The People Who Made 2020 a Better Year For Me.
This Year Was Devoted to Explore The Cosmos, Consciousness, and Everything in Between Through Conversations With The Most Brilliant Minds.
“It feels as if 2020 will be a weird year” my brother told me on new year’s eve of 2019. Needless to say, weird falls short when it comes to describing what we all have experienced during 2020. The world is facing a big challenge with the outbreak of COVID-19 and it seems to be stress-testing most of the complex systems our daily lives rely upon such as the economy, healthcare, court systems, geopolitics, and so forth.
We migrated on a mass scale to virtual communications rather than organic encounters, many lost their jobs and loved ones. It sure has been a year we will never forget. Among many things 2020 taught me, the most essential is to be grateful for what I have lived and for those who have made me a better individual.
When I launched my Podcast, I never thought I’d learn so much about so many fields from so many brilliant minds. In this article I will share with you my conversations with those who made 2020 a better year for me thanks to their contribution to society — be it in the form of writing a book on the modern version of Zombies (i.e., us), leading a company tackling the biggest challenge we face as a species in the form of climate change, or being there for people facing death.
John Vervaeke
In this episode we talked about many pressing issues we face as human beings, and how all of these challenges derive from one source: a meaning crisis. Professor Vervaeke will enlighten you with his wisdom, and his perspective on what’s happening in today’s world from many angles, such as the creation of Artificial Intelligence, rationality, decision making, the mindfulness revolution, biology, a possible reboot of institutions, the benefits of dialogue, and how all of these ideas relate with cultivating meaning in one’s life.
César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández
In this episode we talked about many aspects of immigration policy, such as the power a passport can have in how one’s life takes shape — from having a stable life to being the reason of being incarcerated; The Industrial Prison Complex; Obama’s administration and its impact on the surge of immigrants being incarcerated; Trump’s influence in opening the Pandora’s Box of immigration policy; The Cold War and its repercussions on immigration reform, and much more.
Watch a video I made on his book Migrating to Prison: America’s Obsession with Locking Up Immigrants below:
Andrew Maynard
This episode aired right at the beginning of the pandemic. It felt as one of the most uncertain times I have ever experienced. This episode — and the books that Andrew has written — — have taught me a lot about our relationship with the future and the responsibility to it. This conversation comes as a remainder that all of us are designers of the future, and we can create it as a “better place than the one we came from”.
Peter Boghossian
We discussed some concerns many have about being in an enclosed space with people for an extended period of time. Also, Peter gives us his take on how to handle impossible conversations during lockdown.
This episode was very honest and personal. We discussed our current life situations and we both shared some of the experiences we’ve had during this weird experience. Peter gave me genuine advice on what can I do to make the best out of this experience, both for me and for my family.
David Samson
Our conversation focused on the future of sports after this pandemic. Even though I had many questions that were less timely, like his experience as a President of a Major League Baseball, this theme was implied in every moment of the episode.
This conversation is a must listen for everyone interested in how will sports look like after this pandemic. And not only that, David also gives us countless insights in the importance of being a good leader and what it means to really lead. His ability to take one step behind and analyze the potential ripple effects of a decision made by him is something I look up to.
Steve Oldham
This conversation comes at a time when the pandemic has hit us hard and it has grabbed everyone’s attention. Still, climate change is perhaps the most pressing challenge we must face as a species. We touched on very interesting topics, including Steve’s trajectory, his vision for the long term and how Carbon Engineering impacts positively in it, the cost of addressing climate change today, and much more.
Steve Oldham is Chief Executive Officer of Carbon Engineering Ltd. (CE), a Canadian-based clean energy company. CE is focused on the deployment of groundbreaking Direct Air Capture technology that captures carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere so it can be stored deep underground or turned into clean transportation fuels.
Isabel Behncke
Where do we come from, what makes us human? What does it really mean to be a social animal? This episode will blow your mind, we talked about how we resemble our primate cousins — the Bonobos — in so many ways, including the importance of play in the way we flourish as individuals and as communities, the effects that lockdown may have on social interactions, key differences between virtual meetings and real life encounters, the importance of our senses, evolution, and much more!
I believe that this conversation enlightened me in a big way. Isabel is an amazing person, and her passion for understanding the underpinnings of what makes us, us is very contagious.
Rachel Armstrong
In this episode we covered a lot of ground, from design, to architecture and its role in the future of humanity which may include us being an interplanetary species, what is innovation for, reconnecting the concrete jungle with the natural one, the cities of the future, and much more.
Shoshana Berger & BJ Miller
In this episode we discuss A Beginners Guide to the End. Talking to Shoshana and BJ has been one of the most amazing experiences ever since I started this Podcast. We dived deep into what we can learn from this collective pause we currently are living in and putting this newly acquired insights into practice, we discussed the importance of revisiting our own nature, one that includes mortality, why is it important to have conversations about death and how to have them with oneself and with others, we also talked about the ways in which we can foster a sense of community in an atomized society, and more.
This conversation has been one that will stay with me for a long time. I am very honored and grateful with BJ and Shoshana for joining me in a deep conversation.
Stephen Hicks
In this conversation, we discuss his book Explaining Postmodernism and topics and questions that sorround it, such as Identity Politics, how to approach philosophy as a young student, what’s the role of universities in today’s world, has Capitalism made the world more prosperous, are all human beings committed to progress, and much more.
This episode comes at a time when ideas are clashing more and more, and it seems that we are forgetting how crucial it is to dialogue with those who oppose our ideas, rather than trying to shut them down. We are approaching an era that will be defined by challenges and uncertainty, and there is no better way of thriving during these times than by creating ties with people, and not by engaging in more divisive practices.
This is why I believe that my conversation with Dr. Hicks was so important, as we engaged in a meaningful dialogue that had as its purpose to engage with our ideas critically. If we want to thrive as a species, we must recognize that dialogue in our universities, and both in the public and private sphere, is a crucial component of it.
We must be able to open the conversation and challenge ideas, such as the notion of progress, globalism, individuality and collectivism. I hope this conversation inspires you to open your heart and ears for those who oppose you, and that you are able to engage with them in a civil, honest and critical manner.
Chris Williamson
In this conversation we dive deep into what makes Modern Wisdom such a unique podcast. We also discuss his newest ebook named The Ultimate Life Hacks List where Chris has compiled over 200 ways of upgrading your existence, including productivity hacks, healthy habit building, social advice, mindset, and more. I have downloaded The Ultimate Life Hacks List and hands down is one of the best guides that are out there to help you maximize the payoffs of your time here on earth.
Chris walks his talk. He is an example for all of us who want to start a new business, project or just want to begin building something out of nothing. Not only that, he has created a platform to share with us all of what it means to have wisdom during the 21st Century.
Roman Krznaric
Think about it for a second, you and I are living in the one and only planet we currently know for sure that sustains life, in the whole universe. Let that sink in. How do you relate with your immediate surroundings? How does your neighborhood look like? How would you like it to look like for the moment when your kids, and their kids, inherit it? Are we currently living with a lifestyle that embraces the idea that we are living in the only planet that we know of that has life within it? Does this idea make you think about how much do you apply the golden rule in every interaction you have with other people, your surroundings, and the Earth itself?
My conversation with Roman and his newest book The Good Ancestor has made me become aware of this. It has always been in my mind, the notion that we haven’t found life elsewhere, but I have never thought about how this impacts the life of my children, which I don’t plan on having anytime soon, and their children. This is what Roman calls “deep time humility”, which means that we can take a step back and think critically about how little time we have to experience life within this blue marble , and how much impact we can have in it.
Unfortunately, right now we are affecting it on the negative more than on the positive. This means that the world that my children inherit will almost certainly be left off worse than the one I inherited. Of course, no one ever has in its right mind the goal of leaving the planet worse for our future generations, but that’s exactly what we are doing. But, as Roman argues in his book The Good Ancestor, we can do something about it.
In this conversation we discussed the many ways in which we can be Good Ancestors, from redesigning our political systems so they can take into account the long-term, how can individuals, such as you and me, live a lifestyle that makes us a Good Ancestor, we discuss six types of long-term thinking, and much more.
This is by far one of the most important conversations I will share with you during my trajectory in this show. It made me Think of my future kids, their future kids, and being Good Ancestors; Reading the Good Ancestor has made me want to Apply the Golden Rule with future generations, who have no saying in the world they will inherit, and how being a good ancestor and living a good life are not mutually exclusive but rather excellent complements.
Charles Murray
In this conversation, we discuss his newest book, “Human Diversity” in which he argues that advances in genetics and neuroscience are overthrowing an intellectual orthodoxy that has ruled the social sciences for decades. The core of this orthodoxy consists of three dogmas: gender is a social construct; race is a social construct; and class is a function of privilege. “Human Diversity” posits that all three dogmas are half-truths that have stifled progress in our understanding of the social, political, and economic worlds we live in.
This topic is one that is highly contested and has become the kind of conversation that gets heated always or ends up with someone getting canceled by someone who disagrees with the ideas that were said on public record. Even though it is not necessary, I feel that I must state the obvious, at least for those who have been listening to this Podcast for the past year: I don’t have an agenda in this Podcast other than being curious about our nature, about what makes us us, and about who we are, what we can be, and all that is in between. That, of course, includes our biology.
To keep this show’s statement of purpose truthful, I decided to interview three different brilliant minds who are experts in the conversation around the three orthodoxies that are being disputed by Dr. Charles Murray in his most recent book, Human Diversity. Next week, I’ll speak with Angela Saini, author of “Superior”, and her position is that race is indeed a social construct. Afterwards, I’ll be talking with Dr. Dalton Conley, author of The Genome Factor who, for me, offered a more central approach to this conversation.
I hope this “mini series” that will tackle the conversation around our nature as human beings will amplify your perspective on who we are, and more importantly, will make you curious about it so you can interact with all sides of the conversation, rather than only accepting the one that fits with your worldview.
Angela Saini
In this conversation, we talked about her newest book Superior: the Return of Race Science and many ideas that surround her book, including the nature vs. nurture debate, how should we define progress, genetics, creeping ideologies in science, and much more.
Dalton Conley
In this conversation, we discuss his book The Genome Factor: What the Social Genomics Revolution Reveals about Ourselves, Our History, and the Future. We dive deep into the nature vs. nurture debate, genetics and the role they play in the way we develop as human beings, genetic diversity, the “Gay” Gene, sperm banks and the use of genetic information, Tinder and 23 and Me, and more.
Stewart Alsop III*
Stewart is the Host of @getcrazywisdom. Instead of asking people what they do, he asks people why they do it. This episode was one of the best conversations recorded yet. I did not prepare any questions for Stewart, we just engaged in deep conversation into the rabbit-hole on both a macro and micro perspective. A funny thing happened during our interview:
*To end 2020 with a bang, my conversation with Stewart will air next week— stay tuned!
I am beyond thankful with all of the people who joined me this year to explore everything that surrounds the human experience, from the cosmos to the human genome, from philosophy to practical advice.
I truly believe that Through Conversations we can discover all of what makes us, us, and all of what makes our existence worthwhile.
I can’t wait for what 2021 holds for this show, and I am eager to ride along with all of you who have tuned in to listen.
