Talk of Today

This is an audio essay on the issue of state sovereignty in an interconnected world, inspired by Trump's recent address to the UN General Assembly. The essay is available on talkoftoday.com and on medium -@shbarton. Links and sources can be found there as well. You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/talkoftoday or at talkoftoday.com/support Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

Chris Timmerman is a PhD student in the Psychedelic Research Group from Imperial College in London. He's currently conducting brain imaging experiments on people under the influence of the psychedelic drug DMT. In this episode, we talk about the psychedelics in general, ego dissolutionment and DMT. You can support this podcast at www.patreon.com/talkoftoday or at www.talkoftoday.com/support Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

Meditation has exploded in popularity in recent years. Once thought of as a purely spiritual practice, the physical and mental benefits of it are now being recognised by science. Secular institutions like schools and corporations are jumping onto the Zen train to reap these benefits, which range from increases in productivity, improved sleep quality, increased creativity, as well as reduced stress and anxiety, just to name a few. On a side note, there’s also the fact that some people report of meditation inducing psychedelic experiences, which is a tantalizing prospect in of itself! My guest in this episode is Dr Sara Lazar from Harvard University. In our conversation, we cover: - The benefits of meditation and the effects it can have on your brain - Its effects on mental illnesses - Politics and neuroanatomy - Persona EEG devices that provide real-time neurofeedback - Whether or not meditation be widely prescribed, just like regular exercise, optimal nutrition, and sleep? - And, of course, some helpful advice for those giving this ancient practice a go. Enjoy! Show notes can be found at talkoftoday.com/podcast-3 Support the podcast at talkoftoday.com/support or patreon.com/talkoftoday Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

In this episode, we explore the technologies that will shape our future as outlined in the book 'The Inevitable' by Kevin Kelly. It takes the vast swathes of technological developments that we’ve seen over the past few decades, and paints a marvellous picture of what they could, and most likely will inevitably mean for the future. Topics covered in the podcast include: - Artificial intelligence and the cognifying of everything - The blockchain - Information abundance - Startup advice for would-be innovators - How these technologies will help us understand who we are. Enjoy! You can support the podcast at talkoftoday.com/support or at patreon.com/talkoftoday Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

Today's episode is a bit different from the rest. Instead of talking about developments in science, tech and society, I'm chatting to a man called Gosife Okenta about the ongoing subjugation and suffering of his people in Nigeria. He would not call himself Nigerian, however. Gosife is from Biafra, a secessionist state in eastern Nigeria that existed in the late 1960s. Though is no longer exists, there are millions of people who identify as Biafrans today, and are treated as second class citizens in Nigeria. I wanted to share Gosife and Biafra's story to get you to ponder some things like: - What is a national identity? - When should the global community intervene in the affairs of a country? - Is sovereignty an outdated concept in our globalised world? You can support the podcast at talkoftoday.com/support or through patreon.com/talkoftoday, or by giving it a rating and sharing it with your friends! Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

Aging could become a thing of the past. Not in 100 years, but within our lifetime (whatever that means) In this episode, I'm joined by Aubrey de Grey. Aubrey is a British biomedical gerontologist, chief scientist and founder of the SENS Research Foundation, an institution focused on using regenerative medicines to repair damage underlying the diseases of aging. In our conversation, we talk about some of the underlying causes of aging, where anti-aging research is at the moment, and what the near future might look like in the industry. Support the podcast at: talkoftoday/support patreon.com/talkoftoday Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

There aren't too many decisions that we make daily that can have as much of an impact on the world as what we choose to eat. Today, we're joined by Dr Liz Specht from the Good Food Institute to talk about the future of food. In our conversation, we talk about what's going on in food-tech, why are these developments so important, and when will we taste the fruits of the labour of the rapidly evolving food-tech industry? Links to what's discussed in the podcast can be found at talkoftoday.com Support the podcast at patreon.com/talkoftoday Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

This episode is with Dr Fatima Nasrallah, a senior scientist and researcher from the Queensland Brain Institute. This is a discussion on concussions, yo. What do we know about them, how do we measure them, what are the long term impacts, and how should you use this information? Show notes available at talkoftoday.com/podcast-3 Links: www.talkoftoday.com/lifetab www.globalcitizenship.today Queensland Brain Institute: https://qbi.uq.edu.au/ https://concussion.qbi.uq.edu.au/ Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

We now have a new way of observing the universe. Over a century ago, Einstein’s seminal work on the theory of general relativity predicted the existence of gravitational waves which are ripples within the very fabric of the universe itself. In February of 2016, the existence of gravitational waves was confirmed by measurements made by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory. In this episode, I chat with Dr Jess McIver postdoctoral scholar in experimental physics at California Institute of Technology about the basics of general relativity, what gravitational waves actually are, how they’re created, and how did we measure them. Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations

This episode is a bit different to the rest! Topics discussed are: - What the podcast is about and what to expect - Why I started the podcast - Brief bio on me(Sam Barton) - An explanation of the Global Citizenship concept I've discussed on other podcasts. Links mentioned: www.globalcitizenship.today www.talkoftoday.com www.patreon.com/talkoftoday Instagram: @shbarton Support this podcastSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/talk-of-today/donations