When it comes to evolution many focus on what Jean-Baptiste Lamarck got wrong with his model of inheritance. Darren looks at what he got right and considers his discoveries in light of the scientific understanding of the world of his time. Adam, based on first hand anecdotal evidence of many cats and dogs, wonders what pets see when they looking at…

Tendrils of the past manifest in the present and will continue to impact you into the future unless you take action. In this episode I discus the process of to identify and overcoming poverty mindset and other limiting beliefs. Sharing the story of moving out of home at 16, surviving of charity and government handouts, to thriving both personally a…

Why don't they just convert all of the unused office space to housing? Adam looks at the challenges involved in converting office buildings to residential space. Then Darren gives us a review of Ray Kurzweil's recent book The Singularity Is Nearer.

Anger is a useful inner tool to keep us safe and living a life of purpose - only if it is embraced as an ally not a danger. Unfortunately, for some, our childhoods cause us to fear our own anger - rather than using to utilise it appropriately, we instead repress it and turn it inwards, with catastrophic consequences. In this episode I share how I h…

Are we doomed to repeat our past? To inflict upon our children what was inflicted upon us? If we are a product of our genetics intersecting with our environment, how can we break the cycle once and for all? In this episode I story of my past and why that has led me to give away all 17 of my books for free. Want all of my books for free? Just sign u…

We have some very special guests on this week's episode as TRC alumni Pat and Cristina join us with some great segments. Cristina looks at the truth behind a viral meme that says that famous actress Hedy Lamarr invented Wi-Fi, and gives us some background on this fascinating woman's life. Then Pat delights us with everyone's favourite mostly guessi…

No talking. No writing. No touching. Just 10+ hours a day meditating for 10 days straight… In this episode I share my experiences on a 10 day silent retreat at Dhamma Aloka, under the instruction of S.N. Goenka where I learnt the technique of Vipassana meditation. Here I share the lessons learnt, the insights acquired, and give my analysis of the e…

Could an AI rewrite its own code? Has it perhaps already done so? Darren looks at the story which suggests that an AI Scientist, developed by Sakana AI, was able to change its own source code. What exactly happened and are you worried enough about it? Then Adam investigates the truth behind a viral claim that we say “hello” on the telephone because…

What do you do when you are genetically predisposed to have negative reactions to antidepressants, have lost your job, have had little success with talking therapies, and have not yet processed the trauma of the past? Answer: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) This episode is a collaboration with Dr Jenelle Tupek, director and founder of Balan…

After having watched all six Sharknado films Adam decides to do some research into the science of these not at all ridiculous films, uncovering the truth about the plausibility and historical precedent for a tornado filled with living sharks. Darren gives us a book review of Renée DiResta’s Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality, w…

What is scarier: sitting in silence or the fact that you are afraid to sit in silence? In this episode I discuss how technology has granted us the ability to endlessly occupy the space that was once filled with silence. The benefits of which are obvious: education, entertainment, content and connection - but at what cost? What do we lose by blockin…

Could meditation ever be harmful? Darren examines the evidence to determine if meditation, which can have many benefits, might sometimes have a negative impact on people’s lives. Adam looks at the idea of cavemen and wonders if, as their name suggests, that they really spent all that much time in caves.…

It feels like every tradition has a prescription on how you should sit; where to hold your hands, what to do with your eyes, and how you should handle sleepiness and pain are all prescribed. For advanced practitioners, these suggestions should be heeded, but for beginners, they can be a hindrance - one that can be so off prescriptive and off puttin…

What’s the difference between a bar of soap and the stuff we use to clean dishes, laundry and cars, and can you just use any of those in the shower? Adam tries to find out whether the stuff that’s fit for baby ducks if good enough for you skin. Darren gives us a review of Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will by Robert Sapolsky, which a…

Part product of the past, part vision for the future, part desire to live a meaningful life, part belief that I can make a difference … In this episode I break down the reasons why I feel compelled to share my soul online, discussing the journey I took to get here and where I am hoping to go. If you are wanting an in depth look at ‘my why’, this is…

How much of our reality do we create? Not from a ‘woo woo’ sense, but as a function of the result of the interaction between our past and our particular genetic predispositions? If we have faced significant life challenges, and have a fearful disposition, there is a chance that we will view the world and our future pessimistically. Alternatively, i…

We look at some fundamental ways of cultivating critical thinking on the latest show. Darren looks at some common cognitive biases and logical fallacies and how to use these in order to have a better more accurate understanding of the truth of the things we face every day. Then Adam looks at the science behind the belief that you should let your le…

Buy more. Do more. Be more. Consume more. Watch more… This seems to be the mantra of modern society and it is kill us. We are losing our communities, forgetting our art, and wasting our lives, all in pursuit of an ever diminishing in value dollar and ever rising expectations to keep up with the proverbial Joneses. In this episode I read the poem ‘c…

Can we say that AI is going in the wrong direction, as it does our art and writing while we suffer doing laundry and dishes? It’s just Adam on the show this week as he overanalyzes a viral tweet by looking at how much the time and way we do chores has changed for the better over the centuries, while looking at what AI could do to improve the situat…

What were the first mammals like? Darren examines what characterizes a mammal and explores the world of early mammals, who coexisted with the dinosaurs. Adam investigates the discourse around a viral question which asks “Would you rather be stuck in a forest with a man or a bear?”, using some simple statistics to inform the issue.…

The difference between expectation and reality is often the source of significant discontent. Life trains us to search for ideals: the perfect partner, job, life, outcome. Unfortunately this almost never arises and even if it did, it would be fleeting. Thus there is a real potential for ongoing and almost contentious self inflicted suffering. Thank…

What greater gift can you give someone than the gift of presence? When you are fully present, mindful, and in the moment, you are able to give all those around you access to the best version of you, and thus the moment they are in with you. In this episode, I share with you a guided meditation that I have released on Insight Timer. It is based on t…

Could the huge Sandworms in Frank Herbert's Dune really exist? Adam looks at how scientifically plausible these odd creatures might be. In light of recent news about Open AI's GPT-4o and Google's Project Astra, Darren look at the latest advances in AI personal assistants, speculates where this could be leading and shares a passage from his book Unc…

‘Stuck Inside My Mind’ Freestyle improv poetry. Watch the video on Instagram, and read the full poem here. Current offerings: - Hunt Your Own Shadow: free 12 week email course - Insight Timer: guided audio courses & free meditations - Skillshare: video courses on personal development - How To Get Your Sh!t Together: the last self-help book you will…

Spencer Greenberg is the founder Clearer Thinking, a web site which provides tools for critical thinking, as well as Transparent Replications, which does rapid replications of papers in psychology and behavioural studies. In this interview he discusses the replication crisis in scientific studies, what’s causing it and what can be done to reduce th…

The more you know about yourself the better choices you will make and thus the better life you will lead. In this episode I share some recent instances of deep personal insight where I discover things about myself that are both good, bad, and ugly. I share the importance of such discoveries as well as the ways in which I (and you can) foster furthe…