3 Takeaways

Attention Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos: What on earth are you thinking?! Settling in space is fraught with monumental challenges. Here, serious and funny spaceheads Kelly and Zach Weinersmith discuss some of them — the effects of partial gravity on sex and having babies, food and energy production, laws that govern space society, and more.

Karl Rove, former political consultant and presidential advisor, shares his take on the current ugliness in American politics … the critical challenges of the Republican and Democratic parties … the immorality of Donald Trump … the corruption of Joe Biden … and how America can be healed. Don’t miss this riveting talk with a remarkable man.

According to U.S. Congressman Tony Gonzales, whose district runs along the majority of Texas’ border with Mexico, the border is “essentially open and anyone can cross.”
Here, with blunt honesty, he talks about the scope of the problem, its horrifying impact, how little is being done to address it, and our desperate need for genuine solutions.

The U.S. and China are locked in an economic battle that threatens world stability. According to former Morgan Stanley Asia Chairman Stephen Roach, both nations are equally at fault for relying on false narratives to accuse the other. Listen, as he shares both countries’ perspectives and answers the critical question: Is there a way out?

Imagine a world in which no child starves to death and electricity is available to just about all. Raj Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, has a plan for making it happen: making big bets — the kind that have worked to vaccinate 900 million children and stop the spread of Ebola. Learn why thinking big is key to solving big challenges. Raj's new book is Big Bets.

The attempt across much of America to achieve social justice by advantaging people based on their identity is noble and well-intended. It’s also misguided and destined to fail. So says Yascha Mounk, a professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. Listen as he explains the need for a shared humanity.

Why does the feeling of inequality lead some people to make self-defeating decisions? Why does feeling poor sometimes have a more powerful effect on people than actually being poor? How can people avoid the damage caused by feeling “less than?” Keith Payne, a psychology professor at the University of North Carolina, has answers.

The world is filled with speculation about the impact of AI, automation and other technologies. Here, a world-leading tech analyst, Benedict Evans, shares his unique insights into what the near- and long-term future will hold, especially for jobs. Other topics include ChatGPT, crypto, Chinese EVs, virtual reality, blockchain, and more.

Failure will happen. Count on it. Especially in today’s complex, uncertain world. Here, Harvard professor Amy Edmonson explains how we can transform our relationship with failure, how people and organizations can fail wisely, and how we can use failure as powerful fuel for success. You may never look at failure the same way again.

“Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard. In the end, what’s most meaningful is creating positive, uplifting outcomes.” 

Danny Meyer, founder and Chairman of Union Square Hospitality Group, whose restaurants have won an unprecedented 28 James Beard Awards, several three Michelin stars, and a Julia Child Award, says he once thought he was primarily in the business of serving good food but learned that food is secondary to something that matters even more. He shares on delivering uplifting outcomes and outstanding hospitality. 

Along with major technological advances come major security threats. Here, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technologies, Anne Neuberger, reveals some of America’s most serious threats and some of the steps we’re taking to counter them. There’s good reason to feel both worried and secure.

Working remotely is having a dramatic impact across a wide swath of society — including how and where we live, how business is run, real estate values, hiring practices, and more. But its impact on productivity is minimal. Here, Stanford’s Nick Bloom shares his latest findings on working from home and what we can expect in the future.

Former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Admiral Bill Owens, fervently believes we need to see “the other side of the story” — the perspective of other countries and people. With that in mind, wait till you hear his surprising thoughts on China, Taiwan, Russia, the war in Ukraine, and other hot button issues of the day.

Becoming more influential is within your grasp, and it doesn't mean becoming a selfish ass — says Yale professor Zoe Chance, who teaches the wildly popular course Mastering Influence and Persuasion. Here, she shares brilliant, simple strategies — including the “magic question” to ask — to get what you want in a graceful way.

“The bedrock principle of influencing behavior is … to have people react unconsciously in a favorable way.”

Now for some wonderful news. There’s a global public-private alliance that has done what no other organization could: helped vaccinate almost half the world’s children, about a billion, against deadly and debilitating diseases. Learn about Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, from its CEO Seth Berkley, and the innovative funding mechanisms that have helped it succeed.

A wristband that enables deaf people to “hear.” Brain implants that enable you to control a robotic arm. Neurotechnology that enables blind people to “see.” In this mind-boggling talk, Stanford neuroscientist David Eagleman reveals how the brain’s plasticity and breakthroughs in neurotech are enabling us to ask: How do you want to experience the universe? What kind of senses and body do you want to have?

Why do some schools routinely produce high-performing students? How truly important is class size? Why do charter schools typically outperform regular schools — is it the schools themselves, the students they attract, or a combination of both? Get ready to be educated on crucial issues of education by Nobel Prize laureate Joshua Angrist.

How did legendary business leader Alan Mulally rescue both Ford and Boeing? With a detailed set of principles and practices he calls love by design. Inspired by the teachings of his parents, this cultural manifesto stresses love and respect for all participants, radical honesty and humility, and an ironclad commitment to the greater good.

The transformation to AI-enabled warfare is happening at breakneck speed. The stakes are huge and — given the sophistication and vulnerability of the weapons systems — so are the risks. Former Pentagon defense expert Paul Scharre explains in chilling detail how the future of global security is at stake and how AI changes everything. 

Tech companies, including Apple, Facebook, Netflix, and others, go to great lengths to hook us and keep us addicted to their devices and programs. The deliberateness and details of how they do it are shocking. And the addiction is so harmful, many tech execs (like Steve Jobs) don’t allow their own kids to use the devices. Listen, and learn from NYU’s Adam Alter.

Why do we have so many incompetent male leaders in both government and the private sector? According to a University College London professor, we focus too much on stylistic indicators like charisma and confidence. What are the best traits for effective leaders? Are female leaders different? Who are examples of great leaders? Listen and learn.

New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is a beloved and important cultural icon. Here, its President and CEO, Dan Weiss, shares his brilliant insight into the essential role of art museums in contemporary life, the astonishing growth of the Met’s online audience, how technology helps satisfy the human need to connect with art, and more.

Now for some good news: According to Abhijit Banerjee, a Nobel Prize winner for his work fighting poverty, extreme global poverty is “entirely solvable.” Hear what this practical visionary says about the necessity and limitations of aid, why the poor often end up with harmful healthcare, and the surprising optimism of many who are impoverished.

Fasten your seatbelt. One month after becoming CEO of United Airlines, Oscar Munoz had a massive heart attack. Hear what this warm and wise man born in Mexico says about leadership, beating death, his immigrant experience, DEI, the return of supersonic air travel, the inevitability of flying cars, and much more.

Breakthroughs in bio-acoustic technology are enabling scientists, including Karen Bakker, to “hear” an astonishing assortment of sounds made by animals, insects, and even plants. The implications are stunning, will impact environmental governance, and may fundamentally alter our relationships with other species. 

One of America’s most popular governors, Phil Murphy (Dem. NJ), lowers his guard and reveals what life is really like as governor, what surprised him most about the job, why he’s a work in progress, his thoughts on partisanship, how he’s been successful in four different careers, and more.

Some words have extraordinary power to help us persuade others, build stronger relationships, improve customer satisfaction, and captivate audiences. Here, Wharton professor Jonah Berger reveals six key types of magic words that can dramatically increase your impact and help you get what you want. Words matter, especially these.

Don't miss this wide-ranging conversation with Airbnb Global Head of Hosting Catherine Powell on the new importance of travel, the blurring of business and leisure travel, what some of the most unusual and fabulous Airbnb experiences are, how a company actually executes on core values like curiosity and the keys to post-pandemic leadership.

The workplace is filled with challenging situations and people, and how we handle them plays a major role in our success. Here, Harvard Business Review contributing editor and noted workplace expert Amy Gallo discusses the benefits of both friction and humility, provides tips for how to succeed at difficult conversations, and offers important communication do’s and don’ts.

As Moderna’s Chief Medical Officer, Tal Zaks spearheaded the creation of the company’s revolutionary Covid vaccine. Here, this visionary scientist talks about the game changing impact AI will have on drug development, emerging treatments for cancer and other diseases, the real safety profile of mRNA vaccines, and more.

“A revolution in drug development is coming thanks to AI and machine learning, and it’s going to be fascinating.”

Buckle your seat belt. Chris Leonard, author of The Lords of Easy Money, explains in searing detail how the Federal Reserve’s years of easy money have led to bank failures, market turmoil, income inequality and more — and why the necessary corrective action is “going to be really ugly.” Major mistakes were made. Now what?

Chris Leonard's book, The Lords of Easy Money, was The Wall Street Journal's Best Book of the Year and a New York Times bestseller.

There is massive, well-funded deception that enables many toxic chemicals and products to go unregulated — says former OSHA head David Michaels. He calls it the science of deception and the manufacture of doubt. Listen, as he explains in shocking detail how corporations pay for corrupt science and disinformation to influence government agencies, and where it’s happening today.

“We have this image that the government is protecting us [from toxic chemicals] and I saw from the inside that this is not the case.”

AI is transforming society. We can still determine how. MIT dean and co-author with Henry Kissinger and Eric Schmidt of The Age of AI, discusses how and why we need to partner with this foundational technology. He also shares some surprising examples how AI is being integrated into the basic fabric of human activity.

“It’s critical that we do not interact with AI as if it were human.”

Blackstone’s Byron Wien is known for his annual, and remarkably prescient, Ten Surprises. Here, he shares some fascinating 2023 predictions on U.S. presidential politics, interest rates, China, and a possible ceasefire in Ukraine. He also reveals some invaluable life lessons that have helped make him a huge success.

Byron Wien is Vice Chairman of the Private Wealth Solutions Group at Blackstone.

Brain sensors embedded in watches. Earbuds that decode our brainwaves. Neurotechnology that reads our emotions and thoughts, and can be used to manipulate them. It sounds like science fiction, but it’s science fact. Don’t miss this chilling and cautionary talk with Duke professor Nita Farahany, author of The Battle for Your Brain.

We are biologically wired to need connection with others, but live in an age of serious and debilitating isolation. What are the ramifications of this to our health and happiness, and even to our longevity? Stanford’s Geoffrey Cohen brilliantly diagnoses the problem and offers stunningly simple solutions.

Are liberal democracies in long-term decline? Why is the U.S. so intensely polarized and how can it recover from it? What is the serious problem with identity politics? Internationally acclaimed political scientist and author, Stanford’s Frank Fukuyama, has valuable answers.

The one and only Alan S. Blinder, former Vice Chair of the Federal Reserve and member of President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors, shines a brilliant light on some of today’s hottest economic topics — including the politicization of economic policy, the criminality of cryptocurrency, the likelihood of a soft landing, the prospect of a national digital currency, and more.

There’s an epidemic of deception taking place, and while some lying has a valid function, it helps to know when you’re being deceived. Expert Pamela Meyer reveals why we lie, how to spot deception in work and life situations, and how she knew Bill Clinton’s claim that he “never had sex with that woman” was bs.

At a time when government-imposed racial and ethnic classifications are increasingly used to determine peoples’ rights, it’s important for them to make sense. According to law professor and author David Bernstein, they definitely do not. They’re absurd, have negative consequences, and are widely manipulated by “identity entrepreneurs.” 

Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus (Ret.) continues his brilliant, in-depth analysis of the Ukraine war, including whether or not Putin will use nuclear weapons and the risks of a wider war. Also hear his expert views on China, the battlefield of cyberspace, threats posed by Iran, N. Korea and Islamic terrorists, plus the stunning new importance of NATO. Don’t miss this remarkable talk with a remarkable man.

Former CIA Director and General David Petraeus (Ret.), one of the most brilliant military leaders of our generation, talks as only he can about the Ukraine war — how it will end, the likelihood of Putin going nuclear, the risk of a wider war, the weapons Ukraine needs to prevail, and more. Be sure to listen to Part 2 of this engrossing talk next week.

Unlock the secrets to a fulfilling life with Bob Waldinger and Marc Shulz, the heads of Harvard's 80-Year Study of Adult Development, the longest, most in-depth, longitudinal study of human life and thriving ever done. Discover what a good life is, and how we can all have a better one. Even small choices, it turns out, can shape our lives and help us thrive. Learn the simple ingredients that make a good life, the U-shaped curve of happiness and how it's never too late to start. Get ready to be inspired and leave with three actionable takeaways!

Deep personal change that enables you to achieve your goals is absolutely possible. The key: Identify what’s standing in your way, then employ strategies to overcome it. Here, Katy Milkman, Wharton professor and author of the bestseller How to Change, shares many of these powerful strategies. Here’s one: Make hard things fun.

3 Takeaways features revealing conversations with the world’s foremost thinkers, business leaders, writers, politicians, scientists and other newsmakers, who each share three takeaways they consider vital. In this special year-end episode, we present the 10 most powerful and compelling takeaways of 2022. 

Can you guess which takeaway is from each guest? The guests include:
-  former Prime Minster of Australia
-  former Chief of MI6
-  the founder of the world's largest hedge fund
- 7 amazing other guests  

Top 10 Takeaways of 2022 include: 

Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd: War Between China and the US (#95)

Political Commentator George Will: Insights on American Government Today, and Where the Democratic and Republican Parties Have Both Gone Wrong (#87)

The Transforming Power of Hospitality in Business: Setting the Table with Union Square Hospitality Group Founder & CEO Danny Meyer (#75)

Why We Laugh: The Many Shapes and Forms of Laughter with Neuroscientist Sophie Scott (#99)

Former MI6 Chief Sir Alex Younger: Putin's Miscalculations Invading Ukraine, Why Putin May Become More Desperate and Dangerous, Realities of a Spy and the Importance of Trust and Alliances (#83)

Reporting from War Zones with CNN Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward: How What's Reported Differs From the Situation On the Ground (#86)

An Urgent Warning on the Times Ahead with the Founder of the World's Largest Hedge Fund: Ray Dalio (#89)

Business Revolution: Tech, Talent, Purpose, Social And More with Fortune Media CEO Alan Murray (#92)

Ask For More: 2 Questions to Negotiate Almost Anything with Columbia Law School Mediation Clinic Director Alex Carter (#106)

How Worried Should We Be About Dysfunctional Government? A Gifted Constitutional Expert Weighs In (#120)

According to former Senator Phil Gramm, inequality in the U.S. is grossly overstated largely because it fails to take into account massive government aid to low income earners. The implications of this are huge, especially given the current debate about remaking capitalism. Don’t miss this important conversation.

What was America’s response to the Holocaust? What did we know and not know, do and not do, as the catastrophe unfolded? These questions resonate today, when the refugee crisis, immigration and antisemitism are making headlines. Don’t miss this powerful conversation with the co-directors of the new Ken Burns documentary film The U.S. and the Holocaust, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, we are not living in an age of dwindling resources. Generations of people have been taught that the world's rapidly growing population is consuming the planet's natural resources at an alarming rate. But after analyzing the prices of hundreds of commodities and products over the last 100 years, Marian Tupy and Gale Pooley found that resources became more abundant as the population grew. 

To their surprise, they found that we create ever more value out of natural resources, and that now is a time of superabundance and human flourishing. Don’t miss this compelling rationale for optimism.

The world as we know it relies on computer chips, and the most important ones are made largely in Taiwan. This renders the U.S. shockingly vulnerable as China continues saber rattling in the region. Don’t miss this enlightening talk with economic historian and author Chris Miller.

Congressional gridlock has created a vacuum that undermines key principles of the Constitution, raising concerns about the country’s future. Yet constitutional expert extraordinaire Kannon Shanmugam believes our future is bright. Learn why.