unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc

451. Reckoning with Imperial History feat. Sathnam Sanghera

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In what ways is England’s imperial past connected to its present? What of that past is reflected in the schools and schoolwork of students? Are ther...

450. The Founding Fathers’ Tireless Pursuit of Virtue with Jeffrey Rosen

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

How did the teachings of the great Greek and Roman moral philosophers shape America and its founders? How has the shift away from studying those teach...

449. The Pains of Legal Micromanagement with Philip K. Howard

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Does modern society have too many laws? Have we complicated legal codes to the point where we’re suffocating under them and grinding the government ...

448. Living Your Best Epicurean Life with Catherine Wilson

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Out of all the ancient moral philosophies, which one feels most applicable to how we live our lives in the modern world? As today’s guest would say,...

447. Weaponizing Shame and Algorithms feat. Cathy O'Neil

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Shame and the classification of people have always been with us, but new technology can amplify the harmful effects of both. What can be learned from ...

446. The Science of Success with Albert-László Barabási

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In order to study the science of success, you have to also study the science of failure. How much is performance connected to success? How do you leve...

445. How and When To Think Like a Scientist with Saul Perlmutter, John Campbell, and Robert MacCoun

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In a world challenged by the politicization of data, contradicting evidence, and an onslaught of information, could the key to more effective and info...

444. From Isolation to Connection in Modern Work Environments feat. David Bradford

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Can you truly build exceptional relationships in a professional setting? What are the secrets to effective communication and the role of social psycho...

443. Uncovering COVID-19’s Origin with Alina Chan

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

More than four years after the pandemic began, a source for COVID-19 still eludes scientists and public health officials. The mystery has given rise t...

442. Enhancing Community and Connection with Rituals feat. Michael Norton

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if the key to managing stress and finding meaning lies in the simple rituals we perform daily? How can engaging in rituals can be a potent tool f...

441. Breaking Free From Emotional Habituation with Tali Sharot

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Humans are creatures of habit. It’s even wired that way in our brains. But what impact does habituation have on personal happiness?Tali Sharot is a ...

440. Whistleblowing in Medical Research with Carl Elliott

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the Hippocratic Oath of “do no harm” that all physicians take, a dark side exists in the medical field.  Carl Elliott is a professor of ...

439. The Psychology Behind Misbelief and Conspiracy Theories feat. Dan Ariely

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if you could understand why rational people sometimes believe the most irrational things?Dan Ariely is a Professor of Psychology and Behavioral E...

438. Exploring Medicine’s Moral and Ethical Questions with Travis Rieder

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Travis Rieder, a professor of bioethics at Johns Hopkins University, is fascinated by the world’s ethical dilemmas.His work sits at the intersection...

437. Aligning Data Science and Machine Learning for Business Success feat. Eric Siegel

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered how to truly bridge the gap between technical expertise and practical business implementation? How did the terminology shift from "data ...

436. What the History of Economic Growth Says About the Future of Work with Daniel Susskind

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The study of economic growth is a modern phenomenon. In fact, economists didn’t get serious about measuring it until the mid-20th century. So what b...

435. What the Past Can Tell Us About Our Climate Future with Brian Fagan

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Humans have lived with a changing climate  since we’ve been on this planet. But what archaeology and anthropology is able to reveal now, is how wel...

434. The Critical Role of Marriage in Societal Well-Being feat. Brad Wilcox

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What if the institution of marriage holds the key to societal well-being? How does marital status correlate with happiness, prosperity, and positive o...

433. Overcoming Biophobia with David Barash

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Despite periods in history when evolutionary biology has been misused, there’s no denying that the study of biological human nature is intrinsic to ...

432. Balancing Life and Efficiency: An Optimization Deep Dive feat. Coco Krumme

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happens when the relentless pursuit of optimization backfires? What ethical dilemmas and hidden complexities exist inside of this obsession? How ...

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...

378. Making Healthcare More Equitable feat. David A. Ansell

29 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In some neighborhoods in the US, life expectancy is lower than in some developing countries. How do poverty, inequality, and the uneven distribution o...

377. The Art of Cheating and Deception feat. Dr. Lixing Sun

25 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What’s the difference between a lie and deception? How does cheating show up in nature? And is it always a negative thing?  Dr. Lixing Sun is a pro...

376. Unraveling the Cultural Significance of Food and Diet feat. Steven Shapin

22 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today’s episode is a historical feast, unraveling the entwined roots of food, philosophy, and the essence of self. But it isn't just for the history...

375. Outsmarting Pathogens: How We Fight Infectious Diseases Today feat. Dr. John S. Tregoning

18 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the aftermath of a global pandemic and its impact on public consciousness? Will the surge in awareness about infectious diseases lead to susta...

374. Learning About the Future by Understanding the Past feat. Neil Shubin

16 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Understanding the origins of species and the evolution of our planet has really become a multidisciplinary field. In order to understand how birds evo...

373. The Fragile Balancing Act: How Healthcare Fails America feat. Bethany McLean

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What is the correct balance between short-term profit and long-term resilience as far as healthcare is concerned? How does the 'panic, neglect' cycle ...

372. The Science Behind Our Choices feat. Robert Sapolsky

10 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we wrestle with the notion of humans as complex biological machines, we confront the unsettling idea that our behaviors might be preordained by gen...

371. The Invention of Creativity feat. Samuel Franklin

08 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The word “creativity” as we understand it today didn’t become popular until the mid-20th century. So, what changed around 1950 that led to this ...

370. Managing Climate Risk feat. Bob Litterman

03 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The financial world has to grapple with the complexities of climate change just like everyone else.  Bob Litterman is an esteemed figure in risk mana...

369. A New Type of Firm for the Digital Age feat. Karim R. Lakhani

21 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the 20th century, the multidivisional firm was born. It quickly redefined business strategy and the way our world runs. Now, as the digital age adv...

368. Love and Quarrels: The Unseen Sides of Marriage feat. Devorah Baum

18 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Ever wondered why marriage, one of the most common themes  in literature, is largely ignored by philosophers? What about the complexities of present-...

367. The Neuroscience of Social Connection feat. Amy Banks

14 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Despite our culture of rugged individualism, it’s widely accepted among psychologists today that we need social connections to thrive. And neuroscie...

366. Dissecting Workplace Friction: A Deep Dive feat. Robert Sutton

11 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Why does there seem to be such a struggle to get things done in some organizations? How can you unlock the mystery behind the persistence of bad manag...

365. The In’s and Out’s of Organizational Economics feat. John Roberts

07 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Management oftentimes can be a difficult and precise artform. How does leadership at a company decide how the organization should be structured? What ...

364. Innovation at the Crossroads of Medicine and Economics feat. Anupam B. Jena

04 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How can economics shape our understanding of healthcare? How can cognitive biases lead even seasoned doctors into harmful errors, and what potential d...

363. The Transformative Power of Design feat. Vijay Kumar

01 Dec 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Far from just making things pretty, design has become an essential part of strategy and now has a dynamic role in organizations. It’s not just about...

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...