Making Sense with Sam Harris - Subscriber Content

Sam Harris speaks with Renée DiResta about Russia’s “Internet Research Agency” and its efforts to amplify conspiracy thinking and partisan conflict in the United States. Renée DiResta is the Director of Research at New Knowledge and Head of Policy at the nonprofit organization Data for Democracy where she investigates the spread of malignant narratives across social networks. She regularly writes and speaks about the role that tech platforms and curatorial algorithms play in the proliferation of disinformation and conspiracy theories. She is the author of The Hardware Startup: Building your Product, Business, and Brand. Website: www.reneediresta.com Twitter: @noUpside

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. Deeyah Khan is a two-time Emmy Award-winning and twice BAFTA-nominated documentary film director. She is the founder of Fuuse, a media and arts company that puts women and minority communities at the heart of telling their own stories. In 2016, she became the first UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for artistic freedom and creativity. Her 2012 film, “Banaz: A Love Story,” which earned Deeyah her first Emmy Award, chronicled the life and death of Banaz Mahmod, a young British Kurdish woman murdered by her family in a so-called honour killing. Her second film, “Jihad,” was nominated for a BAFTA; it involved two years of interviews and filming with Islamic extremists, convicted terrorists and former jihadis; and “White Right: Meeting the Enemy,” in which Deeyah travelled to the United States to filmed with neo-Nazis, including attending the now-infamous Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, won her a second Emmy Award and a second BAFTA nomination. Twitter: @Deeyah_Khan

If you had to rewrite The Moral Landscape, would you change or expand on anything?If you designed a school for kids, what would be in the curriculum?Do you think white men really have too much power?What is your relationship to money? How important is it to your happiness?Political scientist Robert Pape claims that the root cause of suicidal terrorism is military occupation, do you contest his theory?What did you think of the debate between David Frum and Steve Bannon on populism?Which news sources do you trust and why?The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is far scarier than AI, will talk about this on your podcast?Have you ever struggled with procrastination? Can mindfulness help with it?Is it possible to understand that the ego is an illusion without experiencing it as such?How does an intensely voluntary action feel once the illusion of the self has vanished?Can you explain the connection between religiosity and the denial of climate change?In the last few minutes of your conversation with Brian Greene, it seemed that one of your core beliefs about free will was shaken. Can you discuss this?Isn't your framework of the "moral landscape" just another form of moral relativism?When we focus our attention on consciousness, who is it that is paying attention?If you needed to join Alcoholics Anonymous, how would you rationalize a belief in "a higher power"?In your podcast with Rebecca Traister, you spoke about #MeToo exclusively in terms of its effects on the lives of rich and powerful men. But it has much greater implications for ordinary people. Please discuss this.Please elaborate on what you mean when you say "look of the one who is looking" or "look for your head" in your guided meditations.Is morality limited to human beings? For instance, can chimps behave immorally?What are your thoughts about lucid dreaming? Does it make sense to acquire this skill?A Dutch man wants to legally change his age from 69 to 49. Please discuss this in relation to transgenderism.

Sam Harris speaks with Derren Brown about his work as a “psychological illusionist.” They discuss the power of hypnosis, the power of expectations, the usefulness of Stoic philosophy, and other topics. Derren Brown began his UK television career in December 2000 with a series of specials called Mind Control. In the UK his name is now pretty much synonymous with the art of psychological manipulation. Amongst a varied and notorious TV career, Derren has played Russian Roulette live, convinced middle-managers to commit armed robbery, led the nation in a séance, stuck viewers at home to their sofas, successfully predicted the National Lottery, motivated a shy man to land a packed passenger plane at 30,000 feet, hypnotised a man to assassinate Stephen Fry, and created a zombie apocalypse for an unsuspecting participant after seemingly ending the world. He has also written several best-selling books and – a first in the history of magic – has toured with eight sell-out one-man stage shows. The shows have garnered a record-breaking five Olivier Award nominations for Best Entertainment, and won twice. This means Derren has had the largest number of nominations and wins for one-person shows in the history of the Awards. His 2017 US debut show SECRET won the New York Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical experience and is planning a Broadway return in 2019. His Latest book is Happy: Why More or Less Everything is Absolutely Fine. Website: http://derrenbrown.co.uk Twitter: @DerrenBrown Instagram: @derrenbrown   Episodes that have been re-released as part of the Best of Making Sense series may have been edited for relevance since their original airing.

Johann Hari is the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream, which is being adapted into a feature film. He was twice named “Newspaper Journalist of the Year” by Amnesty International UK. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and others. His TED talk, “Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong,” has more than 20 million views. His most recent book is Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions. Website: johannhari.com Twitter: @johannhari101

Sam Harris speaks with Johann Hari about his books Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections. Johann Hari is the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream, which is being adapted into a feature film. He was twice named “Newspaper Journalist of the Year” by Amnesty International UK. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and others. His TED talk, “Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong,” has more than 20 million views. His most recent book is Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions. Website: johannhari.com Twitter: @johannhari101   Episodes that have been re-released as part of the Best of Making Sense series may have been edited for relevance since their original airing.

Sam Harris speaks with Rebecca Traister about her new book Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger. Rebecca Traister is writer at large for New York magazine and a contributing editor at Elle. A National Magazine Award finalist, she has written about women in politics, media, and entertainment from a feminist perspective for The New Republic and Salon and has also contributed to The Nation, The New York Observer, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour and Marie Claire. She is the author of All the Single Ladies and the award-winning Big Girls Don’t Cry. Website: http://www.rebeccatraister.com/ Twitter: @rtraister

Matt Taibbi is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and winner of the 2008 National Magazine Award for columns and commentary. He is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Great Derangement, Griftopia, and The Divide. He is currently working on serial book about the failings of the media, titled The Fairway: Thirty Years After Manufacturing Consent, How Mass Media Still Keeps Thought Inbounds. Twitter: @mtaibbi Website: https://taibbi.substack.com

Sam Harris speaks with Matt Taibbi about the state journalism and the polarization of our politics. They discuss the controversy over Steve Bannon at the New Yorker Festival, monetizing the Trump phenomenon, the Jamal Kashoggi murder, the Kavanaugh hearing, the Rolling Stone reporting on the UVA rape case, the viability of a political center, the 2020 Presidential election, the Russia investigation, our vanishing attention span, and other topics. Matt Taibbi is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and winner of the 2008 National Magazine Award for columns and commentary. He is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Great Derangement, Griftopia, and The Divide. He is currently working on serial book about the failings of the media, titled The Fairway: Thirty Years After Manufacturing Consent, How Mass Media Still Keeps Thought Inbounds. Twitter: @mtaibbi Website: https://taibbi.substack.com

Sam Harris gets together with Bill Maher and Larry Charles to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their film “Religulous.” They discuss religion, politics, comedy, and other dangerous topics. Bill Maher has set the boundaries of where funny, political talk can go on American television. First on “Politically Incorrect” (Comedy Central, ABC, 1993-2002), and for the last fifteen years on HBO’s “Real Time,” Maher’s combination of unflinching honesty and big laughs have garnered him 40 Emmy nominations. Maher won his first Emmy in 2014 as executive producer for the HBO series, “VICE.” In October of 2008, this same combination was on display in Maher’s uproarious and unprecedented swipe at organized religion, “Religulous,” directed by Larry Charles. The documentary has gone on to become the 8th Highest Grossing Documentary ever. Larry Charles is an American writer, director, and producer. Charles was a staff writer for the American sitcom “Seinfeld“ for its first five seasons, contributing some of the show’s darkest and most absurd storylines. He has also directed the mockumentary comedy films “Borat” and “Brüno,” the documentary film “Religulous,” and comedy film The Dictator.