Why do we generally feel like the world is getting worse, when by almost all measures it’s getting better? How do ideas "have sex”, and why does that matter for innovation? Why do brains tend to systematically misread the future? What if optimism is a more rational stance than pessimism? If innovation isn’t primarily about lone geniuses, what’s it really about? Join Eagleman with scientist and author Matt Ridley to explore what it means to be, in Ridley’s phrasing, a "rational optimist".

Ep159 "If Your Brain Changed Slightly, Would You Still Be You?" with Masud Husain
1:12:13

Ep158 "What do babies, animals, and AI have in common?" with Melanie Mitchell
45:22

Ep157 "Where Did the Letter "A" Come From?" with Danny Bate
53:34