As someone who has been listening to the Lex Fridman podcast for years, I understand how challenging it can be to select the most exceptional episodes worth listening to. With a vast selection of almost 400 episodes, deciding where to begin can be daunting.
In light of this, I have created a list of the top episodes that highlight Lex’s remarkable talent for engaging in enlightening discussions with a wide range of guests. The Lex Fridman podcast is a valuable source of insight from scientists, philosophers, and entrepreneurs. So, without delay, let us explore the finest episodes of this phenomenal podcast.
#371 – Max Tegmark: The Case for Halting AI Development
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In this third appearance on the show, Max Tegmark, a Swedish-American physicist, machine learning researcher, and cosmologist, as well as a professor at MIT, speaks with Lex Fridman about the dangers of AI development.
#136 – Dan Carlin: Hardcore History
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This episode with Dan Carlin from Hardcore History is easily one of the most amazing episodes of the Lex Fridman podcast. The two men explore the complex nature of evil, violence, and force within human civilization, examining the history of war, ideologies, and controversial leaders such as Putin, Elon Musk, Hitler, and Genghis Khan.
#234 – Stephen Wolfram: Complexity and the Fabric of Reality
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Stephen Wolfram, the founder of Wolfram Research, Mathematica, and Wolfram Alpha, engages in a thought-provoking discussion with Lex Fridman. This 3-hour conversation dives into complex topics such as randomness, intelligence, space and time, consciousness, and the existence of the universe.
#365 – Sam Harris: Trump, Pandemic, Twitter, Elon, Bret, IDW, Kanye, AI & UFOs
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Sam Harris, author, podcaster, philosopher, and infamous member of the intellectual dark web rejoins the show with a wide-ranging conversation of some of today’s most controversial topics.
#346 – Ed Calderon: Mexican Drug Cartels
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Ed Calderon possesses considerable expertise in the realm of security. His previous engagements in counter-narcotics and organized crime investigations in Mexico render him an invaluable resource in this domain and make for a wild conversation about the Mexican Drug Cartels.
#366 – Shannon Curry: Johnny Depp & Amber Heard Trial, Marriage, Dating & Love
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Dr. Shannon Curry is a clinical and forensic psychologist who focuses on researching, evaluating, and treating individuals who have undergone trauma, violence, and relationship difficulties. She gave testimony in the Johnny Depp and Amber Heard trial and explores topics related to relationships in this excellent episode of the Lex Fridman podcast.
#122 – David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering
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David Fravor, an experienced navy pilot who has served for 18 years, plays a crucial role as a primary witness in what has been widely regarded as one of the most compelling UFO sightings in history. The incident has gained significant media attention, with the NY Times extensively covering the event.
#145 – Matthew Johnson: Psychedelics
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A conversation between Lex Fridman and Matthew Johnson, a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins, is the focus of this episode. Johnson has dedicated his research to the study of psychedelics since 2004 and has published several works analyzing their effects on humans. The discussion is thought-provoking, exploring topics such as DMT, prohibition, legalization, and the future of psychedelics. If you’re interested in the study of psychedelics and want to gain knowledge from an expert source, check out this episode.
#191 – Daniel Schmachtenberger: Steering Civilization Away from Self-Destruction
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Daniel Schmachtenberger’s philosophical curiosity lies in understanding the mechanics of societal and individual progression and regression. In other words, he studies how societies and civilizations fail. Are we headed on the same trajectory? This episode features a fascinating conversation that explores the ways in which we can avoid this fate.
#199 – Roger Reaves: Smuggling Drugs for Pablo Escobar and the Medellin Cartel
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Roger Reaves is widely recognized as a remarkably accomplished drug smuggler, boasting an impressive history of success in this particular arena. The stories he tells during this episode are absolutely insane. A truly fascinating look at the trade of smuggling drugs for the Medellin Cartel.
#392 – Joscha Bach: Life, Intelligence, Consciousness, AI & the Future of Humans
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Joscha Bach is a distinguished expert in cognitive science, AI research, and philosophy. His accomplishments are worth noting and his ability to discuss some of the topics du jour is a good match for Lex’s conversational skills.
#162 – Jim Keller: The Future of Computing, AI, Life and Consciousness
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Jim Keller is a highly respected microprocessor engineer with a wealth of experience at top-tier companies like AMD, Apple, Tesla, Intel, and currently Tenstorrent.
#248 – Norman Naimark: Genocide, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and Absolute Power
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In this episode, Lex sits down with Norman Naimark a historian at Stanford who specializes in the history of genocide.
#293 – Donald Hoffman: Reality is an Illusion – How Evolution Hid the Truth
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Donald Hoffman, the author of The Case Against Reality, is a cognitive scientist who is currently based at UC Irvine. Is reality real or has the evolution of our brain played the most long-standing trick of history on us? Listen to this fascinating episode to find out.
#117 – Sheldon Solomon: Death and Meaning
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Sheldon Solomon is worth knowing about. He is an intriguing figure with a diverse skill set. As a social psychologist and philosopher, he has made invaluable contributions to the study of Terror Management Theory. Moreover, he co-wrote the book “The Worm at the Core,” which is worth checking out.
#272 – Brett Johnson: US Most Wanted Cybercriminal
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Brett Johnson achieved infamy as a cybercriminal who appeared on the US Most Wanted list. He earned the moniker of the “Original Internet Godfather” from the US Secret Service for his pivotal role in establishing the ShadowCrew community, which is recognized as the pioneer organized cybercrime group. This group is acknowledged for establishing the groundwork for the darknet and the present-day darknet markets.
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