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A Conversation with Victor Vescovo: On Exploration, Risk and the Limits of Human Experience

In this interview I speak to Victor Vescovo - one of only two people ever to have stood at Earth’s highest peak, descended to its deepest trench, and looked back at the planet from space. A…

Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL 32 min read

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Three thousand moments. Three picked at random.

“I would have played basketball for $120,000 for 7 years rather than $120 million, because I loved to play basketball. I never said to myself that I would only play basketball if they pay me $100million – I played basketball because I loved basketball.”
— Shaquille O’Neal Hall of Fame NBA Center & 4-Time NBA Champion
“By measuring skulls from 400 years ago, you'll find that our ancestors had straight teeth, prognathic faces, and very wide jaws. Compare these to modern skulls, which show very slender, narrow faces and small jaws. It's all there, plainly evident, yet it seems as though nobody is really talking about this or acknowledging the rapid changes that have occurred over just a couple of hundred years.”
— James Nestor Author of "Breath" & Investigative Journalist on Respiratory Science
“We typically advise families to be very cautious about engaging with social media. Information found there can often be based on assumptions, leading to wildly inaccurate theories that only heighten anxiety for those following the situation. The key is to have someone knowledgeable and understanding by your side—someone who can interpret the situation and provide support throughout this trying experience.”
— Terry Waite Envoy and Negotiator Who Was Held Hostage in Lebanon

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The Wisdom Series

Ten essays. Distilled from 600+ conversations.

Insights, themes and patterns from years of long-form interviews — organised around the questions that matter most.

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  1. 01 Business & Economics A Conversation with Victor Vescovo: On Exploration, Risk and the Limits of Human Experience 360 interviews
  2. 02 Culture, Society, Sports & Arts A Conversation with Victor Vescovo: On Exploration, Risk and the Limits of Human Experience 234 interviews
  3. 03 Politics & Policy Incorruptible: Eric Ries on Why Good Companies Go Bad — and How to Build Ones That Don’t 167 interviews
  4. 04 Science & Technology A Conversation with Victor Vescovo: On Exploration, Risk and the Limits of Human Experience 133 interviews
  5. 05 Health & Medicine Inside the GLP-1 Revolution: A Conversation with Professor Jens Juul Holst, Co-Discoverer of GLP-1 73 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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