Doppelgangers

Immerse yourself in the world of the peculiar, hair-raising, and downright hilarious with "Last Podcast On The Left." Hosts Henry Zebrowski, Marcus Parks, and Ben Kissel open up the floor to their dedicated listeners in an engaging Q&A session that delves into shared personal experiences, riveting anecdotes, and surreal encounters with psychedelics. This episode offers fans an unbarred entrance into the camaraderie and chemistry that fuels this boisterous trio, taking you on a journey from electrifying tour reminiscences to intimate revelations from behind the microphone.

Yet, the conversation runs much deeper than the laughter. Tackling everything from conspiracy theories to societal etiquette, Henry, Marcus, and Ben navigate through the complexities of morality, civility, and the enigmas of the paranormal with both wit and wisdom. Listen as they unpack intriguing phenomena, disclose struggles, celebrate their unique podcasting journey, and speculate on the profound question of our preparedness for the potential revelation of extraterrestrial life. For enthusiasts of the uncommon narrative and the curious philosopher alike, this nuanced discussion captures the essence of what makes "Last Podcast On The Left" a beacon in the podcasting landscape.

In the latest episode of PBD Podcast, host Patrick Bet-David sits down with a panel of sharp minds, including conservative firebrand Candace Owens, to dissect a myriad of hot-button issues shaping the political and cultural fabric of America. Owens, alongside Adam Sosnick, Vincent Oshana, and Tom Ellsworth, brings a critical eye to the state of the nation, tackling topics from the decline of U.S. education to the controversial export of American cultural norms. The outspoken commentator delves into her transformation from political disengagement to becoming a powerful conservative voice, sparked by the direct appeals of Donald Trump's campaign and her consternation with the current educational pathways leading to exorbitant debt without real-world efficacy.

The conversation further explores the dynamics of cultural vs. political influence, delves into the changing conservative paradigms within the African American community, and candidly navigates the intersection of public personas and digital privacy. Owens doesn't shy away from contentious subjects, critiquing gender identity politics, questioning the validity of the mainstream feminist movement, and debating the role of media in glamorizing criminality while fostering anti-police sentiments. Meanwhile, the panel discusses the emerging prominence of independent media, especially in political discourse, ponders the effects of artificial intelligence on human interaction, and entertains the educational value of case studies over theoretical learnings. Emphasizing her advocacy work through documentary film and addressing various conspiracy theories, Owens rounds off with reflections on her upcoming journey into motherhood.

Embark on a thought-provoking journey into the evolving media landscape with Ben Shapiro in "The Ben Shapiro Show." In this episode, Shapiro confronts the complicated media dynamics encircling Russell Brand. He critically examines the dichotomy between Brand’s past and present—exploring the disparity between his former lifestyle as a provocative celebrity and his current life as a family man. Brand's transformation ignites a broader discourse on authenticity and the media’s propensity for swaying public narratives according to their whims, particularly as Brand seeks to redefine his public persona.

Shapiro doesn't shy away from asking difficult questions about the credibility of historical allegations, sets his sights on the ideological biases in media portrayals, and ponders the erosion of the presumption of innocence for public figures. He also brings into the conversation the political undertones in scrutinizing figures like Joe Rogan and Donald Trump, observing a troublesome pattern where media accusations seem to track with outspokenness rather than evidence. Beyond celebrity, Shapiro delves into the politics of labor, economics, and national defense, reinforcing the complex intersections of media influence, viewer engagement, and commercial interests that pervade both personal narratives and broader political commentary in our time.

For millennia, humans struggled with three serious problems—famine, plagues, and war—which led to the deaths of millions of people and to the rise and fall of global empires. People coped with these problems and answered life's questions with religion. However, in the modern era, we no longer rely on prayer—we’ve mostly overcome these three problems through the development of technology and medical knowledge.

In Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari, a professor at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, envisions a future in which technology replaces humanist ideals and liberal government. Dissecting the concepts of religion, immortality, and technology, Harari argues that the world of the future may be run by advanced algorithms and artificial intelligence, not human beings.

The rapid pace of technological change has impacted our lives and our world in many ways, and our headlong rush into the future may have staggering implications for our species. In The Singularity Is Near, computer scientist Ray Kurzweil predicts that a profound technological shift will change everything about how we live, how society functions, and even what it means to be human. From using genetics to reprogram the body to having the power to digitally augment our brains, the technological Singularity will lead to a future in which even death may one day be forgotten.

In this guide, we’ll explore the ongoing revolutions that together may overturn our current order—bioscience, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence. We’ll examine Kurzweil’s predictions for these technologies, as well as some of their potential dangers. As the book was published in 2005, we’ll also look at how well Kurzweil’s predictions hold up and the different paths that some technologies have taken.

Imagine commuting to work in a flying ride-share car, having your clothes 3D printed, or grilling a lab-grown steak. These might sound like scenes from a science fiction movie, but what if these technologies we think are decades away are actually right around the corner? In The Future Is Faster Than You Think, Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler argue that the future is accelerating toward us because exponential technologies—those developing at increasingly faster rates—are starting to merge, leading to innovations and breakthroughs at unprecedented speeds. The authors predict that by 2030, a blend of these exponential technologies could transform major industries and reshape our lives.

In this guide, we’ll discuss why change and technological progress are occurring at breakneck speed. We’ll then explore the authors’ predictions on how cutting-edge technologies will revolutionize the ways we live and work—from how we learn to how we grow food. Since the book was published in 2020, we’ll provide updates to the authors’ predictions and share additional insights from other experts on how technology trends are shaping our future.

What’s out there in the vast reaches of space? Are we alone in the universe? Renowned astronomer Carl Sagan offers some insight into these questions and many more in his widely acclaimed book, Cosmos.

Sagan is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author and perhaps the greatest astronomer of our age. In this book, he provides a comprehensive description of the science, philosophy, and history of astronomical discovery, from ancient Ionia to the time of the book’s publication in 1980.

In this guide, we’ll delve into Sagan’s theories about the possibility of interstellar travel, the search for extraterrestrial life, and man’s quest for understanding the mysteries of the universe. As we go along, we’ll update the information with the most recent scientific discoveries and provide perspectives from other experts in related fields.

Have you always wanted to understand the natural world but found science classes tedious and science textbooks difficult to understand? Author Bill Bryson can relate—that was his motivation for researching and writing A Short History of Nearly Everything. The book is an accessible overview of the natural sciences that describes not only the important discoveries but also the unknowns and controversies that still exist in the sciences, like the mystery of missing mass in the universe and the puzzling details of human evolution.

In this guide, we’ve organized key topics from Bryson’s book into a concise chronology covering the origins of the universe, the geologic history of planet Earth, and the history of life on Earth. We’ll also analyze the scientific issues that Bryson brings up in light of recent scientific papers and compare his perspective to that of scientists like Stephen Hawking.

Why does life work the way it does? Are life’s features the product of random genetic mutations, or did organisms have to evolve a certain way to overcome specific physical and chemical challenges? In The Vital Question, Nick Lane argues that genetics can’t give us the answer by itself. To explain the origin of life, we have to understand how cells make use of energy and what environmental conditions gave rise to the molecular power plants found in every living thing.

In this guide, we’ll explore the biochemistry of cells and how it may have developed on the very young Earth. We’ll explain why Lane believes all complex life emerged from a single instance of symbiosis between two very different single-celled creatures. We’ll expand on fundamentals of biology and genetics, discuss alternate views to some of Lane’s proposals, and point to the directions research is now taking to gain a fuller understanding of life’s origins.

In his bestselling book The Sports Gene, David Epstein uses science to support the claim that our genes play a determining role in our success in sports. He opens by refuting the idea that enough practice is a virtual guarantee of success. He then spends the rest of the book citing research on genes and performance, taking the reader around the world and over evolutionary time, all to explain why the book’s title is an impossibility. There is no single “sports gene,” just as there is no “perfect athlete.” There are, however, fortuitous pairings of the right genes and the right circumstances in the right sports that together create the remarkable and diverse feats of athleticism that we see on the elite stage.

Our guide reorganizes the wealth of content in The Sports Gene by theme to help clarify Epstein’s major arguments. To provide more grounding, our commentary includes supplemental research as well as explanations of scientific concepts in the fields of genetics and evolution.

Do you struggle with bad habits? Do you try to create good habits that will bring positive changes to your life, but have trouble making them stick? In Atomic Habits, James Clear argues that adopting the right habits will drastically improve your life—but to do so, you must understand how habits work and how you can change yours.

In this guide, you’ll discover why habits matter and the three mindsets you can use to create them. You’ll then learn how habits form and the four keys to changing yours. Finally, you’ll learn how to continue improving habits you've implemented. Along the way, we’ll examine how other psychologists and experts approach habit formation, and we’ll explore how Clear’s theories either align with or differ from theirs.