El Podcast

Patrick Winn discusses his book Narcotopia , exploring the rise of the most powerful drug cartel in Asia, its ties to the CIA, and its transition from heroin to methamphetamine production in Myanmar's Wa State. Guest Bio: Patrick Winn is an investigative journalist based in Bangkok, Thailand, specializing in black markets and underworld economies across Asia. His latest book, NarcoTopia , delves i...

Vauhini Vara explores the impact of technology on identity, grief, and personal agency in a world dominated by AI and surveillance capitalism. Guest Bio: Vauhini Vara is a journalist and prize-winning author whose work focuses on technology, its societal impacts, and selfhood in the digital age. She has written for numerous outlets and authored books such as Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age ....

Medical research journalist Tony Edwards joins us to discuss the research behind his books The Good News About Booze and The Very Good News About Wine . He challenges common myths about alcohol and health, based on deep dives into medical literature. Topics covered: Health Benefits of alcohol  Wine’s effects on heart disease, diabetes, and dementia Why alcohol doesn’t necessarily lead to weight ga...

🎙️ In this episode, economist and futurist Robin Hanson (George Mason University) explores the global fertility decline and what it means for innovation, culture, and civilization’s future. We discuss: Why fertility is falling even in times of plenty How cultural drift is driving demographic collapse Why population decline may slow innovation and collapse economies What happens when civilizations...

In this episode, Jesse talks with Dr. Donald Asher, renowned career strategist and author of Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why . They dive into how to survive toxic workplaces, master office politics, manage your boss (without brown-nosing), and build a reputation that gets you promoted — even in remote and AI-disrupted workplaces. Topics Discussed: Why almost every workplace is toxic — and...

Sociologist Timothy Gill joins us to explore the roots of Venezuela’s crisis, the role of U.S. foreign policy, and how race, oil, and ideology shape the country's fate. We dig into the real impact of sanctions, the legacy of Hugo Chávez, the rise of Nicolás Maduro, and the tangled web of neocolonialism, corruption, and mass migration. 🔍 Topics include: U.S. democracy promotion via USAID & NED Chá...

Is cholesterol really the villain? Or have we been misled by decades of flawed research? In this explosive interview, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick—author of The Great Cholesterol Con —challenges the mainstream narrative around heart disease, cholesterol, and statins. He unpacks the real root causes of cardiovascular disease, including blood clotting, stress, and the overlooked role of chronic inflammation...

In this episode, Jesse speaks with Professor Richard Faragher, one of the UK’s leading researchers on the biology of aging. They dive deep into why only 18% of people age well, what it means to age badly, and how emerging science is changing our understanding of aging itself. Topics include: The biological and economic toll of aging Evidence that aging is “druggable” Promising research on rapamyci...

Philosophy professor and Hi-Phi Nation host Barry Lam joins Jesse to discuss his new book Fewer Rules, Better People . They dive into the rise of bureaucracy in American life, from healthcare to housing, and examine how complex rules and compliance culture are quietly reshaping society. Topics include: Legalism, both ancient and modern The spread of bureaucratic thinking into universities, medicin...

Economist Bryan Caplan joins the show to discuss his new graphic novel Build Baby Build: The Science and Ethics of Housing Regulation . We unpack how housing prices have skyrocketed due to artificial scarcity created by zoning laws, minimum lot sizes, height restrictions, parking mandates, and outdated local codes. Caplan argues that cutting these burdensome rules could massively increase supply,...

In this episode, sociologist and Venezuela expert Dr. Timothy Gill joins us to unpack the controversy surrounding USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy, and America’s post–World War II global influence strategy. We explore the historical origins of U.S. foreign aid programs, their Cold War intentions, and how they've evolved into tools of soft power, cultural diplomacy—and sometimes, regime...

AEI’s Rick Hess joins Jesse for a wide-ranging conversation on the collapse of academic performance in American schools. They unpack why test scores haven’t recovered since the pandemic, the long-term impact of smartphones, and why nearly 1 in 4 students are now chronically absent. Hess also explains how schools are often structured more for the convenience of adults than the learning needs of chi...

In this episode, Jesse is joined by Dr. Dirk Mateer, award-winning educator and professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin. Together, they dive deep into the growing U.S. national debt, the rise of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and whether Elon Musk can really trim $2 trillion from the federal budget. Topics covered include: The real scale of government waste, fr...

Policy analyst Tad DeHaven (Cato Institute, former deputy budget director of Indiana) joins Jesse to break down why America’s spending problem runs much deeper than "waste, fraud, and abuse." They dig into the explosion of federal spending since 2015, why Social Security and Medicare are untouchable political landmines, and how the federal government undermines state-level accountability through b...

Why do Americans ask “What do you do?” before “Who are you?” In this episode, journalist and author Adam Chandler joins Jesse to explore America’s deep-rooted obsession with work — and how it compares to the rest of the world.  They discuss: Why work is so central to American identity Differences between U.S. work culture and places like France, Korea, Costa Rica, and Australia The impact of socia...

From prestige TV to background noise—what happened? In this episode, tech journalist Emily Forlini joins Jesse to break down her viral article on how Netflix is quietly telling writers to simplify scripts so distracted viewers can keep up—especially when watching on their phones. They discuss the rise of “casual viewing,” the economics behind streaming, the collapse of the Hollywood middle class,...

In this wide-ranging conversation, Jesse speaks with Dr. Kevin LaGrandeur, AI ethicist and former professor at NYIT, about the dangers of AI hype and the ethical dilemmas emerging from rapid technological development. They cover: The real risks of AI overreliance by consumers and businesses DeepSeek and the illusion of American AI dominance Why Elon Musk’s Neuralink may be more dangerous than help...

Computer Scientist, Erik J. Larson returns to discuss the global shakeup in AI sparked by DeepSeek and Alibaba’s Qwen 2.5 Max. We unpack how these models challenge Silicon Valley’s dominance, what makes them technically significant, and the broader implications for geopolitics, open-source innovation, and the future of AGI. Also discussed: NVIDIA’s record valuation drop, open-source trends, and wh...

Dr. Jon Keeley, senior scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey and professor at UCLA, joins us to break down the record-breaking 2025 California wildfires. He explains how drought, wind, power lines, and population growth created a perfect storm—and why prevention, not firefighting, may be our best defense. Topics Covered: Why the 2025 wildfires were so destructive Santa Ana winds and drought patt...

In this episode, environmental scientist Dr. Mark Schwartz joins us to unpack the devastating California wildfires, which have already destroyed over 12,000 structures and displaced more than 100,000 residents. Schwartz explains why these fires were predictable, how the state’s geography and housing patterns fuel the crisis, and why most proposed solutions—from controlled burns to home hardening—f...

Pedro Uria-Recio joins us to explore the transformative power of AI—its impact on jobs, education, geopolitics, and society at large. From job automation and universal basic income to AI’s role in medicine, war, religion, and entrepreneurship, this wide-ranging conversation tackles the hopes, fears, and opportunities of our AI-driven future. We also dive into quantum computing, the US-China AI riv...

Dustin Whitney joins us to explore the economic, social, and policy implications of population decline. We discuss aging societies, the myth of overpopulation, and what a shrinking GDP means for business, government, and everyday life. Guest Info: Dustin Whitney – Business executive, entrepreneur, and author of Demographic Deception: Exposing the Overpopulation Myth and Building a Resilient Future...

In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Thomas Seyfried dismantles the genetic theory of cancer and reveals how targeting cancer’s metabolic roots—glucose and glutamine dependence—could revolutionize treatment and prevention. 🧠 Guest: Dr. Thomas Seyfried – Professor of Biology at Boston College, pioneering researcher in cancer metabolism, and author of Cancer as a Metabolic Disease . 📌 Topics Covered :...

In this episode, researcher Mads Larsen warns that modern societies may be on a path to self-eradication unless we find a way to reconcile female freedom with reproduction. Guest Info: Mads Larsen, researcher at the University of Oslo and author of Stories of Love: From Vikings to Tinder (open access) Topics Covered: Global population collapse and generational shrinkage Why South Korea’s fertility...

Professor Martin Grace explains how natural disasters, inflation, bad policy, and population shifts are breaking the U.S. homeowners insurance market — and what that means for your future coverage. 👤 Guest Bio: Dr. Martin F. Grace is a professor of risk management and insurance at the Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa. A nationally recognized expert on insurance regulation and...