3 Takeaways
3 Takeaways features insights from the world’s best thinkers, business leaders, writers, politicians, scientists and other newsmakers. Each episode ends with 3 key takeaways to help you understand the world in new ways that can benefit your life and career. Hosted by Lynn Thoman.
Episodes
What do kitchen renovations, Olympic Games, and nuclear power plants have in common? Most of them fail — spectacularly. World-renowned expert Bent Flyvbjerg explains why 199 out of 200 big projects go over budget, over time, and under expectations — and what the rare successful ones do differently. From Pixar films to the Empire State Building, learn the principles that separate disasters from triumphs.
Populists on the right and left say globalization gutted America’s middle class. David Brooks says that story is “75% bonkers.” In this episode, he reveals what’s myth, what’s true, and the deeper crisis shaping our politics today.
Why do some people seem to effortlessly connect — while the rest of us stumble through awkward small talk or tense conversations? The secret isn’t charisma or confidence — it’s a few learnable habits that anyone can practice. Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Charles Duhigg explains what separates great communicators from everyone else — and how to start practicing those skills today.
Every country wants strong industries and good jobs. But do tariffs actually deliver?
Few people have been closer to the frontlines of global trade, tariffs, and innovation than America’s former chief trade negotiator Mike Froman. He takes us inside the myths, the hidden costs, and the bigger choices ahead. The question: what will truly define America’s edge in the global economy?
Space may look empty, but it’s crowded, fragile, and under threat. Former Congresswoman Jane Harman and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Nina Armagno — former U.S. Space Force Director of Staff who oversaw missile warning, satellite operations, and space launches — reveal how satellites quietly keep the world running, and how quickly it could all go dark.
Imagine waking up to no internet, no GPS, and no air travel. They share wh...
Variable rewards once powered slot machines; now they’re inside your pocket. Behavior-design expert Nir Eyal shows how modern apps turned casino psychology into daily routine. He unpacks the psychological levers hidden in everyday products.
Hear the science and the clever design tricks that turn a few minutes into far more time than you intended.
If knowledge is power, this episode hands you the switch.
The global order that brought decades of peace and prosperity is coming apart. The Economist’s Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes takes us inside the world’s power centers, where America is both admired and doubted — and China’s influence is on the rise. She reveals how shifting alliances and economic rivalries are rewriting the balance of power — with consequences that will touch us all.
Imagine owing over $100,000—not for a home or college, but simply for being an American.
That’s each citizen’s share of the nearly $40 trillion U.S. national debt—and it’s climbing fast. The government now spends more on interest than on Medicare or defense. Former Council of Economic Advisers Chair Greg Mankiw explains why this path is unsustainable and what it will take to fix it.
He lays out five possible outco...
How does AI go from predicting the next word to powering robots that navigate the real world?
Princeton computer science professor Sanjeev Arora explains how today’s models learn, adapt, and even teach themselves.From chatbots to multimodal machines that process text, images, and video, you’ll learn how it all works—and where it’s headed next.
This conversation will change how you think about intelligence, language, and the future of...
Crypto runs on stablecoins — and they’re far less stable than they sound.
Bloomberg investigative journalist Zeke Faux followed the money behind the scenes. What he uncovered will change the way you see digital money — and the trust it’s built on.
Listen to understand the hidden forces shaping the future of money.
How do the savviest investors navigate today’s uncertainty? Jon Gray, President of Blackstone, one of the world’s most successful asset management firms, shares the timeless principles that helped grow the firm from under $1B to over $1T in assets. He reveals how to spot great businesses, invest with conviction, and think decades ahead. This episode is a masterclass in building lasting wealth—especially in turbulent and uncertain t...
Global birth rates are collapsing—sometimes to half the level needed to keep populations stable. UT-Austin’s Michael Geruso explains how that trend could shrink the world’s population from eight billion to three billion in just three generations. He unpacks the silent drivers behind falling fertility, why cash incentives rarely work, and what disappearing people mean for innovation, cities, pensions, and geopolitical power.
We’ve landed on the moon and built global networks—yet most of us don’t understand how a toilet works. Cognitive scientist Philip Fernbach explores the paradox of human intelligence: our success depends on shared knowledge, not personal depth. But that creates an illusion—we think we know far more than we do.
How does this illusion quietly shape our politics, beliefs and risks and is it time we all got a little more curio...
Love isn’t just a feeling—it’s a science. Arthur Aron, the psychologist behind the 36 questions that went viral, shares what really makes people fall and stay in love. You’ll hear why new experiences matter, how to deepen intimacy, and what most couples get wrong.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen a relationship, connect more deeply with friends, or understand human bonding, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss...
Jake Sullivan spent four years at the highest level of U.S. foreign policy—sitting across the table from Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and leading the national response to crises like Ukraine, Taiwan, cyberattacks, and AI risks.
He shares a rare look behind the scenes of global power, including: what intelligence gets wrong (and why); how AI, drones & disinformation are reshaping war; why the U.S. is more vulnerable than...
What if we could rewrite the code of life—just like editing a Word doc?
Gene-editing pioneer David Liu takes us behind the scenes of the revolutionary tools transforming medicine. He’s the Harvard scientist who invented base editing—a breakthrough that lets scientists fix a single DNA letter to correct genetic disease at its root.
This is science fiction come to life—and it's happening now. He edits DNA like ...
What if music, color, scent, and art could actually change your brain? Science now shows they do.
Join Susan Magsamen, Executive Director of the International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins, as she explores how art and beauty impact our brains and well-being. From the transformative power of music to the subtle magic of sensory environments, she reveals how simple aesthetic moments can boost your health and joy.
Mississippi is richer than France. No, really. The poorest U.S. state now has a higher GDP per person than France, the U.K., Italy, and Spain. How did that happen? Don’t miss this eye-opening episode with George Mason University's Tyler Cowen.
China is on the march, is very determined, and has some significant advantages over the U.S. What are they and how should we respond?
Two esteemed China experts, former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and National Security Council Deputy Senior Director for China Rush Doshi, say the key is to counter China’s enormous scale by finding common cause with allies. Listen, and learn a lot.
As the dust settles on the 2024 presidential election, now is an excellent time to take a fresh, clear-eyed look at what really happened. Join us as Larry Bartels, political scientist extraordinaire and Co-Director of Vanderbilt University's Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions, explains why Trump’s win was not unusual and the roles played by the economy, loyalty to the political parties, and Trump’s unique personal...
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