Best Tom Chivers Podcasts (2024)

1
Tom Chivers | It's Bayes All The Way Down... Probability & Bayes Theorem 1:21:07

4d ago1:21:07

1:21:07

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... Other episode of the podcast that suit this episode... Brian Klaas – Fluke & Randomness Russ Roberts – EconTalk Luca Dellanna – Ergodicity All The Way Down Scott Patterson – Chaos Kings Nassim Taleb & Incerto Podcast Follow me on Instagram – @ryanfhogg Everything Is Pr…

1
#352 - Our Bayesian Priors: A Dialogue with Tom Chivers 1:16:45

23d ago1:16:45

1:16:45

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tom Chivers about Bayesian probability and the impact Bayesian priors have on ourselves. They define Bayesian priors, Thomas Bayes, subjective aspects of Bayes theorem, and the problematic elements of statistical figures such as Galton, Pearson, and Fisher. They talk about the replication crisis, …

1
Rory Sutherland | An Hour Surveying The Worldview 57:18

31m ago57:18

57:18

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... I am stoked to welcome back one of the most out there and interesting writers, thinkers and speakers, Rory Sutherland. He founded the behavioural science team at the Ogilvy group, he is one of Europe’s most powerful advertising executives and author many many books and…

1
Episode 44: Asteroids

1h ago

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Last week’s episode covered a man-made existential risk to humanity—nuclear war. But what about natural risks? Could there, right now, be a vast asteroid sailing through space that’ll collide with Earth, sending us go the way of the dinosaurs? In this rocky episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look at the data on how often we should expect c…

1
#356 - Ending the Dark Ages of Quantum Theory: A Dialogue with Adam Forrest Kay 1:27:36

13m ago1:27:36

1:27:36

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Adam Forrest Kay about the history and current state of quantum mechanics. They discuss the current state of quantum mechanics, overview of modern physics, and the impact of Niels Bohr. They also talk about light and vision, double slit experiment, Fourier analysis, Schrödinger’s equation, Bell’s …

1
Bill Sullivan - The Hidden Forces That Drive Us: The Interplay Between Genes and Environment | #217 1:25:15

2d ago1:25:15

1:25:15

On episode 217, we welcome Bill Sullivan to discuss the burgeoning field of epigenetics, why genes are better thought of as dimmers rather than light switches, the antipsychiatry argument against mental illness and why all mental illnesses are organic, what we discovered about the microbiome, the Libet experiments and whether they cast doubt on fre…

1
Episode 43: Nuclear winter

4d ago

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The UK has a new Prime Minister, and one of his first acts will have been to write letters to the captains of our nuclear missile submarines, telling them what to do in the event that the UK gets obliterated by a nuclear strike. But what else might happen after a full-scale nuclear war? Many scientists—most notably Carl Sagan—have theorised that nu…

1
#355 - Nomadic Empires of the Steppes: A Dialogue with Kenneth Harl 1:52:13

6d ago1:52:13

1:52:13

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kenneth Harl about the various nomadic empires of the steppes. They discuss the origins of nomadic peoples, Tocharian texts, and why language is essential for understanding nomadic peoples. They talk about the Turkish language, nomadic spread over 35 centuries, the Steppe, and nomadic identity. Th…

1
Mark D. White - The Ethics of Captain America: Justice, Integrity, and Sacrifice | STM Podcast #216 1:13:56

6d ago1:13:56

1:13:56

On episode 216, we welcome Mark White to discuss the philosophy of Captain America, how his moral perfectionism informed his decisions and affected him afterward, the clash of morals in his rivalry with Iron Man, why being hard on himself benefited his community, the similarities and differences of deontology and utilitarianism, if we can consider …

1
Ash Bhardwaj | Author, Journalist & Adventurer On 'Why We Travel' 2:04:31

11d ago2:04:31

2:04:31

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... Jon Lee Anderson Charlie Walker Follow me on Instagram - @ryanfhogg Why We Travel - Ash Bhardwaj Ash Bhardwaj is an author, journalist, film-maker and former british army who amongst his many expeditions has ventured the likes of journeying 8500km along the Russian Eur…

1
Episode 42: Election special

11d ago

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This week it’s the UK General Election, and lots of other countries either have elections coming soon or have recently voted. Lots of pollsters and political scientists have been attempting to predict the outcomes - but how successful will they be? In this Studies Show election special, Tom and Stuart discuss the various quirks and downsides of opi…

1
#354 - Liberalism As A Way Of Life: A Dialogue with Alexandre Lefebvre 2:06:34

13d ago2:06:34

2:06:34

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alexandre Lefebvre about the many facets of liberalism. They discuss morals and values from liberalism, Christianity’s impact on liberalism and Western society, defining liberalism, and the differences between liberalism and conservatism. They also talk about the philosophy of Rawls, swearing, fai…

1
Paid-only Episode 9: Viagra

18d ago

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There’s one thing we know Viagra does very well. But what other uses does it have? Can it, as has now been claimed in three separate studies, prevent Alzheimer’s disease? In this priapic paid-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart ask if there might be something to the theory that, through some vascular mechanism, Viagra might slow the ef…

1
#353 - A History of the Muslim World: A Dialogue with Michael Cook 3:22:26

20d ago3:22:26

3:22:26

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a conversation with Michael Cook about the history of the Muslim world. They discuss Islamic civilization from origins to modernity, early antecedents before Islam, genesis of Islam, and the Prophet Muhammad and his creation of a monotheistic religion and state. They discuss succession after the death of Muhammad…

1
Victor Haghani | Missing Billionaires, An Ode To Jim Simons & Top To Bottom Index Investing 1:30:04

25d ago1:30:04

1:30:04

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... Bill Browder Nassim Taleb Follow me on Instagram - @ryanfhogg This is an interview with Victor Haghani who is among many other things… the Co-Founder of LTCM (long term capital management), the Founder of Elm Wealth and the author of Missing Billionaires. In this inter…

1
Episode 41: Criminal justice and forensic science

25d ago

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The criminal justice system and science are both broadly looking for the same thing - the truth. But in many cases the two don’t mix well. Whether it’s court cases that attempt to decide the truth of a scientific dispute, or the use of fingerprints, DNA, or statistics by the prosecution in a murder case, a lot can go wrong - and there’s a lot at st…

1
#351 - RNA as Catalyst: A Dialogue with Thomas Cech 50:37

27d ago50:37

50:37

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Thomas Cech about RNA as a major catalyst in organic systems. They discuss why RNA does not get discussed as much as DNA, basics of DNA, RNA as a catalyst, and the splicing capabilities of RNA. They also talk about transcription, translation, and splicing, RNA as internal catalyst and external cat…

1
#350 - Voices From The New Syrian Diaspora: A Dialogue with Wendy Pearlman 1:09:04

1M ago1:09:04

1:09:04

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Wendy Pearlman about the voices from the new Syrian Diaspora. They discuss the various reasons for telling Syrian stories, protests around the world, the ongoing Syrian conflict, concept of home and internal displacement. They also talked about leaving Syria and rebuilding elsewhere, maintaining c…

1
Episode 40: Addiction

1M ago

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To be addicted to something, you’ve got to… er, actually, what does it mean to be “addicted” to something? We all agree you can be addicted to heroin, but can you also be addicted to videogames, or sex, or listening to podcasts? And actually, it turns out we don’t all agree you can be addicted to heroin - or, at least, people have very different mo…

1
#349 - A Damascus Massacre: A Dialogue with Eugene Rogan 1:32:31

1M ago1:32:31

1:32:31

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Eugene Rogan about the 1860 Damascus massacre. They discuss why the 1860 Damascus massacre is still relevant, relationship between Egypt and the Ottomans, Mishaqa as US Vice-Consulate in Damascus, Ottoman Tanzimat Reforms, Druzes and Maronites with rising tensions in Lebanon and Damascus. They als…

1
#348 - Parliamentary America: A Dialogue with Maxwell Stearns 1:53:38

1M ago1:53:38

1:53:38

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Maxwell Stearns about potential changes to the Constitution. They discuss the general narrative about the US Constitution, overview of his proposed reforms, third parties as spoilers, generational shifting of parties, and history of political parties in the 19th century. They also talked about pos…

1
Episode 39: Peanut allergy

1M ago

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Should you avoid giving your child peanuts to ensure they don’t develop an allergy? If you’d asked medical authorities this question in the late 90s and early 2000s, you’d get an answer that’s completely opposite to what you’d get now. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart discuss the science behind the medical recommendations on pean…

1
#347 - Failures of the Constitution: A Dialogue with Aziz Rana 1:46:03

1M ago1:46:03

1:46:03

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Aziz Rana about the failures of the US Constitution. They discuss the timeframe of 1887-1987, why people resist criticisms of the US Constitution, and creedal constitutionalism. They discuss the positive aspects of the Constitution, empire settlerism and the US state in post-reconstruction era. Th…

1
#346 - Rethinking the End of Empire: A Dialogue with Lynn Tesser 1:35:45

2M ago1:35:45

1:35:45

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lynn Tesser about the various ways of thinking about empire. They discuss moving from empire to nation states, define nationalism vs. nation states, and sovereignty and modular nationalism. They talk about rebellions in the Americas as being more mixed, the Greek revolution as performed by elites,…

1
Samo Burja | The Wallenberg Family Of Sweden, Nassim Taleb & Why Organisations Thrive & Fall 58:42

2M ago58:42

58:42

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... Russ Roberts – Taleb & Hitchens Scott Patterson – Taleb & Chaos Kings Magnus Ranstorp – Terrorism & Political Violence James Robinson – Why Nations Fail Follow me on Instagram - @ryanfhogg Samo Burja founded Bismarck Analysis, of which Bismarck Brief has spun off, whic…

1
Episode 38: Lead and crime

2M ago

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Many Western countries, most notably the US, had a major decline in their crime rate in the 1990s. About 20 years earlier, the US had banned the use of lead in gasoline. Perhaps you wouldn’t think those two facts are related - but many researchers think this wasn’t a coincidence. After getting distracted and doing a whole episode on lead and IQ a c…

1
#345 - How Culture Creates Emotions: A Dialogue with Batja Mesquita 1:36:25

2M ago1:36:25

1:36:25

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Batja Mesquita about the impact of culture on emotions. The discuss the distinctions between emotions, feelings, and affect, universalist vs. social constructionist theories, and the expression of emotions. They discuss the MINE vs. OURS framework, emotions in other cultures, shame and how it pres…

1
Roberto Olivardia - Beyond the Diagnosis: Experiencing and Managing ADHD | STM Podcast #215 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

On episode 215, we welcome Roberto Olivardia to discuss Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, its comorbidity with other mental health struggles and learning disorders, ways Roberto learned to manage his own ADHD, how it affects relationships and how to address it in them, why teachers in the past were unable to cope with it in their students, …

1
#344 - Economic Guarantees: A Dialogue with Natalie Foster 1:07:56

2M ago1:07:56

1:07:56

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Natalie Foster about the guarantee framework for economic stability for all Americans. They discuss what is the guarantee and why government involvement is essential, FDR and basic rights, the rise of neoliberal and neoconservative policies, and the features of the guarantee over the past 15 years…

1
Paid-only Episode 8: The science of Johann Hari

2M ago

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Johann Hari is a journalist with an interesting past who has now written four very popular books on scientific topics (addiction, depression, attention, and obesity). Are those books any good? In this paid-subscriber-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart—who have both written reviews of Hari’s books—discuss Hari’s career, his sudden emer…

1
#343 - Metaracism: A Dialogue with Tricia Rose 1:11:08

2M ago1:11:08

1:11:08

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Tricia Rose about systemic racism in the United States. They discuss why and how racism persists, how it looks different from decades past, and how it evolves in institutions. They define metaracism, discuss individuals vs. institutions, understanding systems theory, colorblindness, and many more …

1
Tom Chivers - From Science to Daily Life: The Impact of Bayesian Thinking | STM Podcast #214 1:08:21

2M ago1:08:21

1:08:21

On episode 214, we welcome Tom Chivers to discuss Bayesian statistics, how their counterintuitive nature tends to turn people off, the philosophical disagreements between the Bayesians and the frequentists, why “priors” aren’t purely subjective and why all theories should be considered as priors, the difficulty of quantifying emotional states in ps…

1
#342 - The Presidency of James Polk: A Dialogue with Robert Merry 55:39

2M ago55:39

55:39

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert Merry about the Presidency of James Polk. They give and overview of James Polk, influence of Andrew Jackson, Polk’s personality and trajectory, and the four major issues he tackled as President. They discuss Polk’s expansionism, the Mexican-American War, Polk’s one-term deal, legacy, and ma…

1
Marc Hijink | 'Focus'... ASML, The Dutch Behemoth 1:13:39

2M ago1:13:39

1:13:39

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter - the ultimate compliment to the podcast... Jos Benschop – SVP Science ASML - Episode #56 Chris Miller – Chip War - Episode #81 ASML Bloody Good Business Follow me on Instagram - @ryanfhogg Watch on youtube - https://youtu.be/Kxmf6P-JHa8 ASML is certainly among the most critical businesses to the modern economy.…

1
Episode 37: Lead and IQ

2M ago

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Petrol, pipes, paint: they made a whole generation duller. That’s if you believe the research on the effects of lead on IQ. By interfering with neurological development, the lead that we used to encounter routinely has left hundreds of millions of us with a tiny bit of brain damage. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look at the to…

1
#341 - How NOT To Do Your Own Research: A Dialogue with Alex Edmans 44:00

2M ago44:00

44:00

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Edmans about misinformation and the role of human biases. They discuss how to look at data, confirmation bias, statements not facts, facts not data, and the value and limits of the scientific method. They also discuss data mining and ethics with stats, correlation not being causation, data wi…

1
#340 - How the American Heartland Turned Red: A Dialogue with Stephanie Ternullo 1:31:12

2M ago1:31:12

1:31:12

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Stephanie Ternullo about the political shift from liberal to conservative in the American heartland over the 20th century. They discuss how she constructed her study, makeup of the three Midwest cities used in the study, New Deal coalition, place-based partisanship, role of unions, and many more t…

1
Episode 36: Vitamin D

2M ago

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Preventing cancer. Curing depression. Single-handedly ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Oh, and something to do with your bones. Is there anything Vitamin D can’t do? Maybe the answer is “quite a lot”. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look into the claims about the wondrous powers of Vitamin D supplements - and whether any of them ha…

1
#339 - Planta Sapiens: A Dialogue with Paco Calvo 1:28:19

2M ago1:28:19

1:28:19

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paco Calvo about the intelligence of plants. They discuss plant blindness, plant intelligence, sun tracking and internal representations, predictive processing, and what is it like to be a plant. They discuss domesticated and wild plants, time, individuality of plants, ethics, and many more topics…

1
Ed Simon - Faust in the 21st Century: Have We Made a Deal with the Devil? | STM Podcast #213 1:04:45

2M ago1:04:45

1:04:45

On episode 213, we welcome Edward Simon to discuss the mythological history of the tale of Faust and Mephistopheles, god and the devil in theology, whether both figures can represent internal struggles between right and wrong, why so many identify with Faust’s decisions, whether the story implies that willful ignorance is just as evil as maliciousn…

1
Ep 28: Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Flooded Kingdoms and Lost Worlds ft. Gareth E. Rees 44:47

2M ago44:47

44:47

I’m pleased to welcome back writer Gareth E. Rees for round two on the podcast! This time, we explore his latest book Sunken Lands: A Journey Through Flooded Kingdoms and Lost Worlds. Drawing on the book's central themes, Gareth and I discuss the history of flood myths and their continued relevance in the face of the climate crisis. We also chat ab…

1
#338 - Victim: A Dialogue with Andrew Boryga 1:22:46

3M ago1:22:46

1:22:46

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andrew Boryga about his novel on victimhood. They discuss how he approaches writing novels vs. non-fiction pieces, choosing themes for the novel, personal influence on fictional characters, evolution of characters, and using tragedy and victimhood for clout. They also discuss dealing with social j…

1
Sam Leith | It’s Rhetoric All The Way Down… From Churchill To Trump & Cicero To Hitchens 1:50:12

2M ago1:50:12

1:50:12

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter https://curiousworldview.beehiiv.com/subscribe Follow me on Instagram - @ryanfhogg Watch on Youtube - https://youtu.be/Kx8N66hK8kI Sam Leith is the literary editor for the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world, an organisation which started publication in 1828 which means… the magazine for which he is th…

1
Episode 35: The loneliness epidemic

3M ago

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We can all agree that being lonely is bad. But apparently, science shows it’s really, really bad. Indeed, being lonely is so dangerous to your health that its equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. And it gets worse: we’re in the middle of a loneliness epidemic, meaning that the health of millions is at risk. In this episode of The Studies Show…

1
#337 - Wahhābism: A Dialogue with Cole Bunzel 1:41:00

3M ago1:41:00

1:41:00

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Cole Bunzel about the Islamic branch of Wahhābism. They talk about the current landscape of Wahhābism, extreme and non-extreme uses of Wahhābism and some of the differences between terrorists groups that use Wahhābism. They discuss Ibn Abd al-Wahhab and how he started a movement, modeling himself …

1
Mark L. Ruffalo - The Myth of the Medical Model of Mental Illness | STM Podcast #212 1:11:36

3M ago1:11:36

1:11:36

On episode 212, we welcome Mark L. Ruffalo to discuss the misunderstanding of the so-called “medical model” of psychiatry, why there’s a gap between mainstream medicine and trauma-informed care, the ways in which biology and environment interact to produce mental illness, the difference between responsibility and blame, Judith Herman and the histor…

1
#336 - The Secular Gospel of Ralph Waldo Emerson: A Dialogue with James Marcus 1:25:53

3M ago1:25:53

1:25:53

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James Marcus about the life and work of Ralph Waldo Emerson. They discuss how the book is formed and how themes are pulled from Emerson’s life, his religious background and relationship with religion over his lifetime, unitarianism, and when do we find our identity. They talk about first and secon…

1
Michael Hilliard | From Geopolitical Ghostwriting To 'The Red Line Podcast' 1:39:23

3M ago1:39:23

1:39:23

✍︎: The Curious Worldview Newsletter https://curiousworldview.beehiiv.com/subscribe Follow me on Instagram - @ryanfhogg Watch on Youtube - https://youtu.be/ZzsFPOUzlHg Micheal Hilliard is a geopolitical analyst host and creator of 'The Red Line Podcast'… and! a fellow Aussie coming to us today from Australia’s glorious West coast capital, Perth. Mi…

1
Paid-only Episode 7: Youth gender medicine & the Cass Review

3M ago

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The evidence for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for young people with gender dysphoria is “remarkably weak”. That’s according to the Cass Review, a new in-depth report commissioned by NHS England. As you might imagine, the report’s conclusions have been somewhat controversial. In this paid-subscriber-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom a…

1
#335 - Hubert Humphrey: Giant of Liberalism: A Dialogue with James Traub 1:21:36

3M ago1:21:36

1:21:36

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with James Traub about Hubert Humphrey. They define liberalism, background and context of Humphrey and his internal motivations, how he governed as mayor in Minneapolis, and how he was a liberal and a progressive. They talk about his time as a U.S. Senator, a cold war liberal, and his relationship with…

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Tom Chivers Podcasts

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