In Episode 95 of Brave New World, Palaeontologist Peter Ward returns to explore life’s evolutionary journey and examine compelling possibilities for its future direction.
Episode 94: Anil Seth On The Science of Consciousness
Neuroscientist Anil Seth explores how the brain constructs our sense of self and reality in Episode 94 of Brave New World with Vasant Dhar, offering insights on the boundary between perception and consciousness.
Episode 93: Uma Valeti on Cultivating Meat
How do we get meat that is more nutritious, sustainable, and less cruel to animals? Dr Uma Valeti, a cardiologist turned CEO of Upside Foods, joins Vasant Dhar in episode 93 of Brave New World to discuss the future of cultivated meat.
Episode 92: Angela Hawken on Changing Government
All meaningful reform happens when there is one smooth pipeline from research to policy to execution. Angela Hawken joins Vasant Dhar in episode 92 of Brave New World to discuss her work as both a thinker in academia and a doer with government.
Episode 91: Michael Levin on the New Frontiers of Biological Intelligence
Memory, consciousness and the self aren’t what you think they are. Michael Levin joins Vasant Dhar in episode 91 of Brave New World to explain why the distinction between machines and organisms will soon fall apart.
Episode 90: Sandeep Robert Datta on Smell and the Brain
We take it for granted — but we shouldn’t: smell is incredibly powerful and plays a critical role in our lives. Sandeep Robert Datta joins Vasant Dhar in episode 90 of Brave New World to discuss what neuroscience has taught him about the power of smell.
Episode 89: Missy Cummings on Making AI Safe
There’s always risk at the cutting edge of technology. Driverless cars are awesome — but can we rely on the tech? Missy Cummings joins Vasant Dhar in episode 89 of Brave New World to share her insights on why we need to proceed with caution.
Episode 88: Raghu Sundaram on Building a Great University
He lifted The Stern School of Business up significantly in the rankings, and is now making NYU a major global player in higher education. Raghu Sundaram joins Vasant Dhar in episode 88 of Brave New World to share his learnings about higher education where so much is changing, and yet, some foundational truths persist.
Episode 87: Andrew McAfee on the Geek Mindset
What does it mean to be geeky — and how are geeks changing the world? Andrew McAfee joins Vasant Dhar in episode 87 of Brave New World to share his insights on how geeks have created a brave new innovation culture.
Episode 86: Natalie Foster on the Guarantee
Imagine an America where the government provides a floor for all our needs, from housing to health care to college to an income. Natalie Foster joins Vasant Dhar in episode 86 of Brave New World to argue that such a shift is possible — and the time to make it is now.
Episode 85: Seth Shostak on Extraterrestrial Life
Does life exist outside our planet? Are we alone in the universe? Seth Shostak joins Vasant Dhar in episode 85 of Brave New World to describe his search for the answers.
Episode 84: Vlad Barbalat on Immigration, Insurance and America
He came to America as a ten-year old, and became invested in both the country and its world of finance. Vlad Barbalat joins Vasant Dhar in episode 84 of Brave New World to discuss his life and learnings.
Episode 83: Shashi Verma on Transport in the 21st Century
He has been a driver of change at Transport for London, which has shown the way to the rest of the world. Shashi Verma joins Vasant Dhar in Episode 83 of Brave New World to share his learnings on urban transport — and the governance structures that lead to the best results.
Episode 82: Josh Tucker on the Complex Truth About Social Media
How much blame should we put on social media for polarizing our society? Perhaps not as much as we tend to do. Joshua A Tucker joins Vasant Dhar in episode 82 of Brave New World to discuss his studies on the effects of social media — and the algorithms that run them.
Episode 81: Alex Wiltschko on the Sense of Smell
Smell is the most underrated of our senses — and it affects everything. Alex Wiltschko joins Vasant Dhar in episode 81 of Brave New World to discuss the role of smell in our lives — and in this new digital age.
Episode 80: Kevin Mitchell Makes a Case for Free Will
Given what we know of physics and neuroscience, can there be free will? Kevin Mitchell, a neuroscientist himself, joins Vasant Dhar in episode 80 of Brave New World to unpack his argument for the existence of free will.
Episode 79: Arthur Spirling on How AI Can Change Politics
Artificial intelligence is transforming society. And therefore politics. Arthur Spirling joins Vasant Dhar in episode 79 of Brave New World to share his insights from his twin fields of data science and political science.
Episode 78: David Halpern on Nudging
How can we use the insights of behavioral economics to make the world a better place? David Halpern joins Vasant Dhar in episode 78 of Brave New World to share his learnings from running the Behavioral Insight Team for the British government.
Episode 77: Pippa Ehrlich on the Mysteries of the Sea
Her film My Octopus Teacher won an academy award — and her insights on nature, and her love for it, go far beyond the film. Pippa Ehrlich joins Vasant Dhar in episode 77 of Brave New World to talk about her work and what she has learnt from it.
Episode 76: Peter Ward on Life on Earth
Life on earth is a crazy accident. We have no idea how it arose or whether it will survive. Peter Ward joins Vasant Dhar in episode 76 of Brave New World to chat about the origins of our planet, the many extinctions and resurgences of life, and the future of our species.
Episode 75: Mohit Satyanand on Investing and India
He’s been a successful entrepreneur and investor, and is highly regarded for his sharp understanding of India. Mohit Satyanand joins Vasant Dhar in episode 75 of Brave New World to share his inspiring story — and to offer a word of caution.
Episode 74: Peter Singer on Animal Liberation
Why should only human beings be worthy of moral consideration? Would we still eat animals if we had a sense of their mass-produced suffering? Peter Singer joins Vasant Dhar in episode 74 of Brave New World to discuss his influential work as a philosopher.
Episode 73: Paul Sheard Demystifies Money
What is money? How is it created? What is the relationship of governments, central banks, and commercial banks to money? Paul Sheard joins Vasant Dhar in episode 73 of Brave New World to cut through the fog.
Episode 72: Ajay Shah on the Dangers of Digital Public Infrastructure
Digital Public Infrastructure sounds like a huge step forward for the world — till you think about how it empowers the state to oppress the people. Ajay Shah joins Vasant Dhar in episode 72 of Brave New World to warn that we are not being wary enough of state coercion when we think of this incredible technology.
Episode 71: David Sontag on AI in Healthcare
David Sontag joins Vasant Dhar on episode 70 of Brave New World to highlight where and how AI is creating a major transformation in healthcare. We could create a brave new world of individualized and holistic healthcare, where the machine really cares about us and tells us what to do based on knowledge and data.
Episode 70: Rajesh Jain, Disrupter
He was an early dotcom millionaire — and he repeated his success. He wants to reinvent email, and has radical insights on politics. Rajesh Jain joins Vasant Dhar in episode 70 of Brave New World to share his insights on what he has learnt from success — and failure.
Episode 69: Chandrika Tandon on Music and Impact
She’s a business leader, a Grammy-nominated musician and is trying to transform education. Chadrika Tandon joins Vasant Dhar in episode 69 of Brave New World to discuss her life, her learning, and why she is still so driven.
Episode 68: Gary Smith is an AI Skeptic
Will big data and scary AI take over the world? Not a chance, says Gary Smith, as he joins Vasant Dhar in episode 68 of Brave New World. The human brain is special.
Episode 67: Ellie Pavlick on the Cutting Edge of AI
Does ChatGPT really understand anything? Or is it faking it? Hell, do we understand how it works? Ellie Pavlick joins Vasant Dhar in episode 67 of Brave New World to share her thoughts on where AI has reached — and where it’s going.
Episode 66: Jameel Jaffer on Free Speech in the Social Media Age
Law and social conventions around free speech have evolved with the times, but technology presents new challenges to both. In this new world of social media, how should we think about it? Jameel Jaffer joins Vasant Dhar in episode 66 of Brave New World to share his thoughts on how we can navigate this territory.
Episode 65: Rick Smolan on a Life in Photography
In a rich career as a photographer, he’s brought his own distinct gaze to every place he’s been to. Rick Smolan joins Vasant Dhar in episode 65 of Brave New World to talk about his rich experiences — and what he’s learned from them.
Episode 64: Amit Varma on the Creator Economy
There has never been a better time to be a creator. Amit Varma joins Vasant Dhar in episode 64 of Brave New World to discuss his learnings as a podcaster and blogger — and to explain why AI is not a threat.
Episode 63: Piyush Gupta on How AI Will Transform Business
He has skin in the game as a top banker — and saw the power of AI long before others did. Piyush Gupta joins Vasant Dhar in episode 63 of Brave New World to share his excitement for the present — and his vision for the future.
Episode 62: Dmitry Rinberg on the Mysteries of Smell
We live in a world of smell — and we barely understand it! Dmitry Rinberg joins Vasant Dhar in episode 62 of Brave New World to discuss what he has learnt about the neurobiology of smell over the last two decades.
Episode 61: Marty Fridson on How Tech Changed Wall Street
One of the great disruptions that shaped the modern world was the way in which technology transformed Wall Street. Marty Fridson joins Vasant Dhar in episode 61 of Brave New World to talk about those good old days — and these mad new times!
Episode 60: Raphaël Millière Looks Under the Hood of AI
ChatGPT is great — but does it ‘understand’ what it is telling us? Raphaël Millière joins Vasant Dhar in episode 60 of Brave New World to understand on what’s going on inside ChatGPT — and the larger questions that arise from this.
Episode 59: Paulo Kaiser on Assimilating ChatGPT
Will it take all our jobs? In what way will it make us better? What do we need to do? Paulo Kaiser joins Vasant Dhar in episode 59 of Brave New World to discuss the technology that is changing the world in ways we can’t imagine. Bonus material: Wisdom for young professionals just starting out.
Episode 58: Sam Bowman on ChatGPT & Controlling AI
Artificial intelligence is awesome — but should we fear it? How can we stay in charge? Sam Bowman joins Vasant Dhar in episode 58 of Brave New World to discuss the Control Problem — and more.
Episode 57: Rich Bonneau on the Exciting Frontiers of Computational Biology
When computer science and biology come together, can you reprogram nature? Richard Bonneau joins Vasant Dhar in episode 57 of Brave New World to share his insights on this incredible new field — and how machine learning can play an important role.
Episode 56: Tom Davenport on Artificial Intelligence in Business
It is about time companies went all in on artificial intelligence. Tom Davenport joins Vasant Dhar in episode 56 of Brave New World to discuss how his work with AI in the corporate world makes him such an optimist.
Episode 55: Paul Barrett on Regulating Social Media
Social media has brought new challenges to our times, such as what they should or shouldn’t publish or amplify. Do we need new laws to deal with these challenges, or are current laws sufficient? Paul M Barrett joins Vasant Dhar in episode 55 of Brave New World to share his insights.