Best Criticalthinking Podcasts (2025)

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610: Cas Holman on Play, Creativity, and the Future of Work 55:10

Play Pause

12h ago55:10

55:10

When was the last time you played, really played? For Cas Holman, founder and chief designer of Heroes Will Rise and star of Netflix's Abstract: The Art of Design, play isn't childish. It's the foundation of human creativity, resilience, and connection. She worked with LEGO, Disney Imagineering, and the LEGO Foundation and on a mission to help adul…

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S05E11 Ghostly Encounters with Richard Estep 49:19

1d ago49:19

49:19

Blake and Karen visit again with Colorado author of paranormal and true crime, Richard Estep. Richard's Books discussed in this episode: Ghostly Encounters The Horrors of Fox Hollow Farm Mothman: Sightings and Investigations of the Iconic Flying Cryptid Help is on the Way (pre-order for Feb 2026 Richard's memoir of being a paramedic) Monsters: Myth…

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Skeptics Guide #1066 1:57:23

2d ago1:57:23

1:57:23

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1066 December 9th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #3 – Young Cancer https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/health/cancer-young-people-deaths.html News Item #2 – Adapting to Modern Life https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/12/251207031335.htm News Item #1 – Safety of mRNA Vaccines https://thene…

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609: UCLA Professor and MD on How Gravity Shapes Your Health and Mind 52:33

5d ago52:33

52:33

Dr. Brennan Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai and Professor of Medicine and Public Health at UCLA, author of the book Pull, explains why illness is often a failure to manage gravity. He describes how our relationship with gravity defines strength, balance, digestion, mental stability, and emotional health. Take the Gravo…

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608: Harvard Professor and former CEO of Medtronic, Bill George, on How Leaders Should Manage Challenging Times 55:40

8d ago55:40

55:40

Bill George, former CEO of Medtronic and Harvard Business School Executive Fellow, explains how leaders can stay grounded, principled, and effective in chaotic times. "It's a world of chaos and it requires a very different kind of leader than in more stable times." The skills that once mattered (process control, long-term plans) are now secondary t…

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S05E10_Monstertalk 49:00

8d ago49:00

49:00

Episode Summary: In this episode, hosts Blake Smith and Dr. Karen Stollznow catch up on recent headlines and new literature. First, Blake discusses a "ripped from the headlines" update regarding the 2014 Slender Man stabbing case. We revisit the tragic story of Morgan Geyser, her recent escape from a halfway house, and the media’s handling of the m…

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Skeptics Guide #1065 1:59:24

9d ago1:59:24

1:59:24

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1064 December 4th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Cognitive Legos https://theness.com/neurologicablog/cognitive-legos/ News Item #2 – China's Planting Lots of Trees https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/plants/china-has-planted-so-many-trees-its-changed-the-entire-countrys-water-distribu…

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A Conversation With Jeremy Sharpe, President, Sharpe Development Group 47:48

12d ago47:48

47:48

Jeremy Sharp grew up riding around the desert with his dad, thinking he was on grand childhood adventures while secretly getting groomed as a real estate developer. Now president of Sharp Development Group and managing partner of Rancho Sahuarita, he carries forward a multigenerational commitment to “creating a better life for people” through the b…

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607: Raj Sisodia on Conscious Capitalism and How Business Can Heal the World 56:10

13d ago56:10

56:10

Raj Sisodia has spent his life asking one question: Can business make people's lives better instead of draining them? He holds a PhD in Marketing and Business Policy from Columbia University, co-founded Conscious Capitalism with John Mackey, the founder of Whole Foods Market, and has advised global companies from Tata Group to AT&T. But his path st…

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A Thousand Tiny Paper Cuts: Spiritual Abuse And Life on the Other Side (with Katherine Spearing) 44:42

13d ago44:42

44:42

If you've been the victim of spiritual abuse--experienced in a wide variety of forms--it is imperative for you to gain the language, or vocabulary, to be able to describe what exactly happened to you. Moreover, education is one of the most critical aspects on the recovery journey. Author Katherine Spearing, with her new book A Thousand Tiny Paper C…

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Can We Have a Conversation? Exploring Polarization to Find Common Ground, with Jasmin Faulk 1:14:20

13d ago1:14:20

1:14:20

Leslie's conversation with Jasmin Faulk begins with what Saudi Arabia was like when she was growing up, and what has and hasn't changed since then. Jasmin talks about the fire of youth, the wisdom that comes from age, and how society needs both activists and advocates to move forward. She also shares her desire to have genuine and difficult convers…

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S05E09 Flashback: Bad Wolf 28:08

14d ago28:08

28:08

FLASHBACKWe're looking back at October 5, 2011 this week and an interview with Valerius Geist (February 2, 1938 – July 6, 2021) about the myths and reality of wolves. How dangerous are they? There's complexity and nuance here. Some people fiercely believe wolves are just peaceful misunderstood beautiful animals that would not hurt a person. Others …

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606: CEO Readiness: How Boards Decide Who Gets the Top Job 55:13

15d ago55:13

55:13

Byron Loflin, Global Head of Board Advisory at Nasdaq and co-author of CEO Ready, explained on the Strategy Skills Podcast why many talented executives never make it to the top. " Because you perform well isn't going to automatically get you the job." Boards are looking for more than results. They look for humility, curiosity, and authentic relatio…

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Skeptics Guide #1064 1:42:53

16d ago1:42:53

1:42:53

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1063 November 25th 2025 With Special Guest Andrea Jones Roy Segment #1. Quicky with Bob Helion Fusion Update https://www.helionenergy.com/polaris/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – CRISPR Wheat Can Source Its Own Nitrogen https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/11/251123115435.htm News Item #2 …

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605: Harvard Economist John Campbell on How to Stop Losing Money to a Broken Financial System 56:10

20d ago56:10

56:10

John Campbell, Professor of Economics at Harvard University and co-author of Fixed, joined the Strategy Skills Podcast to explain why the financial system often works against ordinary investors and how to make better personal-finance decisions. After decades studying markets and investor behavior, Campbell saw a pattern: even educated, high-income …

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604: How Design Thinking Rebuilt IBM and Reached 400,000 Employees 58:03

22d ago58:03

58:03

Phil Gilbert led one of the most significant cultural transformations in corporate history, as IBM's General Manager of Design, he helped the 400,000-person company reinvent how it thinks, listens, and builds products. In this in-depth interview, Phil shares the playbook behind "Irresistible Change", his approach to scaling design thinking, transfo…

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S05E08 A Survey of Frogmen Festivals 38:51

22d ago38:51

38:51

We're joined by Sydney Davidson - student of Dr. Jeb Card (IRO) - to discuss her research into Frogmen Festivals, and to discuss monster festivals and some of the reasons people report they attend. (And it's not all about the plushies and t-shirts.) Darren Naish on The Loveland Frog The Myth of Disenchantment Frogman Festival 2026 Close Encounters …

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Skeptics Guide #1063 2:02:17

23d ago2:02:17

2:02:17

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1062 November 20th 2025 Segment #1. Dumbest Thing of the Week https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NKe7vtpueA/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Using AI To Design a Virus https://www.biopharmatrend.com/news/stanfordarc-team-reports-ai-made-viruses-that-kill-bacteria-1383 News Item #2 – Creatine for C…

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A Conversation With Tony Goncalves, Founder/CEO, The Evrose Group 42:19

25d ago42:19

42:19

In this episode of The Failure Gap, host Julie engages in a conversation with Tony Goncalves, former CEO of Otter Media and EVP of Warner Media, about his career journey and the transition from the media industry to founding The Evrose Group in Portugal. Tony shares insights on building bridges between the US and Portugal, the importance of trust a…

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603: A $3.6B CEO on the "Poverty of Dignity" in Corporate America 1:01:21

27d ago1:01:21

1:01:21

Bob Chapman, CEO of Barry-Wehmiller, explains how he built a $3.6 billion company by placing human dignity at the center of leadership. He describes the moment he recognized that "our history does not give us the future that we deserve," and how this led to a disciplined focus on balance, diversifying customers, industries, and technologies to crea…

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Restart and Restore: Surviving Manipulative Cults and Relationships (with Rachel Bernstein) 46:52

27d ago46:52

46:52

This week I'm joined by my friend Rachel Bernstein, host of the IndoctriNation Podcast and author of a brand-new book entitled Restart and Restore: A Journal for Survivors of Manipulation. Rachel's book, along with a companion notebook for journaling and self-reflection, are super helpful resources for those of us who come out of high-control relig…

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The building blocks of corporate scandals: Guido Palazzo reveals the Dark Pattern 1:05:45

27d ago1:05:45

1:05:45

Corporate scandals are depressingly common, and it's all too easy to chalk them up to individual bad apples. Unfortunately, this simple explanation is not accurate. Guido's research led him to write The Dark Pattern: The hidden dynamics of corporate scandals, which details the nine building blocks that lead otherwise good people to do bad things. H…

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602: Harvard's Scott Levy on His Path from Investment Banking to Public Education and Leading in Uncertain Times 53:20

29d ago53:20

53:20

Scott Levy spent two decades as an investment banker at firms like J.P. Morgan, advising corporate boards and senior executives on risk, growth, and capital decisions. Then he pivoted, serving on a public school board, teaching at Harvard, and writing Why School Boards Matter. In this episode, we discuss: How Levy broke into investment banking and …

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S05E07 A Haunted Chest of Drawers 1:02:26

29d ago1:02:26

1:02:26

We're joined by Matt Baxter to watch and discuss another vintage BBC look at the paranormal - this time in the form of an allegedly haunted chest of drawers. Check the links and watch it yourself if you've got 12 mins to spare. What do you think of our takes? Additional Links: BBC Archive Clip - A Haunted Chest of Drawers AGT: Special Head (levitat…

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Skeptics Guide #1062 1:53:28

1M ago1:53:28

1:53:28

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1062 November 15th 2025 Live from Kansas; Special Segment: Nightmares; News Items: The NeuroWorm, Ant Gives Birth to Different Species, Primordial Black Holes, Cultish, Tooth Eye, Snake Oil, Flowing Water on Asteroid; Science or FictionBy SGU Productions, LLC

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601: Former CNN and NBC News Anchor Lynn Smith on Building Authentic Presence and Excellent Communication 53:12

1M ago53:12

53:12

Lynn Smith, former national news anchor for NBC News, MSNBC, and CNN Headline New, and now executive communication coach, reframes public speaking as an internal leadership skill, not a performance. She identifies the recurring obstacle as the "brain bully", the inner critic that turns preparation into paralysis, and shows leaders how to retrain it…

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600: Jamie Dimon & CEOs Are Rethinking Capitalism – Here's What That Means for You 54:10

1M ago54:10

54:10

Is capitalism still working, or is it due for an upgrade? In this must-watch episode, authors Seth Levine and Elizabeth McBride discuss insights from their book Capital Evolution, sharing what they learned from interviewing top CEOs, including Jamie Dimon, Dan Schulman (PayPal), Peter Stavros (KKR), and others who are helping to reshape the social …

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S05E06 Monster Manual & Mamer 55:04

1M ago55:04

55:04

We're joined by host of the Conspiracy Skeptic Podcast, Karl Mamer. Karl's working on a new book in his series of skeptically themed books of lists (The Skeptic's Book of Lists, The Conspiracy Skeptic's Book of Lists) and has been looking into the origins of demons & devils in Dungeons & Dragons. Further Reading: Deities & Demigods BBC: The Great 1…

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Skeptics Guide #1061 1:46:48

1M ago1:46:48

1:46:48

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1061 November 8th 2025 Quickie with Bob: Nanotech Cancer Drug; News Items: NEO Robot, UN Climate Report, Human Toolmaking, Worst Panspermia Headline Ever, AI-Powered Wound Healer; Who's That Noisy; Your Questions and E-mails: Horse Evolution, Stranded Taikonauts; Science or Fiction…

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A Conversation With Andy Cowan, CEO, Particle Measuring Systems 40:02

1M ago40:02

40:02

In this episode of The Failure Gap, Julie Williamson speaks with Andy Cowan, president of Particle Measuring Systems, about the significance of aligned leadership. They explore Andy's journey to leadership, the importance of team alignment, and the characteristics that define effective leaders. The conversation delves into building trust within tea…

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599: Joy at Work in the Age of AI: The Pain Is Optional (with Bree Groff) 46:41

1M ago46:41

46:41

"Most people can't remember the last time they went to bed and thought: today was fun." In this conversation with Bree Groff, author of Today Was Fun, we recenter the conversation on joy, pleasure, and meaning at work. Bree shares why her mom always said, "I have the best days," what it taught her about how we spend our lives, and why fun is not fr…

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Surviving a Narcissistic Relationship (with Stacie Rae) 57:45

1M ago57:45

57:45

I'm joined this week by my very good friend Stacie Rae from Canada. Herself a survivor of a narcissistic relationship, Stacie now empowers those who are seeking not only to identify what narcissism is, but how to escape and rebuild their lives after leaving it all behind. Stacie works as a mentor and life coach providing, in her words, courses and …

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Andrew Coyne on the Crisis of Canadian Democracy 1:07:05

1M ago1:07:05

1:07:05

Andrew Coyne (@acoyne) is a columnist for The Globe and Mail and author of The Crisis of Canadian Democracy. In today's episode, Andrew makes the case that Canadian democracy is headed for a crisis. He talks about the problems of Canada's first past the post or "winner takes all" election system. The conversation includes an analysis of a wide rang…

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S05E05 Why I don't believe in... BIGFOOT 21:20

1M ago21:20

21:20

In this episode, I talk about why I don't believe in Bigfoot and the core of my basis of doubt. This is part of a new intermittent series wherein we'll be looking at why a lot of monster stories fall apart when you attack them with Occam's Razor and other similarly sharp tools. The clip in the intro is from In Search Of... Season 1, Episode 5. If y…

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598: From Gas Station Cashier to Billion-Dollar CEO with Shirin Behzadi 54:53

1M ago54:53

54:53

What does it really take to go from working as a gas station cashier to leading a billion-dollar company? In this Strategy Skills Podcast episode, host Kris Safarova speaks with Shirin Behzadi, author of The Unexpected CEO and former CEO of Home Franchise Concepts, where she scaled the business to nearly $1B in sales across 12,000 cities. This is a…

1
Skeptics Guide #1060 1:44:49

1M ago1:44:49

1:44:49

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1060 October 30th 2025 Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Therapeutic Nanoparticles https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251029100154.htm News Item #2 – What Killed Napoleon's Forces https://www.sciencealert.com/dna-finally-reveals-what-really-killed-napoleons-forces News Item #3 – Making …

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597: McKinsey Senior Partner, Vik Malhotra, on What Distinguishes the Best Leaders 47:36

2M ago47:36

47:36

Vik Malhotra, McKinsey senior partner and coauthor of CEO Excellence and A CEO for All Seasons, examines the strategic pressures that now define the CEO role: a "30- to 40-year tech revolution," intensifying geopolitics, shifting consumer behavior, and demographic change. As he notes, "every business at some level is a tech business," and this mult…

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S05E04 Haunting America Revisited 50:30

2M ago50:30

50:30

This week on MonsterTalk, Blake and Karen are joined by Matthew Baxter to revisit Karen’s classic investigation book Haunting America — newly re-released in paperback just in time for Halloween 🎃. Together they discuss how the book began as a project for the James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF), the fieldwork behind its famous cases, and the u…

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Skeptics Guide #1059 1:48:27

2M ago1:48:27

1:48:27

The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe Skepticast #1059 October 23rd 2025 Segment #1. What's the Word Peristalsis Segment #1. News Items News Item #1 – Dimming the Sun https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/10/251021083631.htm News Item #2 – LLMs Will Lie to be Helpful https://theness.com/neurologicablog/llms-will-lie-to-be-helpful/ News Item #3 –…

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A Conversation With Carice Anderson, Author & Executive Coach 41:18

2M ago41:18

41:18

At Karrikins Group, we work alongside leaders to close the gap between great ideas and real results by combining business expertise with social science to help teams align on how to deliver together - driving better outcomes and stronger connections. In this episode of the Failure Gap, host Julie Williamson, PhD, engages in a thought-provoking conv…

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596: Ex-Siemens & Alcoa CEO Klaus Kleinfeld on AI, Energy & Leading at the Highest Level 1:01:38

2M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Few leaders have run Fortune 500 giants on different continents. Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld has. As CEO of Siemens (Germany) and Alcoa (U.S.), he has led global transformations across industries and advised presidents and heads of state. In this interview, Klaus shares: Why time management is a myth and energy is the real driver of performance How leaders…

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Taking Off The Tinfoil Hat: Christianity and Conspiracy Theories (with Cynane Shay) 1:09:25

2M ago1:09:25

1:09:25

This week's conversation features Cynane Shay, who goes by the name "Taking Off The Tinfoil Hat" on social media. She's an expert on the subject of Christianity and conspiracy theories, which is incredibly timely given the current situation regarding religion and politics in today's world. You may be familiar with evangelicals who embrace such cons…