unSILOed with Greg LaBlanc
Episodes
215. Managing Uncertainty feat. John Kay
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The behavior of business practitioners is often driven by the defunct theories of economists. But to some extent all theories and models come with lim...
214. Spiritual Enlightenment and Solace in an Age of Disenchantment feat. Anthony Kronman
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s remarkable,how driven we are to set goals for ourselves that we're incapable of attaining. But we're not doomed to be disenchanted; Instead, we...
213. How the Food Giants Hooked Us feat. Michael Moss
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It’s no secret that the nature of our food has been changed quite dramatically by big food companies in the last 50 years. This is just one of the t...
212. Fostering Innovation Within Organizations feat. Safi Bahcall
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Innovation is a crucial part for organizations to stay ahead of their competitors, adapt to changing circumstances in the environment and create long-...
211. Corporate Influence and the Economy feat. Luigi Zingales
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s world, corporate lobbying is everywhere. Corporations wield immense power over our economy and use their economic clout to influence poli...
210. Recovering Our Lost Nutritional Wisdom feat. Mark Schatzker
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to nutrition, conventional wisdom suggeststhat we are at the mercy of an unhinged appetite and an addiction to calories. But as science ...
209. Developing Non-Violent Conflict Solutions That Last feat. Chris Blattman
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While wars and other violent conflicts dominate the news, it is easy to overlook that the majority of conflicts are actually resolved peacefully. In h...
208. Psychological Safety and the Benefits of Discomfort feat. Todd Kashdan
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Clinical psychologists like Todd Kashdan are in many ways the philosophers of our time, digging into what it is that makes for a fulfilling and happy ...
207. There Are Many Ways To Raise A Child feat. Dana Suskind
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recognized as a national thought leader in early language development, Dr. Dana Suskind has dedicated her research and clinical life to optimizing fou...
206. The Evolution of Human Exercise feat. Daniel Lieberman
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If exercise is so healthy, then why do many people dislike or avoid it? So much of our modern lives is sedentary, it’s more important than ever to g...
205. Developing a Jurisprudence of Forgiveness. feat. Martha Minow
31 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Martha Minow has taught at Harvard Law School since 1981, where her courses include civil procedure, constitutional law, fairness and privacy, family ...
204. What Economics Is and What It Should Be feat. Diane Coyle
28 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How can you be both interdisciplinary and be a contributing specialist in your discipline in this day andage? It's a core theme of this podcast, as we...
203. Upholding the Tradition of Hume for the 21st Century feat. Julian Baggini
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
No one will accuse our next guest of doing philosophy in an isolated fashion. Julian Baggini is a writer and philosopher, and currently the Director o...
202. The Business of Venture Capital feat. Mahendra Ramsinghani
24 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since its initial publication, “The Business of Venture Capital” has been hailed as the definitive, most comprehensive book on the subject. In its...
201. How Do We Know What People Really Want? feat. Eric Johnson
21 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every time we make a choice, our minds go through an elaborate process most of us never even notice. We’re influenced by subtle aspects of the way t...
200. The Golden Age of Persuasion feat. Robert Cialdini
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people to say “Yes” to requests and appeals. The res...
199. At What Point Does Something Become Fake? feat. Lydia Pyne
17 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lydia Pyne’s work may loosely be called history, but it's really a combination of the sciences and the humanities. It's a reflection on how we make ...
198. The Politics of Innovation feat. Mark Zachary Taylor
14 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Innovation seems to occur at uneven rates across different countries. At a time when we’re so intimately connected in all fields and industries, its...
197. Finding Fascination in the Mundane feat. Bruce Hood
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You may not believe it, but there is a link between our current political instability and your childhood attachment to teddy bears. There's also a rea...
196. What Would A Manual For Civilization Look Like? feat. Lewis Dartnell
10 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having a background in planetary science gives our guest an interesting perspective on the world. In his work, Lewis can tie together things like the ...
195. Creating Curriculum for Leaders in Training feat. John Hennessy
07 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For a podcast called unSILOed, you really can’t think of a more perfect guest than John Hennessy. From being a founder of a company, to a scholar, t...
194. Status and The Games We Play feat. Will Storr
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The minute you walk into an elevator, everybody is immediately sizing up each other to figure out who is high and low status. When you're driving down...
193. Racial Disparities in Housing and Education feat. Rick Sander
03 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Well, Rick Sander has been working on questions of social and economic inequality for nearly all of his career. From being an activist in Chicago back...
192. The Rise of Superbug Infections and the new therapies that might kill them feat. Steffanie Strathdee
30 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee and her husband, psychologist Tom Patterson, were vacationing in Egypt when Tom came down with a stomach bug. What ...
191. How We Form Societies feat. Mark Moffett
28 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When trying to figure out how to understand humans, we tend to look to our nearest neighbors: bonobos, chimps, and monkeys. But our guest Mark Moffett...
190. What Animal Behavior Can Tell Us About Humans feat. Lee Dugatkin
26 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lee Dugatkin is a professor of biology at the University of Louisville and the author of many books, including what Greg calls one of the seminal text...
189. Becoming a Changemaker feat. Alex Budak
23 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Alex Budak first started his course “Becoming a Changemaker” at UC Berkeley, he had to turn students away because it was too popular. This c...
188. What Happened To Liberal Arts Education? feat. Roosevelt Montas
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Its no surprise to anyone in academia that the liberal arts and humanities are in crisis. Liberal arts colleges are closing down, departments are clos...
187. What Does It Mean To Be Virtuous Now? feat. Christian Miller
19 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Character is a uniquely human feature, based on questions of agency, responsibility, free will and choice. But what qualifies as good or bad character...
Against Fairness feat. Stephen Asma
16 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Its difficult to describe the work our guest Stephen Asma does, falling at the intersection of philosophy, psychology, religion, and study of the emot...
Business School and Its Relevance to Modern Society feat. Philip Delves Broughton
09 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Philip Delves Broughton was a news journalist before going to business school. And he ended up continuing his career as a writer since leaving. Now, t...
What Dating and Sports can Teach us About Economics feat. Paul Oyer
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can apply economics to just about anything. Economics provides you with a perspective and a toolbox that enables you to see things that you wouldn...
Toxic Coworkers and What To Do About Them feat. Tessa West
05 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve all had to deal with problematic bosses or coworkers at some point in our career journeys. But the issue is how can you deal with them in a pr...
Rethinking Our Ideas Around “Success” feat. Brad Stulberg
02 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Has the idea of “peak performance” as the general public sees it, run its course? It seems like nowadays, there is much more of a focus & value pl...
The Psychology of the Arts feat. Ellen Winner
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We don't really question the importance of studying mathematics, or the importance of studying science. We don't even question the importance of athle...
Why Smart Leaders Make Bad Decisions feat. Zachary Shore
29 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Can we teach leaders to become better strategic decision makers? Our guest Zach Shore says we can. Part of the problem he says is that people get stu...
Choices and Transparency in the American Healthcare System feat. Peter Ubel
26 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In our guest's latest book “Sick to Debt,” Peter Ubel theorizes whether it is a bigger insult to call someone a doctor or an economist. Well, Pete...
Learning For The Sake of Learning feat. Zena Hitz
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you learned something just out of curiosity? Not for school or to advance your career, with no end goal in sight. To learn some...
The Erratic and Chaotic Worlds of Physics and Economics feat. Mark Buchanan
22 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the general public thinks about physics, they’re usually thinking about the origins of the universe, quantum theory; other terms that have bled...
The Evolution of Sibling Rivalry feat. Douglas Mock
19 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sibling rivalry seems to exist in all families, whether human or non-human.. So why would animals want to compete, and maybe even kill their nearest ...
The Constitution of Knowledge feat. Jonathan Rauch
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Its hard to believe that a book like The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth,” hasn't been written before, which surfaces the structures t...
Hunt, Gather, Parent feat. Michaeleen Doucleff
15 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The science of parenting…isn't really a science. It's a lot of myths and advice and stories from elder generations. But let's think about where we a...
Beliefs Are Real For Those Who Hold Them feat. Agustín Fuentes
12 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Belief” as a word can take on so many meanings. Most people only think about it in terms of religion. But our guest says belief plays a central r...
Bernoulli’s Fallacy: Statistical Illogic and the Crisis of Modern Science feat. Aubrey Clayton
08 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Greg says our guest's book, “Bernoulli’s Fallacy: Statistical Illogic and the Crisis of Modern Science” is “a bombshell in a sense,” making ...
We Must Stay Curious feat. Ian Leslie
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The last time you had a definitive question about something: an actor in that movie, or maybe something your friend did at a party last week. Did you ...
Understanding Human Creativity feat. Marcus du Sautoy
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As machine learning and AI mature and adapt to the humans that created them, it's important we think carefully about not only what is creativity, but...
It’s Never Too Late To Examine Your Philosophy of Life feat. Massimo Pigliucci
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Greg found out that Massimo Pigliucci had a PhD in biology and a PhD in philosophy, he knew that this was somebody he had to get on the show.Mas...
The Surprising History of How We Are Born feat. Tina Cassidy
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Tina Cassidy set out to write her book “Birth: The Surprising History of How We Are Born,”in 2006, it was the first time in about 50 years an...
So, ARE Corporations Really People Too? feat. Adam Winkler
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It was August 2011 when Mitt Romney famously told a crowd at the Iowa State Fair, "corporations are people, my friend." Corporations have had what you...
The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating feat. David Buss
25 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
David Buss is one of the founders of the field of evolutionary psychology, currently at the University of Texas at Austin. His primary research focus...
Overcoming Addiction with Curiosity feat. Judson Brewer
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whether it's smoking cigarettes or mindlessly buying things on Amazon, breaking bad habits can be incredibly difficult. Judson Brewer, MD, Ph.D. or “...
The Power Of Mathematical Thinking feat. Jordan Ellenberg
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Jordan Ellenberg is the first official mathematician we’ve had on the show, but his work weaves through many different domains. Afterall, whether it...
Finding Meaning in an Imperfect World feat. Iddo Landau
18 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've covered a lot of ground in 163 episodes of unSILOed. We’ve dug into topics like economics, psychology, biology, and many many more. So today w...
Science is Littered With Failure feat. Stuart Firestein
15 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's a bit of a theme when it comes to Stuart Firestein’s books, with titles like “Failure: Why Science Is So Successful,” and “Ignorance: ...
Framing, Re-Framing, and Perspective Taking feat. Kenneth Cukier
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With all of the recent advances in machine learning, what’s left for us humans to do? Well, according to Ken Cukier, there is plenty: humans have no...
Game Theory and the Art of Transforming Strategic Situations feat. David McAdams
11 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When it comes to game theory, the stories we tell can be incredibly powerful, because it's not enough to just analyze a situation and come up with wh...
In Defense of Genetic Engineering feat. Beth Shapiro
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are many many opinions on how genetic engineering is affecting the future. But Beth Shapiro has an optimistic view of how humans seem to be much...
Why Our Teeth Don't Fit in Our Mouths feat. Alex Bezzerides
07 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
From bad teeth to appendix surgeries, it seems like our bodies are breaking down in modern times. So how has society and evolution changed how our bod...
Science Denial and the Scientific Attitude feat. Lee McIntyre
04 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What exactly is science? It's something that philosophers have grappled with quite a bit. Well, the good news is that you don't have to have a philos...
Is Aging a Disease? feat. Sue Armstrong
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We all know the diseases associated with aging: cancer, heart disease, dementia. But what if they are just symptoms of and the disease is aging itself...
Why Religion is Natural feat. Robert McCauley
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Robert McCauley is the Kenan University Professor of Philosophy at Emory University with associated appointments in psychology, religion, and anthropo...
The Political Origins of Banking Crises feat. Charles Calomiris
27 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In economics and in finance, we're always trying to tease out timeless rules of how markets work. And yet, when we look out in the world, there's a lo...
How Finance Made Civilization Possible feat. William Goetzmann
24 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's a bold claim. And people outside of financial history might wonder how this could possibly be true.Will Goetzmann will elaborate on this claim in...
The Power of the Humanities feat. Christian Madsbjerg
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
At the core of his latest book, Christian Madsbjerg argues that business people focus too much on what we might call the “thin data” and ignore th...
How to Make Creativity an Everyday Habit Inside Your Organization feat. Scott Anthony
20 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Anthony says that you say that the most powerful untapped source of energy in the world right now is the innovative energy within large companie...
The Power of Disagreement & Dissent feat. Charlan Nemeth
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we discuss how exposure to disagreement changes how we think. Our guest’s research highlights the perils of consensus and the value...
Behavioral Change Isn't Always Easy feat. Art Markman
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cognitive science is kind of like the new philosophy. These days, the cognitive scientists are the ones that we look to figure out what the heck is go...
Our Emotions Are More Rational Than We Think feat. Eyal Winter
13 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Which is smarter -- your head or your gut? It's a familiar refrain: you're getting too emotional. Try and think rationally. But is it always good advi...
Why We Are Restless: On the Modern Quest for Contentment feat. Benjamin Storey
10 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pursuit of happiness is a foundational principle of the American democratic experiment, and yet true happiness seems elusive for many Americans. ...
We Live in a Bacterial World feat. Martin Blaser
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have gotten healthier and healthier over the years due to modern medicine and the power of antibiotics.. But those same antibiotics, when overu...
Blowing Up Best Practices feat. Geoff Tuff & Steve Goldbach
06 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Geoff Tuff is a principal of Deloitte Consulting LLP and holds various leadership positions across its Sustainability, Innovation, and Strategy practi...
Why Good People Need to Understand the Rules of Power feat. Jeff Pfeffer
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why are so many organizations run by ineffective or toxic leaders? Because it isn't the best leaders that succeed. Its the ones that best understand h...
Why Motivating Change is not Enough feat. Loran Nordgren
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we think about ideas like selling or marketing, we usually think of getting people to buy products. But Loran Nordgren is talking about getting p...
Who is Interested in HR? feat. John Boudreau
30 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Certainly not most academics, and probably not the business students they teach. The common perception around HR is that its focus is getting everyone...
Computer Science is Not A Value Neutral Enterprise feat. Rob Reich
27 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our guest today says that the profession of programmer or coder is the most important occupation to have in the 21st century, and yet computer science...
The Art of Subtraction feat. Leidy Klotz
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Leidy Klotz describes himself as an “academic trespasser.” Investigating underexplored intersections between engineering and behavioral science, L...
The Science of Self Awareness feat. Steve Fleming
23 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The notion of self awareness has been at the heart of philosophy for millenia. Now it’s the subject of research by neuroscientists, and is the focus...
Reflection in the Midst of Hustle Culture feat. Joseph Badarocco
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When we say “reflection,” what comes to mind? Is it sitting in meditation, in a meadow or a sacred space?. Or is it sitting at your desk, taking a...
The Growing Field of Bullshit Studies feat. Carl Bergstrom
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Every generation reaches a point where they claim that discourse has gone to hell. But that doesn't mean we’re going to miss out on our chance to co...
What’s Wrong with Banking feat. Anat Admati
16 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Before the coronavirus pandemic, one of the biggest crises of our time was the global financial crisis. And even though that crisis passed, the underl...
New Ways of Working feat. Lynda Gratton
13 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Work used to have a rigid structure. You would punch in and out of the factory, leave your work behind at the office and go home. But as the lines bet...
The Importance of Discomfort feat. Aidan McCullen
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Sharing fresh information to empower new thinking. That's the north star behind Aiden McCullen’s podcast The Innovation Show. This podcast is actual...
Why Startups Fail feat. Tom Eisenmann
09 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Some philosophers of science would say that, if you can't fail, you can't learn. If you've got a theory of how the world's going to work, and the worl...
Recommendation Engines & Trust feat. Michael Schrage
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It was not too long ago when the first recommendation engines were created, originally to help researchers keep track of articles and information. Now...
The Tyranny of Metrics feat. Jerry Muller
02 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Our obsession with metrics is causing damage across the board, from education and medicine, to the police, military, and foreign aid. But our guest sa...
Reversing The Epidemic of Food Allergies feat. Kari Nadeau
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Gluten free or dairy free may just seem like menu options to some, But in fact, food allergies have become a major epidemic. They aren’t restricted...
Collaboration Overload feat. Rob Cross
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As collaboration tools and apps become more commonplace in the digital workplace, how can we balance their pros (team mindset, connection) with their ...
How To Be Happy feat. Raj Raghunathan
25 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of the smart and successful people in the business world are very good at achieving extrinsic goals of success, fame, money and power. But those...
Where Economics Meets Evolutionary Biology feat. Dario Maestripieri
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dario Maestripieri is a Professor in Comparative Human Development at the University of Chicago, and is also affiliated with the Stevanovich Institute...
From the Evolution of Plants to Humor feat. Jonathan Silvertown
20 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Good jokes, bad jokes, clever jokes, dad jokes — the desire to laugh is universal. But why do we find some gags hilarious, whilst others fall flat? ...
The Importance of Data Literacy feat. Bill Franks
18 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Data literacy is now a baseline benchmark for being an intelligent manager.Bill Franks is the Director of the Center for Statistics and Analyti...
The Physical vs. Digital Divide Isn't Always Old vs. Young feat. Robert Siegel
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How do you develop products differently in the future? How do you organize your companies differently? What are the skill sets required of the leaders...
Game Theory, Negotiation Strategy and Fairness feat. Barry Nalebuff
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you're going to succeed in negotiation, It's about arguing with a reason. And what game theory and logic does is allow you to frame the negotiation...
Game Theory and Market Design feat. Al Roth
11 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Economists are no longer simply describing and understanding markets, but are often playing the role of “economic engineer”, improving existing ma...
Can Evolution Explain Everything? feat. Douglas Kenrick
09 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Douglas Kenrick is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University. His research interests include integrating models from evo...
The Rise of the Economists feat. Binyamin Appelbaum
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Binyamin Appelbaum on the editorial board of the New York Times as well as a reporter there. He is also the author of “The Economists' Hour: False P...
We Are An Experiment That Is Still Unraveling Itself feat. Ian Tattersall
04 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today's episode is diving into anthropology, paleontology, archeology, and all of these related disciplines with Ian Tattersall.He is the curator emer...
Teachers Teach the Way They Were Taught feat. Tony Wagner
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The traditional notion is that schools are failing and they need “reforming.” But our guest believes that our education system is obsolete and nee...
Everyone Wants a Silicon Valley feat. Dan Breznitz
28 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Would you believe Cleveland used to be a hub for innovation? Now the Bay Area is the height of start ups and global technology. It seems like everybo...
Helpful or Harmful: The Inner Voice feat. Ethan Kross
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ethan Kross says the human ability to be introspective is a super power. We can time travel in our heads. We can be excited about planning the future,...