When Admiral James Stavridis (Ret) talks, everyone from Hillary Clinton to Donald Trump listens. Here, the brilliant former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO shares his thoughts on the U.S. relationship with China; how to fundamentally remake the Middle East; why the U.S. buying Greenland isn’t as crazy as it sounds; the impact of AI on the power of nations; and more.

The episode you’ve been waiting for is here: our Top Takeaways of 2024. Listen to some of the world’s smartest, most influential thinkers, business leaders, innovators, technologists, and other newsmakers — including Eric Schmidt, Mellody Hobson, Atul Gawande, Fareed Zakaria, Jill Abramson, Stephen Breyer, Niall Ferguson and others. You don’t want to miss this episode.

If you'd like to listen to any of the full episodes: 

Historian Niall Ferguson is episode 199.

Mellody Hobson is episode 184. 

Former New York Times executive editor Jill Abramson is episode 206. 

Norway's Ine Eriksen Søreide is episode 213.

Former Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is episode 220. 

Extraordinary food expert Barb Stuckey is episode 183.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is episode 225.

Negotiation expert William Ury is episode 193.

Global health surgeon Dr. Atul Gawande is episode 182. 

Bioethicist Peter Singer is episode 224.

Former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman is episode 227. 

Journalist Fareed Zakaria is episode 209. 

And, executive coach Marshall Goldsmith is episode 221.

There’s a lot being said about AI these days that’s science fiction. One person who knows the facts is David Schmaier, President and Chief Product Officer of Salesforce. Here, he talks in detail about the many unseen ways AI is being used now, how it will profoundly stimulate innovation and benefit humanity, the rise of robots, and more.

Imagine how much better your decision making would be if you could better predict the future. It’s possible, with superforecasting. In fact, a team of superforecasters won a forecasting tournament conducted by the U.S. intelligence community. What do superforecasters actually do, and how can you become a better forecaster? Don’t miss this talk with superforecaster, and CEO of Good Judgement Inc, Warren Hatch.

Is there another planet in the universe like Earth? Is there life elsewhere? And if so, how advanced is it? Join us as Sara Seager — astronomer, planet hunter, MIT professor, and MacArthur Genius Grant recipient — presents a mind-blowing progress report on the rigorous search for Earth’s planetary twin and other life in the universe.

Our cities need to be revitalized to make them more appealing. But how? Seth Pinsky, CEO of 92NY and former CEO of New York City's Economic Development Corporation, has answers. Here, he talks knowingly about creative ways to stimulate growth; how to combat the skepticism that government can deliver on its promises; the importance of what he calls magnetic infrastructure; and more.

China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are all determined to subvert America. Nobody knows more about this than former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who has worked for three presidents and five secretaries of state. Hear what this foreign policy expert says America must do to remain dominant, how AI will impact the world order, and much more.

Ever wonder why some movies and TV shows are so powerful and gripping? What makes for a deeply compelling story? Why George Clooney is so popular? Listen as Neal Baer, Hollywood TV writer and producer extraordinaire, talks about the craft and magic of storytelling in a way that will benefit almost everyone — including you.

Eric Schmidt is astonishing. Here, the former CEO of Google and one of the world’s most brilliant technologists talks with visionary wisdom about Artificial Intelligence and its impact on business, healthcare, warfare, climate change, human survival and more. Don’t miss this chance to learn how AI powers we have not yet imagined will affect our daily lives.

Eric’s new book, which is fascinating, is Genesis.

Chew on this: Approximately 200 billion animals are raised for food each year, often in horrific conditions. The contribution of these animals to climate change is greater than the emissions of all the cars being driven around the world. There is a solution. Listen, as Princeton bioethicist Peter Singer explains both the problem and a simple answer.