The Escaped Sapiens Podcast

By Shane Farnsworth

What's The Escaped Sapiens Podcast about?

The Escaped Sapiens Podcast attempts to give an authentic and unedited voice to the researchers and explorers extending the boundaries of what is humanly possible.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Escaped Sapiens Podcast episodes:

06.25.2024
Should We Deregulate Housing? | Bryan Caplan | Escaped Sapiens #69
Housing regulation is often put in place for good reasons, namely comfort, safety, environmental protection, availability of utilities and services, and more. With each additional regulation, however, restrictions are being placed on what you can build, where you can build,...
06.09.2024
Decoding Human Speech From Brain Signals | Julia Berezutskaya | Escaped Sapiens #67
Julia Berezutskaya is one of the worlds leading researchers working in the area of brain computer interfaces. She is part of the brain-computer interface group (dept. Neurology & Neurosurgery) at UMC Utrecht, where she works at the intersection of fundamental...
05.17.2024
Is Mathematics Invented or Discovered? | Carl Bender | Escaped Sapiens #67
Carl Bender is an applied mathematician and mathematical physicist holding positions at Washington University in St. Louis, the University of Heidelberg, Imperial College, London. He was also one of my own favorite lecturers. He taught me about perturbation theory and...
04.21.2024
Nuclear Energy: Rewards, Costs, and Advanced Reactors | Rachel Slaybaugh | Escaped Sapiens #66
What role should Nuclear Power play in energy production? This episode of the podcast explores the case for Nuclear Energy. I speak with Rachel Slaybaugh, who was an Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and...
03.19.2024
Marx, Capitalism, and Neoclassical Economics | Steve Keen | Escaped Sapiens #65
On this episode of the podcast I speak with UCL Honorary Professor of Economics and ISRS Distinguished Research Fellow Steve keen. Steve famously predicted the 2008 market crash. He is also known for his criticism of modern economic theory, which...
02.19.2024
Does Capitalism Destroy The Environment? | Jeffrey Sachs | Escaped Sapiens #64
On this episode of the Podcast I speak with economist and public policy analyst Jeffrey Sachs. Jeffrey is Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. He served as...
01.20.2024
Avoiding The Threats From AI | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #63
In this episode of the podcast I speak with David Shapiro about some of the threats associated with AI development. We discuss the impact that generative AI will have on truth, trust in evidence, and divisive narratives. Who will pay...
12.21.2023
Narcissism And Success | Mitja Back | Escaped Sapiens #62
What is narcissism, and why do so many successful people seem to be narcissists? In this conversation I speak with Professor Mitja Back from the university of Muenster, who is one of the worlds leading experts on the topic of...
12.12.2023
Creating Synthetic Life | Kerstin Goepfrich | Escaped Sapiens #61
In this conversation I speak with Professor Kerstin Göpfrich, who works at Heidelberg University at the Center for Molecular Biology (ZMBH), and who is also leading the Max Planck Research Group for the Biophysical Engineering of Life. Kerstin is attempting...
11.28.2023
Earth & Life. 3.77 Billion Years Under Construction | Olivia Judson | Escaped Sapiens #60
This conversation is about the history of life and earth. I speak with evolutionary biologist and author Olivia Judson, who is best known for her book 'Dr. Tatiana's sex advice to all creation''. Oliva thinks of the history of life...
11.17.2023
Scientific Literacy And Democracy | Johannes Vogel | Escaped Sapiens # 59
NOTE: From 0:01:07-0:02:36 the sound quality is lower than the rest of the episode as you are hearing the backup recording. This conversation is about democracy and scientific literacy. In 2023 Germany shut down the last of its nuclear plants, and...
09.15.2023
The Ethics and Practice of Plastic Surgery | Gary Linkov | Escaped Sapiens #58
In this conversation I speak with Dr. Gary Linkov about the ethics and practice of plastic surgery. Gary is a double board certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in lip lift surgeries and hair restoration. He is also renowned for...
07.25.2023
Rise Of The Blockchain | JP Vergne | Escaped Sapiens #57
In this conversation I discuss distributed and decentralized organizations with Jean-Philippe Vergne, who is an associate professor of strategy at University College London. We focus on the development of blockchain technology, which at least in theory should allow for new...
07.19.2023
Feeding The Future : The Ocean Farmers | Shawn Robinson | Escaped Sapiens #56
What is the future of our oceans? On this episode of the Podcast I speak with Dr. Shawn Robinson about marine ecology, aquaculture, and the politics and economics of what ends up on your plate. Shawn is a marine ecologist...
06.26.2023
Genetic Biocontrol and De-Extinction | Stephen Frankenberg | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #55
In only 250 years since colonization, Australia has seen the extinction of 38 species of mammals. Much of the devastation to Australia's native wildlife has been caused or exacerbated by the introduction of invasive pests like cats, dogs, cane toads,...
05.30.2023
The Birth Of Synthetic Intelligence | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #54
Progress in AI development seems to be accelerating, and we might be living through a period in human history that is every bit as significant as the agricultural and industrial revolutions. We might be witnessing the dawn of synthetic general...
05.15.2023
What Science Learned From The Pandemic | Peter Doherty | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #53
Now that the dust has settled to a certain extent, how did we do with the pandemic? Which countries handled the situation best? Did we learn anything? How well did scientists do, and how well did the public, politicians, and...
04.23.2023
Behind Closed Doors: The High Stakes Game Of Diplomacy | John Kornblum | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #52
It is easy to take peace for granted. In this episode of the podcast I speak with John Kornblum about the hard work that diplomats do in the background to maintain peace between nations. John specializes in European and east–west...
03.31.2023
Vertical Farming: A New Food System | Viviana Correa Galvis | Escaped Sapeins Podcast #51
Most of us live nowhere near where our food comes from. which means that the food that we have access to is dictated by conderations like does it travel well, and does it have a long shelf life. Our supply...
03.19.2023
Reconstructing Limbs With Advanced Prosthetics | Munjed Al Muderis | Escaped Sapiens #50.b
In this episode of the Podcast I speak with Professor Munjed Al Muderis about a new technology that is allowing amputees to walk again. Osseointegration is the direct structural and functional connection between living bone and the surface of a...
03.11.2023
A Refugee’s Story | Munjed Al Muderis | Escaped Sapiens #50.a
In this episode of the Podcast I speak with Professor Munjed Al Muderis about his escape from Iraq as a refugee. In 1999 Munjed was forced to flee Iraq after a busload of army draft evaders were brought into the...
02.20.2023
Good, Evil, and Social Engineering | Hans-Georg Moeller | Escaped Sapiens #49
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Hans-Georg Moeller from the University of Macau. Georg's work focusses on Chinese and Comparative Philosophy (specifically Daoism) and on Social and Political Thought (specifically Social Systems Theory). We discuss the...
02.10.2023
Moral Blindness, Political Division, and Bull$&%t | Philipp Huebl | Escaped Sapiens #48
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Philipp Huebl about moral myopia, political division, and the spread of "bull$&%t" and misinformation. Bull$&%t, in this case, is something that lies somewhere between lies and truth, or something created...
01.27.2023
Exploring the Illegal Trade in Human Organs | Frederike Ambagtsheer | Escaped Sapiens #47
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Professor Frederike Ambagtsheer about the illegal trade and trafficking in human organs. Frederike has a background in criminology and public international law, has a doctorate on organ trade, and is currently...
12.18.2022
What is money and who rules the world? | Yanis Varoufakis | Escaped Sapiens #46
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Yanis Varoufakis about the role of banks and politicians. Yanis is an economist, politician, author and Secretary-General of MeRA25. He is perhaps best known for his role as the Greek Minister...
12.06.2022
The Atomic Priesthood and Messages From the Dead | Ola Wikander | Escaped Sapiens #45
On this episode of the podcast I speak with Ola Wikander about the field of “Nuclear Semiotics”, the scholarly discussion concerning communicating information about nuclear waste disposal into the far future. Ola is a Ugaritologist, Hebraist, Semitist, author, and Senior...
11.14.2022
A Different Look At Gender Equality. | Bryan Caplan | Escaped Sapiens #44
For many people the question of whether or not women are treated more unfairly than men is so obvious that is obscene to challenge the assumption. But if we are genuinely interested in creating a more equal society, then as...
10.31.2022
How Many Fish Should We Leave In The Ocean? | Trevor Branch | Escaped Sapiens #43
In this episode of the podcast I discuss the state of marine fisheries with Professor Trevor Branch from the University of Washington. Trevor specializes in data synthesis and constructing mathematical models to determine the health of fish populations. Often in...
10.17.2022
Engineering Life And Consciousness. | Michael Levin | Escaped Sapiens #42
In this episode of the podcast I speak with developmental and synthetic biologist Michael Levin from Tufts University. Michael is a director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. He is...
10.01.2022
What’s In An Eye? | Alex Müntz | Escaped Sapiens #41
What are our digital lifestyles doing to our eyes? In this conversation I speak with Alex Müntz, who is a Romanian clinical scientist and research fellow in the department of ophthalmology at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. From...
09.26.2022
Is warfare a science? | John Spencer | Escaped Sapiens #40
This Episode of the Podcast was supported by the Andrea von Braun foundation. See http://www.avbstiftung.de/ for more information. Is the study of urban warfare a science? In this conversation I speak with John W. Spencer, who is chair of urban warfare...
08.07.2022
Good News Everyone!
►The Escaped Sapiens Website: https://www.escapedsapiens.com/ ►The Andrea von Braun Foundation: http://www.avbstiftung.de/
06.13.2022
Geography is Destiny | Ian Morris | Escaped Sapiens #39
Note: This episode is not a paid advertisement for Ian's new book. This is a conversation with archaeologist, historian, and professor of classics Ian Morris from Stanford University. We discuss how factors like soft power, and geography shape the flow...
06.05.2022
The Robots Of Mars | Tanya Harrison | Escaped Sapiens #38
On this episode of the podcast I speak with geologist and planetary scientist Dr. Tanya Harrison, to find out what it is like to do research with the robots currently being used to explore Mars. Tanya worked for years on...
05.02.2022
Hacking The Blueprint Of Life | Michael Levin | Escaped Sapiens #37
In this episode of the podcast I speak with developmental and synthetic biologist Michael Levin from Tufts University. Michael is a director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. He is...
04.18.2022
This is What You Will Eat On Mars | Daniel Schubert | Escaped Sapiens #36
In this episode of the podcast I speak with Daniel Schubert from the German Aerospace Center about designing and creating bioregenerative life-support systems for use in hostile and alien environments. Daniel is the leader of the Eden initiative, which over...
04.04.2022
Do Animals Have Language? | Irene Pepperberg | Escaped Sapiens #35
How complex does animal communication get? How much information is encoded in dog barks, the clicks of sperm whales, or the chirps of small birds? In this conversation I speak with Irene Pepperberg, who is an expert on animal communication...
03.17.2022
When Nuclear Powers Meet | Ankit Panda | Escaped Sapiens #34
This is a conversation with Ankit Panda about nuclear proliferation and deterrence. Ankit Panda is the Stanton Senior Fellow in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. An expert on the Asia-Pacific region, his research interests...
02.21.2022
Forensic Science & the Insect Apocalypse | Mark Benecke | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #33.2
This is the second part of a two part conversation with Mark Benecke, forensic biologist, forensic entomologist, NRW state chairman for German's Die Partei, chairman of the Pro Tattoo association, and much more. Both halves can be watched independently for...
02.21.2022
What We Learn At Crime Scenes | Mark Benecke | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #33.1
This is the first part of a two part conversation with Mark Benecke, forensic biologist, forensic entomologist, NRW state chairman for German's Die Partei, chairman of the Pro Tattoo association, and much more. We discuss modern forensic techniques, the impact...
02.07.2022
The World’s First Planetary Defense Mission | Andy Rivkin | Escaped Sapiens #32
This is a conversation with Planetary Astronomer Andy Rivkin. Andy is the co-investigation team lead for NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission, being designed, built, and managed by the Applied Physics Lab at John Hopkins University. The DART mission...
01.24.2022
When Civilization Ends | Ian Morris | Escaped Sapiens #31
This is a conversation with archaeologist, historian, and professor of classics Ian Morris at Stanford University. Ian has written extensively about the progress of civilization from hunter gatherer times until now. We discuss the drivers of civilization, and the impact...
01.10.2022
Fusion Energy Is Coming | Thomas Sunn Pedersen | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #30
This is a conversation with Thomas Sunn Pedersen, Director of the Stellarator Edge and Divertor Physics Division at the Greifswald branch of the Max-Planck Institute of Plasma Physics in Germany. Thomas explains the progress that has occurred in fusion research...
12.28.2021
The Price We Pay For Carbon (Climate Change) | Glen Peters | Escaped Sapiens #29
In this episode of the podcast I speak with Glen Peters who is research director at the Center for International Climate Research in Norway. Glen's research focuses on human drivers of climate change, the global carbon cycle, bioenergy, sustainable consumption,...
11.24.2021
How Your Evolved Psychology Controls You | Diana Fleischman | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #28
One of the most interesting features of human intelligence is that it comes with personality. We aren't all the same and our thoughts aren't purely logical. They are instead sculpted by our level of hunger, how tired we are, the...
11.22.2021
Diet And The Environment | Marion Nestle | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #27 (Part 2 - Out-Takes)
After my interview with Marion we discussed diet choices and their impact on the environment. Marion Nestle was the Paulette Goddard professor of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University. She was also a professor of Sociology...
11.16.2021
Who Controls What You Eat? | Marion Nestle | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #27 (part 1)
Our food system is complicated, and there are many competing interests that determine which products end up on shelves for purchase. In this episode of the podcast Marion Nestle discusses the different factors that control the food that ends up...
10.12.2021
How Did Life Begin and Where Are All The Aliens? | David Catling | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #26
How did life begin? Where are all the aliens? For most of human history these questions have been the realm of speculation. Today however, we have rovers on Mars, large space telescopes, and a deep understanding of evolution and biochemistry....
10.06.2021
How Disgust Has Evolved to Help you Survive | Dan Fessler | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #25
How do the different kinds of disgust (sexual, political, hygiene, insects, cultural, etc) relate to each other? How are our feelings of disgust formed, and what role do genetics and upbringing play? How is it that disgust is switched off...
10.06.2021
Can We Beat Climate Change? | Ketan Joshi | Escaped Sapiens #24
Ketan Joshi is a full time communications consultant, freelance writer, analyst, researcher and author. For the past decade Ketan has been researching everything that has gone wrong in the fight against climate change, with the hope of using our past...

What's The Escaped Sapiens Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Escaped Sapiens Podcast episodes:

Should We Deregulate Housing? | Bryan Caplan | Escaped Sapiens #69

Decoding Human Speech From Brain Signals | Julia Berezutskaya | Escaped Sapiens #67

Is Mathematics Invented or Discovered? | Carl Bender | Escaped Sapiens #67

Nuclear Energy: Rewards, Costs, and Advanced Reactors | Rachel Slaybaugh | Escaped Sapiens #66

Marx, Capitalism, and Neoclassical Economics | Steve Keen | Escaped Sapiens #65

Does Capitalism Destroy The Environment? | Jeffrey Sachs | Escaped Sapiens #64

Avoiding The Threats From AI | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #63

Narcissism And Success | Mitja Back | Escaped Sapiens #62

Creating Synthetic Life | Kerstin Goepfrich | Escaped Sapiens #61

Earth & Life. 3.77 Billion Years Under Construction | Olivia Judson | Escaped Sapiens #60

Scientific Literacy And Democracy | Johannes Vogel | Escaped Sapiens # 59

The Ethics and Practice of Plastic Surgery | Gary Linkov | Escaped Sapiens #58

Rise Of The Blockchain | JP Vergne | Escaped Sapiens #57

Feeding The Future : The Ocean Farmers | Shawn Robinson | Escaped Sapiens #56

Genetic Biocontrol and De-Extinction | Stephen Frankenberg | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #55

The Birth Of Synthetic Intelligence | David Shapiro | Escaped Sapiens #54

What Science Learned From The Pandemic | Peter Doherty | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #53

Behind Closed Doors: The High Stakes Game Of Diplomacy | John Kornblum | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #52

Vertical Farming: A New Food System | Viviana Correa Galvis | Escaped Sapeins Podcast #51

Reconstructing Limbs With Advanced Prosthetics | Munjed Al Muderis | Escaped Sapiens #50.b

A Refugee’s Story | Munjed Al Muderis | Escaped Sapiens #50.a

Good, Evil, and Social Engineering | Hans-Georg Moeller | Escaped Sapiens #49

Moral Blindness, Political Division, and Bull$&%t | Philipp Huebl | Escaped Sapiens #48

Exploring the Illegal Trade in Human Organs | Frederike Ambagtsheer | Escaped Sapiens #47

What is money and who rules the world? | Yanis Varoufakis | Escaped Sapiens #46

The Atomic Priesthood and Messages From the Dead | Ola Wikander | Escaped Sapiens #45

A Different Look At Gender Equality. | Bryan Caplan | Escaped Sapiens #44

How Many Fish Should We Leave In The Ocean? | Trevor Branch | Escaped Sapiens #43

Engineering Life And Consciousness. | Michael Levin | Escaped Sapiens #42

What’s In An Eye? | Alex Müntz | Escaped Sapiens #41

Is warfare a science? | John Spencer | Escaped Sapiens #40

Good News Everyone!

Geography is Destiny | Ian Morris | Escaped Sapiens #39

The Robots Of Mars | Tanya Harrison | Escaped Sapiens #38

Hacking The Blueprint Of Life | Michael Levin | Escaped Sapiens #37

This is What You Will Eat On Mars | Daniel Schubert | Escaped Sapiens #36

Do Animals Have Language? | Irene Pepperberg | Escaped Sapiens #35

When Nuclear Powers Meet | Ankit Panda | Escaped Sapiens #34

Forensic Science & the Insect Apocalypse | Mark Benecke | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #33.2

What We Learn At Crime Scenes | Mark Benecke | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #33.1

The World’s First Planetary Defense Mission | Andy Rivkin | Escaped Sapiens #32

When Civilization Ends | Ian Morris | Escaped Sapiens #31

Fusion Energy Is Coming | Thomas Sunn Pedersen | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #30

The Price We Pay For Carbon (Climate Change) | Glen Peters | Escaped Sapiens #29

How Your Evolved Psychology Controls You | Diana Fleischman | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #28

Diet And The Environment | Marion Nestle | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #27 (Part 2 - Out-Takes)

Who Controls What You Eat? | Marion Nestle | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #27 (part 1)

How Did Life Begin and Where Are All The Aliens? | David Catling | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #26

How Disgust Has Evolved to Help you Survive | Dan Fessler | Escaped Sapiens Podcast #25

Can We Beat Climate Change? | Ketan Joshi | Escaped Sapiens #24

Other shows like The Escaped Sapiens Podcast: