Dean Spears, an associate professor of economics, discusses implementing a kangaroo mother care program in Uttar Pradesh to save newborn lives. Topics include neonatal mortality rates, benefits of skin-to-skin contact, challenges of working with government hospitals, scaling up the program, and global population trends.

Lewis Bollard discusses ways to end factory farming & AI's impact on animal welfare. They cover scale of animal suffering, progress in animal welfare, & challenges. AI may shape moral values, slow human progress, or enhance welfare efforts. Topics include advancements in alternative proteins, corporate campaigns for improved welfare, & global advocacy for farmed animal welfare.

Zvi Mowshowitz, expert on AI, discusses US-China negotiations, AI lab safety strategies, and the morality of working at AI labs. They cover the risks of AI labs fooling themselves, sleeper agent issues in AI, and the importance of career alignment. Zvi also founded a think tank to address US policy failures and disagrees with career capital advice. The podcast dives into ethical dilemmas in AI lab roles, advocating for a pause in AI progress, and recent developments in AI capabilities.

Cody Fenwick, author of the career review on AI governance and policy, discusses the impact of advanced AI systems on humanity, potential risks, and career opportunities in AI governance. Topics include career trajectories, addressing AI risks, building career capital for policy roles, navigating pathways in AI governance, and exploring career opportunities in AI policy within the US government.

They discuss the connection between money and happiness, the significance of hype in impactful projects, spotting untrustworthy individuals, and the value of collective wisdom in research. Also covered are insights on decision-making errors, reproductive science integrity, and finding meaning in parenting.

In this episode, they explore the welfare of various species like chickens, pigs, octopuses, bees, and humans. They discuss the capacity for pleasure and pain, the challenges of assessing welfare ranges, and the importance of considering diverse perspectives. The conversation also touches on ethical dilemmas in decision-making, time perception variability across species, and redefining welfare hierarchies.

Laura Deming discusses the science of extending human lifespan, challenging the notion of age-related decline. She explores the social implications of increasing longevity and the potential for transformative societal change. The conversation touches on regulatory breakthroughs for anti-ageing drugs, genetic manipulation for lifespan extension, and the beauty of biology as a compelling field of study.

Cognitive scientist Hugo Mercier challenges the view of gullibility and misinformation, highlighting the perceptiveness of ordinary people. They explore how reasoning mechanisms facilitate beneficial communication and debunk myths about misinformation. Discussing AI's potential impact, they navigate belief formation, trust, and the dynamics of misinformation. The conversation delves into vaccine hesitancy, financial scams, astrology beliefs, and the challenges of discerning truth in an AI-influenced information environment.

Randy Nesse, expert in mental health and evolutionary psychiatry, discusses why evolution left us vulnerable to depression and anxiety. Topics include the purpose of anxiety, complexity of mood regulation, genetic morphs in fish species, complexity of depression, trade-offs in evolutionary shaping, unconscious motivations, advancements in evolutionary medicine, risk-taking and anxiety, impact of ambitious goals on mental health, and aging from an evolutionary perspective.

Emily Oster, expert on pregnancy and parenting, shares evidence-based insights on topics including pregnancy myths, antidepressants during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and childcare. The importance of making key childbirth decisions and having a trusted provider is discussed, along with practical tips for managing overwhelming parenting tasks. The impact of parenthood on careers, fertility decline at age 35, and the effects of children on relationships and happiness are also explored.