Podcast · 114 episodes

Making Sense with Sam Harris

by Sam Harris · English

Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Sam is also the creator of the Waking Up app. Combining Sam's decades of mindfulness practice, profound wisdom from varied philosophical and contemplative traditions, and a commitment to a secular, scientific worldview, Waking Up is a resource for anyone interested in living a more examined, fulfilling life—and a new operating system for the mind. Waking Up offers free subscriptions to anyone who can't afford one, and donates a minimum of 10% of profits to the most effective charities around the world. To learn more, please go to WakingUp.com. Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.

Science Society & Culture

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Latest episodes

#494 — A Coin Toss for the FutureRyan Greenblatt discusses AI safety and risk, arguing misaligned AI takeover is a serious possibility (he estimates ~50–60% under the default trajectory), while also distinguishing alignment from…22 Sep 2026 · 1 h 33 min

#493 — Two Reasons to MeditateWhy meditate for two main reasons: (1) psychological and ethical—live a better, saner, more compassionate life and reduce suffering (anxiety, regret, anger, despair); in Buddhism meditation is part…17 Sep 2026 · 13 min

#492 — The Second Plane, 25 Years Later25th anniversary of 9/11, arguing the “second plane” (United 175 hitting the South Tower) proved intentional mass murder and suicide, and that the core lesson is the lethal power of jihadist…9 Sep 2026 · 38 min

All episodes

#491 — The Suicide of the LeftJames Kirchick argues that the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is a Marxist/communist-aligned “parasite” faction that is hijacking the Democratic Party, undermining democratic norms and…1 Sep 2026 · 26 min · 10 chapters

#490 — Lies, Bulls**t, and the Rule of LawDecline in good-faith public debate; how social media, podcasting, and COVID-era dynamics increased credulity, conspiracy thinking, and disrespect for expertise; then application to rule-of-law…25 Aug 2026 · 24 min · 11 chapters

#150 — The Map of Misunderstanding (From the Archive)Daniel Kahneman discusses systematic human error in judgment and decision-making, linking cognitive biases/illusions to real-world failures in science, ethics, and public policy.11 Aug 2026 · 48 min · 18 chapters

#488 — Ego, Ecstasy, and EquanimitySam Harris talks with comedian/philosopher Neil Brennan about ego, ecstasy, and equanimity, using Brennan’s life story and his secular, science-based approach to mind and ethics.4 Aug 2026 · 13 min · 5 chapters

#487 — Is AI Already Conscious?Whether current large language models (LLMs) could already be conscious or sentient, and how to interpret their self-reports given training incentives, deception/guardedness, and “hard problem”…31 Jul 2026 · 1 h 26 min · 32 chapters

#486 — Luck All the Way DownSam Harris revisits his 2017 controversy over platforming Charles Murray on race and IQ, discussing how media ethics and “wokeness” enforcement escalated into personal attacks; then shifts to Kathryn…22 Jul 2026 · 21 min · 9 chapters

#485 — The New Science of CancerThe episode discusses Siddhartha Mukherjee’s updated perspective on cancer in his book The Emperor of All Maladies, focusing on prevention, detection, and treatment/cures, and how AI could help…14 Jul 2026 · 1 h 21 min · 31 chapters

#484 — Artificial Intimacy“Artificial intimacy” and how advanced AI chatbots may change human relationships, loneliness, and moral/psychological norms.8 Jul 2026 · 27 min · 12 chapters

#483 — The Knots We Tie Ourselves IntoHow secular culture can address unnecessary human suffering by recovering “ecstasy,” profundity, and ritual-like structures once provided by religion; includes discussion of psychedelics, ego…1 Jul 2026 · 23 min · 10 chapters

#481 — Sam Harris Receives the 2026 Richard Dawkins AwardThe 2026 Richard Dawkins Award presentation honoring Sam Harris, featuring a Q&A with Richard Dawkins and Harris.17 Jun 2026 · 55 min · 16 chapters

#480 — The Economics of EverythingThe U.S. national debt and the “economics of everything” framing—how rising interest rates can trap a government, push inflation expectations, and potentially trigger capital flight or…12 Jun 2026 · 25 min · 7 chapters

#479 — When Robots Take OverVinod Khosla discusses how rapid AI/robotics progress could cause major job displacement, why politics/regulation may slow or shape AI adoption, and what economic transition might look like…4 Jun 2026 · 15 min · 9 chapters

#478 — The Psychedelic MindPsychedelic science and therapy—how psychedelics affect consciousness, why therapeutic context (“set and setting”) is essential, and what risks/safety issues matter for FDA approval.29 May 2026 · 30 min · 9 chapters

#476 — The Bittersweet AgeSusan Cain discusses “The Bittersweet Age” and how bittersweetness works—especially the emotional “ecstatic” pull of minor-key sad music—and how AI may change reading, art, and the humanities.20 May 2026 · 23 min · 15 chapters

#475 — The Hard Problem of ConsciousnessMichael Pollan discusses the “hard problem of consciousness”: why subjective experience (“what it’s like”) can’t be explained by third-person, functional/neural descriptions alone.12 May 2026 · 26 min · 12 chapters

#473 — Money, Power, and Moral FailureLloyd Blankfein discusses “Money, Power, and Moral Failure,” using his Goldman Sachs experience to explain the 2007–2008 crisis, government responses, regulation, and today’s wealth inequality and…29 Apr 2026 · 22 min · 9 chapters

#472 — Strange Days on the RightBen Shapiro and Sam Harris discuss cleavages in the Republican Party/MAGA, postmortems on Trump’s second term, and whether Trump’s behavior is “disqualifying,” plus foreign-policy implications…24 Apr 2026 · 16 min · 7 chapters