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When Do Leaders Actually Matter? A Conversation with Jared Diamond on Discretion, Timing and the Hamlet Test

In this interview, I spoke to Professor Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, about when individual leaders genuinely change outcomes. We discussed discretion, timing, his Hamlet Test for irreplaceability, assassination as a…

Vikas Shah 24 min read

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Three thousand moments. Three picked at random.

“The core reason is the remarkable surge in asset inflation, coupled with low interest rates and QE, which has entirely disrupted a decade's financial landscape. This dynamic favoring those with assets, often at the detriment of the upcoming generation, is at the heart of the crisis.”
— Ken Costa
“Much of the pushback against science is related to a distrust of the establishment and of multinational corporations and their profit motive. It's easy to spread fear; as humans we're very tuned and sensitive to it.”
— Venki Ramakrishnan Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry for Ribosome Structure Studies
“Change proceeds at the speed of trust. Building this trust, particularly in the context of AI and synthetic biology, starts with open information exchange, discussion, and dialogue. It's about creating a shared understanding of our capabilities, responsible deployment of technology, and acknowledging the associated risks.”
— Lloyd B. Minor Dean of Stanford School of Medicine & cardiovascular researcher

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  1. 01 Business & Economics Can Optimism Survive Bad News? Michelle Gielan on Resilient Optimism, Burnout and Becoming a Positive Deviant 362 interviews
  2. 02 Culture, Society, Sports & Arts The Crisis Diplomat: A Conversation with Ian Proud on the 2004 Tsunami, Institutional Failure and Living with Trauma 236 interviews
  3. 03 Politics & Policy From the Minefields of Kuwait to Sandhurst: A Conversation with Major General Arthur Denaro on War, Leadership and Peace 170 interviews
  4. 04 Science & Technology We Are Not Alone: A Conversation with Jonathan Caplan KC on the Evidence for UAPs, Non-Human Intelligence and Why It Was Never Disclosed 136 interviews
  5. 05 Health & Medicine The Continuum of Mind: A Conversation with Professor Michael Levin on Cognition, Bioelectricity and the Future of Being 74 interviews
  6. 06 Nobel Laureates Markets, Morals and the Road Ahead: A Conversation with Nobel Laureate Professor Alvin Roth 21 interviews

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