Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL Interviews the world's leading thinkers, and the people shaping the century.

A Conversation with H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, Chairman of the Arctic Circle; President of Iceland (1996-2016)

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
The Arctic Circle is a remote, beautiful, and critical part of our planet. Covering one sixth of the Earth’s surface, and over twenty-four time zones, this region is home to more than four million people, and is critically important to keeping our world’s climate, weather, and oceans in balance. Like…
04-10-2025 16:01:36
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Steve Peters, Author of The Chimp Paradox & A Path Through the Jungle

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
All of us face challenges, rough patches and struggles in life. During these times we are often our own worst enemy, experiencing unwelcome emotions, thinking and behaviours. Professor Steve Peters is author of the bestselling book, The Chimp Paradox, which has sold over 1.4 million copies since release in 2012.…
04-10-2025 16:01:49
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Steven Pinker on Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce and Why It Matters.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Today humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding – and appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that doubled its lifespan, sequenced its genome, and developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures, conspiracy theories, and “post-truth” rhetoric?…
04-10-2025 16:02:27
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Bret Weinstein on Evolution and the Challenges of Modern Life.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
We are living through the most prosperous age in human history, but we are hurtling toward destruction. People are more listless, divided, and miserable than ever, and our civilization faces numerous existential threats, any one of which could take us out – whether it’s climate change, a Carrington Event, a…
04-10-2025 16:04:29
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Robert E. Siegel on How Leading Organisations Blend the Best of Physical and Digital.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Digitisation is a massive and massively important trend – one accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. But despite fervent preaching from the Silicon Valley faithful, it’s not the only kind of competency that matters. Silicon Valley veteran and Stanford lecturer Robert E. Siegel argues that amid the incessant drumbeat of digital…
04-10-2025 16:02:59
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Beth Simone Noveck on Solving Public Problems: How to Fix our Government and Change our World.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
The challenges societies face today, from inequality to climate change to systemic racism, cannot be solved with yesterday’s toolkit. Solving Public Problems shows how readers can take advantage of digital technology, data, and the collective wisdom of our communities to design and deliver powerful solutions to contemporary problems. In Solving…
04-10-2025 16:03:20
Thought Economics

 

Unlocking Consciousness, Perception & Self: A Conversation with Professor Anil Seth.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Anil Seth’s quest to understand the biological basis of conscious experience is one of the most exciting contributions to twenty-first-century science. What does it mean to “be you”—that is, to have a specific, conscious experience of the world around you and yourself within it? There may be no more elusive…
04-10-2025 16:04:44
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Dr. Robert Cialdini, the Godfather of Influence.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Dr. Robert Cialdini has spent his entire career conducting scientific research on what leads people to say “Yes” to requests. The results of his research, his ensuing articles, and New York Times bestselling books have earned him an acclaimed reputation as a respected scientist and engaging storyteller. His books, including…
04-10-2025 16:05:16
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Jim McKelvey, Co-Founder of Square and Author The Innovation Stack: Building an Unbeatable Business One Crazy Idea at a Time.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In 2009, a St. Louis glassblowing artist and recovering computer scientist named Jim McKelvey lost a sale because he couldn’t accept American Express cards. Frustrated by the high costs and difficulty of accepting credit card payments, McKelvey joined his friend Jack Dorsey (the cofounder of Twitter) to launch Square, a…
04-10-2025 16:05:33
Thought Economics

 

Why We Age and Why We Don’t Have To. My Interview with Dr. David Sinclair, Author of Lifespan.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
It’s a seemingly undeniable truth that ageing is inevitable. But what if everything we’ve been taught to believe about ageing is wrong? What if we could choose our lifespan? David Sinclair, PhD, AO, is a professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. One of the leading innovators of his generation,…
04-10-2025 16:05:45
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Abigail E. Disney on Wealth, Philanthropy, Legacy & Success.

October 4th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
Abigail E. Disney advocates for real changes to the way capitalism operates in today's world. She has worked for thirty years with programs for low-income families, women's rights, and global poverty. She is an Emmy- Winning Documentary Filmmaker and co-founder of Fork Films, a nonfiction media production company, which produces…
04-10-2025 16:06:32
Thought Economics

 

All Interviews  (587)
Dr. Russell Kennedy—known to many as The Anxiety MD—is a physician, neuroscientist, and leading voice on the emotional and physiological roots of anxiety. Drawing on his own lived experience with childhood trauma and years of clinical practice, Kennedy has developed a unique mind–body approach to healing, blending neuroscience, developmental psychology,…
In these conversations, I spoke with three of the world’s foremost thinkers on AI safety, risk & governance —Clark Barrett (Professor of Computer Science at Stanford and Co-Director of the Stanford Center for AI Safety), Nick Bostrom (Founder of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and the Macrostrategy…
Business & Economics  (346)
In these conversations, I spoke with three of the world’s foremost thinkers on AI safety, risk & governance —Clark Barrett (Professor of Computer Science at Stanford and Co-Director of the Stanford Center for AI Safety), Nick Bostrom (Founder of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and the Macrostrategy…
In this interview I speak to Captain L. David Marquet (U.S. Navy, Retired), a celebrated leadership visionary, bestselling author, and educator whose career-defining moment came during his command of the nuclear ballistic missile submarine USS Santa Fe (SSN‑763) from 1999 to 2001. We discuss his most important learnings on leadership, and how to build…
Culture, Society, Sports & Arts  (229)
In this interview I speak to Sahil Bloom, author of “The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life" which Apple CEO Tim Cook calls, “a powerful call to action to think deeply about what lights you up—and a guide for how to build a life…
Health & Medicine  (68)
Dr. Russell Kennedy—known to many as The Anxiety MD—is a physician, neuroscientist, and leading voice on the emotional and physiological roots of anxiety. Drawing on his own lived experience with childhood trauma and years of clinical practice, Kennedy has developed a unique mind–body approach to healing, blending neuroscience, developmental psychology,…
Nobel Laureates  (20)
Politics & Policy  (160)
In these conversations, I spoke with three of the world’s foremost thinkers on AI safety, risk & governance —Clark Barrett (Professor of Computer Science at Stanford and Co-Director of the Stanford Center for AI Safety), Nick Bostrom (Founder of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and the Macrostrategy…
Science & Technology  (123)
In these conversations, I spoke with three of the world’s foremost thinkers on AI safety, risk & governance —Clark Barrett (Professor of Computer Science at Stanford and Co-Director of the Stanford Center for AI Safety), Nick Bostrom (Founder of the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University and the Macrostrategy…
Professor Brian Cox is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for science, cosmology and astronomy in the world, and is Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society. In this interview, we discuss…