees to walk again. Osseointegrati...
A Refugee’s Story | Munjed Al Muderis | Escaped Sapiens #50.a
11 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Podcast I speak with Professor Munjed Al Muderis about his escape from Iraq as a refugee. In 1999 Munjed was forced to flee Ira...
Good, Evil, and Social Engineering | Hans-Georg Moeller | Escaped Sapiens #49
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Hans-Georg Moeller from the University of Macau. Georg's work focusses on Chinese and Comparativ...
Moral Blindness, Political Division, and Bull$&%t | Philipp Huebl | Escaped Sapiens #48
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Philipp Huebl about moral myopia, political division, and the spread of "bull$&%t" and misinform...
Exploring the Illegal Trade in Human Organs | Frederike Ambagtsheer | Escaped Sapiens #47
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Frederike Ambagtsheer about the illegal trade and trafficking in human organs. Frederike has a b...
What is money and who rules the world? | Yanis Varoufakis | Escaped Sapiens #46
18 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Yanis Varoufakis about the role of banks and politicians. Yanis is an economist, politician, author and Se...
The Atomic Priesthood and Messages From the Dead | Ola Wikander | Escaped Sapiens #45
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Ola Wikander about the field of “Nuclear Semiotics”, the scholarly discussion concerning communicating...
A Different Look At Gender Equality. | Bryan Caplan | Escaped Sapiens #44
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For many people the question of whether or not women are treated more unfairly than men is so obvious that is obscene to challenge the assumption. But...
How Many Fish Should We Leave In The Ocean? | Trevor Branch | Escaped Sapiens #43
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast I discuss the state of marine fisheries with Professor Trevor Branch from the University of Washington. Trevor speciali...
Engineering Life And Consciousness. | Michael Levin | Escaped Sapiens #42
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast I speak with developmental and synthetic biologist Michael Levin from Tufts University. Michael is a director of the Al...
What’s In An Eye? | Alex Müntz | Escaped Sapiens #41
01 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What are our digital lifestyles doing to our eyes? In this conversation I speak with Alex Müntz, who is a Romanian clinical scientist and research fe...
Is warfare a science? | John Spencer | Escaped Sapiens #40
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This Episode of the Podcast was supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation. See http://www.avbstiftung.de/ for more information. Is the study of ...
Geography is Destiny | Ian Morris | Escaped Sapiens #39
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Note: This episode is not a paid advertisement for Ian's new book. This is a conversation with archaeologist, historian, and professor of classics I...
The Robots Of Mars | Tanya Harrison | Escaped Sapiens #38
05 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with geologist and planetary scientist Dr. Tanya Harrison, to find out what it is like to do research with the ...
Hacking The Blueprint Of Life | Michael Levin | Escaped Sapiens #37
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast I speak with developmental and synthetic biologist Michael Levin from Tufts University. Michael is a director of the Al...
This is What You Will Eat On Mars | Daniel Schubert | Escaped Sapiens #36
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast I speak with Daniel Schubert from the German Aerospace Center about designing and creating bioregenerative life-support...
Do Animals Have Language? | Irene Pepperberg | Escaped Sapiens #35
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How complex does animal communication get? How much information is encoded in dog barks, the clicks of sperm whales, or the chirps of small birds? In ...
When Nuclear Powers Meet | Ankit Panda | Escaped Sapiens #34
17 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a conversation with Ankit Panda about nuclear proliferation and deterrence. Ankit Panda is the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Pro...
Forensic Science & the Insect Apocalypse | Mark Benecke | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #33.2
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is the second part of a two part conversation with Mark Benecke, forensic biologist, forensic entomologist, NRW state chairman for German's Die P...
What We Learn At Crime Scenes | Mark Benecke | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #33.1
21 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is the first part of a two part conversation with Mark Benecke, forensic biologist, forensic entomologist, NRW state chairman for German's Die Pa...
The World’s First Planetary Defense Mission | Andy Rivkin | Escaped Sapiens #32
07 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a conversation with Planetary Astronomer Andy Rivkin. Andy is the co-investigation team lead for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DA...
When Civilization Ends | Ian Morris | Escaped Sapiens #31
24 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a conversation with archaeologist, historian, and professor of classics Ian Morris at Stanford University. Ian has written extensively about t...
Fusion Energy Is Coming | Thomas Sunn Pedersen | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #30
10 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This is a conversation with Thomas Sunn Pedersen, Director of the Stellarator Edge and Divertor Physics Division at the Greifswald branch of the Max-P...
The Price We Pay For Carbon (Climate Change) | Glen Peters | Escaped Sapiens #29
28 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the podcast I speak with Glen Peters who is research director at the Center for International Climate Research in Norway. Glen's re...
How Your Evolved Psychology Controls You | Diana Fleischman | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #28
24 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the most interesting features of human intelligence is that it comes with personality. We aren't all the same and our thoughts aren't purely lo...
Diet And The Environment | Marion Nestle | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #27 (Part 2 - Out-Takes)
22 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
After my interview with Marion we discussed diet choices and their impact on the environment. Marion Nestle was the Paulette Goddard professor of nutr...
Who Controls What You Eat? | Marion Nestle | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #27 (part 1)
16 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Our food system is complicated, and there are many competing interests that determine which products end up on shelves for purchase. In this episode o...
How Did Life Begin and Where Are All The Aliens? | David Catling | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #26
12 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did life begin? Where are all the aliens? For most of human history these questions have been the realm of speculation. Today however, we have rov...
How Disgust Has Evolved to Help you Survive | Dan Fessler | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #25
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How do the different kinds of disgust (sexual, political, hygiene, insects, cultural, etc) relate to each other? How are our feelings of disgust forme...
Can We Beat Climate Change? | Ketan Joshi | Escaped Sapiens #24
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ketan Joshi is a full time communications consultant, freelance writer, analyst, researcher and author. For the past decade Ketan has been researching...
The Science of Propaganda | Oliver Boyd-Barrett | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #23 (Part 1)
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This episode of the podcast focuses on the effects of developments in science and technology on our society - and in particular on the science of prop...
The Science of Propaganda | Oliver Boyd-Barrett | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #23 (Part 2)
13 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is part two of an interview with Oliver Boyd-Barrett. This episode of the podcast focuses on the effects of developments in science and technolog...
Survival at Sea, Human Endurance and Ingenuity | Steve Callahan | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #22
06 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Steve Callahan is an inventor, sailor, Naval architect, and author. In 1981 Steve lost `Napoleon Solo', a ship he designed and built, during a storm i...
Deep Fakes and Manipulated Media | Matthew F. Ferraro | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #21
23 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew F. Ferraro is an attorney and former intelligence officer who writes widely on national security and legal issues. Matt is currently a counsel...
Environmental pragmatism and living a good life | Tim Flannery | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #20
16 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Tim Flannery is a Mammologist, palaentologist, environmentalist, conservationist, and explorer. He was named Australian humanist of the year in 2005 a...
Space Junk | Jonathan McDowell | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #19
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jonathan McDowell is an astrophysicist at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who studies black holes, quasars and X-ray sources in galax...
The Missing Science of Men‘s Reproductive Health | Rene Almeling | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #18
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Rene is an Associate Professor of Sociology, History of Medicine, American Studies, and Public Health (Health Policy) at Yale university. Her research...
Xenobots - Robots or Synthetic Life? | Josh Bongard | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #17
09 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Josh Bongard who is one of the inventors of Xenobots. We discuss their development, their potent...
Deanna Barch: How do our brains work? | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #16
15 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Deanna Barch is a professor of psychology, radiology, and psychiatry at Washington University. Deanna is a key contributor to the Human connectome pro...
Steve Furber: Simulating the Human Brain | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #15
05 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How good is our understanding of the human brain, and how close are we to being able to simulate it? In this episode Steve Furber discusses SpiNNaker,...
Luisa von Albedyll: Exploring the arctic | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #14
28 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Luisa von Albedyll discusses travelling to the arctic as part of the MOSAiC expedition. Polar bears, melting ice, global warming, and the beauty of th...
Katherine Moseby: Saving Australia's Endangered Mammals | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #13
21 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Katherine Moseby discusses the threats to Australian wildlife in arid zones, and in particular the threats due to introduced species such as feral cat...
Brian Nosek: Is science in (reproducibility) crisis? | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #12
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Nosek discusses the reproducibility project, a crowdsourced collaboration of 270 authors, which attempted to repeat 100 published experimental a...
Julian Bayliss: Discovering new species in the lost forests of Africa | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #11
09 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This is the story of a conservationist and explorer. Julian Bayliss discusses his expeditions to the isolated and untouched rainforests of east Africa...
Fiona Wood: Spray on Skin and healing burns victims | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #10
28 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fiona Wood discusses the difficulties in treating burn injuries, and describes some of the new techniques that are being used today to reduce infectio...
Michael Boyle: Drone Warfare | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #9
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Boyle Discusses the rise of advanced drone technology, and its impact on conflict. Find out more about Michael's research and publications her...
Iain Kerr: Saving the whales by collecting their snot with Drones | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #8
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Iain Kerr discusses the new threats facing whales, including boat strikes, bycatch, resource depletion, environment destruction, plastics, and polluti...
Robert Zubrin: Finding life on mars | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #7
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Zubrin discusses the prospects of finding life on mars. Find out more about Robert's work at the Mars Society here: https://www.marssociety.org...
Lee Cronin: Creating artificial life | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #6
08 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Lee Cronin discusses his work generating life in the laboratory, and the kind of processes that may have led to the origins of life on earth. Lee is t...
Robert Zubrin: A blueprint for mars colonization | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #5
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Robert Zubrin discusses establishing a new branch of human civilization on the Red Planet. Find out more about Robert's work at the Mars Society here:...
Kelly Lambert: Enhancing cognitive function through behavior | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #4
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Kelly Lambert Discusses the impacts that our experiences and environment might have on our mental resilience, stress, anxiety, and general cognitive f...
Dave Goulson: The worrying plight of the bumblebee | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #3
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dave Goulson discusses the reasons for the decline in insect populations. Find out more about Dave Goulson's work at the University of Sussex at http:...
Ben Novak: Reviving extinct species | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #2
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ben Novak discusses his work bringing back extinct species. Find out more about Ben's work in de-extinction with revive and restore at https://reviver...
Gregg Suaning: Curing blindness with bionic eyes | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #1
01 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Gregg Suaning discusses his work on bionic eyes and cochlear implants. Find out more about Gregg's work in Biomedical Engineering at the University of...