E110: Population Collapse: What It Means for Humanity - w/ Dr. Mads Larsen

Patrick Winn discusses his book Narcotopia, exploring the rise of the most powerful drug cartel in Asia, its ties to the CIA, and its transition from heroin to methamphetamine production in Myanmar's Wa State.Guest Bio:Patrick Winn is an investigative journalist based in Bangkok, Thailand, specializing in black markets and underworld economies across Asia. His latest book, NarcoTopia, delves into the powerful narco-state in Myanmar, its history with drug trafficking, and the complex relationship with the CIA.Topics Discussed:The Golden Triangle and its role in the global drug tradeThe rise of Myanmar’s Wa State as a narco-stateThe clash between the CIA and DEA over drug trade controlTransition from heroin to methamphetamine production in MyanmarThe influence of China on the Wa StateThe complex relationship between the U.S. and global drug cartelsThe ethics of investigating criminal organizationsTop 3 Quotes:“The world’s most powerful drug trafficking organization is not in Mexico, it’s not in Colombia, it’s in Myanmar.”“China supplies weapons to the WAA, political guidance, medicine, mobile phone towers. You’d think they were a client state of China.”“Be curious about people that you’ve been told are scumbags. Reach out to them, try to meet them, and you might actually learn something.”📺Watch Full Pod on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/pSSQFk7iefI 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

20 Mai 46min

Vauhini Vara explores the impact of technology on identity, grief, and personal agency in a world dominated by AI and surveillance capitalism.Guest Bio:Vauhini Vara is a journalist and prize-winning author whose work focuses on technology, its societal impacts, and selfhood in the digital age. She has written for numerous outlets and authored books such as Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age. Wahini has worked as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal and has written extensively on the role of tech companies in shaping modern life.Topics Discussed:The intersection of selfhood and technologyThe power of big tech companies and their influence on societyAI’s role in shaping language and the future of workThe implications of surveillance capitalismThe evolution of Silicon Valley and its impact on cultureGrief and technology's role in processing personal lossAgency and personal choices in a tech-driven worldTop 3 Quotes:"The goal of these companies is to get us to use these products for longer and longer periods, because that makes them more money.""What these companies are doing is that they are amassing so much knowledge about us that they will ultimately have this body of knowledge that far exceeds anything that we as individuals, as communities, as institutions can possibly know.""Only we can tell our own stories because only we have the experiences that we have the position in the world that we have."📺Watch full pod on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/cdbHeBS5JAY 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

13 Mai 48min

Medical research journalist Tony Edwards joins us to discuss the research behind his books The Good News About Booze and The Very Good News About Wine. He challenges common myths about alcohol and health, based on deep dives into medical literature.Topics covered:Health Benefits of alcohol Wine’s effects on heart disease, diabetes, and dementiaWhy alcohol doesn’t necessarily lead to weight gainHow public health messaging gets it wrongBest kinds of wine AND MORE Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/Q0AYwStXsHw 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

6 Mai 50min

🎙️ In this episode, economist and futurist Robin Hanson (George Mason University) explores the global fertility decline and what it means for innovation, culture, and civilization’s future.We discuss:Why fertility is falling even in times of plentyHow cultural drift is driving demographic collapseWhy population decline may slow innovation and collapse economiesWhat happens when civilizations are replaced by high-fertility subculturesWhether AI can save us — or if lifeboats like the Amish already haveA fascinating, wide-ranging look at what happens after the peak.📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️ https://youtu.be/1LfALQy0E9Q 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

29 Apr 1h 9min

In this episode, Jesse talks with Dr. Donald Asher, renowned career strategist and author of Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why. They dive into how to survive toxic workplaces, master office politics, manage your boss (without brown-nosing), and build a reputation that gets you promoted — even in remote and AI-disrupted workplaces.Topics Discussed:Why almost every workplace is toxic — and how to survive itThe 80/20 rule for career successWhy you must manage your boss to get promotedWhen to go to HR — and when it can ruin your careerHow AI and remote work are changing office politicsWhy staying late can hurt you more than help youStrategic job-hopping and the power of moving citiesHow to become irreplaceable — without getting stuckMentioned Books:📘 Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn’t, and Why📘 How to Get Any Job📘 Cracking the Hidden Job Market📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/sJakStmNYqY 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

17 Apr 1h 18min

Sociologist Timothy Gill joins us to explore the roots of Venezuela’s crisis, the role of U.S. foreign policy, and how race, oil, and ideology shape the country's fate. We dig into the real impact of sanctions, the legacy of Hugo Chávez, the rise of Nicolás Maduro, and the tangled web of neocolonialism, corruption, and mass migration.🔍 Topics include:U.S. democracy promotion via USAID & NEDChávez-era social policy vs. economic mismanagementThe politics of oil, sanctions, and sovereign wealthFirsthand accounts of class and race divides in VenezuelaWhy millions have fled—and what happens next🎧 Tune in for a wide-ranging, on-the-ground perspective on one of the most polarizing stories in global politics.📺Watch full episode on YouTube📺https://youtu.be/OTBSsgagoQE 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

8 Apr 1h 13min

Is cholesterol really the villain? Or have we been misled by decades of flawed research?In this explosive interview, Dr. Malcolm Kendrick—author of The Great Cholesterol Con—challenges the mainstream narrative around heart disease, cholesterol, and statins. He unpacks the real root causes of cardiovascular disease, including blood clotting, stress, and the overlooked role of chronic inflammation.We discuss:Why statins may not be the miracle drugs you thinkHow the diet-heart hypothesis went mainstream (despite weak evidence)The role of gum disease, cortisol, and even loneliness in heart attacksWhat the data actually says about LDL cholesterol and mortalityWhat you should really be doing to protect your heart📺Watch the full episode on YouTube📺https://youtu.be/MWRyf99yXiQ 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

30 Mar 1h 37min

In this episode, Jesse speaks with Professor Richard Faragher, one of the UK’s leading researchers on the biology of aging. They dive deep into why only 18% of people age well, what it means to age badly, and how emerging science is changing our understanding of aging itself.Topics include:The biological and economic toll of agingEvidence that aging is “druggable”Promising research on rapamycin, metformin, and senolyticsWhy repurposed drugs could extend healthy lifespan todayChallenges with clinical trials and drug development costsSocial and economic divides in access to anti-aging therapiesThe role of loneliness, purpose, and lifestyle in agingHow aging compares to other diseases in public perception and fundingThe potential for aging interventions to delay multiple diseases at onceWhat individuals can do now to age betterFaragher also reflects on the political and commercial future of anti-aging medicine—and the race to control its patents.Guest Bio: Dr. Richard Faragher is a professor of biogerontology at the University of Brighton. His research focuses on cellular senescence and the mechanisms of aging, and he’s a leading advocate for translating aging science into real-world interventions.📺Watch the full pod on YouTube 📺https://youtu.be/x6Nru2NkFEM 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

22 Mar 1h 5min