The Weekend University

Michael Easter is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and professor at the University of Nevada. His books, The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain, explore how embracing discomfort and understanding our evolutionary roots can help us lead healthier, more fulfilled lives. Michael’s ideas have been adopted by top-tier universities, Fortune 500 companies, professional sports teams, and elite military units.

In this conversation, we explore:

- Why, despite life getting easier, people are feeling less happy.

- The concept of "problem creep" and how it affects our well-being.

- Key practices he's integrated from his research, like rucking, stillness, and exploration that can lead to an improved quality of life.

- The psychological reasons we struggle with moderation and how the scarcity loop affects our behavior.

- The optimal time we should be spending in nature on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis.

And more.

You can learn more about Michael’s work at https://eastermichael.com.

---

Michael Easter is a leading voice on how humans can integrate modern science and evolutionary wisdom for improved health, meaning, and performance in life and at work. He travels the globe to embed himself with brilliant thinkers and people living at the extremes. He then shares his findings and experiences with people around the world in his books and podcast and TV appearances.

He is the author of The Comfort Crisis, a bestseller. The Comfort Crisis been translated into 10 different languages and adopted by Major League Baseball teams, top-ranked NCAA D1 football programs, top-tier universities and law programs, major corporations, and tier-one military units.

His work shows that science has many answers. But it also proves that many aspects of the human experience and living well cannot be measured. To that end, his work combines the statistical and mystical. It melds topics ranging from medicine and anthropology to theology and philosophy, along with case studies of everyday people doing extraordinary things.

He believes that new discoveries and a deeper understanding don’t happen from behind a screen. To that end, Michael’s investigations have taken him to meet with monks in ancient monasteries in Bhutan, lost tribes in the jungles of Bolivia, US Special Forces soldiers in undisclosed locations, gene scientists in Iceland, drug kingpins in Iraq, CEOs in Fortune-500 boardrooms, and elsewhere.

Michael’s work and ideas have appeared in over 60 countries. They’ve been endorsed by directors of the CIA and Navy SEALs, gold medal-winning Olympians, leading physicians, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, Buddhist and environmental leaders, and more. His writing has appeared in Men’s Health, where he’s a Contributing Editor, and Outside, Men’s Journal, Cosmopolitan, Vice, Esquire, Scientific American, and Women’s Health. He’s also talked about his work and ideas on the world’s largest, most influential podcasts, like The Joe Rogan Experience, Art of Manliness, Impact Theory, NPR, EconTalk, and more.

He’s spoken to or consulted for various top-tier universities, medical schools, Fortune-500 companies, government agencies, and some of the country’s largest nonprofits.

When he’s not on the ground reporting, Michael is a professor in the journalism department at UNLV. He co-founded and co-directs the Public Communications Institute, a think tank at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV).

He lives in Las Vegas on the edge of the desert with his wife and their two dogs, Stockton and Conway.

---

Interview Link:

— Michael’s website - https://eastermichael.com

Geoff Thompson is an BAFTA award-winning writer, screenwriter, and martial artist, who has authored more than forty books. Once a bouncer in Coventry, Geoff turned his life around by making a hierarchy of ”fears“ and directly confronting them, one by one.

In this conversation, we explore:

— Geoff’s life-changing encounter with his former abuser in a Coventry Cafe

— Geoff’s thoughts on finding your true self and becoming unified as a person.

— How limiting beliefs shape our lives and what it takes to overcome them.

— The role of truth in Geoff’s journey and how it informs his writing.

And more.

You can keep up to date with Geoff's work on Instagram at: geoff_thompson_official.

---

Geoff Thompson is 63 years old. He lives in Stratford Upon Avon. He has published close to fifty books. Some of his work in the self-help genre has been translated into dozens of languages including Russian, Chinese, Japanese, German, and Spanish.

His first book, Watch My Back, detailing his experiences working as a nightclub bouncer in Coventry, hit the Sunday Times bestsellers list, was made into a stage play, adapted into to a BAFTA nominated short film starring Ray Winstone, and a BIFA nominated motion picture for cinema. He has also written articles for national magazines and broadsheets, including The Times, Men’s Fitness (former columnist), GQ and FHM. Geoff’s work as a playwright started when he was invited to join The Royal Court Young Writers Group in London. He has gone onto write many successful plays that have toured nationally and internationally. His stage musical We’ll Live and Die in These Towns was produced and performed to great acclaim at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, in 2018, and is in the process of being adapted to film.

He is also a BAFTA winning screenwriter, penning multi-award-winning films for luminaries such as Ray Winstone, Paddy Considine, Orlando Bloom, Maxine Peake, Anne Reid, Alison Steadman, Christopher Eccleston and James Cosmo. His most recent feature film, Retaliation starring Orlando Bloom, received great acclaim in the US: it is a muscular biopic about the metaphysical power of forgiveness.

Geoff Thompson is one of the world’s highest ranking (8thdan) martial arts teachers. The prestigious Black Belt Magazine USA polled him as the number 1 self-defense author in the world. Geoff’s new book 99 Reasons to Forgive And Revenge Ain’t One is published with O Books.

You can keep up to date with Geoff's work on Instagram at: geoff_thompson_official.

---

Interview Links:

— Geoff’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/geoff_thompson_official

In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Runkle. With nearly a million followers across her platforms, Anna shares practical tools for overcoming Childhood PTSD and breaking free from self-defeating behaviors. Her book, “Re-Regulated”, explores how to set yourself free from trauma-driven behaviors and neurological dysregulation.

Here are some of the things you’ll learn in this conversation:

— Why traditional talk therapy can sometimes worsen symptoms for people with early trauma.

— What Childhood PTSD is and why it’s not officially recognized in the DSM.

— How attachment wounds can impact relationships and create patterns of staying in painful relationships.

— The connection between neurological dysregulation and social isolation.

— Anna’s powerful daily practice for re-regulating the nervous system and healing from emotional dysregulation.

And more.

You can learn more about Anna’s work at https://crappychildhoodfairy.com

---

Anna Runkle leads a movement to help men and women worldwide to heal trauma symptoms and change their lives—whether or not they have access to professional help. More than 900,000 men and women worldwide subscribe to her YouTube channel, blog, courses and coaching programs, where she teaches the principles and techniques she has used to recover from her own Childhood PTSD. Her approach includes simple, self-directed exercises to calm emotional triggers and neurological dysregulation, and to begin changing the self-defeating behaviors that are common for people who have lived much of their lives dysregulated. She lives with her husband and two sons in the San Francisco Bay Area.

---

Interview Link:

— Anna’s website - https://crappychildhoodfairy.com

Book Anna Runkle Recommends Every Therapist Should Read:

— Re-Regulated: Set Your Life Free from Childhood PTSD and the Trauma-Driven Behaviors That Keep You Stuck - https://amzn.to/3U8dnQF

Anita is a New York Times bestselling author and an internationally renowned speaker, whose book "Dying to be Me" has sold over a million copies worldwide and received praise from the likes of Dr. Wayne Dyer and Dr. Gabor Maté.

After being diagnosed with terminal cancer and falling into a coma, Anita experienced a profound near-death journey that transformed her perspective on life, health, and purpose.

Since, Anita has used her insights from this experience to inspire millions around the world.

Expect to learn:

— What Anita experienced during her near-death experience and what it taught her about life.

— Her views on consciousness, synchronicity, and the mind as a "bridge" between the physical and non-physical.

— Insights into how fear and emotional stress may contribute to illness.

— Why sensitive is the new strong and what it means to truly thrive as an empath.

And more.

You can learn more about Anita’s work at https://www.anitamoorjani.com.

---

Anita Moorjani is a New York Times Best-Selling Author, international speaker, and cancer survivor whose profound near-death experience (NDE) has inspired millions worldwide. Diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2002, she battled cancer for four years before falling into a coma and experiencing an NDE filled with unconditional love and wisdom. When she awoke, her cancer had miraculously disappeared. Her story is captured in her acclaimed book Dying to Be Me, which has sold over a million copies in 40+ languages. Moorjani frequently speaks at global events, sharing insights on self-help, spirituality, and healing.

---

Interview Links:

— Anita’s website - https://www.anitamoorjani.com

Dr. Sabina Brennan is a neuroscientist, chartered health psychologist, and bestselling author. Known for her ability to translate complex neuroscience into practical advice, Sabina empowers people to take control of their brain health and manifest their goals more effectively.

Her latest book, *The Neuroscience of Manifesting*, offers a scientific framework for understanding manifestation and its real-world applications, grounded in cutting-edge brain research.

Expect to learn:

— What manifestation really is and the myths that need debunking.

— How neuroscience can explain the power of manifestation.

— The psychological processes and brain areas involved in effective manifesting.

— Why self-compassion is such a vital component of the process.

And more.

You can learn more about Sabina’s work at https://superbrain.ie.

---

Sabina Brennan is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at the ADAPT Centre in Trinity College Dublin where she is a principal investigator in E-Health. Prior to this she was a research assistant professor at the School of Psychology and a principal investigator at the Institute of Neuroscience. She was co-director of the NEIL Research Programme and director of the NEIL Memory Research Unit which profiles cognitive function in a cohort of ~1000 Irish adults aged 50 and over. Understanding differential decline in cognitive ageing and dementia, cognitive reserve, brain health, modifiable risk and protective factors and the development of interventions to prevent or delay the onset of decline,

She was a member of the applicant team that secured the biggest philanthropic grant (138 million) in Irish history She coordinated ASAPS, an FP7 Project under the 2012-HEALTH-2012 which promoted brain health and brain research outputs of this project include a website (www.hellobrain.eu) a series of films and a brain health app She is principal Investigator on a US funded 2-year project aimed at assessing the Impact of relationship-based mealtime intervention on quality of life, cognitive function, social connection, mood, BMI, and walking speed. She is also a principle investigator on a 3-year cohort study, DeStress looking at Cognitive function, caregiver stress and cortisol: Mechanisms and implications for prevention of adverse health consequences in spouse dementia caregivers. funded by the Medical Research Charities Group and the Health Research Board. She is Principle Investigator on a project that developed a series of 10 films (www.freedliving.com) aimed at addressing fears about memory loss and dementia. She has co-supervisor PhD students investigating Protective Effect of Cognitive Reserve against Cognitive Impairment (IRCHSS), a second PhD, looking at the relationship between caregiver stress and frailty and indices of cognitive decline, (IRC Enterprise Partnership scheme and third investigating the relationship between age-related hearing loss and cognitive decline.

Her own PhD thesis entitled 'Neurocognitive and Electrophysiological Indices of Cognitive Performance in Ageing' explored individual differences in cognitive performance in healthy elderly and aimed to identify neurocognitive and electrophysiological markers that index cognitive decline. As part of the TCIN-GSK Neurodegeneration Programme she was responsible for a research project aimed at identifying novel cognitive, electrophysiological and behavioural endpoints in human participants that offer greater sensitivity to age-induced cognitive changes than previous endpoints.

---

Interview Links:

— Sabina’s website - https://superbrain.ie.

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher and bestselling author whose books have been published in more than 25 languages.

He is also a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and the founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum.

His latest book, History for Tomorrow, explores how we can use historical lessons to confront today’s biggest challenges.

Expect to learn:

— The concept of "history from below" and why moving away from the “great men” narrative matters.

— How 17th and 18th-century coffee houses offer a model for taming social media’s negative effects.

— Insights into temporal intelligence and why long-term thinking is vital for our future.

— The hidden history of the “radical flank” and how this has helped to create large scale societal breakthroughs.

And more.

You can learn more about Roman’s work at https://www.romankrznaric.com.

---

Roman Krznaric is a social philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to create change. His internationally bestselling books including The Good Ancestor, Empathy, The Wonderbox and Carpe Diem Regained, have been published in more than 25 languages. He is Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University’s Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing and founder of the world’s first Empathy Museum. His latest book, published in July 2024, is History for Tomorrow: Inspiration from the Past for the Future of Humanity.

After growing up in Sydney and Hong Kong, Roman studied at the universities of Oxford, London and Essex, where he gained his PhD in political science. Particularly known for his work on empathy and long-term thinking, his writings have been widely influential amongst political and ecological campaigners, education reformers, social entrepreneurs and designers. An acclaimed public speaker, his talks and workshops have taken him from a London prison to the TED global stage.

Roman is a member of the Club of Rome and a Research Fellow of the Long Now Foundation. He previously worked as an academic, a gardener, a conversation activist and on human rights issues in Guatemala – the subject of his book What the Rich Don’t Tell the Poor. He is also a fanatical player of the medieval sport of real tennis, whose history he explores in The First Beautiful Game.

---

Interview Link:

— Roman’s website - https://www.romankrznaric.com

Byron Reese is a futurist, and technologist, who is most well known for exploring big questions about humanity’s place in the universe and our collective future.

In his thought-provoking new book “We Are Agora”, he outlines a scientific hypothesis for viewing humanity as a conscious superorganism, raising fascinating questions about what this means for how we live and work together.

Expect to learn:

— The practical implications of seeing ourselves as part of a larger whole.

— How the internet might function as humanity’s “nervous system”.

— Why Byron sees cities, not countries, as the primary units of human evolution.

— How a shift in perspective could help to shape our future as a species.

And more.

You can learn more about Byron's work at https://byronreese.com.

---

With over 25 years as a successful tech entrepreneur, Byron Reese is uniquely suited to speak on the transformative effect of technology on the workplace and society at large.

Byron delights audiences worldwide and has been invited to share his reasoned optimism and vivid and energetic presentations on the future with audiences on every continent, including Antarctica.

Known as the “Future of” guy, Byron has spoken on the future of AI, the future of work, the future of banking, the future of education, the future of the planet, the future of agriculture, the future of finance, and the list goes on. When not speaking, he writes books that explore the intersection of technology and humanity and covers topics such as robotics, consciousness, progress, natural resources, and superorganisms.

Bloomberg Businessweek credits Byron with having “quietly pioneered a new breed of media company.” The Financial Times of London reported that he “is typical of the new wave of internet entrepreneurs out to turn the economics of the media industry on its head.” Byron and his work have been featured in hundreds of news outlets, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, USA Today, Reader’s Digest, NPR, and the LA Times Magazine. Byron holds numerous patents and has started and sold multiple companies, including two NASDAQ IPOs.

As a lifelong entrepreneur with multiple IPOs and successful exits, Byron frequently speaks to business audiences on how to excel in the world of tomorrow and how to deploy technology successfully.

He states: “Technology multiplies human ability. That’s its trick. It magnifies us. We can move more bricks with a forklift than we can on our backs. Technological advancement is not to be feared; rather, it should be welcomed, for by enhancing human ability, we enhance our productivity and, therefore, our standard of living. This is why we live so much more lavish and prosperous lives than our great-grandparents. An hour of our time is vastly more productive than was an hour of theirs.”

With a gift for storytelling, Byron captivates audiences worldwide with the message that technology is empowering us to build a better world, and he invites his listeners to imagine this better world and build it.

---

Interview Links:

— Byron’s website - https://byronreese.com

A.J. Jacobs is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist, and “human guinea pig” known for his immersive experiments and unique approach to nonfiction writing.

His books include: “The Year of Living Biblically”, “Drop Dead Healthy”, “It’s All Relative”, and “The Year of Living Constitutionally”, which this conversation focuses on.

Expect to learn:

— The concept of creativity as a muscle and how A.J. applies it daily.

— How method writing became his career and what advice he has for aspiring authors.

— How to discern which ideas to pursue and which to set aside.

— The art of taking social risks, like carrying a musket in New York City.

— How writing with a quill has improved AJ’s thinking as well as his productivity and creativity.

And more.

You can learn more about A.J’s work at https://ajjacobs.com and follow him on substack at: https://experimentalliving.substack.com.

---

A.J. Jacobs, acclaimed author, journalist, and lecturer, known for his humorous yet insightful writing style, has penned four New York Times bestsellers melding memoir, science, and self-help. He serves as editor at large at Esquire, a commentator on NPR, and a columnist for Mental Floss. Jacobs is renowned for his unique experiments, from reading the Encyclopedia Britannica to living by the Bible's rules, chronicled in his bestselling books. His latest work explores the global family tree's impact on society. A sought-after speaker, Jacobs has appeared on major media outlets and delivered TED talks. He resides in New York City with his family.

---

Interview Links:

— AJ’s Substack - https://experimentalliving.substack.com

— AJ's website - https://ajjacobs.com

Simon Mundie is an author, BBC Sports Reporter, and host of “A New Way of Being” Podcast.

After spending many years covering elite level sports and getting to know many of the world’s leading athletes personally, Simon began to see parallels between what he was witnessing on the sporting field and what he was learning about from the ancient nondual wisdom tradition.

He’s recently published a book exploring this connection, which this interview focuses on.

Expect to learn:

— Why success isn’t always synonymous with happiness and what we would be wiser to aim for instead.

— The key spiritual insights that can be gained from studying the lives of elite level athletes

— The importance of doing things for their own sake, and not being overly fixated on the outcome.

And more.

You can learn more about Simon’s work and get a copy of the book: “ Champion Thinking” at https://www.simonmundie.com.

---

Simon Mundie is a journalist, broadcaster and speaker who has interviewed hundreds of the world's top athletes, coaches, philosophers and thinkers for his critically acclaimed A New Way of Being podcast. He was the BBC Radio 1 sports presenter for eight years, and now presents on BBC Radio 4's flagship Today Programme, and is a reporter for BBC TV. He lives in London.

---

Interview Links:

— Simon Mundie’s website - https://www.simonmundie.com/

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Robert Glover — a therapist, coach, writer, and relationship expert with over 40 years of professional experience. He is the author of “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, which has helped thousands of men world-wide break free from the hidden epidemic of nice guy syndrome, improving their relationships, career, and overall quality of life in the process.

In this conversation, we explore:

— How the early programming that helped us to survive as infants becomes maladaptive later in life

— Robert’s Strategies for self soothing in stressful situations

— The origins and hidden dangers of nice guy syndrome

— What women really want in men and the importance of creating emotional tension in relationships.

And more.

You can learn more about Dr Glover’s work at https://www.drglover.com.

---

Dr. Robert Glover, therapist, coach, speaker, and educator is a relationship expert with over 40 years of professional experience. The author of the groundbreaking, No More Mr. Nice Guy, the best-selling Dating Essentials for Men, and the recently released, Dating Essentials for Men: Frequently Asked Questions, Dr. Glover has helped thousands of men world-wide transform their lives and get what they want in relationship, sex, and career.

---

Interview Links:

— Dr Glover’s website - https://www.drglover.com/