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MetaLearn Podcast

The MetaLearn Podcast gives you the knowledge and skills needed to understand yourself and the world around you, so you can futureproof yourself and thrive in the 21st century. Host Nasos Papadopoulos interviews the world's top experts in every field, extracting the principles needed learn faster, think smarter and live better.
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MetaLearn Podcast
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Now displaying: Category: Learning
Jul 26, 2022

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: closing the gap between knowing & doing, the challenge of living your values and the path to human progress.

Jul 22, 2022

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to ask great questions, the role of curiosity in progress and the impact of modern media and technology on expertise, sensemaking and democracy.

Jul 19, 2022

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: the importance of creativity for individuals and society, the process of discovering your genius and the difference between the gift and market economies.

Jul 15, 2022

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to understand your emotions, the patterns driving human behaviour and why mental health culture isn't improving mental health. 

Jul 13, 2022

In this episode Nasos & Andrea discuss: how to focus in a world full of distractions, the challenges of ADHD and how to deal with it and why myths about attention are harming you.

Mar 31, 2022
Andrea Domenichini is a media producer and podcaster who runs his own show Voices in the Dark, and has been helping me with the latest episodes of the MetaLearn podcast. In this episode we discuss:

- How to apply Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power in practice
- Avoiding manipulation and how to defend against people using power plays
- The true nature of power and how we misunderstand it in modern society

So whether you want to become a modern Machiavelli, realise your true potential or stop being the victim of other people's games, this episode will give you everything you need and more.

Mar 30, 2022
Raoul Pal is the CEO of Real Vision, a cutting edge financial media company and also runs his own macro research business, Global Macro Investor. In this episode we discuss:

- Raoul's 3 scenarios for how the war between Russia & Ukraine plays out
- The outlook for different asset classes including stock & bonds, commodities & crypto
- Why the tokenisation of culture through communities like Bored Ape Yacht Club are so significant

We also talk about the practical implications of potential social unrest and how people should be thinking about their life choices in that context as well as Raoul's philosophy of living in the future.
Nov 19, 2021

Andrew Warner is an entrepreneur, author and the founder of Mixergy, a platform for interviewing the world’s top founders. In this episode we discuss:

- Andrew’s techniques for learning anything from anyone, based on 2000+ interviews
- How to interrupt someone, ask tough questions and rescue bad conversations
- Strategies for building a thriving content business around interviews


We also discuss how Andrew improved his interviewing over time, what he learned from some of his interviewing heroes like Charlie Rose and the key mistakes to avoid for new interviewers.

Oct 27, 2021

Oliver Burkeman is a journalist and author of the book 4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals. In this episode we discuss:

- The time management myths that are holding you back
- Practical strategies that help you focus on what matters most
- The true cost of convenience culture and what you lose

We also talk about how writing the book changed Oliver’s relationship to time, the path to producing original creative work and the issues with self-help culture.

Oct 20, 2021

Armand D’Angour is a professor of classics at the University of Oxford and the author of several books including Socrates in Love and his latest, How To Innovate.

In this episode we discuss:
- The 3 different types of innovation and how to use them to your advantage
- How the Greeks thought about change and what we can learn from them
- The relationship between innovation and ethics

We also cover the true story behind Archimedes’ famous “Eureka!” moment and Aristotle’s thoughts on political innovation.

Oct 12, 2021

Larry Grobel is a writer and interviewer who has interviewed every big name in Hollywood from Robert de Niro to Nicole Kidman, Al Pacino to Angelina Jolie. In this episode we discuss:

- The art of a great interview informed by Larry’ work with the world’s biggest stars
- Techniques for building rapport fast to make people feel comfortable and open up
- Larry’s principles for great storytelling that he’s used in his writing & interviewing

We also talk about Larry’s 10 days on Marlon Brando’s private island, his close 30 year friendship with Al Pacino and his controversial interview with former Indiana basketball coach Bob Knight.

Oct 6, 2021

Gary Lachman is a writer and philosopher, whose work focuses on human imagination and the history of occult ideas. In this episode we discuss:

- Moving between the rational and the imaginative modes of consciousness
- The rise of meme magic in politics and how Trump, Putin others have used it
- How to make sense of a world dominated by philosophies of nihilism

We also discuss Gary’s experience in the rock band Blondie in the mid 70s, how the internet shapes reality and the history of some of the most important ideas about consciousness.

Sep 29, 2021

Andrea Domenichini is a media producer and podcaster who runs his own show Voices in the Dark, and has been helping me with the latest episodes of the MetaLearn podcast. In this episode we discuss:

- The role curiosity plays in learning and how to cultivate it in yourself and others
- The nature of knowledge and the thread running between science and the arts
- What Dungeons & Dragons has taught Andrea about storytelling, creativity and media

We also talk about growing up in different cultures, neurodivergence and the HBO Series Westworld and what it teaches us about consciousness.

Jul 21, 2021

David Heinemeier Hansson is the creator of Ruby on Rails, Co-Founder and CTO at Basecamp and the best-selling co-author of Rework and Remote.

In this episode we discuss:
- David’s learning process and how he’s applied it to everything from photography to race car driving
- Basecamp's recent battle against Apple and the implications of Big Tech monopolies for business and society
- David’s take on a recent controversy at Basecamp around discussing political issues at work

This conversation will give you access to the methods and philosophies of an exceptional learner as well as insight into some of the key issues of our time. 

Jun 3, 2021

Barbara Oakley is an educator and writer who’s empowering people all over the world to learn more effectively.

She’s best known for her role as the lead instructor on Coursera’s Learning How To Learn and her bestselling book A Mind for Numbers but in the last few years she’s created an incredible body of work including multiple books and online courses.

In this episode we discuss:
- How and why Barb is releasing not one but two books in quick succession Learn like a Pro and Uncommon Sense Teaching
- The main insights from the last 5 years of research on the learning process
- The difference between declarative and procedural memory and why that matters for learning

This was a great conversation, full of fascinating insights about the learning process that you can go away and apply straight away.

Mar 31, 2021

Armand D’Angour is a Professor of Classics at Oxford University, a musician and the author of several books, including his latest Socrates in Love.

In this episode we discuss:

- Armand's revisionist biography of Socrates including an account of the woman who helped him shape his ideas on love
- The value of reviving ancient music and the methods for doing so

- What the Greeks’ attitude to the new can teach us about technology in the modern world

This was a wonderful conversation that will give you fresh insight into the foundations of Western philosophy and the connections between music and the classics.

Oct 24, 2020
Paul Kirschner is a renowned educational psychologist and author. He is an Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands Guest Professor at the Thomas More University of Applied Science in Mechelen, Belgium and owner of kirschner-ED.

His most recent book How Learning Happens, explores 28 key works on learning and teaching, chosen from the fields of educational psychology and cognitive psychology, and discusses what they mean in practice. He's also written books on Evidence Informed Learning Design and Urban Myths about Learning and Education.

In this episode we discuss:

  • The educational researchers that have inspired Paul and laid the foundations for the field
  • Why teaching is an art informed by a science, and how teachers should incorporate research on learning into their process
  • The concept of self efficacy and how our beliefs about our abilities impact our performance

We also discuss when students should learn about how learning happens, the importance of teachers in goal setting and the debate on domain-specific vs domain-general skills. 

 
Jun 3, 2020

Anthony Metivier is a world renowned Memory Expert, the Founder of the blog MagneticMemoryMethod.com and author of the new book The Victorious Mind.

In this episode we discuss:
- The importance of metaphors and analogies for understanding the mind
- How to master meditation and safeguard your mental wellbeing
- How to navigate the world of self-help effectively

We also speak about the cultural conversation around mental health and the nature of knowledge. 

May 6, 2020

Jeff Cobb is the bestselling author of the book, Leading The Learning Revolution and the founder of Tagoras, a learning consultancy. In this episode we discuss: 

- The impact of COVID 19 on adult learning and higher education
- The need to address disruption and displacement in employment - The secret to running good virtual events and learning experiences

So if you want to get up to speed with the latest in online learning, this episode has you covered.

Feb 5, 2020

David Perell is a writer and educator on a mission to transform our relationship with information. In this episode we discuss:

- The future of media and David’s idea of Naked Brands
- Why identity is the key to transformative learning experiences
- Why knowledge workers should train more like athletes and how to do it

This conversation will give you a fresh perspective on learning and teach you how to leverage the power of the internet to accelerate your career. 

Jan 29, 2020

Martin Schmalz is an Associate Professor of Finance at Oxford’s Saïd Business School. He is also the co-author of the book The Business of Big Data: How to Create Lasting Value in the Age of AI. In this episode we discuss:

- The mainstream narrative around AI and what you actually need to know
- The uniquely human skills you should be developing to thrive in a world with AI
- How the business of big data affects your privacy and what to do about it

Regardless of your understanding of AI, this episode will give you a lot to chew on and get you thinking critically about the way you learn and live with technology.

Jan 22, 2020

Alex Dunsdon is an Investment Partner at Saatchi Invest, Chief of Staff at e-commerce platform RedBrain and all-round curious person. In this episode, the main theme is the overlap between understanding your self and doing great work. We discuss:

- Alex’s recent career shift and the personal realisations behind it
- My experience in the last year and what I’ve learned about how I work
- The power of imagination and why ideas rule the world

This conversation will be really useful if you’re looking to make a career change but even if you’re happy with what you’re doing there’s loads of great insights that will help you do better work and question the world around you.

Jul 10, 2019

Eric Partaker is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mexican restaurant chain Chilango and a High Performance Coach. In this episode we discuss:

  • The major problem with most approaches to personal development
  • The relationship between identity, emotion and habit formation
  • How to integrate the high performance mindset into all areas of your life

So whatever aspect of life you’re looking to improve, this episode will give you all you need and much more.

Jul 2, 2019

Eric Partaker is the Co-Founder and CEO of Mexican restaurant chain Chilango and a High Performance Coach. In this episode we discuss:

- The importance of building career capital and how Eric did this at McKinsey and Skype
- The art of branding and how Eric applied this at Chilango
- How Chilango became one of the most successfully crowdfunded businesses of all time

So whether you’re looking to take your career to the next level or upgrade your business, this episode will give you all you need and more.

May 22, 2019

Josh Kaufman is an entrepreneur and the bestselling author of The Personal MBA, The First 20 Hours and How To Fight a Hydra. In this episode we discuss:

  • The benefits of fiction and non-fiction for promoting behaviour change
  • Dealing with practical concerns when pursuing your dreams
  • The skills that Josh stuck with after writing the First 20 Hours

This was a wide-ranging and multi-disciplinary conversation with lots of great insights whether you want to start your own business or learn a new skill.

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