Best Hugh Benjamin Podcasts (2025)

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/523/ Woke in the Dark ft. Ryan Zickgraf 34:55

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2d ago34:55

34:55

On post-woke strategies. Ryan Z is back on, talking to Alex and George about the US Democrats' attempt to respond to Trump/MAGA. In association with Damage magazine. Can the Democrats escape the shadow of woke? Is Big Woke dying? Everywhere? Who are the groups and think-tanks pushing for a reorientation, and what are they proposing? Will the Dems a…

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Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner 43:48

4d ago43:48

43:48

Anna and Geoff discuss their reaction to the 2025 Booker Prize winner, FLESH by David Szalay, and the winner of the Baillie Gifford prize for non-fiction, Australian author Helen Garner for her collection of diaries HOW TO END A STORY. Our book of the week is CREATION LAKE by Rachel Kushner. Her follow-up novel after the Booker-shortlisted Mars Roo…

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Beaujolais with Natasha Hughes MW 56:38

4d ago56:38

56:38

In this episode, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe interviews Master of Wine Natasha Hughes about the modern winemaking landscape in Beaujolais. Tune in to hear them discuss winemaking techniques, generational turnover, stylistic shifts, and more. Natasha passed her Master of Wine exam in 2014 and writes for Decanter, World of Fine Wine, Janci…

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Rob & Luisa chat kids, the 2016 fertility crash, and how the 50s invented parenting that makes us miserable 1:59:09

5d ago1:59:09

1:59:09

Global fertility rates aren’t just falling: the rate of decline is accelerating. From 2006 to 2016, fertility dropped gradually, but since 2016 the rate of decline has increased 4.5-fold. In many wealthy countries, fertility is now below 1.5. While we don’t notice it yet, in time that will mean the population halves every 60 years. Rob Wiblin is al…

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/522/ At the Bottom of the Tar Pit ft. Benjamin Studebaker 53:40

5d ago53:40

53:40

On legitimacy and chronic crisis. Benjamin Studebaker talks to Alex and Lee about his book, Legitimacy in Liberal Democracy – and why the absence of the threat of revolution makes the crisis drag on. What's wrong with 20th century accounts of legitimacy crises? What's changed? Why is contemporary politics so stuck? Is it inescapable? How does the b…

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#228 – Eileen Yam on how we're completely out of touch with what the public thinks about AI 1:43:24

10d ago1:43:24

1:43:24

If you work in AI, you probably think it’s going to boost productivity, create wealth, advance science, and improve your life. If you’re a member of the American public, you probably strongly disagree. In three major reports released over the last year, the Pew Research Center surveyed over 5,000 US adults and 1,000 AI experts. They found that the …

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/521/ Too Smart to Read ft. C. Derick Varn 59:48

12d ago59:48

59:48

On the crisis in literacy. Poet, podcaster and teacher, C. Derick Varn – who has taught in Mexico, Korea, Egypt and the US, at various levels – joins Alex and George to interrogate the coming "post-literate society". What do we mean when we say 'post-literate'? This seems a global problem – so is it a problem of the education system? Is it as simpl…

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The Gold Season 1, Postscript | MASTERPIECE Studio 14:02

17d ago14:02

14:02

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Season 1 of The Gold. In preparation for Season 2 of The Gold, coming to MASTERPIECE in 2026, we wanted to wrap up Season 1 with this special postscript episode. You’ll hear first from The Gold writer and executive producer Neil Forsyth about a few final details of the real-life story, followed by actor H…

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/520/ Conspiracy Culture & Paranoid Styles ft. Catherine Liu 12:21

19d ago12:21

12:21

In this special episode, we present talks given by contributing editor Catherine Liu and co-host George Hoare on the paranoid style at a recent conference at UC Irvine, co-hosted by the Palm Springs School for Social Research. 00:01:23 – Catherine Liu: Opening Remarks, on Richard Hofstatder’s classic essay “The Paranoid Style in American Politics” …

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OpenAI: The nonprofit refuses to be killed (with Tyler Whitmer) 1:56:06

19d ago1:56:06

1:56:06

Last December, the OpenAI business put forward a plan to completely sideline its nonprofit board. But two state attorneys general have now blocked that effort and kept that board very much alive and kicking. The for-profit’s trouble was that the entire operation was founded on the premise of — and legally pledged to — the purpose of ensuring that “…

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Tasting with MS Jesse Becker 36:53

19d ago36:53

36:53

This week on GuildSomm: Into the Glass, Master Sommelier Jesse Becker joins host MS Chris Tanghe to blind taste three red wines. Before he starts tasting, Jesse discusses his career and tasting journeys, including the challenges he faced as he was honing his blind tasting skills prior to passing the Master Sommelier exam. Jesse is the US sales mana…

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/519/ Reading Club: White Collar & Post-Mass Culture ft. Dustin Guastella 31:07

20d ago31:07

31:07

On the middle classes and cultural compression. For the concluding episode of the 2024/25 Reading Club, we discuss C. Wright Mills' White Collar, plus some additional short texts on what mass culture is like today. credit: Ryan Zickgraf, based on The Wilson Quarterly/Russell Lynes 1949 For the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast Does M…

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Benjamin Wainwright, Maigret Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 32:11

20d ago32:11

32:11

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Maigret. Actor Benjamin Wainwright is no stranger to MASTERPIECE audiences, having appeared in Endeavour, World on Fire, and Unforgotten. Today, he joins the podcast to talk about his latest MASTERPIECE role as the lead actor in a new production of Maigret. In this conversation, we discuss stepping into t…

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Flashlight by Susan Choi 39:25

20d ago39:25

39:25

Anna and Geoff discuss their Booker Prize winner predictions. We haven't read enough of the shortlist to know who will win, but Geoff is tipping THE LAND IN WINTER (a DNF for Anna). Our book of the week is FLASHLIGHT by Susan Choi. This is Choi's follow-up novel after winning the National Book Award for TRUST EXERCISE. It is a sweeping family saga …

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#227 – Helen Toner on the geopolitics of AGI in China and the Middle East 2:20:02

25d ago2:20:02

2:20:02

With the US racing to develop AGI and superintelligence ahead of China, you might expect the two countries to be negotiating how they’ll deploy AI, including in the military, without coming to blows. But according to Helen Toner, director of the Center for Security and Emerging Technology in DC, “the US and Chinese governments are barely talking at…

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UNLOCKED: /497/ Are We Living in Fast Times? ft. James Hughes & Eli Sennesh 1:08:22

26d ago1:08:22

1:08:22

On technology, transhumanism, and progress. James Hughes (Exec Director, Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies) and Eli Sennesh (postdoc, Vanderbilt) present a futurist approach to Alex and contributing editor Leigh Phillips. What is wrong with the acronym TESCREAL? Why is it wrong to worry about future transhumanism when we need to grappl…

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Hugh Bonneville, The Gold Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 29:21

27d ago29:21

29:21

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Season 1, Episode 5 of The Gold. Actor Hugh Bonneville is a familiar face here at MASTERPIECE, having appeared in Downton Abbey, Miss Austen Regrets, The Cazalets, and more. Today, Hugh joins us to talk about The Gold and playing the ethical, determined, and legendary DCI Brian Boyce. Hugh shares what he …

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/518/ We Have Never Been Postmodern ft. Geoff Shullenberger 43:11

29d ago43:11

43:11

On free speech, the tech right, and politicisation. Geoff Shullenberger, managing editor at Compact, joins Alex and George to talk about Peter Thiel, René Girard, victimhood and the antichrist. Does it make sense to talk of "right-wing cancel culture"? Is it different from the left's? Is countercultural trolling in tension with "defending Western c…

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#226 – Holden Karnofsky on unexploited opportunities to make AI safer — and all his AGI takes 4:30:19

1M ago4:30:19

4:30:19

For years, working on AI safety usually meant theorising about the ‘alignment problem’ or trying to convince other people to give a damn. If you could find any way to help, the work was frustrating and low feedback. According to Anthropic’s Holden Karnofsky, this situation has now reversed completely. There are now large amounts of useful, concrete…

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Joseph Phelps Insignia with David Pearson 47:37

1M ago47:37

47:37

In our latest podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with David Pearson of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. They discuss the history of the winery, its role in Napa Valley's development, and the origins and future of the brand's flagship wine, Insignia. David is the executive chairman of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Prior to this role, he serve…

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Joseph Phelps Insignia with David Pearson 47:37

1M ago47:37

47:37

In our latest podcast, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe speaks with David Pearson of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. They discuss the history of the winery, its role in Napa Valley's development, and the origins and future of the brand's flagship wine, Insignia. David is the executive chairman of Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Prior to this role, he serve…

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/517/ Wonders of the Modern World ft. Pier Paolo Tamburelli 45:21

1M ago45:21

45:21

On places of ritual. Architect Pier Paolo Tamburelli talks to Alex about his project to catalogue modern wonders – structures that are very big, that pretend to be ancient, and are mostly ugly. For the full episode subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast How has architecture lost its ritual dimension? Why are these "modern wonders" kitsch? And why are t…

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#225 – Daniel Kokotajlo on what a hyperspeed robot economy might look like 2:12:01

1M ago2:12:01

2:12:01

When Daniel Kokotajlo talks to security experts at major AI labs, they tell him something chilling: “Of course we’re probably penetrated by the CCP already, and if they really wanted something, they could take it.” This isn’t paranoid speculation. It’s the working assumption of people whose job is to protect frontier AI models worth billions of dol…

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Stefanie Martini, Maigret | MASTERPIECE Studio 22:00

1M ago22:00

22:00

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 4 of Maigret. Actor Stefanie Martini’s Louise Maigret may just be the most patient woman in Paris, forever adjusting to her husband Jules Maigret’s demanding work schedule. But she’s a professional in her own right, working as a psychiatric nurse helping those in need. In this conversation, Stefan…

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Hannah Ritchie On Climate Honesty, Hope, And The Future. Discussing her book Clearing The Air. 1:15:37

1M ago1:15:37

1:15:37

Hannah Ritchie — one of the most lucid and data-driven voices in climate and sustainability — returns to talk about her new book Clearing the Air: 50 Questions and Answers about Climate. Ben and Hannah explore why honesty builds trust in climate science, why the 1.5 °C target is likely out of reach (and why that’s not the end of hope), and China’s …

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Seed with Bri Lee 23:42

1M ago23:42

23:42

Annie was lucky enough to catch Bri Lee on her book tour for her second novel, Seed. Set in Antarctica, Seed follows two scientists, Mitch and Frances, as they spend a month at the seed vault that they have been creating and protecting. But as strange things keep happening to the facility, culminating in their helicopter failing to pick them up, th…

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/516/ France's Two Peripheries: Riots and Insurrection ft. Fred Lyra 35:36

1M ago35:36

35:36

On 20 years since the 2005 riots. Fred Lyra, philosopher and musicologist based in Paris, joins Alex to talk about France through 4 moments: 1995 – the last moment of classic class struggle; 2005 – riots in the banlieues; 2015 – Islamist terror; 2025 – government collapse. For the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast How were the riots …

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Stefanie Martini, The Gold Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 23:54

1M ago23:54

23:54

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 3 of The Gold S1. For actor Stefanie Martini, getting into character to play Marnie Palmer involved doing away with her drama school style of speaking, and pulling out her native Bristolian accent. Today, Stefanie talks about portraying the real life Marnie Palmer, and what it was like to be stuck…

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Tasting with Tori Testa 45:54

2M ago45:54

45:54

In the latest blind tasting episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, sommelier Tori Testa discusses her tasting journey with host MS Chris Tanghe before blind tasting three red Italian wines. Tori is a beverage manager at Grill 23 & Bar in Boston. She graduated from the Culinary Institute of America, holds the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, and is worki…

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/515/ State Capitalism Is Now ft. Ilias Alami 1:14:14

2M ago1:14:14

1:14:14

On the weakness of state and capital – and their fusion. Ilias Alami joins Alex and Lee to talk about his essential co-authored book, The Spectre of State Capitalism. Why is state capitalism not just a China story, but is global? What does the rise of state capitalism tell us about the health of contemporary capitalism? How did globalisation and st…

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Patrick Harbinson, Maigret | MASTERPIECE Studio 30:28

2M ago30:28

30:28

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 2 of Maigret When adapting Georges Simenon’s Maigret for the screen, lead writer, director, and executive producer Patrick Harbinson wanted to bring the classic character into the modern day. In this conversation, Patrick talks about the decisions he made to showcase Maigret as a younger detective…

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Elements of the Heist, The Gold, Season 1 | MASTERPIECE Studio 20:14

2M ago20:14

20:14

The Gold writer and creator Neil Forsyth returns to the podcast in this special episode for an in-depth discussion on details of the larger-than-life heist. He explains the massive social transformation in 1980s Britain, why three tons of gold was at the Brink’s-Mat warehouse, the rumors of police corruption, and more. After this conversation, we g…

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/514/ The Expressway World ft. Richard Williams 59:29

2M ago59:29

59:29

On living with modernity. Richard J Williams talks to Alex and George about his new book, The Expressway World and how cities have adapted to the infrastructural legacies of the mid-20th century. We talk about New York, London, São Paulo, Madrid, Glasgow and Seoul. Why do people hate expressways – and who actually loves them? What are Big Man citie…

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Neil Forsyth, The Gold Episode 1 Season 1| MASTERPIECE Studio 27:00

2M ago27:00

27:00

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Episode 1 of The Gold. Writer and executive producer Neil Forsyth had his work cut out for him when adapting the larger-than-life true story of the Brink’s-Mat robbery. Too big for a single film adaptation, Neil decided this vast web of characters, plot, and conspiracy would be best told as a drama series…

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#224 – There's a cheap and low-tech way to save humanity from any engineered disease | Andrew Snyder-Beattie 2:31:11

2M ago2:31:11

2:31:11

Conventional wisdom is that safeguarding humanity from the worst biological risks — microbes optimised to kill as many as possible — is difficult bordering on impossible, making bioweapons humanity’s single greatest vulnerability. Andrew Snyder-Beattie thinks conventional wisdom could be wrong. Andrew’s job at Open Philanthropy is to spend hundreds…

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/513/ Global Right: LATAM Division ft. Guilherme Casarões 47:43

2M ago47:43

47:43

On the Bolsonaros, Milei and MAGA. Alex talks to Guilherme Casarões, Associate Professor of Brazilian Studies at Florida International University, about Bolsonaro's sentencing, Trump's tariffs on Brazil, and the bailout of Milei. Is the motivation behind the tariffs on Brazil just partisan interest? How has Jair Bolsonaro's son, Eduardo, become poi…

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Jo Martin, The Marlow Murder Club Season 2 | MASTERPIECE Studio 29:55

2M ago29:55

29:55

WARNING: This episode contains spoilers for Season 2 of The Marlow Murder Club. For actor Jo Martin, returning to Marlow for a second season of The Marlow Murder Club felt like returning to a new family. And for her character, dog walker turned sleuth Suzie Harris, a new family is being forged with her friends Judith and Becks. In this conversation…

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Inside the Biden admin’s AI policy approach | Jake Sullivan, Biden’s NSA | via The Cognitive Revolution 1:05:58

2M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Jake Sullivan was the US National Security Advisor from 2021-2025. He joined our friends on The Cognitive Revolution podcast in August to discuss AI as a critical national security issue. We thought it was such a good interview and we wanted more people to see it, so we’re cross-posting it here on The 80,000 Hours Podcast. Jake and host Nathan Labe…

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/512/ Reading Club: Middle-Class Dreams & Nightmares 25:31

2M ago25:31

25:31

On Göran Therborn's article, "Dreams and Nightmares of the World's Middle Classes". The penultimate episode of this block on the middle class, we discuss the differing fortunes and politics of the global North and South middle-classes – as well as ways they may be similar. Subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast Is the middle-class dream increasingly on…

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I Make Envy On Your Disco with Eric Schnall 39:26

2M ago39:26

39:26

A special episode: Anna chats with author and Tony-award winning Broadway producer Eric Schnall about his debut novel I MAKE ENVY ON YOUR DISCO. Sam Singer flies to Berlin for an art gallery opening, needing a break from his partner in New York. He meets enigmatic hotel receptionist Magda and ex-pat Jeremy, goes clubbing, and discovers the 2000s no…

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/511/ Britain's Tinderbox ft. Lisa McKenzie 1:19:05

2M ago1:19:05

1:19:05

On the UK's working-class unrest. Sociologist Lisa McKenzie talks to Alex and contributing editor Lee Jones about why the country feels like a powder-keg. What's behind protests like Unite the Kingdom? How responsible are far-right agitators? Why are threats posed to women and children such an explosive issue? What is the type of nationalism that i…

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Endling by Maria Reva 23:32

2M ago23:32

23:32

Anna and Annie discuss the settlement offer by Anthropic to pay $1.5bn to settle a book piracy lawsuit and the 2025 National Book Awards fiction longlist. Our book of the week is ENDLING by Maria Reva. Yeva is a snail conservationist in Ukraine who becomes caught up in Nastia and Sol's scheme to disrupt the romance tour industry. A heist ensues but…

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Spain with Sarah Jane Evans MW 1:03:09

2M ago1:03:09

1:03:09

In the latest episode of GuildSomm: Into the Glass, host and Master Sommelier Chris Tanghe chats with MW Sarah Jane Evans about what’s new and exciting in central and southern Spain. They discuss trends in Spanish wine, developments in Jerez, improvements in Spain’s sparkling wines, and more. Sarah Jane recently released a new book on central and s…