Making Sense with Sam Harris
Sam Harris
Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live.
Sam is also the creator of the Waking Up app. Combining Sam’s decades of mindfulness practice, profound wisdom from varied philosophical and contemplative traditions, and a commitment to a secular, scientific worldview, Waking Up is a resource for anyone interested in living a more examined, fulfilling life—and a new operating system for the mind.
Waking Up offers free subscriptions to anyone who can’t afford one, and donates a minimum of 10% of profits to the most effective charities around the world. To learn more, please go to WakingUp.com.
Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.
Sam is also the creator of the Waking Up app. Combining Sam’s decades of mindfulness practice, profound wisdom from varied philosophical and contemplative traditions, and a commitment to a secular, scientific worldview, Waking Up is a resource for anyone interested in living a more examined, fulfilling life—and a new operating system for the mind.
Waking Up offers free subscriptions to anyone who can’t afford one, and donates a minimum of 10% of profits to the most effective charities around the world. To learn more, please go to WakingUp.com.
Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.
Episodes
Mentioned books
10 snips
Mar 27, 2019 • 50min
#152 — The Trouble with Facebook
Roger McNamee, a Silicon Valley investor and early advisor to Facebook, discusses his book, 'Zucked: Waking Up to the Facebook Catastrophe.' He delves into the negative impact of social media on democracy, highlighting unethical business practices and the role of misinformation. McNamee reflects on his early interactions with Mark Zuckerberg, expressing concerns about Facebook's influence on public health and election security. He emphasizes the urgent need for accountability in tech and critiques the troubling data collection and manipulation practices that drive societal division.
Mar 18, 2019 • 33min
#151 — Will We Destroy the Future?
In this engaging discussion, Nick Bostrom, a renowned philosopher from Oxford and head of the Future of Humanity Institute, tackles the pressing issue of existential risk. He shares insights on the vulnerable world hypothesis, questioning whether technological advancements could spell doom for humanity. Bostrom highlights the ethical quandaries we face with AI, biotechnology, and nuclear threats. He also explores the influence of moral frameworks on our decisions about the future, pondering if we’re navigating a simulated reality as we confront these challenges.
5 snips
Mar 12, 2019 • 50min
#150 — The Map of Misunderstanding
Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel laureate and psychology professor at Princeton, dives into the fascinating complexities of human decision-making. He addresses the replication crisis in science and the pitfalls of cognitive biases, emphasizing how framing affects moral dilemmas. Kahneman also explores the paradox of worry in motivating action against climate change and the asymmetry between pleasure and pain in our reactions to gains and losses. Their conversation reveals how storytelling influences beliefs and policymaking, offering profound insights into human behavior.
Mar 4, 2019 • 41min
#149 — The Problem of Addiction
Sam Harris speaks with Sally Satel about addiction. They discuss whether addiction should be considered a disease, the opiate epidemic in the U.S., the unique danger of fentanyl, the politicization of medicine, PTSD, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Feb 5, 2019 • 34min
#148 — Jack Dorsey
Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Twitter and Square, dives into the complexities of managing two influential tech companies. He discusses Twitter's unique role in journalism and the challenges of combating toxicity online. Dorsey emphasizes the importance of healthy conversations and transparency, sharing insights on how to improve user engagement and manage diverse perspectives. He also reflects on the decision to suspend controversial figures, like Trump, and the impact of meditation on his leadership style.
Jan 28, 2019 • 46min
#147 — Stephen Fry
Sam Harris speaks with Stephen Fry about comedy, atheism, political correctness, meditation, ambition, empathy, psychedelics, Christopher Hitchens, Stephen's experience of manic depression, and much else. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Jan 16, 2019 • 45min
#146 — Digital Capitalism
Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Rushkoff about the state of the digital economy. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Jan 2, 2019 • 32min
#145 — The Information War
Sam Harris speaks with Renee Diresta about Russia's "Internet Research Agency" and its efforts to amplify conspiracy thinking and partisan conflict in the United States. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Dec 20, 2018 • 2h 54min
The Drive Interview with Peter Attia
Sam Harris speaks with Peter Attia about meditation and the nature of mind. They discuss types of meditation, the difference between pain and suffering, the difference between joy and wellbeing, the half-life of negative emotions, thinking and dreaming, the power of culture, the power of language, letting go of anger, MDMA, loving one's enemies, moral luck, the ethics of lying, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
Dec 7, 2018 • 1h 9min
#144 — Conquering Hate
Sam Harris speaks with Deeyah Khan about her groundbreaking films "Jihad" and "White Right." They discuss her history as a target of religious intolerance, her adventures with neo-Nazis and other white supremacists, the similarities between extremist groups, the dangers of political correctness, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.
