Smart Cookies
Understanding the many crises of today — and the history that got us here.
Episodes
The Era Of Climate Change Is Here - And This Is Our Only Way Out. With Prof. Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben is someone I've been wanting on the pod for ages - he's not only one of the most celebrated environmentalists alive, but is also widely credited as having written the first ever book on climate change for a general audience, The End of Nature.Last year, he released another groundbreaking book called Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization
Asylums, Lobotomies and ECTs - The Horrifying History of Mental Illness “Cures.” With Prof. Andrew Scull
What do lunatic asylums, lobotomies and electroconvulsive therapy have in common? They were all desperate attempts to cure mental illness. Long before the advent of pharmacology, "maverick" psychiatrists proposed different theories on what caused madness - from germs and infections to abnormal pathways in the brain. These ideas gave birth to a host of horrific "cures" that often left the patients
Hitler Dismantled Democracy In Just 8 Weeks - Here's How... With Prof. Timothy Ryback
We always assume Hitler forced his way into the Chancellor's office and then single-handedly ended the Weimar Republic, ushering in his horrific dictatorship that would plunge Europe into WWII. It turns out that wasn't the case... at all. In reality, Hitler campaigned his way into the German parliament (the Reichstag) and then skilfully maneuvered until he managed to take the top job. The most sin
Our Food Systems Are Unstable - It's About To Get Worse. With Prof. Tim Benton
We've all noticed that food prices keep going up without an end in sight. Couple that with the increasingly dramatic effects of climate change and a world that's increasingly unstable, and you've got a legitimate crisis on your hands. Which begs the question - will we really be able to feed a population that is projected to hit 10 billion soon?Prof. Tim Benton, one of the biggest experts on food
"AI Will Be The Last Mistake Humanity Ever Makes..." With Prof. David Krueger
2026 has been a groundbreaking year for AI development - frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google have not only reached frightening capability levels, but like the Hugging Face incident illustrates, they have also began to act autonomously in malicious ways.And yet instead of pausing their development, AI labs rush ahead, doing everything they can to win the "AI race," (whatever that mean
Staying Healthy In The Age Of The Obesity Epidemic. With Dr. Stephan Guyenet
Most of us have probably wanted to lose some weight at some point or another, only to find out it's much easier said than done. And even if we actually managed to hit our goal, maintaining this new weight became all but impossible. Why is it so hard? It turns out that when trying to lose weight we aren't just fighting our daily temptations - we are taking on prehistoric mechanisms put there by evo
The Future Is Chinese - Here's Why. With Prof. Steve Keen
It's no secret that the West is in terminal decline, while China continues to grow and is currently on the verge of overtaking the US as the biggest economy on the planet. Mainstream economics tells us that's impossible, since we supposedly live in the best system that was ever created. Which means something doesn't add up. Economist Steve Keen has an answer - our economic models are irreparably b
Are We Losing the Climate Change Fight? With Prof. Michael Mann
Michael Mann is a Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth & Environmental Science at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Our Fragile Moment. He's also one of the most renowned climatologists in the world - and that's why I was over the moon when he agreed to have a chat with me...Given the extremely grim daily news on climate change, I ask Prof. Mann whether the fight for a habi
Why AI Won't Replace Workers, But Will Crash The Economy. With Cory Doctorow
I'm super stoked to welcome back the legendary blogger, journalist and author of Enshittification, Cory Doctorow. This time around we tackle his latest book, The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI: How to Think About Artificial Intelligence — Before It's Too Late. I ask Cory about the ideology behind the shameless AI push, the state of this technology in 2026, the billionaires lapping it up,
What The Japanese Thought Of The First Westerners... And Vice Versa. With dr. Christopher Harding
I'm super happy to welcome dr. Christopher Harding, lecturer in Asian history at the University of Edinburgh, back to the show, to have a chat about his amazing upcoming book, "Barbarians: The First Century of European Encounter with Japan."This time around we talk about a myriad of fascinating episodes that arose from this dramatic exchange - the first Portuguese landing on Tanegashima, the curio
What Were The Crusades Like From The Muslim Side? With Prof. Nicholas Morton
Medieval historian and champion of the podcast, Prof. Nicholas Morton (from Nottingham Trent University) is back on the pod to talk about the feverish history of the Crusades - only this time, we explore the subject from the perspective of the Muslim nations who were fighting for supremacy in the tricky landscape of the medieval Middle East... What did they think when they first saw these unexpec
The Wild Lives of Nigerian Romance Scammers | Carlos Barragan
In 2015, Carlos Barragan, a young Spanish journalist working for The New York Times, received a surprise - his mother, having long being single, told him she finally met somebody on Tinder. The man's name was Brian and he was an American soldier stationed in Syria. Carlos' alarm bells however, started going off immediately - and sure enough, he quickly tracked "Brian's" IP address not to the US, b
Why The Odyssey Is Actually About A Broken War Veteran | Prof. Peter Meineck
Christopher Nolan's retelling of Homer's famous epic is causing a lot of sassy drama these days, so I thought it'd be appropriate to have a chat with a Greek Mythology expert, and pick his brain on what this foundational poem of Western literature is really about - because cause truth be told, I don't think I really know. Is The Odyssey about heroism? Homecoming? Fate? To find out, I talk to Prof.
Ancient Roman Slavery: The Cruel Reality Behind The Empire | Dr. Emma Southon
When we discuss Rome, we usually talk about the Emperors, the Warlords and the Conquerors, rarely about ordinary Romans... and almost never about the people who actually built it - the slaves. With her recently released book SERVUS: How Slavery Made the Roman Empire, historian Emma Southon attempts to shift that narrative. In this convo we talk about how one could became enslaved, what it was like
The German Peasants' War: The Bloody History Of Medieval Rebellion | Prof. Lyndal Roper
In 16th century Europe, few events were as momentous as the German Peasants’ War - an explosive rebellion that shocked the ruling houses of the Holy Roman Empire. Driven by the ideas of Reformation, apocalyptic preaching and an all-out anger about the increasingly cruel conditions of serfdom, bands of peasants marched to war, during which they came close to overturning the entire feudal order… To
Weimar And The Terrifying Speed Of The Nazi Takeover Of Germany | Katja Hoyer
You're an ordinary German, living in 1920's Weimar when the Nazi party takes over - WHAT do you do? That's exactly the question that Katya Hoyer, "Britain's favourite German historian," wanted an answer to.For her latest book, Weimar: Life on the Edge of Catastrophe, she spent years combing the Weimar archives, inspecting the fates of its citizens who were living through some of the most turbulent
Why Did The Habsburg Empire Suddenly Collapse? | Pieter Judson
For at least 600 years, the lands of modern day Slovenia (where I'm from), belonged to the famous Habsburg dynasty. But how did this small aristocratic family from Switzerland come to form the first global empire in the world?Was the multi-ethnic monarchy really a "prison of the peoples" or was it in fact a modernising state?And most importantly - how come it all fell apart so quickly in 1918?In t
Ancient Greece History: Debunking Myths On Race and Culture | Prof. Tony Spawforth
Ever since their civilisation ceased to exist, the Ancient Greeks have been appropriated to suit various agendas. But what did they actually think and believe? For example - how did they see other, non-Greek people? Was sexual orientation even a thing in Ancient Greece? Did they ever wrestle with the institution of slavery?To help me find answers to my burning questions, I talked to Tony Spawforth
Nazi Human Experiments: The True History Of World War II Truth Serums | Norman Ohler
It's a real pleasure having Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany, back on the pod. Norman recently published a spiritual succession of his bestseller called Tripped: Nazi Germany, the CIA, and the Dawn of the Psychedelic Age, which recounts the wild history of LSD... In this conversation we talk about the Nazi quest to find a truth serum, the crazy MKUltra plot concocted by the C
Cryptocurrency And Masculinity: Why Some Men Risk Everything On Bitcoin | Dr. Dan Cassino
Despite it's mainstream presence for more than a decade, Bitcoin has yet to make a convincing argument about its use case. Nevertheless, the cryptocurrency space has become the home of a fascinating subculture - that of the Bitcoin Bros. But who are these people? Why do they hinge their identity to this digital casino? And finally - do they actually believe in crypto, or are they in it for other r
The Psychology Of Past Life Memories: Near-Death Research Explained | Dr. Philipp Cozzolino
Dr. Philipp Cozzolino is a research Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neuro-behavioral Sciences at University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies, where he investigates reports of past-life memories from children around the world. In this wonderful chat we discuss his work on death anxiety, the incredible testimonies of kids who claim to have lived before (as well as his thoughts on w
Historical Collapse Explained: Why Civilizations And Empires Fall | Luke Kemp
Luke Kemp, a research affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk researched 324 cases of societies, usually empires (which he called Goliaths) that collapsed - and soon found one thing they all had in common... In this (slightly terrifying) conversation we discuss the main questions featured in Luke's groundbreaking book, Goliath's Curse - questions like why are hierarchical societi
The Renaissance Explained: History Of The Medici, Popes, And Florence | Prof. Kenneth Bartlett
I always wondered whether the Renaissance was a truly groundbreaking historical event - or has it become just a self-referential cliché? Talking to Prof. Kenneth Bartlett (author of The Renaissance in Italy: A History), I finally had a chance to ask... In this illuminating conversation we talk about the movement's main ideas, the timeless art they produced, the political intrigues of Florence, the
The Death Of Subculture: Why Modern Pop Culture Sucks Now | David Marx
What do Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump have in common? As cultural critic W. David Marx argues in his new book Blank Space, they are all generators and representatives of a MONOCULTURE that has taken over the planet. From VICE magazine's domination of the early 2000s and Kanye's forays into high fashion to the rise of the tech bros, we are living through a time in whic
Global Wealth Inequality: The True Flaws Of Modern Capitalism | Branko Milanović
The era of neoliberal globalisation that has dominated economies 90's and early 2000's is coming to an end. But what comes next? Renowned economist and inequality researcher Branko Milanovic believes the world is entering a much more precarious phase, one in which countries bet on nationalist interests instead of free trade, but also a world in which China is rising and the West if falling. But wh
From SAMURAI to SHINKANSEN - the Rise, Fall and Stagnation of MODERN JAPAN, with Prof. Christopher Harding
As someone who moved to Japan not too long ago I was always fascinated with the country's unique history, particularly with the question of how did a country so completely isolated from the industrial revolution become a global superpower in just a few short decades? How did it manage to totally transform its society, military and culture? And finally, where did it all go wrong?Join me and histori
The alluring MYSTERIES of Göbekli Tepe - the OLDEST monumental site in the world, with Jens Notroff
The old version of the story went something like this - Homo Sapiens appeared in Africa around 2 to 300.00 years ago and for most of that time, we lived in small hunter gatherer communities, competing with other animals, sometimes more, and sometimes less successfully. That was, until one day we had a gnarly idea to start growing crops, build settlements and settle down for good.However, the mind-
We have stopped READING - is it a sign our civilisation is COLLAPSING? With James Marriott
In the past 2 decades literacy rates have dropped dramatically... and so have our IQ scores. Writer James Marriott believes these two facts are connected. His Substack article, "The dawn of the post-literate society and the end of civilisation," in which he argues that the absence of reading might signify the end of our civilisation, caused a big stir online...In this conversation we talk about th
Hare Krishna, Russian Jesus and the End of the World - Cultural Chaos during the COLLAPSE of the Soviet Union, with Prof. Joseph Kellner
Joseph Kellner is a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union at the University of Georgia. He's also the author of the recently released book The Spirit of Socialism - Culture and Belief at the Soviet Collapse. Contrary to Western narratives, culture within the USSR wasn't an eternally grey monolith that we used to see in James Bond movies. Quite the opposite - it was a diverse, often flourishing
Joe Rogan keeps claiming the EARTH is cooling down. I talk to an actual CLIMATE scientist to dispel the BS. With David Armstrong McKay
Podcaster Joe Rogan keeps claiming that climate change doesn't really exist and that the Earth is in fact, cooling down, negating all available climate science (as well as plain observation). To address this misleading take, and the often cited Washington Post article accompanying it, I talk to Prof. David Armstrong McKay, climate scientist from the University of Sussex.We also talk about the rate
Why does the INTERNET suck so bad now? With Cory Doctorow
We all know it - the internet has become a huge garbage heap, guided by malignant algorithms and filled with useless apps, mind numbing social media and AI slop. In a word - it's shitty. But how did we get here? And how can we restore the better internet of old?Cory Doctorow, author of the groundbreaking book ENSHITIFICATION: Why Everything Was Built to Break, has a couple of ideas.
Genocide in GAZA, the biggest crime of our time. With Mouin Rabbani
The horrific war that Israel is waging against the predominantly civilian population in Gaza has been going on for almost two years, and yet, the slaughter continues to this day. Why is that? To discuss one of the biggest crimes of our time, I talk Mouin Rabbani, an analyst, and commentator specialising in Palestinian affairs, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the contemporary Middle East. We discuss
The notorious two OPIUM WARS that ushered in China's century of HUMILIATION. With Prof. Yang-Wen Zheng
Few conflicts have been as impactful as the two Opium Wars fought between China and the Western powers during the 19th century. These unjust wars, unanimously won by the West, ultimately resulted in a series of devastating concessions and ushered in China's so-called century of humiliation, the memory of which is still shaping global politics today. But how did it all start? Why was Britain intent
Is the killing of CHARLIE KIRK another symptom of a disintegrating political SYSTEM? With Prof. Will Davies
Neoliberal capitalism is dead. But what kind of a system has replaced it?In the era of tech titans, weakening institutions and growing social tensions it's hard to get a grip on the forces that are governing our lives. Throw the chaotic administration of Donald Trump into the mix and the political landscape becomes truly unrecognisable.Are we living in the era of technofeudalism, platform capitali
The one power that finally managed to BEAT BACK the ruthless MONGOL invasions. With Prof. Nicholas Morton | Pt. 2
It's the middle of the 13th century and the Mongols have bulldozed their way through a host of Middle Eastern kingdoms like they are playing a strategy game with a cheat code. One after the other, the powerful Christian, as well as Islamic, states fell until there were almost none left on the map. The conquest of EVERYTHING seemed inevitable... However, in one of history's greatest upsets of all t
You're a MEDIEVAL King in the Middle East... and the MONGOLS have just showed up. With Nicholas Morton | Pt. 1
The Byzantine Empire, Anatolian Seljuks, The Ayyubid Empire, Kingdom of Armenia, The Crusader States, The Abbasid Caliphate, the Nizari Assassins... this isn't a list of factions for a new Age of Empires video game, it's a snapshot of the Middle East in the middle of the 13th century - a time (and place) of incredible diversity, sophistication and struggle.All of these states, whether Christian or
The West is CLUELESS about China. Here's why that's a MISTAKE. With Kaiser Kuo
In the mainstream media China still occupies the role of the main adversary of the West. It's usually portrayed negatively, as a belligerent country and a paragon of human rights abuses. But is China really just an endless Asian gulag, or is the picture a bit more complicated?To find out I talked to Kaiser Kuo, creator and host of the Sinica podcast, and former Director of International Communicat
In politics and in the workplace, WHY do we keep electing BAD LEADERS? With Dr. Martin Gutmann
The omnipresent problem of bad leadership in politics and business seems to be more pressing than ever. So why do we keep choosing incompetent leaders? What kind of people get ahead in the workplace? What does good leadership actually look like? And finally - do I have what it takes to fulfil my lifelong dream and become an effective basketball coach? Tune in to my convo with historian Martin Gutm
The TOTALITARIANISM of Stalin, Hitler and... Trump? With Prof. Marci Shore
Marci Shore is a historian, chair in European Intellectual history, a professor at the Munk School of Global affairs, and the author of The Taste of Ashes: The Afterlife of Totalitarianism in Eastern Europe. Since she's an expert in the history of totalitarian regimes, I ask her about Hitler's Nazi Germany, the brutal claustrophobia of Stalinism, the twisted psychology of Soviet purges and the tot
AI empires are here - what are they after? With Nick Srnicek
What are the motivations of artificial intelligence CEO's, people like Peter Thiel, Elon Musk and Sam Altman? What kind of ideologies are animating Silicon Valley? Why are AI companies, such as Palantir, suddenly signing huge military contracts with the Pentagon? I addressed all of these questions to Nick Srnicek, Senior Lecturer in Digital Economy at King's College London and author of Silicon Em
The MIND-BENDING science of BLACK HOLES, with Marcus Chown
Marcus Chown is an award-winning writer, broadcaster and former radio astronomer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He's the author of The Ascent of Gravity, Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt you and Afterglow of Creation.His latest title, A Crack in Everything: How Black Holes Came in from the Cold and Took Cosmic Centre Stage details the mind-blowing science of black holes, and trac
Why does Gen Z think we Millennials are CRINGE? With Dr. Carolina Are
In light of a scandalous recent Guardian article which explored why Zoomers think we Millennials are profoundly uncool, I desperately needed some answers. So I turned to Dr. Carolina Are, an Innovation Fellow and a social media researcher at Northumbria University’s Centre for Digital Citizens.We proceeded to talk about the list of perceived millennial sins, the many different aesthetic sensibilit
Did the Great Crash of 1929 really propel HITLER into power? With Dr. Christopher Dillon
Dr. Christopher Dillon is Senior Lecturer in Modern German History at King’s College London who has authored many books and articles on the history of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.In this conversation we tackle the supposedly failing economy of the Weimar Republic, how this perception helped the Nazis take power, why big business supported Hitler, but also what economic policies did the Na
Massacres, the Children's Crusade and Kingdom of Heaven - History of CRUSADES with Prof. Nicholas Morton (Pt.II)
Welcome back to the second episode of the extraordinary history of the CRUSADES, with renowned historian Prof. Nicholas Morton from Nottingham Trent University.In this episode we discuss the unexpected military success of the First Crusade, the horrific massacres that followed, the resulting establishment of the Crusader States and the initiation of the Knights Templar - but also their ultimate de
God Wills It: The HOLY WAR That Changed History forever | CRUSADES with Nicholas Morton, Pt. I
Nicholas Morton is an Associate Professor in Middle Eastern history at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, and has been teaching Medieval - Middle Eastern History, especially the history of the Crusades, since 2008.In the first part of our conversation on the CRUSADES, we talk about the conditions in medieval Europe at the turn of the 11th century, the religious ideas that made the prospect of
What if REALITY is an elaborate COSMIC PLAY? A mind-bending conversation with James Glattfelder
Dr. James Glattfelder is a theoretical physicist turned complexity scientist, who's interested in the really big picture, questions such as the nature of consciousness, the universe and reality itself. He's also the author of the book The Sapient Cosmos: What a modern-day synthesis of science and philosophy teaches us about the emergence of information, consciousness, and meaning.In this mind-bend
Luka Doncic and the most SHOCKING TRADE in the history of sports - with ESPN's Tim McMahon
Tim McMahon is a sports writer and journalist covering the NBA for ESPN. He is also the author of the book, Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness.In this conversation we talk about Luka Doncic's beginnings in the NBA, his exceptional basketball talents and competitive nature, but most of all, we talk about his involuntary move to the Los Angeles Lakers, in what is quickly becoming one
How a strain of rice changed the course of human history FOREVER | Sunil Amrith
Sunil Amrith is a professor of History at Yale University. He is the author of four books, and a recipient of multiple awards including a MacArthur “Genius” fellowship. His latest book is called The Burning Earth: An Environmental History of the Last 500 Years. In this conversation we explore the impact the environment has on the development of civilisations - we begin a 1000 years ago in medieval
Why are the YAKUZA going extinct? With Jake Adelstein, author of TOKYO VICE
Jake Adelstein was a reporter for the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, from 1993 to 2005. He has also written for The Daily Beast/Newsweek, The Independent, and The Guardian, and is a regular contributor to The Atlantic Wire. However, most of us will probably be familiar with the name from the hit TV series Tokyo Vice, which is based on his memoir.In this conversation we talk about his
How the FAR-RIGHT is destroying the West from within, with dr. Nafeez Ahmed
Dr. Nafeez Ahmed is a trans-disciplinary academic, investigative journalist and systems theorist, who's also the author of the best-selling book, “The Alt Reich: The Network War to Destroy the West from Within”. In this conversation we're talking about the long historical reach of the far-right, it's shadowy resurgence after WWII, as well as it's current, frightening grip on Western politics.We al
Are we on the verge of LIVING FOREVER? With dr. Ariel Zeleznikow - Johnston
Dr. Ariel Zeleznikow - Johnston is a neuroscientist, and a Research Fellow at Monash University. He's also the author of the acclaimed book, The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death.In this conversation we talk about the current prospects of brain preservation, the possibilities of mind revival in the future, and also about the implications of living unimaginably long lives.
If we come from different cultures, do we FEEL the same? With prof. Batja Mesquita
Batja Mesquita is a social psychologist, an affective scientist, and a pioneer of cultural psychology. She is a professor of psychology at the University of Leuven, Belgium, and director of the Center for Social and Cultural Psychology at the University of Leuven. She's also the author of the groundbreaking book, “Between Us - How Cultures Create Emotions,” In this conversation we explore the comp
What is a HANGOVER... and how do you treat one? With Dr. Sally Adams
The holiday season is here, which means we need to have a conversation about... ALCOHOL. And that's why I invited dr. Sally Adams, an alcohol researcher from the University of Birmingham, to the pod to discuss the physiological and psychological effects of alcohol consumption, the risks associated with drinking, and the cultural expectations surrounding alcohol use. We also talked about alcohol's
Does the Universe Have a Purpose? With prof. Philip Goff
Phillip Goff is a professor of philosophy at Durham University and the author of extremely thought-provoking books, such as Consciousness and Fundamental Reality, Galileo's Error: Foundations for a New Science of Consciousness and his last one Why? The Purpose of the Universe.We talk about the utterly improbable conditions for life in the universe, the stubborn problem of human consciousness, the
How HITLER took power... and what's it got to do with DONALD TRUMP? With dr. Timothy Ryback
Timothy Ryback is the co-founder of the Institute for Historical Justice and Reconciliation in the Hague. Some of His previous books include the highly acclaimed Hitler's Private Library: The Books that Shaped his Life, The Last Survivor: Legacies of Dachau, and Hitler's first Victims: The Quest for Justice.His latest book, Takeover: Hitler's Final Rise to Power just came out and has already been
The history of the OCCULT with dr. Justin Sledge from Esoterica
Dr. Justin Sledge is a professor of philosophy and religion whose work focuses on the Western Esoteric Tradition, particularly in religious and philosophical thought. He's also the host and creator of the extremely popular Youtube channel, Esoterica.In this exhilarating conversation we talk about the fascinating tradition of summoning demonic entities, mystical experiences and magic, as well as th
GLADIATORS with Alexander Mariotti
As an undying fan of Ridley Scott's Gladiator, I've always wanted to learn the real history of these celebrated, yet mysterious figures - and now I finally have the chance...Alexander Mariotti is a Roman historical consultant and a leading speaker on gladiatorial life, combat, and weaponry.Following academic work, his main focus has been working as an advisor to the media, featuring in countless d
Is AI mostly hype? With dr. Emmanuel Maggiori
Dr. Emmanuel Maggiori is a software engineer, writer, and speaker, who's on a mission to help develop a more balanced view about the tech and AI industries in the midst of the relentless hype. He's also the author of the books Smart Until It's Dumb and Siliconned: How the tech industry solves fake problems, hoards idle workers, and makes doomed bets with other people's money.We talk about the pote
Prof. NORMAN FINKELSTEIN on Zionism, Israeli society, Gaza, Genocide, Kamala Harris and his debate with Destiny
Professor Norman Finkelstein is a political scientist whose primary fields of research are the politics of the Holocaust and the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He's the author of many books, such as The Holocaust Industry, I'll burn that bridge when I get to it, and Gaza: an Inquest into its martyrdom.We talk about the origins of Zionism, the current state of Israeli society, the horror of the conf
Did we domesticate DOGS or did dogs domesticate us? With prof. Greger Larson
The story of dog domestication seems as simple as pie - humans took some wolf puppies, brought them over to the campfire and the rest is history... However, the truth is far less straightforward and far murkier, sometimes even downright bizarre.From rabbits and chickens, to dogs and cats, prof. Greger Larson, an evolutionary geneticist from University of Oxford breaks down the extremely complicate
What does the BIBLE really say? With dr. Dan McClellan
Daniel McClellan is a scholar of the Bible and religion, and an honorary fellow at the University of Birmingham's Cadbury Centre for the Public Understanding of Religion.He's also the co-host of the Data over Dogma podcast and runs a brilliant Tik Tok channel where he tackles common questions and misunderstandings about the Bible.In this amazingly illuminating conversation we talk about the origin
NEANDERTHALS with Prof. Chris Stringer
Chris Stringer is a physical anthropologist celebrated for his work on human evolution, as well as a research leader in human origins at the Natural History Museum in London. He comes back to Smart Cookies to share of his vast knowledge on my favourite archaic humans, the Neanderthals. We discuss their origins, culture, language, technology, interbreeding with Homo Sapiens, their eventual extincti
The French Revolution with Prof. David Andress: The Terror (Part 2)
In the second part of the fantastic conversation about the FRENCH REVOLUTION with historian David Andress, we discuss the downward spiral of Louis XVI, the relentless reign of terror, the bloody civil wars that rocked France... as well as the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte.
The French Revolution with Prof. David Andress (Part 1)
Professor David Andress is a renowned historian of the French Revolution at the University of Portsmouth. In this episode we talk about the prelude to arguably the most important revolution of all time, the deteriorating social conditions before the storm, the emerging class of urban revolutionaries, the that were ideas driving them... as well as the events that finally push France into irreversib
The real history behind SHOGUN with Thomas Lockley
Thomas Lockley is Associate Professor at Nihon University College of Law in Tokyo, where he teaches courses about the international and multicultural history of Japan and East Asia.We talk about the REAL HISTORY behind the "Shogun" TV show, but also about feudal Japan, the Samurai, the arrival of Europeans... as well as Prof. Lockley's latest book "A Gentleman from Japan."
Why did Rome fall? And will the West follow? With Professor Peter Heather
Peter Heather is Chair of Medieval History at King's College London. Some of his most famous books include The Fall of the Roman Empire, Rome Resurgent, Christendom, and most recently Why Empires Fall: Rome, America and the Future of the West.We talk about the last days of the western Roman empire, the role of barbarians, the rise of the Persian empire, decadence, popular cliches, the worst Roman
WITCH TRIALS with Professor Alison Rowlands
Alison Rowlands is a Professor of European history at the University of Essex researching witchcraft of the early modern period in central Europe.We talk about medieval beliefs in the supernatural, witch trials, the Inquisition, torture, the role of gender in accusations of witchcraft, as well as witchcraft in popular culture.
Life of a KGB spy with Jack Barsky
The Illegals was a network of sleeper agents created by KGB, who were sent into western countries, pretending to be ordinary citizens. Jack Barsky was a young German man when he signed up and became one of the few Illegals who sent straight into the belly of the beast - into the US. We discuss his early life in East Germany, the KGB training he went through in Moscow, his mission in the US, the ev
The History of EASTERN EUROPE with Jacob Mikanowski
Jacob Mikanowski is a Polish-American journalist, writer and academic who's recently published an amazing book on the history of EASTERN EUROPE called "Goodbye Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land." Jacob and I talk about the origins of Slavs, the surprising role of slavery in early kingdoms, the colourful medieval Slavdom, as well as modern stereotypes and our unique sense of hum
FILMMAKING and HOLLYWOOD with Uwe Boll
Uwe Boll is an infamous German film director, a Hollywood outcast consistently panned by critics, who produced and directed more than 30 films, working with some of the biggest names in show business.We talk about his everlasting passion for film, humble beginnings, first feature, developing a hard skin, hanging out with Mike Tyson and boxing his critics in the ring.
Flukes, Chance, Chaos and Why Everything We Do Matters with Brian Klaas
Most of us believe our lives are ordered by reason, or at least some kind of a sensible narrative... However, much as we hate to admit it, chance, randomness and chaos all play a crucial role in our lives (as well as our societies) - and that's exactly what Brian Klaas, associate professor in Global politics at University College London, wrote a phenomenal book about (called Fluke: Chance, Chaos a
The bizarre history of DRUG USE in NAZI GERMANY, with Norman Ohler
I talk to Norman Ohler, the author of the best-selling book Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany. We discuss the hidden history of widespread drug use in the Third Reich, the mass consumption of methamphetamines by the German army, as well as Adolf Hitler's spiralling dependence on "injections" administered to him by his doctor, Theo Morell.
Leaving the world of CONSPIRACIES behind, with Brent Lee
Brent Lee is an ex-conspiracy theorist who's managed to escape the rabbit hole after dwelling in its depths for 15 years. These days he's known as the host of the "Some Dare Call It Conspiracy" podcast, through which he's trying to help people who are still caught up in these beliefs.We talk about his descent into the bizarre world of conspiracies, the impact they had on his personal life, his bel
NAPOLEON with dr. Michael Rowe
Dr. Michael Rowe is a Reader in modern European History at King's College London. Over the last two decades he has published extensively on the period of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars.In this episode of Smart Cookies we talk about Napoleon's rise, his personality, conquests and defeats, as well as his relationship with Josephine and finally, bout Ridley Scott's divisive Napoleon biopic
Badass Women of the Mongol Empire with dr. Tobias Jones
Dr. Tobias Jones is a researcher, historian and lecturer of Mongol history at Leiden University. Back by popular demand, he returns to Smart Cookies to talk about some of the most powerful women of the Mongol Empire. We also talk discuss upbringing and the role of Mongolian women, the ancient custom of bride kidnapping, levirate marriage, whispers of warrior women, and Marco Polo doing kung-fu in
Is there Life after Death? Near-death experiences with dr. Bruce Greyson
Bruce Greyson is a Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neuro-behavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia, who has studied near-death experiences for more than 45 years and is one of the world’s leading experts on their science and significance. He is the author of After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond, co-author of Irreducible Mind and co-editor o
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Tariq Ali is a writer, filmmaker and a leading figure of the international left since the 60s. He is a long-standing editor of the New Left Review and a political commentator published on every continent. His books include The Clash of Fundamentalisms, The Obama Syndrome and the latest, Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes, which we discuss in this episode.We also talk about Churchill's racist
Funding our own Demise: Why do we keep pumping money into FOSSIL FUELS, with IISD's Tara Laan
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VAMPIRES and SLAVIC FOLKLORE with Prof. Stanley Stepanic
Stanley Stepanic is an Assistant Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Virginia. To date he has published three textbooks that have been released in recent editions - these are "Dracula or the Timeless Path of the Vampire," "Russian and East European Film", and "Russian Folklore". In addition to such publications, Professor Stepanic has been very active in the public s
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