Rutger Bregman on the crisis of moral ambition; Why primates have same-sex relationships; Living longer is easier than you think; Bizarre method to fight climate change

10 snips

Jan 16, 2026

Guest

Alec Luhn

Rutger Bregman, a Dutch historian and author, advocates for directing talent towards social causes instead of 'BS' jobs. He discusses the importance of moral ambition and how small, committed groups can instigate major societal changes. Carissa Wong shares insights from a study showing that minor lifestyle tweaks, like slight increases in sleep and exercise, could add an entire year to your life. Alec Luhn proposes an innovative but controversial method of sinking logged wood in the Arctic to combat climate change, exploring its potential risks.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

The Bermuda Triangle Of Talent

Around 60% of top university students end up in consultancy, finance, corporate law or big tech, draining talent from public good causes.
Rutger Bregman calls this the 'Bermuda Triangle of Talent' and urges redirecting skills toward major global challenges.

ANECDOTE

Clarkson's Game-Changing Investigation

Thomas Clarkson exposed high white sailor mortality on slave ships to make abolition politically salient in Westminster.
Bregman uses this as an example of pragmatic reframing that won abolitionist reforms.

ADVICE

Train Talent To Fight Big Systems

Build effective campaigns using pragmatic tactics and target big levers like food systems and policy lobbying.
Bregman's School for Moral Ambition trains people to leave 'BS' jobs and work on systemic change like sustainable food policy.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Episode 341

"The best minds of my generation are thinking about how to make people click ads. That sucks." A compelling quote that sums up the thesis of Rutger Bregman’s new book. In Moral Ambition, the Dutch historian and the best-selling author argues that smart people need to stop wasting their lives in “BS” jobs - and turn their skills to causes that benefit humanity. By reflecting on the history of the abolitionist and women’s rights movements, he explains why it’s never too late to take action on major issues - like climate change or the exploitation of animals. He also explores how AI experts are preparing for a massive shift in the way we live, that we need to pay attention to.

Same-sex sexual behaviour in primates is incredibly common - despite seemingly having no evolutionary advantage. But scientists have now noticed something counterintuitive. This behaviour happens more often in high-stress environments, where food is scarce, suggesting it may aid with social cohesion. It may even improve the success of straight sex - increasing the number of offspring in a group.

If you want to live a longer, healthier life - it may be way easier than you think. Most modern longevity advice is about optimising every aspect of your life - and can feel overwhelming for many people. But a new study shows you can add a full year to your life, just by making very minor tweaks to things like sleep and exercise. Find out how.

For three years in a row, average global temperatures have exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial temperatures. As we fail to get a handle on rising global heating, scientists are exploring a new - slightly odd - way of managing carbon levels. The idea is to protect Earth’s climate from future wildfires, but cutting down vast swathes of forest and sinking the trees in the Arctic ocean. But will it work - or make things worse?

Hosted by Rowan Hooper with guests Rutger Bregman, Michael Le Page, Carissa Wong and Alec Luhn.

To read more about these stories, visit https://www.newscientist.com/

Learn about New Scientist CoLab and ViiV Healthcare’s roundtable discussion here: viiv@newscientist.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices