3 Takeaways™

Authentic political leadership is in short supply these days. There’s no better person on the topic than the first female President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet. Elected to office twice, she achieved remarkable reforms and had a stunning approval rating of 84%. Here, she talks about the need to tell the truth, defend democracy, be empathetic, and more.

With an election coming up, crime and punishment are a hot topic. Listen to this specially curated episode of 3 Takeaways as some of the sharpest minds on the subject share their insight. Guests include top legal reform expert, Christina Swarns; former Harvard Law School Dean, Martha Minow; Judge Jed Rakoff; founder of the Innocence Project, Barry Scheck; former New York City Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton; and Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security.

How would a nuclear war start and unfold? How close are we to thermonuclear annihilation? Annie Jacobsen, a weapons expert and Pulitzer Prize finalist, knows. Here, using insider information, she dramatically outlines how close we’ve come to Armageddon, what nuclear winter would entail, and much more. Don’t miss this chilling but necessary episode.

Massive, mind scrambling changes are taking place in society and politics these days. Nobody makes more sense of it than Fareed Zakaria. Listen, as he talks with his typical brilliance about the problems with our political parties, the need for open markets, how to fix the U.S. Supreme Court — and why he believes enormous optimism is justified. 

It’s a story that seems unimaginable. Fifty years after the end of our brutal war with Vietnam, the two countries are now good friends, close trading partners, allies in many important ways. How did this remarkable reconciliation occur? What does it mean for the future? Don’t miss this engrossing talk with U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam, Marc Knapper.

“Our current friendship with Vietnam reflects a journey that a Hollywood scriptwriter could not have written.”

What do Einstein, Mozart, Walt Disney, Brie Larson and many other talented and successful people have in common? The experience of being stuck — of being mired in a rut and struggling to accomplish. Here, NYU professor Adam Alter provides a detailed, actionable, and fascinating blueprint for how to get out of the rut. Be sure to listen and learn.

“Colossal talents have experienced the same kinds of procrastination and productivity issues the rest of us do.”

The news media’s coverage of Joe Biden’s mental fitness is itself a major news story. Here, Jill Abramson, a former Executive Editor of the NY Times, provides fresh insight on the failures of the media, the White House’s aggressive cover-up, what it all means for journalism in general, and more. Don’t miss one of our most important conversations ever. 

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has a special perspective and wise insights into the battle against Hamas. Here, he shares his thoughts and suggestions on ending the war, securing the future for Israel, dealing with Iran, the need for a Palestinian state, and more. There’s reason to be both hopeful and concerned. 

“To eliminate Hamas as if it didn't exist is impossible. … It is an ideology, and no military action can remove ideology from the face of the earth.” 

“I am more worried about the solidarity of Israeli society than I am about the enmity of our outside enemies.”

Slowly but surely, AI is taking over. What does it mean to live in an age where we can outsource our thinking to machines? According to Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, it's no less than a fundamental restructuring of what it means to be human and a questioning of our essence. Learn how to future-proof yourself and maintain what makes us human. 

“If you want to future-proof yourself in the age of AI … the worst thing you can do is be lazy.”

“If we are at the mercy of AI, free will isn't even an illusion anymore. It’s just completely gone.”

Want to get smarter about education? Listen to this specially curated episode of 3 Takeaways — with former Presidents of Harvard University, Larry Summers and Larry Bacow; former Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan; former head of Oxford University, Dame Louise Richardson; former Academic Dean of the Kennedy School, Iris Bohnet; Nobel Prize laureate, Joshua Angrist; and founder of online Khan Academy, Sal Khan.