How To Academy Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Andre Solo - How To Thrive as a Sensitive Person Jun 09, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever been told you're too sensitive? What if we told you that being sensitive wasn't a weakness, but a superpower? Our guest on this episode Andre Sólo is a researcher, and editor-in-chief of the website Highly Sensitive Refuge. He is the co-author of a number of scientific papers on the subject and of a new book: Sensitive: The Power of a Thoughtful Mind in an Overwhelming World, which makes the case for the advantages of a sensitive soul and shares his insights for how to thrive as a sensitive person. He joined the writer and broadcaster Julia Wheeler to tell us more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Susie Alegre - Protecting Freedom of Thought in the Digital Age Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

Susie Alegre is a leading human rights barrister and a pioneer of digital human rights in the age of AI and big tech. In her book Freedom to Think, she explores the basis upon which we have a right to our own ideas and opinions - and how we can protect that right in an age of digital surveillance and ever more advanced forms of propaganda. She spoke to us about the history of thought control, connecting the dots between Socrates, Galileo, witch trials and the contemporary world.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sarah Knight - How to be an Adult and Get Treated Like One Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

Sarah Knight made her name as the author of the sensational anti-self help book The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F**K and has sold more than 3 million copies of that book and others in the series. Her latest is called Grow the F**K Up - how to be an adult and get treated like one. We hosted her in conversation with Hannah MacInnes. Expect bad language and good advice.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

M. John Harrison - Living in an Age of Fantasy May 29, 2023

Show notes

As a member of the 1960s science fiction New Wave, M. John Harrison worked with authors like Michael Moorcock and JG Ballard to he helped turn generic entertainment into serious and even avante garde literature. His latest book, Wish I Was Here, subverts and breaks apart the conventions of life writing with the same restless unbridled spirit that powered his award-winning novels Climbers, Light, Nova Swing and most recently, The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again. He sat down with us to explore the nature of self, the desire for escape, and why we are living in an age of fantasy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Alastair Campbell Meets Beth Rigby - Why Politics Has Gone So Wrong, and How You Can Help Fix It May 23, 2023

Show notes

Alastair Campbell was Tony Blair's communications chief and is now one of the UK's most sought after political commentators; The Rest is Politics, his podcast with Rory Stewart, is essential listening for anyone who wants a fresh perspective on what's going on in Westminster. Alastair's new book is But What Can I Do?, a guide to how all of us can get involved in fixing politics. He joined us live on stage in conversation with Sky News political editor Beth Rigby to tell us more.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Hertog - Stephen Hawking's Final Theory of the Universe May 19, 2023

Show notes

Thomas Hertog was Stephen Hawking's PhD student and went on to become a leading cosmologist in his own right. He and Hawking developed a radical new theory concerning the origins of time itself: answering the biggest question imaginable - why does our universe have the laws of physics that it does? This would prove to be Hawking's final scientific theory and at Hawking's request Thomas wrote a book on the subject: On The Origin of Time. In this episode of the podcast, Thomas sits down with us to reveal how it all began...

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ruby Wax Meets Julia Samuel - I'm Not As Well As I Thought I Was May 16, 2023

Show notes

These days, trying to stay sane in a completely chaotic world makes life incredibly difficult, especially if you're struggling with your mental health. While searching for inner peace and equanimity amidst global chaos, Ruby realises that, ultimately, the most challenging gauntlet we all must face is ourselves. Joined by psychotherapist and author Julia Samuel, Ruby returns to How To Academy for an honest and raw journey into the depths of her psyche, and a stark exploration of what trauma can do to someone.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fiona Buckland - How to Change Your Life May 12, 2023

Show notes

What makes a fulfilling life, and how can we live one? Life coach Fiona Buckland explores the overwhelming world we live in and the stressors and temptations that pull us away from understanding ourselves. She reveals how we can return to ourselves to create not just a life well-lived, but a life suffused with meaning.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Justin Gregg - What Animal Intelligence Tells Us About Human Stupidity May 10, 2023

Show notes

What if human intelligence is more of a liability than a gift? According to the animal cognition expert and author of If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal Justin Gregg, there's an evolutionary reason why human intelligence isn't more prevalent in the animal kingdom. Simply put, non-human animals don't need it to be successful. In conversation with comedian and science communicator Robin Ince, Justin highlights features seemingly unique to humans and compares them to our animal brethren. The picture he paints will forever change how you look at life on earth.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robin Ince Meets Chris van Tulleken - Why We Can't Stop Eating Stuff That Isn't Food May 05, 2023

Show notes

Over the past 150 years, we have entered a new ‘age of eating’ where most of our calories come from an entirely novel set of substances: Ultra-Processed Foods.

In this episode award-winning broadcaster, practicing NHS doctor and leading academic Dr Chris van Tulleken joins Robin Ince to reveal the disastrous effects of Ultra-Processed Food on our health - the subject of his new bestseller, Ultra Processed People.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices