People I (Mostly) Admire

• 167. The Secret of Humanity? It’s Common Knowledge.

  Steven Pinker’s new book argues that all our relationships depend on shared assumptions and “recursive mentalizing” — our constant efforts to understand what other people are thinking. He and Steve talk about the psychology of eye contact, the particular value of Super Bowl ads, and what it’s like to get cancelled. SOURCES:Steven Pinker, professor of psychology at Harvard University. RESOURCES:When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows, by Steven Pinker (2025)."Why I Left Harvard," by Carole Hooven (The Free Press, 2024).Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters, by Steven Pinker (2021)."Economics of Toilet Paper X Thread," by Justin Wolfers (2020)."How a Famous Harvard Professor Became a Target Over His Tweets," by Michael Powell (New York Times, 2020)."Police Killings of Blacks: Here Is What the Data Say," by Sendhil Mullainathan (2015).SuperFreakonomics: Global Cooling, Patriotic Prostitutes, and Why Suicide Bombers Should Buy Life Insurance, by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner (2011).Rational Ritual: Culture, Coordination, and Common Knowledge, by Michael Suk-Young Chwe (2003)."Open Letter to the LSA." EXTRAS:"Steven Pinker: 'I Manage My Controversy Portfolio Carefully,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• How to Have Great Conversations (Update)

  The Power of Habit author Charles Duhigg wrote his new book in an attempt to learn how to communicate better. Steve shares how the book helped him understand his own conversational weaknesses. SOURCES:Charles Duhigg, journalist and author. RESOURCES:Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection, by Charles Duhigg (2024)."2023 Word of the Year Is 'Enshittification,'" by the American Dialect Association (2024)."When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question," by Jancee Dunn (The New York Times, 2023).Smarter Faster Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg (2016)."The 36 Questions That Lead to Love," by Daniel Jones (The New York Times, 2015).The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg (2012)."The Experimental Generation of Interpersonal Closeness: A Procedure and Some Preliminary Findings," by Arthur Aron, Edward Melinat, Elaine N. Aron, Robert Darrin Vallone, and Renee J. Bator (Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1997). EXTRAS:"How Can You Get Closer to the People You Care About?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."How Do You Connect With Someone You Just Met?" by No Stupid Questions (2023)."Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question?" by Freakonomics Radio (2021)."Amanda & Lily Levitt Share What It’s Like to be Steve’s Daughters," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Marina Nitze: 'If You Googled ‘Business Efficiency Consultant,’ I Was the Only Result,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."How to Be More Productive," by Freakonomics Radio (2016).Frozen, film (2013). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• 166. The World’s Most Effective Public Health Intervention Is Under Attack

  Seth Berkley used to run the world's largest vaccine funding organization. He and Steve talk about the incredible value of vaccines, the economics of immunizing the developing world, and the current attacks on public health. SOURCES:Seth Berkley, epidemiologist at Brown University School of Public Health. RESOURCES:"Trump Administration Ends Program Critical to Search for an H.I.V. Vaccine," by Apoorva Mandavilli (New York Times, 2025).Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity, by Seth Berkley (2025)."How a partnership saved millions of children’s lives with vaccines," (Gates Foundation).Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. EXTRAS:"Sendhil Mullainathan Thinks Messing Around Is the Best Use of Your Time," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2021)."Moncef Slaoui: 'It’s Unfortunate That It Takes a Crisis for This to Happen,'" by People I (Mostly) Admire (2020). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• 165. The Economist Who (Gasp!) Asks People What They Think

  Stefanie Stantcheva’s approach seemed like career suicide. In fact, it won her the John Bates Clark Medal. She talks to fellow winner Steve Levitt about why she uses methods that most of the profession dismisses — and what she’s found that can’t be learned any other way. SOURCES:Stefanie Stantcheva, professor of political economy at Harvard University. RESOURCES:"Understanding Economic Behavior Using Open-ended Survey Data," by Ingar Haaland, Christopher Roth, Stefanie Stantcheva, and Johannes Wohlfart (Working Paper, 2025)."Fighting Climate Change: International Attitudes toward Climate Policies," by Antoine Dechezleprêtre, Adrien Fabre, Tobias Kruse, Bluebery Planterose, Ana Sanchez Chico, and Stefanie Stantcheva (American Economic Review, 2025)."Zero-Sum Thinking and the Roots of U.S. Political Divides," by Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2024)."Why Do We Dislike Inflation?," by Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2024)."How to Run Surveys: A Guide to Creating Your Own Identifying Variation and Revealing the Invisible," by Stefanie Stantcheva (Annual Review of Economics, 2022)."Eliciting People's First-Order Concerns: Text Analysis of Open-Ended Survey Questions," by Beatrice Ferrario and Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2022)."Understanding Tax Policy: How Do People Reason?," by Stefanie Stantcheva (The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 2021)."Immigration and Redistribution," by Alberto Alesina, Armando Miano, and Stefanie Stantcheva (NBER Working Paper, 2018). EXTRAS:VerbAI by Generation Lab. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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• Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great (Update)

  From recording some of the first rap hits to revitalizing Johnny Cash's career, the legendary producer has had an extraordinary creative life. In this episode he talks about his new book and his art-making process — and helps Steve get in touch with his own artistic side.  SOURCES:Rick Rubin, music producer and record executive. RESOURCES:The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin (2023).“How Google’s AlphaGo Beat a Go World Champion,” by Christopher Moyer (The Atlantic, 2016).“DMC: The Real Story of Aerosmith + Run-D.M.C.’s ‘Walk This Way’,” by Loudwire (2016).“Hurt,” by Johnny Cash, music video (2003).“Walk This Way,” by Run-DMC, ft. Aerosmoth (1986).“It’s Yours,” by T La Rock (1984).“Walk This Way,” by Aerosmith (1975).The Way of Code. EXTRAS:“How To Be Creative,” series by Freakonomics Radio (2018). Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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