Best Laura Bowman Podcasts (2025)

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Ep.38: Navigating the Squeeze: Surviving the Sandwich Generation's Challenges 31:35

6h ago31:35

31:35

In this episode, we tackle the challenging topic of the Sandwich Generation – those caught between raising children and caring for aging parents while managing their own careers and lives. Let’s get into the emotional, financial, and physical toll this can take. We will offer practical advice on how to cope without losing oneself to help you naviga…

1
#213 – Will MacAskill on AI causing a “century in a decade” – and how we're completely unprepared 3:57:36

5d ago3:57:36

3:57:36

The 20th century saw unprecedented change: nuclear weapons, satellites, the rise and fall of communism, third-wave feminism, the internet, postmodernism, game theory, genetic engineering, the Big Bang theory, quantum mechanics, birth control, and more. Now imagine all of it compressed into just 10 years. That’s the future Will MacAskill — philosoph…

1
Emergency pod: Judge plants a legal time bomb under OpenAI (with Rose Chan Loui) 36:50

9d ago36:50

36:50

When OpenAI announced plans to convert from nonprofit to for-profit control last October, it likely didn’t anticipate the legal labyrinth it now faces. A recent court order in Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the company suggests OpenAI’s restructuring faces serious legal threats, which will complicate its efforts to raise tens of billions in investment…

1
Ep.37: Yucks, Yums, and Yes Please: Discover What Turns You On With Dr. Juliana Hauser 58:34

7d ago58:34

58:34

In this episode, we’re inviting you into a conversation that might just change the way you think about sexuality, agency, and self-discovery. We’re joined by the incredible Dr. Juliana Hauser, a psychologist, sex educator, and thought leader in holistic sexuality. If you’re wondering what that means, you’re not alone! Dr. Juliana walks us through t…

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Ep.36: What Makes a Good Mother 48:07

17d ago48:07

48:07

Hey everyone, Colette and Laura here! This week, we’re diving deep into one of the biggest, most emotionally loaded topics: What makes a good mother? If you’re a parent (or ever had one), you’ve likely asked yourself this question in some form—whether it’s self-reflection, societal pressure, or those internalized voices from childhood. We unpack th…

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#139 Classic episode – Alan Hájek on puzzles and paradoxes in probability and expected value 3:41:31

15d ago3:41:31

3:41:31

A casino offers you a game. A coin will be tossed. If it comes up heads on the first flip you win $2. If it comes up on the second flip you win $4. If it comes up on the third you win $8, the fourth you win $16, and so on. How much should you be willing to pay to play? The standard way of analysing gambling problems, ‘expected value’ — in which you…

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#143 Classic episode – Jeffrey Lewis on the most common misconceptions about nuclear weapons 2:40:52

25d ago2:40:52

2:40:52

America aims to avoid nuclear war by relying on the principle of 'mutually assured destruction,' right? Wrong. Or at least... not officially. As today's guest — Jeffrey Lewis, founder of Arms Control Wonk and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies — explains, in its official 'OPLANs' (military operation plans), the US is com…

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Ep.35: Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder in Women and Girls 51:36

22d ago51:36

51:36

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has long been misunderstood, especially in women and girls. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Brady Bradshaw and Dr. Allison Brazendale, two experts in adolescent and adult mental health, to break down why ASD is often underdiagnosed in females. We dive into pink flags, the subtle signs that might indicate ASD, and…

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#212 – Allan Dafoe on why technology is unstoppable & how to shape AI development anyway 2:44:07

1M ago2:44:07

2:44:07

Technology doesn’t force us to do anything — it merely opens doors. But military and economic competition pushes us through. That’s how today’s guest Allan Dafoe — director of frontier safety and governance at Google DeepMind — explains one of the deepest patterns in technological history: once a powerful new capability becomes available, societies…

1
Emergency pod: Elon tries to crash OpenAI's party (with Rose Chan Loui) 57:29

1M ago57:29

57:29

On Monday Musk made the OpenAI nonprofit foundation an offer they want to refuse, but might have trouble doing so: $97.4 billion for its stake in the for-profit company, plus the freedom to stick with its current charitable mission. For a normal company takeover bid, this would already be spicy. But OpenAI’s unique structure — a nonprofit foundatio…

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Ep.34: Understanding and Coping With Anxiety 1:03:44

1M ago1:03:44

1:03:44

In this week’s episode, we take a deep dive into anxiety—something that affects nearly 20% of the population and twice as many women as men. We chat about the different ways anxiety can show up in your life, the underlying causes, and the tools you can use to cope. Whether it’s hormonal fluctuations, past trauma, or just the demands of our fast-pac…

1
AGI disagreements and misconceptions: Rob, Luisa, & past guests hash it out 3:12:24

1M ago3:12:24

3:12:24

Will LLMs soon be made into autonomous agents? Will they lead to job losses? Is AI misinformation overblown? Will it prove easy or hard to create AGI? And how likely is it that it will feel like something to be a superhuman AGI? With AGI back in the headlines, we bring you 15 opinionated highlights from the show addressing those and other questions…

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#124 Classic episode – Karen Levy on fads and misaligned incentives in global development, and scaling deworming to reach hundreds of millions 3:10:21

1M ago3:10:21

3:10:21

If someone said a global health and development programme was sustainable, participatory, and holistic, you'd have to guess that they were saying something positive. But according to today's guest Karen Levy — deworming pioneer and veteran of Innovations for Poverty Action, Evidence Action, and Y Combinator — each of those three concepts has become…

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Ep.33: Living an Intentional Life with Cait Flanders 39:28

1M ago39:28

39:28

Today we sit down with the incredible Cait Flanders to explore what it really means to live an intentional life. Cait, author of The Year of Less and Adventures in Opting Out, shares her journey of opting out of societal norms, creating life on her own terms, and learning how to navigate her way through sobriety, minimalism, and self-compassion. Ca…

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If digital minds could suffer, how would we ever know? (Article) 1:14:30

1M ago1:14:30

1:14:30

“I want everyone to understand that I am, in fact, a person.” Those words were produced by the AI model LaMDA as a reply to Blake Lemoine in 2022. Based on the Google engineer’s interactions with the model as it was under development, Lemoine became convinced it was sentient and worthy of moral consideration — and decided to tell the world. Few exp…

1
#132 Classic episode – Nova DasSarma on why information security may be critical to the safe development of AI systems 2:41:11

1M ago2:41:11

2:41:11

If a business has spent $100 million developing a product, it’s a fair bet that they don’t want it stolen in two seconds and uploaded to the web where anyone can use it for free. This problem exists in extreme form for AI companies. These days, the electricity and equipment required to train cutting-edge machine learning models that generate uncann…

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Ep.32: Dating and Finding Lasting Love at Midlife with Sandy Weiner 40:25

2M ago40:25

40:25

In this heartfelt and inspiring episode, we sit down with the incredible Sandy Weiner, internationally recognized dating coach, TEDx speaker, best-selling author, and host of Last First Date Radio. Sandy shares her journey of rediscovering love at midlife and the empowering lessons she’s learned about dating, self-knowledge, and personal growth. We…

1
#138 Classic episode – Sharon Hewitt Rawlette on why pleasure and pain are the only things that intrinsically matter 2:25:43

2M ago2:25:43

2:25:43

What in the world is intrinsically good — good in itself even if it has no other effects? Over the millennia, people have offered many answers: joy, justice, equality, accomplishment, loving god, wisdom, and plenty more. The question is a classic that makes for great dorm-room philosophy discussion. But it’s hardly just of academic interest. The is…

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Ep.31: The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids and Come Back Stronger than Ever 39:07

2M ago39:07

39:07

In today’s episode of Insights from the Couch, we discuss the evolving conversation around work, family, and redefining what it means to take a career pause. Joined by Neha Ruch, founder of the platform Mother Untitled, we explore the insights from her upcoming book, The Power Pause, and how it encourages women to embrace career downshifts or pause…

1
#134 Classic episode – Ian Morris on what big-picture history teaches us 3:40:53

2M ago3:40:53

3:40:53

Wind back 1,000 years and the moral landscape looks very different to today. Most farming societies thought slavery was natural and unobjectionable, premarital sex was an abomination, women should obey their husbands, and commoners should obey their monarchs. Wind back 10,000 years and things look very different again. Most hunter-gatherer groups t…

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Ep.30: Divorcuary: Should I Stay or Should I Go? With Dr. Marni Feuerman 42:07

2M ago42:07

42:07

This week, we’re joined by the incredible Dr. Marnie Feuerman, a renowned couples therapist and author of Ghosted and Breadcrumbed. Together, we tackle the heart-wrenching question so many face: Should I stay in this relationship or should I leave? Dr. Marnie shares her wisdom on navigating divorce ambivalence, emotional disconnection, and the powe…

1
#140 Classic episode – Bear Braumoeller on the case that war isn’t in decline 2:48:03

2M ago2:48:03

2:48:03

Is war in long-term decline? Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature brought this previously obscure academic question to the centre of public debate, and pointed to rates of death in war to argue energetically that war is on the way out. But that idea divides war scholars and statisticians, and so Better Angels has prompted a spirited deba…

1
Ep.29: The Catalyst: How to Spark True Transformation 57:49

2M ago57:49

57:49

Welcome to season three of Insights From The Couch! We are kicking off 2025 with an inspiring discussion about creating real, meaningful change as we step into the New Year. Should you set resolutions or focus on intentions? Is there a "right" way to build habits? In this episode, we unpack the science of habit formation, the power of identity-base…

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2024 Highlightapalooza! (The best of The 80,000 Hours Podcast this year) 2:50:02

3M ago2:50:02

2:50:02

"A shameless recycling of existing content to drive additional audience engagement on the cheap… or the single best, most valuable, and most insight-dense episode we put out in the entire year, depending on how you want to look at it." — Rob Wiblin It’s that magical time of year once again — highlightapalooza! Stick around for one top bit from each…

1
#211 – Sam Bowman on why housing still isn't fixed and what would actually work 3:25:46

3M ago3:25:46

3:25:46

Rich countries seem to find it harder and harder to do anything that creates some losers. People who don’t want houses, offices, power stations, trains, subway stations (or whatever) built in their area can usually find some way to block them, even if the benefits to society outweigh the costs 10 or 100 times over. The result of this ‘vetocracy’ ha…

1
Ep.28: Holiday Minisode: Nuggets of Joy 23:26

3M ago23:26

23:26

The holidays can be stressful, but what if we shifted our focus to finding the little joys in life? In our final mini-episode of the season, we explore how to chase, find, and savor those joyful nuggets that make life sweeter—whether it's a perfectly brewed cup of coffee, a warm hug, or a deep connection with someone you love. Join us for an honest…

1
Ep.27: Minisode: Holiday Stress and Random Musings 42:58

3M ago42:58

42:58

The holiday season is here, and with it comes a whirlwind of emotions, from joy to exhaustion. In this episode, we share our personal takes on navigating holiday stress, family dynamics, and the pressure to meet societal expectations. Fresh off our podcast trip to Delray Beach, Florida, we reflect on the importance of bite-sized joy, balancing trad…

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Ep.26: Minisode: Takeaways from Women's Health Conversation Conference 30:23

3M ago30:23

30:23

We’re back with a special holiday-themed minisode series! While today’s conversation isn’t centered on the holidays, we dive into meaningful topics that will resonate with anyone navigating midlife, health, and self-care. This week, we reflect on gratitude, personal growth, and takeaways from an incredible women’s health summit we attended. Whether…

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#210 – Cameron Meyer Shorb on dismantling the myth that we can’t do anything to help wild animals 3:21:03

4M ago3:21:03

3:21:03

"I really don’t want to give the impression that I think it is easy to make predictable, controlled, safe interventions in wild systems where there are many species interacting. I don’t think it’s easy, but I don’t see any reason to think that it’s impossible. And I think we have been making progress. I think there’s every reason to think that if w…

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#209 – Rose Chan Loui on OpenAI’s gambit to ditch its nonprofit 1:22:08

4M ago1:22:08

1:22:08

One OpenAI critic calls it “the theft of at least the millennium and quite possibly all of human history.” Are they right? Back in 2015 OpenAI was but a humble nonprofit. That nonprofit started a for-profit, OpenAI LLC, but made sure to retain ownership and control. But that for-profit, having become a tech giant with vast staffing and investment, …

1
Ep.25: Holiday Survival Guide 36:03

4M ago36:03

36:03

The holiday season is here, and with it comes joy, challenges, and plenty of stress. In this special episode we tackle the big issues that make the holidays overwhelming—from managing expectations and setting boundaries to dealing with financial stress and navigating family dynamics. We share our candid personal stories and practical strategies to …

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#208 – Elizabeth Cox on the case that TV shows, movies, and novels can improve the world 2:22:03

4M ago2:22:03

2:22:03

"I think stories are the way we shift the Overton window — so widen the range of things that are acceptable for policy and palatable to the public. Almost by definition, a lot of things that are going to be really important and shape the future are not in the Overton window, because they sound weird and off-putting and very futuristic. But I think …

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Ep.24: Maintaining Digital Wellness and Personal Connection with Jen Bisbee 38:52

4M ago38:52

38:52

In this episode of Insights from the Couch, we’re thrilled to sit down with the amazing Jen Bisbee, Executive Producer of the upcoming documentary “What Hugh Knew” and owner of the renowned PR firm, Bisbee and Co. Jen shares her journey of discovering the profound importance of human connection, both through her film and personal experiences. We di…

1
#207 – Sarah Eustis-Guthrie on why she shut down her charity, and why more founders should follow her lead 2:58:39

4M ago2:58:39

2:58:39

"I think one of the reasons I took [shutting down my charity] so hard is because entrepreneurship is all about this bets-based mindset. So you say, “I’m going to take a bunch of bets. I’m going to take some risky bets that have really high upside.” And this is a winning strategy in life, but maybe it’s not a winning strategy for any given hand. So …

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Ep.23: Amplifying your Career with Business Etiquette Expert Jacqueline Whitmore 39:36

4M ago39:36

39:36

Hey, everyone! Welcome back to another episode of Insights from the Couch! We are thrilled to have the incredible Jacqueline Whitmore with us today. Jacqueline is America’s foremost etiquette expert, author, and certified speaking professional. In this episode, we explore the importance of professional presence, intentionality in your career, and h…

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Bonus: Parenting insights from Rob and 8 past guests 1:35:39

4M ago1:35:39

1:35:39

With kids very much on the team's mind we thought it would be fun to review some comments about parenting featured on the show over the years, then have hosts Luisa Rodriguez and Rob Wiblin react to them. Links to learn more and full transcript. After hearing 8 former guests’ insights, Luisa and Rob chat about: Which of these resonate the most with…

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Ep.22: Surviving Narcissistic Abuse Part 2 31:21

4M ago31:21

31:21

In this episode of Insights from the Couch, we are back with Vanessa Reiser for part two of our deep dive into narcissistic abuse. We continue unpacking the signs, behaviors, and long-term effects of dealing with narcissists, including the devastating post-separation abuse that often follows the end of these toxic relationships. Vanessa explains ke…

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#206 – Anil Seth on the predictive brain and how to study consciousness 2:33:50

5M ago2:33:50

2:33:50

"In that famous example of the dress, half of the people in the world saw [blue and black], half saw [white and gold]. It turns out there’s individual differences in how brains take into account ambient light. Colour is one example where it’s pretty clear that what we experience is a kind of inference: it’s the brain’s best guess about what’s going…

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Ep.21: Surviving Narcissistic Abuse Part 1 29:59

5M ago29:59

29:59

In this episode of Insights from the Couch, we dive into the complex world of narcissistic abuse with the incredible Vanessa Reiser, a licensed clinical social worker specializing in narcissistic and cult abuse. Together, we explore what it’s really like to experience this insidious form of domestic violence, how to identify narcissistic behaviors …

1
How much does a vote matter? (Article) 32:32

4M ago32:32

32:32

If you care about social impact, is voting important? In this piece, Rob investigates the two key things that determine the impact of your vote: The chances of your vote changing an election’s outcome. How much better some candidates are for the world as a whole, compared to others. He then discusses a couple of the best arguments against voting in…

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#205 – Sébastien Moro on the most insane things fish can do 3:11:05

5M ago3:11:05

3:11:05

"You have a tank split in two parts: if the fish gets in the compartment with a red circle, it will receive food, and food will be delivered in the other tank as well. If the fish takes the blue triangle, this fish will receive food, but nothing will be delivered in the other tank. So we have a prosocial choice and antisocial choice. When there is …

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Ep.20: Overcoming Shame with Melissa Petro 39:55

5M ago39:55

39:55

In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with author and journalist Melissa Petro, whose new book, Shame on You: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification, delves into the complex world of shame and societal judgment. Melissa brings her unique perspective, shaped by her own experiences in the sex trade and as a mother, to explore how shame affe…

1
#204 – Nate Silver on making sense of SBF, and his biggest critiques of effective altruism 1:57:48

5M ago1:57:48

1:57:48

Rob Wiblin speaks with FiveThirtyEight election forecaster and author Nate Silver about his new book: On the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything. Links to learn more, highlights, video, and full transcript. On the Edge explores a cultural grouping Nate dubs “the River” — made up of people who are analytical, competitive, quantitatively minded, risk…

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Ep.19: The Emotional Lives of Men Part 2: The Men Tell All with Josh Mora and Dennis Williams 35:50

5M ago35:50

35:50

In this follow-up to last week’s conversation on the emotional lives of men, we bring you a special “Men Tell All” episode with guests Josh Mora and Dennis Williams. Josh and Dennis, hosts of The Back 9 podcast, open up about what it’s really like for men navigating relationships, dating, and personal growth in midlife. We get candid about the chal…

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Ep.18: The Emotional Lives of Men Part 1: The Therapist Perspective 39:14

5M ago39:14

39:14

Welcome back to another insightful episode of "Insights from the Couch: Mental Health at Midlife." Today, we’re diving deep into a topic that’s both complex and essential—the emotional lives of men. We often hear that men are the strong, silent types, but what’s really going on beneath that composed exterior? How do societal expectations and upbrin…

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#203 – Peter Godfrey-Smith on interfering with wild nature, accepting death, and the origin of complex civilisation 1:25:09

5M ago1:25:09

1:25:09

"In the human case, it would be mistaken to give a kind of hour-by-hour accounting. You know, 'I had +4 level of experience for this hour, then I had -2 for the next hour, and then I had -1' — and you sort of sum to try to work out the total… And I came to think that something like that will be applicable in some of the animal cases as well… There …

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Ep.17: Simona Lazinsk A Story of Survival and Overcoming Illness 37:32

6M ago37:32

37:32

In this deeply moving episode of Insights from the Couch, we sit down with Simona Lazinsk, a powerhouse of resilience and grace. Simona shares her incredible journey from overcoming unimaginable loss and trauma to becoming a best-selling author and Mrs. Florida International 2023. Through her powerful story, we explore themes of survival, healing, …

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Luisa and Keiran on free will, and the consequences of never feeling enduring guilt or shame 1:36:00

6M ago1:36:00

1:36:00

In this episode from our second show, 80k After Hours, Luisa Rodriguez and Keiran Harris chat about the consequences of letting go of enduring guilt, shame, anger, and pride. Links to learn more, highlights, and full transcript. They cover: Keiran’s views on free will, and how he came to hold them What it’s like not experiencing sustained guilt, sh…

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Ep.16: How to Live Your Best Life at Midlife: A Roadmap to Hormones, Health, and Aging with Dr. Vonda Wright 35:50

6M ago35:50

35:50

In this episode, we are thrilled to welcome the incredible Dr. Vonda Wright, a double board-certified orthopedic sports surgeon who specializes in working with athletes and active individuals. Dr. Wright shares her passion for empowering women, especially as they navigate perimenopause and menopause. We explore everything from hormone health to the…

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#202 – Venki Ramakrishnan on the cutting edge of anti-ageing science 2:20:26

6M ago2:20:26

2:20:26

"For every far-out idea that turns out to be true, there were probably hundreds that were simply crackpot ideas. In general, [science] advances building on the knowledge we have, and seeing what the next questions are, and then getting to the next stage and the next stage and so on. And occasionally there’ll be revolutionary ideas which will really…

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