MetaLearn Podcast

Charles Fadel is the founder and chairman of the Center for Curriculum Redesign, an institution focused on making education more relevant and answering the question: “What should we learn in the 21st century?”  Charles is also a respected thought leader and author in the global education space who works with several teams at the OECD and he’s also co-authored the highly regarded 4 Dimensional Education and 21st Century Skills.  Prior to starting the Center for Curriculum Redesign, Charles had a 25-year career in the technology space, which included 13 years as Global Education Lead at Cisco Systems – so it’s safe to say that he has witnessed first hand the disruptive effects of exponential change.  In this conversation we dive into a whole range of topics including:  - The race between technology and education and its implications for your career - The knowledge, skills and character traits needed to thrive in the 21st century - The challenge of measuring soft skills and metalearning CCR's efforts to do so So if you're curious about the knowledge and skills you need to acquire to future proof yourself and attempts to update the curriculum for our generation, this episode has you covered.

Aubrey de Grey is a biomedical gerontologist, and the Chief Science Officer of SENS Research Foundation, a California based non-profit charity dedicated to combating the aging process. Through his work at SENS, Aubrey works on the development of medical innovations that promote rejuvenation and can postpone all forms of age-related ill-health including diseases like alzheimers, certain forms of cancer and atherosclerosis. Aubrey started off as a computer scientist and AI Researcher before becoming a self-taught bio gerontologist, which makes him a fascinating example of someone who can pick up new skills and develop deep knowledge in new fields In this conversation we discuss: - The transferability of research as a skill and the multidisciplinary nature of innovation - The core ideas behind Aubrey’s research – and what that means for the future of human aging - How to successfully spread your message to attract interest to your work Aubrey has a love for bold statements and is often a magnet for controversy in the media, but he’s a remarkably flexible and original thinker, so whether you're curious about the future of human aging or want to learn more about how to communicate effectively in a world full of noise, this episode has you covered.

This episode is another special one on equations that changed the world.  Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity is widely known as the world’s most famous equation created by history’s most famous scientist.  In simple terms the equation reads - E = MC² which states that Energy = Mass x Speed of Light² This theory predicts the equivalence of mass and energy and a space-time continuum, which fundamentally changed our understanding of the universe and how it works.  In practical terms, Einstein’s theory ultimately led to the creation of nuclear energy sources – a defining moment in the history of humanity similar to the discovery of fire, because it allowed us to have far greater energy yields than we’d ever had before by splitting the atom… Today’s guest, Kalid Azad, is the founder of Better Explained, one of the world's most popular maths websites that makes hard concepts easy to understand. After studying Computer Science at Princeton, Kalid spent a few years at Microsoft as a program manager, founded a Y Combinator startup, and currently works as a developer. Kalid uses an intuition first approach to explain difficult ideas in a way that anyone can understand and this makes him the perfect guide for this episode. In this episode we discuss: - Einstein’s backstory and how it influenced his work - The mechanics of the equation in a way that you can understand - The implications of the equation for our view of the Universe So whether you’re looking to find out more about Einstein, dive deeper into the equation and its importance, or explore maths and physics in a way that’s fun and accessible, this episode has you covered. 

The podcast discusses the art and science of presenting both on and off camera. It covers topics such as creating a consistent presenting style, managing energy levels, optimizing body language, and overcoming nervousness. The speakers emphasize the importance of balancing engagement and authenticity, and share strategies for maintaining energy levels and building rapport with the audience.

James Bidwell is the owner of Springwise, an innovation portal, which crowd sources innovation ideas from all over the world and publishes the top 3 every day. He is also the co-founder of RE_SET, an innovation consultancy for the disruption economy working with boards to help them thrive in an unpredictable world. James was also formerly a marketing manager at Disney, marketing director at Selfridges and CEO of Visit London.   In this episode we discuss: - How to stay on top of the rapid pace of change in modern society  - How to innovate in the 21st century disruption economy  - How to market effectively in a noisy world, while staying true to values So whether you’re curious about how to stay relevant in a constantly changing world or want to find out how to get your message heard in a world full of noise, this episode has you covered.

The process of authoring and producing my first course, Make Me A MetaLearner, was a great learning experience for me. It taught me a lot about the skills of research and writing and the importance of structuring educational content in a way that's easy to digest and understand for students.  As a university lecturer I’ve spent plenty of time preparing lessons and delivering them to students, but authoring an online course was a completely different ball game for me. Looking back, I can see that a big part of the process could be broken down into a number of key steps, which I had to figure out by trial and error.  This episode is part of my process for reflecting on what I've learned and in it I'm joined by writer, videographer and all around MetaLearner Will Reynolds. We discuss: - How to brainstorm ideas effectively and channel them into a skeleton structure - How to manage the process of a prolonged piece of writing and stay productive - How to build a system that makes your educational content easy to understand So whether you want to author your own educational content or are just curious about what goes on behind the scenes here at MetaLearn, this episode has you covered.

Tom Stafford is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of Sheffield. He’s also the author of the book Mindhacks, a book featuring 100 DIY mind experiments you can try at home, and he runs the excellent MindHacks blog dedicated to psychology and neuroscience news & views. Tom has done some fascinating research into skill acquisition by studying the process of playing computer games (which can be tracked across the whole learning curve) drawing out some useful general insights that you can apply to any skill you’re learning. In this conversation we discuss a range of topics including:  - What Tom has discovered about the learning process through his research in cognitive science - The tradeoff between trying new things (exploration) and doing what works (exploitation) - The keys to teaching effectively and improving the classroom experience for students So whether you’re looking for some cutting edge insights from cognitive science to apply to your learning or are curious about how it can improve the classroom experience, this episode has you covered.

In this episode of the MetaLearn Podcast, the host discusses how to learn by podcasting. They cover topics such as choosing a niche and building a brand, reaching out to guests and conducting interviews, and editing and promoting a podcast. The guest shares their experience in podcasting and offers advice. The podcast also explores the benefits of podcasting for creative individuals and the learning experiences gained from interacting with others.

Tim Urban is the founder of the blog WaitButWhy and is one of the Internet’s most popular writers. With brilliant stick-figure illustrations and epic analysis on everything from artificial intelligence to the future of the brain, Wait But Why, has gained a huge audience and number of famous fans such as Tesla, Space-X and Solar City CEO, Elon Musk. Musk asked Tim to write about his companies and their surrounding industries, leading to a five-part series of posts discussing the importance of sustainable energy and transport, the future of space exploration and the implications of an AI augmented human brain. In this episode we discuss: - The future of the brain and the difference between human and computer intelligence - How Tim learns from the smartest people in the world, including Elon Musk and his team - What human super-intelligence means for you and the superpowers it could give you So whether you’re curious about the future of the brain and what we humans will be able to do down the road or just want to get some tips on how to learn from the world’s smartest people, this episode has you covered.

This episode is a special one on equations that changed the world.  And what better one to start with than Isaac Newton’s Universal Law of Gravity – an equation that ultimately helped us put a man on the moon! In simple terms the equation reads: Earth’s Gravitational Force = (G x M x m) / D squared  Earth’s Force = (Gravitational Constant x Earth’s Mass x Mass of the Object) /  Distance between the Earth and Object Squared What this equation allowed the smart scientists at NASA to do was to to establish with accuracy where exactly the moon was, which was no mean feat in itself.  And by calculating the rate at which gravity diminished on the way to the moon, they determined what size rocket they’d need and the best route to get there. Today’s guest, Kalid Azad, is the founder of Better Explained, one of the world's most popular maths websites that makes hard concepts easy to understand.  After studying Computer Science at Princeton, Kalid spent a few years at Microsoft as a program manager, founded a Y Combinator startup, and currently works as a developer. Kalid uses an intuition first approach to explain difficult ideas in a way that anyone can understand and this makes him the perfect guide. In this episode we discuss:  - Newton’s backstory and how it influenced his work - The mechanics of the equation in a way that you can understand - The implications of the equation for our view of the Universe So whether you’re looking to find out more about Newton, dive deeper into the equation and its importance, or explore maths and physics in a way that’s fun and accessible, this episode has you covered.