unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc

431. Religion’s Hand in the Invention of Politics with Anna Maria Grzymala-Busse

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Historical research on the development of states and political systems typically focuses on the role of war or economic class, but what about the infl...

430. How Darwinian Economics Could Explain Everything with Geoffrey Hodgson

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the course of history, human nature hasn’t changed a great deal, but culture and institutions are another story. And a key way of explaining th...

429. The Science Behind Animal Hijinks Understanding Play as Nature's Classroom feat. David Toomey

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Through navigating the intricate world of play behavior we can dissect how animals, from rambunctious rat pups to the majestic meerkats, use this seem...

428. The Secrets of Constitution-Writing with Linda Colley

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Constitutions are often thought of as the agents of change for monarchies and empires, usually it spells doom for them. But the history of constitutio...

427. Lockdowns and Lessons: The Pandemic Retrospective feat. Jay Bhattacharya

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Discover the untold stories behind pandemic decision-making in COVID-19 responses and their seismic effects on society. Hear how early prevalence stud...

426. Overhauling Health Inequality feat. Amy Finkelstein

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How complex are the dynamics of employer-based insurance? Is the time ripe for a radical transformation towards universal basic healthcare—a move th...

425. Mathematics & Cooperation As the Keys to Evolution with Martin Nowak

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

While Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is still the most widely accepted, it may be missing a key component: cooperation. And how can mathematic...

424. Rethinking the Social Underpinnings of Our Daily Decisions feat. Robin Hanson

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why might our brains be keeping us in the dark about our own motives? What's the reason humans give to charity? How do cultural norms lead to continua...

423. The Scale of Everything: Unifying the Sciences of Growth, Complexity, and Innovation feat. Geoffrey West

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What patterns can connect and unify biology, society, and the environment? How do cities outlast empires and survive unimaginable destruction? Why do ...

422. Reframing Uncertainty as Opportunity with Rebecca Homkes

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Business leaders face uncertainty everyday, it’s unavoidable. But one of the most important things leaders can do to help their companies thrive is ...

421.The Law Through an Economic Lens with Robert Cooter and Michael Gilbert

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In recent decades, economic theory has made inroads into the study and practice of law, mainly in the domain of commercial transactions and corporate ...

420.Globalization From the Renaissance to the Age of the City feat. Ian Goldin

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How are our fates in society like hikers on a mountain, climbing together? In our ever increasingly interconnected world how can one balance the rewar...

419. Embracing the Venture Mindset feat. Ilya Strebulaev

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the mindset that's reshaping how companies and investors forge paths to success from beyond the balance sheets? How are the staunch principles...

418. Urban Myths: Challenging the Green City Idea feat. Des Fitzgerald

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Are there reasons to doubt  the conventional wisdom of greenery as the cure-all for urban ills. What are the roots of the Garden City movement, and h...

417. Harnessing Rhetoric’s Power for Contemporary Conversations feat. Robin Reames

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is modern communication leaving us more divided than ever? What can the writings of ancient philosophers teach us about persuasion? How can ancient wi...

416. The Fusion of Culture and Evolution in Human Development feat. Joseph Rouse

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Where do the lines lie between nature and culture within humanity? How can our human social practices affect and shape our biology? The answer is with...

415. Untangling Organizational Design with Gene Kim & Steven Spear

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Could the secret to organizational success be as simple as going back to basics? Gene Kim and Steven Spear’s new book, Wiring the Winning Organizat...

414. The Science of Social Networks with Nicholas Christakis

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Do our genes have an impact on how many friends we’ll have in life and the kinds of people we gravitate towards whether our friends are connected to...

413. A Rational Look at Irrationality with Steven Nadler

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have always had the propensity to be irrational. In fact, humans may be as irrational today as they were centuries ago. But with a more educate...

412. Fixing Organizational Culture with Frances Frei

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The problem with the business mindset of “move fast and break things” is that what often gets broken is people. But how can companies take care of...

411. Analyzing the Spanish Empire’s Global Footprint feat. Felipe Fernández-Armesto

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can an interdisciplinary approach to the study of our past help our understanding of history? How transformative was the Spanish Empire’s global...

410. Giving Dutch History Its Due with Jonathan Scott

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Without the Dutch revolution of the 16th century, England may never have taken its place as a world superpower and there could have been no such thing...

409. Capital’s Codes: The Legal DNA of Economy and Inequality feat. Katharina Pistor

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our guest today suggests that law is the cloth from which capitalism is cut. And lawyers are the tailors! From the enclosure movement to the financial...

408. Diabetes, Drugs, and Diet with Gary Taubes

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Doctors and scientists have been studying how our diet affects our health since the 18th century. But despite technological advancements and varying h...

407. The Delicate Balance of Teaching and Research in Modern Academia feat. Nicholas Dirks

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

University professors have to become good at doing the intricate dance between research and teaching, as institutions have to help their faculty navig...

406. Tackling Healthcare’s Big Business with Elisabeth Rosenthal

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To our guest today, the current American healthcare system feels less like a means to get well and more like a gigantic racket. We’ve gone from hosp...

405. Reassessing the Moral Narrative of Colonialism and Morality feat. Nigel Biggar

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Historical, moral judgment can be a difficult thing to navigate in the context of colonialism. Have you ever pondered the role of truth in history and...

404. The Evolution of Burnout with Christina Maslach

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since the pandemic, the term “burnout” seems everywhere. But is burnout something that’s always existed at work, or is it a modern phenomenon? H...

403. Bridging Worlds: Explorations in Science, Spirituality, and Social Dynamics feat. David Myers

01 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Prepare to have your notions of nature vs. nurture thoroughly examined as we navigate the intricate web of genetics, environment, and well-being. What...

402. Replacing Democracy with Epistocracy feat. Jason Brennan

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Democracy stands as one of humanity's most treasured institutions, but what if the very foundation it’s built upon is less solid than we believe? Wh...

401. Why Science is Fundamentally Irrational feat. Michael Strevens

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What can we learn looking back on the paths of influential thinkers like Popper and Kuhn today? How are the motivations and passions of scientists lef...

400. The Essence of Human Bonds from Tribes to Modernity feat. Robin Dunbar

25 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Unlock the mysteries of human connections as we share a compelling dialogue with the man behind ‘Dunbar’s Number,’ the number of connections tha...

399. The Science Behind Human Connection and Engagement feat. Nicholas Epley

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever considered the transformative power of a simple hello or the profound effect of asking someone about their day? Why might our attempts a...

398. Navigating the Ideological Shift in Academia feat. John Ellis

19 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did higher education come to be dominated by academics on the ideological left, and what are the potential consequences of this monoculture on div...

397. Food: An Underutilized Historical Lens with Mark Kurlansky

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What does the changing value of salt over history tell us about the future of oil? How are the views around milk and dairy products connected to class...

396. The American Healthcare Puzzle: Solutions and Strategies feat. Vivian Lee

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our healthcare system is a complex dance of costs and inefficiencies, yet it's one we can't afford to sit out. What results have flowed from shifting ...

395. Tracing the Roots of Curiosity: From Galileo to Feynman and More: feat. Mario Livio

11 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Curiosity isn't reserved for the elite thinkers; it's a fundamental part of being human that propels us from the cradle to the cosmos. But what is the...

394. Where Money Comes From with Paul Sheard

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

There’s a great misunderstanding surrounding government debt and its economic implications. Many view it as a financial burden that will be passed d...

393. Behind the Scenes of Medical Research feat. John Ioannidis

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The acceleration of research in science, comes with an increasing number of flawed resultsparticularly in the medical sciences, where misapplied stati...

392. Mastering the Art of Influence feat. Zoe Chance

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Unlock the secrets to commanding any room with the power of influence and persuasion. Imagine ascending the corporate ladder with ease, your words lea...

391. Balancing Incentives and Morals in Economics and Society feat. Samuel Bowles

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How can tempting kids with an extra allowance for extra chores cause them to lose interest in helping out at all? How do incentives work and fail on e...

390. Decoding the Expert Mind feat. Gary A. Klein

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did a breakthrough in understanding how humans make split-second decisions and how did studying firefighters unlock the key piece of understanding...

389. Why Understanding Statistics Is a Fundamental Part of Life with David Spiegelhalter

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When people are told a statistical claim, particularly about risk, the most important follow-up they can ask is about magnitude. How big of a number o...

388. Is There a Tradeoff Between Profit and Purpose? feat. Alex Edmans

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The current debate over corporate Governance depicts a conflict between shareholders and stakeholders. But what if their interests were aligned?Alex E...

387. Reframing Our Concept of Negative Emotions with Krista K. Thomason

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Is it better to suppress our negative emotions? How do we feel things like anger, envy, or spite without letting them take over and impact our relatio...

386. The Lost Art of Civility in a Divided World feat. Alexandra Hudson

19 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the difference between politeness and civility? How do you show respect for others during difficult discourse instead of siloing yourself away...

385. Understanding The Science Behind Brain Balance and Mental Health feat. Camilla Nord

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How do you reach the goal of a balanced brain? What will the future of mental health treatments look like, and how do we find the line between psychol...

384. Putting the Family Back Into Economics with Melissa Kearney

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The family household is a fundamental unit of economics, and by extension – a fundamental unit of society. But the amount of research and study on t...

383. The Interdisciplinary Nature of Evolution with David Sloan Wilson

12 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What do biology, religion, philosophy, and economics all have in common? Well, to some degree, they can all be grounded in the theory of evolution. D...

382. The Crypto Craze: Unveiling the Hype, Scams, and Ethics feat. Zeke Faux

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happened when El Salvador made Bitcoin an official currency? Who uses cryptocurrency the most? How does the blockchain both help and hinder would...

381. Using Cultural Evolution to Design Better Companies with Andrew McAfee

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Why are humans the only species on the planet that’s been able to cooperate on such a massive scale and continuously reinvent our culture? Andrew M...

380. Examining the History of Mind feat. George Makari

05 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For centuries, the health of the body was the province of doctors while the health of the soul was the domain of the clergy. What happened with the di...

379. Using Math To Predict the Future feat. Kit Yates

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Math is all around us. When you’re debating when to cross the street to avoid oncoming traffic, you’re doing math. When you sing in the shower and...

362. The Power of Our Senses: Insights from the Animal Kingdom feat. Ashley Ward

29 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do human senses compare to those of animals? In what ways are they similar, how are they different, and how do they help us make sense of the worl...

361. Understanding Allergies and Immune Responses feat. Theresa MacPhail

27 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered why allergies seem to be on the rise? How about the intriguing link between the industrial revolution and our own immune responses?There...

360. Measuring Labor Productivity feat. Robert J. Gordon

22 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do you measure the true productivity of a country’s economy? What gets missed if the only metric being examined is the GDP? Robert J. Gordon is...

359. Debt, Forgiveness and the Nature of the Corporation feat. David Skeel

20 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In ancient times, debtors were treated with severe punishment, even sometimes being dismembered. So when did things start to shift towards debt forgiv...

358. The Art of Venture Capital feat. Sebastian Mallaby

17 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How much does venture capital actually have to do with finance? It turns out, not that much. Rather, venture capital has more to do with psychology, n...

357. The Science of Successful Project Planning feat. Bent Flyvbjerg

15 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why are only 8.5% of large projects completed on time and within budget? No matter what type of project you're involved in, whether it's home renovati...

356. Epicureanism and Its Modern Relevance feat. Emily Austin

13 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we unravel the misunderstood philosophy of Epicureanism. Don't be fooled by common misconceptions - Epicureanism isn't just about hed...

355. Crowdsourcing Strategy Through Openness feat. Christian Stadler

10 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Strategic Insights are everywhere, but they often go unnoticed by leaders. How can leaders of organizations harness the ideas around them by opening u...

354. Evolutionary Ideas and COVID-19 Controversies feat. Matt Ridley

08 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is History driven by heroic individuals or by variation and selection? What determines the speed of innovation? Matt Ridley is a science writer, jour...

353. Studying the History of Knowledge feat. Peter Burke

06 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does one tell the story of knowledge through the centuries? And what kind of knowledge is being discussed when looking at its history? Peter Burk...

352. The Crackdown on Private Equity feat. Brendan Ballou

03 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Nowadays, if someone wants to make a lot of money in finance, they don’t go and work for investment banks. The real money to be made is at private e...

351. The Transformative Power of Gestures feat. Susan Goldin-Meadow

01 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered why some people seem to have an aversion to gesturing while speaking? Or did you know that even in the absence of sight, human beings in...

350. The Risks of a Deteriorating Democracy feat. Victor Davis Hanson

30 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is democracy and the idea of citizenship deteriorating because of the state of our country’s education system? Victor Davis Hanson is the Martin an...

349. Deconstructing Asset Management: The Shifts, Opportunities, and Concerns feat. Brett Christophers

27 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered about the growing presence of asset managers in all aspects of our lives?Brett Christophers is a Professor in the Department of Human Ge...

348. Simplifying in the Age of Complexity feat. John Maeda

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible to simplify life without losing the comfort and complexity that enriches it? John Maeda, vice president of artificial intelligence and...

347. Research vs Teaching: The Tug of War in Education feat. Jonathan Zimmerman

23 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Will the subjects we debate in education still be relevant a century from now? There are enduring controversies and tensions in education that continu...

346. A History of The American Corporation feat. Richard N. Langlois

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What technological and societal factors led to the rise of the large corporation in 20th-century America?Richard N. Langlois is an economics professor...

345. The Delicate Dance of Communication feat. Matt Abrahams

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Do you find communication a necessary evil rather than a tool for success? How can you use communication as a fundamental key to success in both your ...

344. The Philosophy of Empathy feat. Heidi L. Maibom

16 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Many scholars and philosophers have taken the stance that empathy hinders the true pursuit of knowledge and justice. But our guest today takes the opp...

343. Shaking Up Wall Street with Disruptive Financial Strategies feat. Scott Patterson

13 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does the financial world need a shake-up? By venturing into the minds of Nassim Taleb and Benoit Mandelbrot, two outliers who challenge the status quo...

342. Suicide, Addiction, and the Power of Narrative feat. Clancy Martin

11 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As we navigate life's challenges, it's crucial we confront the subjects that often remain unspoken out of fear or misunderstanding. Both modern and an...

341. How Art and Philosophy are Critically Intertwined feat. Alva Noë

09 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are creatures of habit. We have habits for talking, eating, walking, sleeping–we don’t question these habits; much of it happens on autopil...

340. Discovering The True Potential of Human Senses feat. Jackie Higgins

06 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if we haven’t unlocked the true potential of our senses because we simply don't pay enough attention to them? Writer and filmmaker Jackie Higg...

339. How the Brain Handles Balance and Misinformation feat. Paul Thagard

04 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Can you imagine the brain's intricate dance that helps us maintain balance? How does this process connect with vertigo, cognitive decline, and even ou...

338. The Rules of Rules feat. Lorraine Daston

02 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Where does the concept of rules originate from? And how does that history inform the rules we use to organize society today? Lorraine Daston is the d...

337. Navigating the Waves of Technology and Prosperity feat. Simon Johnson

29 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Technological progress drives productivity improvements and increases wealth, but the distribution of those gains depends on both technological and po...

336. An Intellectual History of Money feat. Felix Martin

25 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The history of money isn’t just an Economics story, but it’s a cultural and philosophical one, too. Felix Martin, a columnist for Reuters, charts...

335. Traversing Environmental Politics feat. Jedediah Purdy

22 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As more and more humans came up against the edges of wilderness in American history, new laws were needed to help guide and shape what the process wou...

334. The Animal with the Longest Childhood feat. Brenna Hassett

20 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans, as a species, are unique among the animal kingdom in a number of ways, but several of those involve how we have and raise our children. In a c...

333. The Science of Reading feat. Adrian Johns

18 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the information economy, reading is an essential skill. How can competency in reading be measured, and how can it be improved? In the 19th century,...

332. The Origins of Feminism feat. Erika Bachiochi

15 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even well before the suffragettes of the 19th century, women had been writing, thinking, and pushing for equal rights for almost a hundred years. How ...

331. Inflation Strikes Back feat. Stephen D. King

13 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Even though central banks have become independent over the years, is it fair to say they still face political challenges? Could inflation be viewed as...

330. Saving Lives With Outsider Ideas feat. Charles Barber

11 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sometimes, the ideas that end up being the most revolutionary come from outside the scientific mainstream. People who can approach the problem with di...

329. What Good is Pessimism? feat. David Benatar

08 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have a tendency to see the glass as half full. What arguments can be made on behalf of the half-empty perspective? Whether it's evaluating your...

328. How To Fail The Right Way feat. Amy Edmondson

06 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As risk-averse individuals, we tend to try to avoid failure at all costs. But failing is an essential part of learning. So, how can we get better at i...

327. What Actually Makes A College The Best? feat. Colin Diver

04 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does the way we rank colleges prioritize status over educational quality or the public good? Colin Diver is the Charles A. Heimbold, Jr., Professor o...

326. How Epigenetics Drive Your DNA feat. Nessa Carey

01 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The double helix of DNA twists in the heart of every human cell, and it comes with some editing software known as epigenetics that power what parts tu...

325. Privacy Meets Security: Keeping Our Data Safe feat. Daniel J. Solove

30 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to data privacy laws these days, it’s still sort of like the Wild West out there. There’s no federal agency holding software makers ...

324. A History of Interest Rates feat. Edward Chancellor

28 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is finance really just the economics of time and risk? How do you price things like time and risk?Edward Chancellor is a columnist with Reuters and is...

323. Learning from the South Sea Bubble feat. Thomas Levenson

25 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The financial revolution in Europe was an outgrowth of the scientific revolution, and the greatest minds of the time were studying, commenting on, and...

322. A Course in Wisdom feat. Thomas Gilovich

23 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is the smartest person in the room also the wisest? Not necessarily. So what does it mean to be wise, and how do you go about finding that wisdom in l...

321. The Power of Creative Problem-Solving with Tina Seelig

21 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From an early age, students are taught the major academic disciplines like math, science, history, and art. But one thing that often gets overlooked o...

320. The Origins of Fitness Culture feat. Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

18 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Society’s view on fitness swings wildly from era to era throughout history. There were times when caring about your body was considered feminine, ti...

319. The Future Repeats Itself feat. Tom Standage

16 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A new era of technology brings about advancements that both thrill and concern society. Some see the oncoming innovations as the solution to our probl...

318. Discovering the Artist’s Eye feat. Lincoln Perry

14 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In order to fully appreciate art, does one have to have first-hand experience creating art oneself? How does experiencing art help artists with their ...

317. Cultivating Humanity in a More Natural Way feat. Charles Foster

11 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The prevalence of spending ample time indoors, engaging in screen-based activities, is narrowing our experiential landscape.As we constantly underutil...

316. The Future is Sustainable feat. Andrew S. Winston

09 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is the practice of making a company sustainable a performative act, one motivated by a company's true values, or a move made for profit? And furthermo...