Dr. Michael Martin is a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of California at San Francisco. He is also President of Physicians for Social Responsibility, the United States affiliate of an organization of medical doctors that won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985, and the founder of Physicians Against Red Meat. And he has an important lesson for us: we have the power to make change.

Whether it’s educating ourselves about the existential threats posed by nuclear weapons, or pushing our institutions to switch to plant-based foods, the future will be defined by each of us. The choices we make, in turn, can reverberate for generations. So we better make the right ones!

Mike is one of the smartest people I know, with a diverse set of interests that are sort of astonishing. For example, beyond nuclear weapons and red meat, Mike has done important research on the impact of sunlight on skin. (Preview: His research suggests that 90% – !!! – of all age-associated skin damage is caused by sunlight, and not by aging alone!) This is a great conversation to listen to, especially on a week that many of us are asking our friends to join us in a plant-based meal. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.