Best Brian Sumner Podcasts (2025)

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219 - JOHN 10:1-21 - I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD - BRIAN SUMNER 40:24

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11d ago40:24

40:24

JOHN 10:1-21 - I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sh…

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Colin Wright: Juggling Mathematics 1:02:43

1d ago1:02:43

1:02:43

In this episode of the Plutopia News Network Podcast, hosts Jon Lebkowsky, Scoop Sweeney, and Wendy Grossman talk with mathematician and juggler Colin Wright, who holds a PhD in pure mathematics from Cambridge and is known for his engaging talks on how math appears everywhere in life. Wright explains that math is not about numbers or formulas but a…

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Twenty Years of Freakonomics (with Stephen Dubner) 1:42:44

1d ago1:42:44

1:42:44

Quantitative, contrarian, and nuanced: these are the hallmarks of the Freakonomics approach. Hear journalist and podcaster Stephen Dubner speak with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the 20th anniversary of the popular-economics book Dubner co-authored with Steven Levitt. They discuss how the book came to be, how the journey changed Dubner's life, and …

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Sumner Erickson: Actors of Sound 1:02:54

8d ago1:02:54

1:02:54

The Plutopia podcast welcomes Sumner Erickson, who discovered the tuba in sixth grade by chance and, at 18, won a job with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra after studies at the Curtis Institute. He recalls globe-spanning tours (Europe, Japan, China, Russia, Brazil), collaborations under André Previn, and contrasts between orchestral and other tour…

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The Magic of Tokyo (with Joe McReynolds) 1:09:23

9d ago1:09:23

1:09:23

What drives the seeming relentless dynamism of Tokyo? Is there something special about Japanese culture? Joe McReynolds, co-author of Emergent Tokyo, argues that the secret to Tokyo's energy and attractiveness as a place to live and visit comes from policies that allow Tokyo to emerge from the bottom up. Post-war black markets evolved into today's …

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Mike Aaron: Digital Lifeguard 1:01:18

15d ago1:01:18

1:01:18

On this Plutopia episode, Mike Aaron — once a renewable-energy policy aide, now a “digital lifeguard” — explains how fast-evolving tech and social engineering are fueling scams and identity theft, citing FBI Internet Crime Center figures of $6.5B in reported 2024 losses (likely ~10× higher) and ~$160B across all cybercrimes, with average losses esp…

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The Invisible Hierarchies that Rule Our World (with Toby Stuart) 1:13:15

16d ago1:13:15

1:13:15

Status isn't fixed; it's transferred and "bestowed," shaping who gets resources, attention, and opportunity. So argues author Toby Stuart of UC Berkeley in his book, Anointed. He and EconTalk's Russ Roberts explore why hierarchies persist--reducing conflict, allocating scarce resources, and curating our overwhelming choices--and how endorsements, b…

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218 - JOHN 9:17-41 - THE SON OF GOD - BRIAN SUMNER 38:58

21d ago38:58

38:58

JOHN 9:17-41 - THE SON OF GOD - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?” He said, “He is a prophet.” 18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they ask…

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Roy Casagranda: Politics 2025 1:04:04

22d ago1:04:04

1:04:04

In this Plutopia News Network episode, political historian Dr. Roy Casagranda joins Jon and Scoop for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, U.S. presidents from Eisenhower to Trump, and the fragility of democratic institutions. Casagranda contrasts strong domestic achievements (e.g., LBJ, Eisenhower) with consistently troubling U.S. foreign po…

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Eating with Intelligence (with Julia Belluz) 1:05:49

23d ago1:05:49

1:05:49

Losing weight should be simple: eat less, exercise more. But according to author and health journalist Julia Belluz, it's complicated. Listen as Belluz talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about her new book, Food Intelligence. Belluz argues that a calorie is pretty much a calorie whether it's carbs or fat. Keeping calories under control is often har…

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217 - JOHN 9:1-16 - HEALING THE BLIND MAN - BRIAN SUMNER 40:02

27d ago40:02

40:02

JOHN 9:1-16 - HEALING THE BLIND MAN - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I mu…

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216 - JOHN 8:31-59 - BEFORE ABRAHAM I AM - BRIAN SUMNER 44:47

29d ago44:47

44:47

JOHN 8:31-59 - BEFORE ABRAHAM I AM - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You wil…

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Nate Wilcox: The State of the Union 1:04:39

29d ago1:04:39

1:04:39

Nate Wilcox joins Plutopia News Network with a wide-ranging critique of U.S. politics, media, technology, and foreign policy. He argues the political center has collapsed, institutions lack credibility, and executive power dominates, while both parties fail in different ways: Democrats with performative resistance and hollow policy, Republicans wit…

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Steven Pinker on Common Knowledge 1:23:20

30d ago1:23:20

1:23:20

Why are Super Bowl ads so good for launching certain kinds of new products? Why do we all drive on the same side of the road? And why, despite laughing and crying together, do we often misread what others think? According to bestselling author and Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, it all comes down to common knowledge, or the phenomenon that happ…

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215 - JOHN 8:12-30 - JESUS BARES WITNESS - BRIAN SUMNER 46:23

1M ago46:23

46:23

JOHN 8:12-30 - JESUS BARES WITNESS - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” 13 The Pharisees therefore said to Him, “You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not [l]true.” 14 Jesus answered and said to them, “Even i…

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Paulina Borsook and Brian Maggi: In Formation Magazine 1:07:18

1M ago1:07:18

1:07:18

On this Plutopia News Network episode, hosts talk with In Formation magazine’s humor editor Brian Maggi and writer/contributing editor Paulina Borsook about their newly released Issue #3 — an intentionally high-quality, print-first, “anti-Wired” cult mag skewering tech culture with smart, insider humor. They trace the evolution from early-2000s iss…

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How Did America Build the Arsenal of Democracy? (with Brian Potter) 1:05:05

1M ago1:05:05

1:05:05

American manufacturing of aircraft during WWII dwarfed that of its enemies. By the end of the war, an American assembly line was producing a B-24 bomber in less than an hour. But that success was far from inevitable. Structural engineer and writer Brian Potter speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the logistical challenges of ramping up product…

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214 - JOHN 8:1-11 - ADULTEROUS WOMAN - BRIAN SUMNER 45:18

1M ago45:18

45:18

JOHN 8:1-11 - ADULTEROUS WOMAN - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him…

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Jeremy Faludi: Sustainable Design 1:00:18

1M ago1:00:18

1:00:18

The Plutopia podcast talks with Dr. Jeremy Faludi, a Delft University sustainable design researcher and lead author of Sustainable Design: From Vision to Action, about practical, systems-level strategies for lower-impact products and services. Faludi stresses life-cycle assessment (LCA) to “run the numbers” and focus effort where it matters—durabil…

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How Teams Succeed (with Colin Fisher) 1:03:22

1M ago1:03:22

1:03:22

What makes some groups thrive while others crash and burn? According to organizational-behavior scholar Colin Fisher, the real villains are rarely individuals, but dysfunctional teams and organizations. Listen as he and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss the reasons for the free-rider problem and the importance of meaningful, well-defined tasks to inc…

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213 - JOHN 7:25-52 - LIVING WATER - BRIAN SUMNER 44:50

2M ago44:50

44:50

JOHN 7:25-52 - LIVING WATER - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "25 Now some of them from Jerusalem said, “Is this not He whom they seek to kill? 26 But look! He speaks boldly, and they say nothing to Him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is [a]truly the Christ? 27 However, we know where this Man is from; but when the Christ comes, no one knows where He is fr…

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Hugh Forrest: Community Experience 1:12:14

2M ago1:12:14

1:12:14

Hugh Forrest, former President and longtime programming lead for Austin’s famed South by Southwest Festival, joins the Plutopia podcast to discuss shifting from running massive events to consulting on smaller community-focused experiences. Hugh argues that size is the enemy of community — people attend events to form a few meaningful connections — …

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Humans Are Overrated (with Christine Webb) 1:10:53

2M ago1:10:53

1:10:53

Are humans the most intelligent species, or just the most arrogant? NYU primatologist Christine Webb, author of The Arrogant Ape, believes that human exceptionalism is a myth that does more harm than good. Listen as she speaks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about how research has skewed our understanding of animals' capabilities, the surprising inner…

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212 - JOHN 7:1-24 - FEAST OF TABERNACLES - BRIAN SUMNER 47:39

2M ago47:39

47:39

JOHN 7:1-24 - FEAST OF TABERNACLES - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 "1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works tha…

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James L. Wayman: Automated Human Identification 1:02:00

2M ago1:02:00

1:02:00

In this Plutopia News Network podcast, Dr. James Wayman, a pioneer in biometrics, shares his career journey. His studies grew from computational acoustics in the 1970s to becoming a leading authority on automated human identification. He explains the challenges of technologies such as fingerprinting, facial recognition, and retinal scans, emphasizi…

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Hemingway, Love, and War (with David Wyatt) 1:06:28

2M ago1:06:28

1:06:28

What can Ernest Hemingway teach us today about the morality of war, the eternal and transient nature of love, and how to write a masterpiece? Listen as author and teacher David Wyatt talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about Hemingway's epic For Whom the Bell Tolls. Topics include Hemingway's role in the wars of the 20th century, the book's context …

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Tim Ferriss on Tim Ferriss (and much much more) 2:06:49

2M ago2:06:49

2:06:49

Cold plunges. Exogenous ketones. Pu-erh tea--but hold the breakfast: it's all par for the morning routine, at least if you're entrepreneur, self-experimenter, and king of the lifehacks, Tim Ferriss. From how he manages the challenges of his celebrity to how he manages to stay in great shape; how he does--and when he doesn't--harness the power of AI…

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It’s All Balcones Fault! 54:52

2M ago54:52

54:52

On this episode of the Plutopia podcast, the hosts revisit Austin’s formative 1970s music scene through Scoop’s archival 1977 interview with Fletcher Clark and Jack Jacobs, co-founders of the eclectic show band Balcones Fault. The conversation traces their unlikely journey from academia and banking into Austin’s burgeoning countercultural soundscap…

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Michael Marshall: Compassionate Skepticism 1:04:45

2M ago1:04:45

1:04:45

On this episode of Plutopia, we welcome Michael Marshall — project director at the Good Thinking Society, editor of The Skeptic, President of the Merseyside Skeptics Society, and host of the Be Reasonable podcast — to unpack “compassionate skepticism”: why emotions drive belief, how pseudoscience and conspiracies spread (from flat earth to QAnon to…

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211 - JOHN 6:41-71 - WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE - BRIAN SUMNER 45:27

2M ago45:27

45:27

JOHN 6:41-71 - WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 John 6:41 "The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” 42 And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” 43 Jesus therefore answered a…

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Learning to Think Like Someone Else (with David Marquet) 1:03:46

2M ago1:03:46

1:03:46

Former submarine commander David Marquet joins EconTalk's Russ Roberts to explore how distancing--thinking like someone else, somewhere else, or sometime else--can unlock better choices in business and life. They talk about leadership without giving orders, how to empower teams, and what it means to see yourself as a coach rather than a boss. Along…

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210 - JOHN 6:22-40 - THE BREAD OF LIFE - BRIAN SUMNER 40:13

3M ago40:13

40:13

JOHN 6:22-40 - THE BREAD OF LIFE - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 John 6:22 On the following day, when the people who were standing on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except that one which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with His disciples, but His disciples had gone away alone— 23 however, …

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John Seabrook: The Spinach King 1:03:22

3M ago1:03:22

1:03:22

In this episode of the Plutopia podcast, acclaimed journalist and New Yorker staff writer John Seabrook joins hosts Scoop Sweeney, Wendy Grossman, and Jon Lebkowsky to discuss his deeply personal and provocative new book, The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. Drawing from a trove of family documents inherited after his father’…

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Let Me Be Forgotten (with Lowry Pressly) 1:21:00

3M ago1:21:00

1:21:00

What do we lose when every moment is recorded, every action scrutinized, and every past mistake preserved? Philosopher and author Lowry Pressly joins EconTalk's Russ Roberts to discuss why privacy isn't just about secrets or information control, the necessity of spontaneity, the importance of moral growth, and what we need to become fully human. Fr…

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209 - JOHN 6:15-21 - FAITH AMIDST STORMS - BRIAN SUMNER 44:50

3M ago44:50

44:50

JOHN 6:15-21 - FAITH AMIDST STORMS - BRIAN SUMNER - 2025 JOHN 6:15 "Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone. 16 Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it…

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Read Like a Champion (with Doug Lemov) 1:03:56

3M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

Many students graduate high school today without having read a book cover to cover. Many students struggle to learn to read at all. How did this happen? Listen as educator and author Doug Lemov talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the failed fads in reading education, the mistaken emphasis on vocabulary as a skill, and the importance of backgro…

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Chris Tomlinson: Texas Flood 1:01:34

3M ago1:01:34

1:01:34

On this episode of the Plutopia podcast, veteran journalist and author Chris Tomlinson joins us to unpack his reporting on the July 4th floods in Central Texas — why they were predictable and preventable — and to warn that American democracy is being endangered by aggressive redistricting and other election-rigging tactics. Now a columnist on money…