Alive with Steve Burns

Steve checks in with his tech whiz friend, Paul Ford, to share his hopes and concerns about artificial intelligence.   Paul Ford is the co-founder of Aboard, an AI startup. Previously, he was an advisor to the White House Office of Digital Strategy during the Obama Administration. He has written about technology at leading publications from The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine to MIT Tec...

Steve speaks with Maitland about why it’s so difficult to talk about sex.   Maitland Ward is an author, actress, and adult film star. She began her career on CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful. Maitland is the author of the best-selling title, My Escape from Hollywood: Unapologetic, Unfiltered, and Unashamed.   Get 15% off OneSkin with the code ALIVE at https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod Head to Com...

Leela chats with Steve as he wonders about the different ways humans worship.   Leela Prasad is St. Purandar Das Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University. In 2024, she was elected as the first South Asian female president of the American Academy of Religion. She has received prestigious awards and fellowships for the study of religion, including a Guggenheim Fellowship, Ful...

Steve catches up with his good friend, Wayne Coyne, to chat about what it means to be successful.   Wayne Coyne is an American musician known primarily as the founder, lead vocalist, and songwriter for the Flaming Lips, a psychedelic rock band from Oklahoma. The celebrated band has found acclaim and many awards through several indie breakout records.    Our listeners get 10% off their first month...

Megan helps Steve approach the anxieties, fantasies, and obsessions we bring to our relationship with money.   Dr. Megan McCoy is an Assistant Professor at Kansas State University’s Department of Personal Financial Planning. Received her Ph. D. in Human Development and Family Science with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of Georgia. She is also a licensed Marriage and...

Ro swings by to chat with Steve about tech, economics, and how we can ensure innovation serves everyone.   Ro Khanna is the U.S. Representative from California’s 17th congressional district, also known as Silicon Valley. Ro has held that seat since his upset victory in 2016. He is a member of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability. His 2022 book is titled: Progressive Capitalism: How To Mak...

Julie and Steve dig deep into their emotions, their experience, and the science as they discuss the big question: What is dying? Julie McFadden, RN, is the bestselling author of Nothing to Fear. She is a palliative care nurse with more than fifteen years of experience. She is passionate about normalizing death and dying and has more than one million followers on TikTok as @hospicenursejulie.  Our...

Steve and Jamie discuss what it means to be real and be human in a world of manufactured authenticity.   Jamie Lee Curtis is an actress, producer, and children’s author. She has won numerous awards (Academy Award, BAFTA, Primetime Emmy, among others) and is considered one of the original scream queens. She is known for her iconic roles in the Halloween franchise, A Fish Called Wanda, Perfect, and...

Sick of all the shouting and noise out there? Then good news. Steve Burns is back and he’s making a podcast with you. Not for you -- with you. Starting September 17, tune in as Steve sits down with some really smart folks for genuine and respectful conversations about all the big, messy questions of being alive in an ever-harder world. There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to. This one list...