People I (Mostly) Admire

David Autor took his first economics class at 29 years old. Now he’s one of the central academics studying the labor market. The M.I.T. economist and Steve dissect the impact of technology on labor, spar on A.I., and discuss why economists can sometimes be oblivious.   SOURCES: David Autor , professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   RESOURCES: " Does Automation Replace...

Kate Douglass is a world-class swimmer and data scientist who’s used mathematical modeling to help make her stroke more efficient. She and Steve talk about why the Olympics were underwhelming, how she won gold, and why she won’t be upset to say goodbye to the pool.   SOURCE: Kate Douglass , Olympic swimmer and graduate student. RESOURCES: " Kate Douglass HOLDS OFF Tatjana Smith to win 200m breasts...

Ken Ono is a math prodigy whose skills have helped produce a Hollywood movie and made Olympic swimmers faster. The number theorist tells Steve why he sees mathematics as art — and about his unusual path to success, which came without a high school diploma.   SOURCE: Ken Ono , professor of mathematics and STEM adviser to the provost at the University of Virginia.   RESOURCES: " ‘Digital Twins’ Give...

Artist Wendy MacNaughton knows the difficulty of sitting in silence and the power of having fun. She explains to Steve the lessons she’s gleaned from drawing hospice residents, working in Rwanda, and reporting from Guantanamo Bay.   SOURCE: Wendy MacNaughton , artist and graphic journalist.   RESOURCES: " What Happens if Two Complete Strangers Draw Each Other? " video by the National Gallery of Ar...

Bestselling author James Nestor believes that we can improve our lives by changing the way we breathe. He’s persuasive enough to get Steve taping his mouth shut at night. He explains how humans dive to depths of 300 feet without supplemental oxygen, and describes what it’s like to be accepted into a pod of whales.   SOURCES: James Nestor , author and journalist.   RESOURCES: Breath: The New Scienc...

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals founder Ingrid Newkirk has been badgering meat-eaters, fur-wearers, and circus-goers for more than 40 years. For a woman who’s leaving her liver to the president of France in her will, she sounds quite sensible when she tells Steve what we can learn from animals, why she supports euthanasia, and who’ll get her other organs.    SOURCE : Ingrid Newkirk , f...

Revisiting Steve’s 2021 conversation with the economist and MacArthur “genius” about how to make memories stickier, why change is undervalued, and how to find something new to say on the subject of scarcity.   SOURCE: Sendhil Mullainathan , university professor of computation and behavioral science at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.   RESOURCES: " Fictional Money, Real Costs: I...

Under his helm, the TED Conference went from a small industry gathering to a global phenomenon. Chris and Steve talk about how to build lasting institutions, how to make generosity go viral, and what Chris has learned about public speaking.   SOURCE: Chris Anderson , head of TED.   RESOURCES: Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading , by Chris Anderson (2024). TED Talks: The Offici...

The former YouTube C.E.O. — and sixteenth Google employee — died on August 9, 2024. Steve talked with her in 2020 about her remarkable career, and how her background in economics shaped her work.   SOURCES: Susan Wojcicki , former C.E.O. of YouTube.   RESOURCES: " Susan Wojcicki, Former Chief of YouTube, Dies at 56 ," by John Yoon and Mike Isaac ( The New York Times, 2024). Hosted by Simplecast, a...

The author of the classic The Selfish Gene is still changing the way we think about evolution.   SOURCE: Richard Dawkins , professor emeritus of the public understanding of science at Oxford University.   RESOURCES: The Genetic Book of the Dead , by Richard Dawkins (2024). Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution , by Richard Dawkins (2021). " About Three-in-Ten U.S. Adults Are No...

Victoria Groce is the best trivia contestant on earth. The winner of the 2024 World Quizzing Championship explains the structure of a good question, why she knits during competitions, and how to memorize 160,000 flashcards.   SOURCE: Victoria Groce , “The Queen” on the television game show The Chase .   RESOURCES: The Chase , TV series (2013-2015, 2021-present). LearnedLeague . Anki .   EXTRAS: "...

Richard Prum says there's a lot that traditional evolutionary biology can't explain. He thinks a neglected hypothesis from Charles Darwin — and insights from contemporary queer theory — hold the answer. Plus: You won't believe what female ducks use for contraception. SOURCE: Richard Prum , professor of ornithology, ecology and evolutionary biology at Yale University.   RESOURCES: " Stop Your Popul...

Thomas Hildebrandt is trying to bring the northern white rhinoceros back from the brink of extinction. The wildlife veterinarian tells Steve about the far-out techniques he employs, why we might see woolly mammoths in the future, and why he was frustrated the day the Berlin Wall came down.   SOURCES: Thomas Hildebrandt , head of the department of reproduction management at the Leibniz Institute fo...

She is one of the best basketball players ever. She’s won multiple championships, including five Olympic gold medals and four W.N.B.A. titles. She also helped negotiate a landmark contract for the league’s players. Sue Bird tells Steve Levitt the untold truth about clutch players, her thoughts about the pay gap between male and female athletes, and what it means to be part of the first gay couple...

Conrad Wolfram wants to transform the way we teach math — by taking advantage of computers. The creator of Computer-Based Maths convinced the Estonian government to give his radical curriculum a try — so why is the rest of the world so resistant? SOURCE: Conrad Wolfram, strategic director and European cofounder/C.E.O. of Wolfram Research, and founder of computerbasedmath.org. RESOURCES: "In Califo...

Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our physical health by changing our mind?   SOURCE: Ellen Langer , professor of psychology at Harvard University.   RESOURCES: Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thi...

Author and YouTuber John Green thought his breakout bestseller wouldn’t be a commercial success, wrote 40,000 words for one sentence, and brought Steve to tears.   SOURCE: John Green , best-selling author and YouTube creator.   RESOURCES : " The Deadliest Infectious Disease Isn’t a Science Problem. It’s a Money Problem ," by John Green ( The Washington Post, 2024). “ Tuition Inflation Isn’t as Bad...

Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a New York Times column and a memoir, Between Two Kingdoms. She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone through a tragedy, and ways to encourage medical donations.   SOURCE: Suleika Jaouad , author.   RESOURCES: " The Art of Survival ," by Jenni...

Caroline Paul is a thrill-seeker and writer who is on a quest to encourage women to get outside and embrace adventure as they age. She and Steve talk about fighting fires, walking on airplane wings, and finding awe in birdwatching.   SOURCE: Caroline Paul , author and former firefighter.   RESOURCES : Tough Broad: From Boogie Boarding to Wing Walking ― How Outdoor Adventure Improves Our Lives as W...

Steve shows a different side of himself in very personal interviews with his two oldest daughters. Amanda talks about growing up with social anxiety and her decision not to go to college, while Lily speaks candidly about her battle with anorexia and the conversation she had with Steve that led her to seek treatment.    SOURCES: Lily Levitt, daughter of Steve Levitt. Amanda Levitt, daughter of Stev...

The economist Joseph Stiglitz has devoted his life to exposing the limits of markets. He tells Steve about winning an argument with fellow Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, why small governments don’t lead to more freedom, and why he’s not afraid to be an advocate.   SOURCE: Joseph Stiglitz , professor at Columbia University and chief economist at the Roosevelt Institute.   RESOURCES : The Road to F...

Monica Bertagnolli went from a childhood on a cattle ranch to a career as a surgeon to a top post in the Biden administration. As director of the National Institutes of Health, she’s working to improve the way we find new treatments — despite regulatory constraints and tight budgets.   SOURCE : Monica Bertagnolli , director of the National Institutes of Health.   RESOURCES: " Steven Levitt and Joh...

Nobel laureate, bestselling author, and groundbreaking psychologist Daniel Kahneman died in March. In 2021 he talked with Steve Levitt — his friend and former business partner — about his book Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment (cowritten with Olivier Sibony and Cass Sunstein) and much more.   SOURCES: Daniel Kahneman , professor emeritus of psychology and public affairs at Princeton University.   RE...

Google researcher Blaise Agüera y Arcas spends his work days developing artificial intelligence models and his free time conducting surveys for fun. He tells Steve how he designed an algorithm for the U.S. Navy at 14, how he discovered the truth about printing-press pioneer Johannes Gutenberg, and when A.I. first blew his mind.   SOURCE: Blaise Agüera y Arcas , fellow at Google Research.   RESOURC...

After Haiti’s devastating earthquake, Rajiv Shah headed the largest humanitarian effort in U.S. history. As chief economist of the Gates Foundation he tried to immunize almost a billion children. He tells Steve why it’s important to take big gambles, follow the data, and own up to your mistakes. SOURCE : Rajiv Shah , president of the Rockefeller Foundation.   RESOURCES: Big Bets: How Large-Scale C...