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Devil’s Advocate

19 episodes

Our experts make the best argument against themselves, and then explain why that stance is less convincing than their own.

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All Episodes (19)

A white lotus flower on a black background.

The most important idea in Zen Buddhism for today’s world

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5 min

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with

Robert Waldinger

A broken glass with the words contradictory ideas.

Have a controversial idea? Good. Here’s why you should share it.

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6 min

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with

The words boost your brain on a yellow background.

Could your workout routine give your brain a boost? This neuroscientist thinks so

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4 min

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with

A man in a tie is holding a tissue to his face.

How do you rationalize your unethical behaviors?

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4 min

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with

Kelly Richmond Pope

two hands reaching for each other on a black background.

I study longevity. Here’s the code science needs to crack.

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4 min

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with

a painting of two swans swimming in a lake.

Monogamy: How Christian sexual ethics took over the world

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5 min

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with

a pink brain with the words extend your mind.

The critical productivity skill nobody teaches you

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4 min

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with

Is science about to end?

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5 min

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with

Sabine Hossenfelder

How to use note-taking for crystal clear focus

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4 min

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with

The surprising reason secrets destroy us

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3 min

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with

Michael Slepian

Debate world champion: Why agreement is overrated

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4 min

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with

Why psychedelics are “freakishly safe”

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5 min

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with

Matthew W. Johnson

How to make space for “longpath” thinking

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4 min

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with

Debunking one of the Metaverse’s biggest myths

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5 min

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with

3 free will arguments, explained by physicist Sean Carroll

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7 min

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with

The case for and against cryptocurrency

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4 min

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with

Are near-death experiences just dreams or hallucinations?

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with

Dr. Bruce Greyson

Happiness study

The 2 biggest misconceptions about happiness

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3 min

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with

Fascist politics

Devil’s Advocate: Why worry about fascism?

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3 min

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with

Related

An archer focuses intently while aiming a bow and arrow in a field.

What today’s hunter-gatherers can teach us about modern life

James Suzman lived with a tribe of hunter-gatherers to witness how an ancient culture survives one of the most brutal climates on Earth. His learnings may surprise you.

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8 min

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with

A melting yellow smiley face on a black background.

Happiness poison—and the antidote

Harvard has conducted an 85-year-long study on what makes humans happy. Psychiatrist Robert Waldinger explains what they found.

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15 min

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with

Robert Waldinger

A woman holding up a picture of a smiling mouth.

Give up on happiness. Go hard at wonder.

Pathologically busy people clamoring for happiness. Founder of HATCH Monica Parker explains how we can do so much better than that.

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6 min

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with

A woman with dreadlocks wearing a blue turtle neck.

How to give your pain meaning, with Nike athlete Tunde Oyeneyin

Nike athlete and famed Peloton instructor Tunde Oyeneyin shares how she turned her pain into purpose.

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7 min

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with

The key to the universe?.

How do black holes actually interact with matter?

Is information intrinsic in our universe? NASA’s Michelle Thaller explains.

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8 min

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with

Michelle Thaller