unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc

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...

315. Science Writing as a Discipline feat. Philip Ball

07 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s one thing to talk about the science and physics behind the notion of invisibility, it’s another thing to examine the cultural place that idea...

314. The Risks and Rewards of Data in Real Time feat. Mohan Subramaniam

04 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The future has a landscape that is navigated as it comes, but across industries, legacy firms, and newly formed start-ups will do that very differentl...

313. Closing Opportunity Gaps Through Early Childhood Skill Development feat. Nate G. Hilger

02 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The significance of early childhood skill development and its influence on long-term income and success differentials is widely recognized today. Howe...

312. The Origins of Human Rights feat. Samuel Moyn

31 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The concern for human rights seems to be deeply rooted in history and based on longstanding moral concerns, but the modern human rights movement has v...

311. What Exactly is Violence? feat. David Alan Sklansky

28 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The importance of the division between violent and non-violent crimes seems to have existed for as long as we’ve had laws, but in reality, its legal...

310. Understanding the Gender Wage Gap feat. Claudia Goldin

26 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It’s 2023, and women still only make 83 cents for every dollar a man makes in the U.S. While that gender wage gap has shrunk over time, why does it ...

309. The Roots of Our Desires feat. Luke Burgis

24 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Where do our desires come from? Babies don’t come into this world with an inherent drive to found tech companies. How much do our environment and th...

308. Understand Others / Understand Yourself feat. Thomas Erikson

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if the key to understanding the way other people behave is understanding your own behavior first? Author Thomas Erikson has spent decades studyi...

307. The Socioeconomic Diversity Problem at Elite Colleges feat. Evan Mandery

19 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Colleges and universities, especially ivy league ones, make a point of accepting the “best and brightest” students. But what if they’re missing ...

306. The Permanently Inadequate Human Body feat. Clare Chambers

17 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a society where our bodies are constantly scrutinized and judged, surrounded by filtered images and surgically-enhanced features, we face overwhelm...

305. Navigating a World of Deception feat. Daniel Simons

14 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From social media disinformation and phishing emails to grand-scale scams such as multimillion-dollar counterfeit art, Ponzi schemes or scientific fra...

304. What Happened To University Teaching? feat. William Deresiewicz

12 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There has been an undeniable shift in priorities throughout Higher Education during the 21st century. As schooling gets more and more expensive, the p...

303. The Selection Markets, Corruption, and Toy Models feat. Raymond Fisman

10 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How do economists understand complex phenomena like selection markets and corruption? With frameworks often called toy models. These models often poin...

302. Sentient Creatures & Phenomenal Consciousness feat. Nicholas Humphrey

07 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Sentience lies at the core of the human experience, allowing us to experience conscious awareness, subjective experiences, and a deeper understanding ...

301. What Neuroscience Has to Do With Company Culture feat. Paul J. Zak

05 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What if brain chemicals like oxytocin and cortisol could predict how people will behave in social situations and the workplace? Does more testosterone...

300. Leadership Through Culture at SVB feat. Ken Wilcox

03 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are levels to leadership, and at the CEO level, the leadership needs are many, but it’s important to strike the right balance. CEOs must think...

299. What’s The Right Amount of Democracy feat. Garett Jones

30 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Has the word “democracy” become a catch-all for good government? At this point, the idea is so romanticized that it may go unnoticed that the way ...

298. The Libertarian Roots of Cryptocurrency feat. Finn Brunton

28 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

If you start to dig into the origin story of cryptocurrency, don’t be surprised if you find the ideas and values of the American Libertarian movemen...

297. Balancing a Digital Future With Human Connections and Experiences feat. David Sax

26 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The future is (not entirely) digital - The notion that digital technology will overtake every existing aspect of our lives is an oversimplified assum...

296. The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence feat. Peter Norvig

23 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Questions around the possibilities and potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence cover the headlines these days, but are these actually new questio...

295. Keeping the Conversation Going feat. Paula Marantz Cohen

21 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Conversation and communication with others is a natural human urge, as well as a skill that can be developed and honed like any other. The power of co...

294. The Habit of Courage feat. Jim Detert

19 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Courage is not a character trait that is limited to a select few but rather a skill that can be cultivated through deliberate practice.Unless we repet...

293. Stop Torturing Data feat. Gary Smith

16 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

When scientists game the system to get publishable results, it undermines the legitimacy of science.. Data can be interpreted many different ways and ...

292. Re-examining Human Exceptionalism feat. Barbara Natterson-Horowitz

14 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

While it is commonly assumed that prevalent health issues like heart disease, obesity, and depression are uniquely human experiences, they exist acros...

291. Embracing the Problems in Your Life feat. Bernard Roth

12 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Life is all about solving problems—whether it’s what shirt to put on in the morning or how to solve a complex engineering question. And without pr...

290. Evolution as the Tinkerer Not the Engineer feat. Marlene Zuk

09 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Here’s the thing about evolution: It’s really complicated. And there’s so much about how humans have evolved and what causes certain behaviors t...

289. The Religious Roots of Economics feat. Benjamin M. Friedman

05 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How much did the religious beliefs of the Enlightenment Age influence the evolution of modern economic theory? Can widespread economic growth lead to ...

288. Politics, Economics, and Irrationality feat. Bryan Caplan

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

It may be rational to be ignorant, and it might even be rational to be irrational! This is quite prevalent in our highly polarized and tribalized curr...

287. Generational Differences and the Influence of Technology feat. Jean M. Twenge

31 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

From the Silent Generation to Gen Z, different generations have distinct behaviors, values, and attitudes that were shaped by the events during their ...

286. The Market as Miracle feat. Matthew Hennessey

29 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The science of economics can be an intimidating topic to understand, but it can be broken down into basic motivations and forces that are understandab...

285. How the Buildings We Shape Shape Us feat. Sarah Williams Goldhagen

26 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is it a bad day that puts someone in a bad mood, or could it be the room they’re sitting in? The environments we place ourselves in function as much...

284. What Racial Categories Say About Discrimination in America feat. David E. Bernstein

24 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Most Americans have had to do it at some point: check the box that most closely describes how you identify your race or ethnicity. But those categorie...

283. Balancing Scientific Progress with Scientific Responsibility feat. Matthew Cobb

22 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Throughout history, new advances in science, such as the advent of electricity, nuclear power, genetic engineering, or artificial intelligence, have o...

282. Fostering Corporate Innovation feat. Andrew Binns

19 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Innovation is both extremely important to the life of a corporation and also extremely tricky to regularly achieve and maintain. There are certain str...

281. The Plague Paradox feat. Kyle Harper

17 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Over the course of history, as human civilization has developed and advanced, so have our microbial enemies. This has led to a vast and diverse diseas...

280. The Story of Money feat. Frederick Kaufman

15 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Money is a mirage, and the harder and deeper you look into it, the hazier it can become. It is a human construct, a tool that we have all agreed to ho...

279. An Anthropological Look at Legal Systems feat. Fernanda Pirie

12 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is law an instrument of the state? Or is it broader than that? Fernanda Pirie is a professor of law and anthropology at the University of Oxford. Thr...

278. The Real Value of Museums feat. Daniel H. Weiss

10 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Museums are centers for culture, for art, and for conversation. They are places where the far ends of the earth come together in the same place and ex...

277. Resilience Begins at Birth feat. Erica Komisar

08 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Mental health disorders have become an epidemic in today's society. Yet, we often fail to recognize the critical impact of early childhood adversity a...

276. The Bubble Triangle feat. William Quinn

03 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

There are three necessary conditions for a fire to start – oxygen, heat, and fuel. The same can be said for financial bubbles. In order for them to ...

275. The Madness of Crowds feat. William Bernstein

28 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What do financial bubbles and religious millenarianism have in common? They both involve collective delusion. When Charles Mackey wrote a book on the ...

274. The New Science of Political Economy featuring James A. Robinson

26 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Does a strong state mean a weak market? This is a common misconception amongst economists. Many view the state as either taxing and regulating the mar...

273. Putting the Science into Political Science feat. Bruce Bueno de Mesquita

24 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In order to make an impact in the political world, we need to understand the science of politics, which means setting aside emotion and designing gene...

272. Free Speech’s Complex Role on Campus feat. Ulrich Baer

21 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What are the limits to free speech in a university setting? And how does our society define what is permissible speech and what is not? When Ulrich Ba...

271. The Philosophy of Sports feat. David Papineau

19 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Philosophical problems are all around us. From economics to games and sports, most people in the world are philosophizing every day, maybe without eve...

270. Attentional Fitness feat. Gloria Mark

17 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is attention, and how can we manage it? The new science of attention explores how our conscious and unconscious attention dictate how we interact...

269. Balancing Personal Life and Career Decision Making feat. Myra Strober and Abby Davisson

14 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Should we separate decisions related to love and money, approaching finance and career-related decisions solely in a rational way while relying more o...

268. Finding Power in Paradoxes feat. Wendy K. Smith

12 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In a world of either/or tradeoffs, it sometimes pays to explore the possibility of and/or. By changing our perspective and embracing paradox, we can s...

267. Constructing the Self feat. Roy F. Baumeister

10 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

We often think of the self as something that exists independent of social relations, but without society, there would be no need for a self or any of ...

266. Poetry in the Modern World feat. Dana Gioia

05 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is poetry only for the elite? There are some who would reserve poems only for a specialized audience, but poetry can be found everywhere. Poetry is th...

265. The Platform Delusion feat. Jonathan Knee

31 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Every business wants to become a platform business, believing that network effects and first mover advantages will lead to market power and competitiv...

264. Human Intelligence - Curse or Gift? feat. Justin Gregg

29 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

As humans, we have undoubtedly dominated our planet like no other species before us.However, facing the sobering reality that our own actions could le...

263. Using Technology to Create a More Inclusive Society feat. Orly Lobel

27 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

The fear of algorithmic decision-making and surveillance capitalism dominate today's tech policy discussions. But instead of simply criticizing big da...

262. The How and Why of Art feat. Lance Esplund

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

What is art, and who gets to define it? Museums have long staked a claim on knowing what to show, but there has always been a wide range of how viewer...

261. The Magic of Magical Thinking feat. Matthew Hutson

20 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

How does magical thinking help or hurt us in our everyday lives?? What would we lose if we removed the enchantment that it provides? Magical thinking ...

260. Leading Decision Factory feat. Max H. Bazerman & Don A. Moore

17 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Organizational leaders can use the power of behavioral economics to not only make better decisions themselves, but by leading their employees, their c...

259. Storytelling is Everywhere feat. David Riemer

15 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Everyone loves a good story, but more than that, we as humans are programmed on a genetic level to share and learn all kinds of information through st...

258. Exploring the Role of Corporations in Society feat. William Magnuson

13 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Corporations are engines of progress and prosperity, directly influencing the quality of life of the general public while sometimes recklessly pursuin...

257. How Influence Works feat. Jon Levy

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is our behavior truly our own? Or do our choices grow out of our environment? There are influences all around each of us, and often the walking talkin...

256. Accepting Mortality feat. Andrew Stark

08 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Live every day like it’s your last, or like it's the beginning of the rest of your life? The way we answer this question is closely tied to views on...

255. Why Emotions are Key to Rationality feat. Ronald de Sousa

06 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Emotions play a pivotal role in shaping our lives. They contribute crucially to the rationality of life, making us unique in our ability to reason and...

254. Creating an Innovation Factory feat. Linda Yates

03 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

In the last decade, disruptive innovation has come primarily from startups like Uber, AirBnB, or not legacy companies. But Linda Yates argues that lar...

253. The Problem with Economic Orthodoxy feat. Ha Joon Chang

01 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Food is much better and more interesting when it combines many cuisines. So too is economics more fruitful when it sources from different schools. Whi...

252. Increasing Productivity in a World of Remote Work feat. Robert Pozen

27 Feb 2023

Contributed by Lukas

No matter what industry we all work in, productivity is key. Not only is managing our time properly good for getting all of our tasks done but also sp...