Sam Arbesman is a complexity scientist, writer, and Scientist in Residence at Lux Capital, known for his books The Half-Life of Facts, Overcomplicated, and The Magic of Code. In this episode, we explore human understanding, its limits, the power and unpredictability of technology, our relationship with machines, coding, AI, and sci-fi, and how to navigate an increasingly complex and entangled world. 

Connect and Learn More

Website: arbesman.net

Books: The Half-Life of Facts  ·  Overcomplicated ·  The Magic of Code

Resources

Books

• Why Greatness Cannot be Planned by Kenneth Stanley and Joel Lehman

Games

• Minesweeper
• SimCity
• SimCity 2000

People

• Danny Hillis
• Joel Lehman
• Kenneth Stanley
• Larry Wall 
• Richard Feynman
• Robin Sloan

Jerzy Gregorek is a Polish-American four-time World Weightlifting Champion, world record holder, poet, and creator of The Happy Body program - a 30-minute daily system for strength, flexibility, posture, speed, leanness, and body weight control designed to build a robust, injury-free body for life. In this episode, we explore the principles, practices, and experiences that shaped his body, philosophy, and lifestyle, and how you can apply them to build a calm, strong, and joyful life. 

Connect and Learn More

Book: The Happy Body: The Simple Science of Nutrition, Exercise, and Relaxation

Website: thehappybody.com

Instagram: @jerzygregorek
X: @TheHappyBody
Facebook: @jerzy.gregorek
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jerzy-gregorek-ab87475 

Resources

People

• Confucius 
• Jerzy Popieluszko 
• Pantanjali
• Thich Nhat Hanh 
• Simone Biles
• Socrates
• Usain Bolt

Pamela Michaux is the author of Mundele Diaries, a memoir about her childhood in Congo and Belgium. In this episode, she shares the challenges she faced, how she reclaimed her life, and the lessons she learned along the way. 

Connect and Learn More

Instagram: @mundelediaries
Website: mundelediaries.com

Phyllis Leavitt is a psychotherapist and author of America in Therapy. In this episode, we explore how the United States can be understood as a wounded system shaped by history, trauma, and unmet needs for love, safety, and belonging. Phyllis explains how much of what we see in society is unprocessed pain being expressed at scale. We talk about healing through deep listening, creating safety, and restoring connection within ourselves and with one another.

Connect and Learn More

Website: phyllisleavitt.com
Books: America in Therapy  ·  A Light in the Darkness  ·  Into the Fire

Resources
Braver Angels (organization)

John Kammer is the founder of Guardian AIngels, an AI-powered grief journaling platform designed to help people process loss and maintain connection with loved ones after death. In this episode, we explore grief and how journaling, AI, and other tools can help people move through it. 

Connect & Learn More
Website: guardianaingels.ai
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/johnkammer

Resources

Books:
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

People:
Elisabeth Kübler-Ross
J. William Worden

Jamie Woodhouse is a philosopher and advocate for sentientism, a worldview grounded in evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings. In this episode, we explore what sentientism is, how it compares to other ethical frameworks, and the practical implications for how we treat animals and other beings, including possibly aliens and AI. Jamie discusses the importance of grounding ethics in both understanding and empathy, the challenges of putting these ideas into practice, and how broadening our moral scope can reshape our choices, culture, and society.

Connect & Learn More
Website: sentientism.info
Podcast: Sentientism
YouTube: @Sentientism
Facebook: facebook.com/groups/sentientism
Twitter (X): @Sentientism
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/sentientism

Gualtiero Piccinini is a philosopher and cognitive scientist who studies the mind as a multi-level, complex system, combining philosophy, neuroscience, and cognitive science to understand consciousness and its underlying mechanisms. 

In this episode, we discuss the multi-layered nature of consciousness and the mind, along with sleep, meditation, learning, memory, and techniques for exploring your mind and understanding yourself. 

Connect & Learn More
Google Scholar: Gualtiero Piccinini
University Profile: University of Missouri | Philosophy
X: @gualtieropicc

Resources

People

• Anil Seth
• Ned Block
• Russell Hurlburt
• Thomas Edison
• William James

Michelle Dosanjh-Johal is the mother of two children with autism and mental illness and the author of The Warrior Sings. In this episode, we talk about autism and mental illness inside the family, including both the challenges and the beauty that can exist alongside them. She shares stories from her family and practical ways she built resilience as a mother during difficult times, including writing poetry. 

Connect & Learn More

Website: michelle-dosanjh-johal.mykajabi.com
Instagram: @mindful.warriors.way, @mothers.of.mentalhealth
Book: The Warrior Sings

Larry O’Nan is a nonprofit fund development leader, author, and mentor with over five decades of experience helping individuals and organizations live with purpose and steward their resources. He has counseled Christian ministries, led fund development initiatives that raised millions, and written books including Giving Yourself Away and Intentional Living and Giving. 

In this episode, he discusses finding your authentic path, understanding your strengths, embracing the freedom to fail, and focusing on mission rather than personal gain. We talk about living intentionally, stewarding what you’ve been entrusted with, and giving yourself away.

Connect & Learn More

Website: larryonan.com
Books: Intentional Living and Giving; Giving Yourself Away 

Resources

• CliftonStrengths — online strengths assessment 
• The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul — book
• The Truth About You by Marcus Buckingham — book
• Tunnel to Towers Foundation — charitable organization

Paige Alexander and Jamie Morgan Reno are the creators of the Real Food Recovery movement. In this episode, we talk about what food addiction is and how to start moving out of it. Paige and Jamie share their own stories and the simple steps they use to help people change their relationship with food. 

Connect & Learn More

Book: Real Food Recovery
Podcast: Real Food Recovery
Website: realfoodrecovery4u.com