To make the most of your talent, you often need to be in the right place with the right people.

Welcome to Episode 8 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Amit talks about what the Challenger explosion of 1986 teaches us about Bollywood and Silicon Valley. Ajay talks about how a government is exile cannot learn to act like a state by mere play-acting. And there is Orwell, Gandhi and why development economists get so much wrong.

This episode was first published on YouTube on August 18, 2023. For magnificent, detailed, juicy show notes, click here.

Isaac Newton was not just a great scientist, but the last of the magicians. Mohandas Gandhi was a black swan event: a flawed, complex man who shaped history.

Welcome to Episode 7 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay talks about Isaac Newton, and why he was a product of historical forces. Amit cites Mohandas Gandhi as an example of why historical currents aren't everything, and historical accidents can produce a man like Gandhi who changes everything. Ajay and Amit also recommend some of their favourite books -- and one outstanding bookshop.

This episode was first published on YouTube on August 11, 2023. For magnificent, detailed, juicy show notes, click here.

Frédéric Bastiat taught us to seen the Unseen effects of our actions. Friedrich Hayek showed us how economies and societies really function.

J Robert Oppenheimer was an extraordinary man who dedicated himself to his field and his country -- and faced persecution from the mediocre and the venal.

Welcome to Episode 5 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah.

In this episode, Ajay tells us the moving story of his hero, Oppenheimer -- and why that resonates with him. Amit talks about building cities and how power can corrode character. Listen in!

Is OPEC an evil cartel? What mistakes has the Indian state made both in Kashmir and in our Naxal areas? What book should you read this week? What film should you see?

For full show notes, please visit the YouTube page for this episode.

In this episode, Amit Varma and Ajay Shah talk about artificial intelligence. How will it change the world? How excited should we be? How scared should we be? Also discussed: pioneering feminists, pioneering monsters and pioneering masala chai.

Welcome to Episode 1 of Everything is Everything, a weekly podcast hosted by Amit Varma and Ajay Shah. This is a video show on YouTube, and you will find full show notes for this episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG9jDXRaXOo