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

A Conversation with Dakota Ditcheva – PFL European Champion Fighter & Multiple-World-Title Winning Combat Sports Athlete.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview I speak to Dakota Ditcheva, mixed martial artist & PFL European flyweight champion. Hailing from Manchester, Dakota is one of the world’s most sought-after professional fighters, having risen to prominence as an amateur kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter, winning numerous championships in both disciplines, the pinnacle being…
17-09-2025 20:08:24
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Dr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this conversation, I speak to Dr. Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor of the United Nations International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Trials. Dr. Brammertz is one of the world’s foremost experts on international criminal law, and we discuss the role & purpose of international courts, and the role of justice in…
17-09-2025 20:08:38
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Bent Flyvbjerg, the World’s Leading Megaproject Expert on How Big Things Get Done.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview, I speak to Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg, dubbed “the world’s leading megaproject expert.” We discuss the findings from his recent book How Big Things Get Done, and the tools, techniques, principles and models we can use to lead projects at all scales. He has 30 years of…
17-09-2025 20:08:51
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with the Dean of Stanford School of Medicine, Dr. Lloyd B. Minor.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview, I speak to Dr. Lloyd B. Minor, Dean of the Stanford School of Medicine & Co-Lead of Stanford Health, a $13 billion-dollar health enterprise comprising Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care & Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. We discuss how AI, computing and synthetic biology are transforming…
17-09-2025 20:09:04
Thought Economics

 

Antisemitism: The Past, Present & Future – A Conversation with Professor David Feldman.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this conversation I speak to Professor David Feldman, Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism. David is one of the world’s foremost experts in Jewish history, antisemitism & radicalisation. We discuss the origins of antisemitism, the impact of WW2 and the Holocaust on antisemitic beliefs, and…
17-09-2025 20:09:38
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Patrick Mouratoglou; Coach to Serena Williams, Simona Halep & Over 40 Top 100 Tennis Players, Grand Slam Winners & Olympians.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview I speak to Patrick Mouratoglou, one of the most successful tennis coaches in history. Patrick has worked with players including Serena Williams & Simona Halep and has coached 40 players to reach top 100 rankings, including 10 Grand Slam titles & 2 Olympic Medals. We discuss the…
17-09-2025 20:09:50
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Robert Sapolsky on the Illusion of Free Will.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview, I speak to Robert Sapolsky about the foundational relationship between the idea of free will and human civilisation. We discuss how science demonstrates that free will is nothing more than a cognitive illusion, and how accepting this reality can lead to a more just, and humane world.
17-09-2025 20:10:08
Thought Economics

 

A Conversation with Malcolm Gladwell on Success, Creativity, Intuition & Adversity.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview, I speak to Malcolm Gladwell. We discuss success, creativity, intuition, legacy, and adversity together with the importance of broadening our intellectual horizons to better understand our world, and ourselves. Malcolm Gladwell is the author of five New York Times bestsellers — The Tipping Point, Blink, Outliers, What…
17-09-2025 20:10:21
Thought Economics

 

Blending Silicon Valley with a 150-year-old Japanese Conglomerate – A Conversation with Abhijit Dubey, Global CEO of NTT Ltd.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
In this interview I speak to Abhijit Dubey, Global CEO of NTT Ltd. We discuss how he’s combining Silicon Valley and traditional Japanese leadership styles to bring together 39 companies in a $30bn merger process. We also look at the importance of leadership learning, and how to successfully lead environmental…
17-09-2025 20:10:33
Thought Economics

 

How to Use our Time Well. A Conversation with Oliver Burkeman, Author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals.

September 17th, 2025 · by Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL
The average human lifespan is absurdly, outrageously, insultingly brief: if you live to 80, you have about four thousand weeks on earth. How should we use them best? Oliver Burkeman is author of The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking, and a columnist. In his new book…
17-09-2025 20:10:46
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…