Lives Well Lived

Most career advice tells you to follow your passion, but what if that’s actually the fastest route to burnout and an overcrowded field? Peter and Kasia sit down with Ben Todd, the visionary co-founder of 80,000 Hours, to completely dismantle everything you think you know about finding meaningful work. Ben delivers a sobering look at the rapidly shifting job market under the shadow of artificial intelligence. From the white-collar roles that will shrink first to the terrifying reality of AI losing human control, Ben shares the urgent, high-stakes interventions lNeeded to safeguard our future.

Learn more about Ben Todd and read 80,000 hours

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn! And thanks to Maia Iva!

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Peter & Kasia speak with Elaine Perlman and Joshua Morrison about their motivations behind living kidney donation and why so few people donate to strangers despite the enormous potential to save lives. Both guests became good samaritan kidney donors after encountering stories that challenged their assumptions about altruism.

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn! And thanks to Maia Iva!

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Dana Suskind joins Peter & Kasia to discuss her book Human Raised and the challenge of raising children in an age of AI. Dana discusses how AI might reshape education and parenting, with human qualities such as curiosity, resilience, creativity and critical thinking becoming increasingly important.

learn more about this week's sponsor: CEA career bootcamp: a free four-day online bootcamp to help accomplished professionals make a high-impact career pivot. Applications close 4th October. 

learn more about Dana and read her book Human Raised

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn! And thanks to Maia Iva!

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Ryan Holiday explains how he discovered Stoicism and why its ideas continue to resonate today, particularly when confronting death, adversity, parenting and uncertainty. They explore memento mori as a practice for becoming more present and grateful, while distinguishing Stoic acceptance from fatalism. Kasia also reflects on how cancer led her to Stoicism as a way of managing fear and finding emotional balance.

learn more about Ryan and listen to his podcast The Daily Stoic

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn! And thanks to Maia Iva!

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Michael Pollan is on the podcast to discuss some of life’s biggest and strangest questions: is our food making us sick, can psychedelics unlock hidden dimensions of consciousness? are plants intelligent? and could AI ever truly wake up?

learn more about Michael and read his latest book 'A World Appears' www.michaelpollan.com

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn! And thanks to Maia Iva!

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Sean Carroll explores the strange and fascinating world of quantum physics, unpacking concepts such as Schrödinger’s cat, the Copenhagen interpretation, and Everett’s many-worlds theory. He explains how quantum mechanics challenges our understanding of reality, and examines what the existence of multiple possible worlds could mean for our conception of the universe.

learn more about Sean and listen to his podcast MINDSCAPE

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn!

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Kasia interviews Peter shortly after his 80th birthday, exploring his life, and the ideas that have shaped his career. Peter traces the development of his practical ethics, from Animal Liberation and Famine, Affluence, and Morality to the emergence of effective altruism, GiveWell, and The Life You Can Save. Singer also discusses moral progress, personal regrets, writing about his family history in Pushing Time Away, and the ongoing work of advancing ethical giving through his current projects.

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

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Amy Aela is an Indian-Australian actress, model, entrepreneur, and host of Kindness with Amy.

After an existential crisis prompted her move to India, Amy built a global platform promoting kindness, veganism, and ethical living, inspired by watching the documentary Earthlings at age 15. Amy explores Indian cultural values, and pragmatic animal welfare reforms. Amy highlights the importance of challenging self beliefs and taking meaningful achievable steps toward a more compassionate world.

learn more about Amy! Amy on INSTAGRAM Amy's podcast KINDNESS WITH AMY

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

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Nobel Prize-winning economist Alvin Roth explains how innovative market designs can reduce exploitation and save lives. Drawing on his pioneering work in kidney exchanges, Roth explores some of society’s most contentious moral dilemmas involving organ markets, surrogacy, and unpacks the ethical tensions surrounding what he calls “repugnant transactions.”

read Alvin's new book MORAL ECONOMICS

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn!

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Peter & Kasia speak with leading happiness researcher John Helliwell about the findings of the 2026 World Happiness Report, exploring why countries like Finland consistently rank among the world's happiest. John reveals how life satisfaction is measured, why happiness is declining among young people in many Western nations, and how factors such as social connections and institutional trust can sustain well-being even during periods of conflict or uncertainty.

Read the 2026 World Happiness Report

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Producer: Rachel Barrett

Thanks to our researcher Chris van Ryn! And thanks to Maia Iva!

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