Modern Wisdom - Chris Williamson

Latest Episodes:

The Secrets Of British Airways Flight 149 - Stephen Davis - #359 Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

Stephen Davis is an investigative reporter and an author.

On August 1st 1990, a British Airways flight departed London for Kuwait, on board were nearly 400 passengers including 9 secret service operatives. They landed in a war zone as Sadam Hussein's army rolled into Kuwait and took them hostage.

For the next 5 months they were used as human shields, and for the last 30 years BA and the UK Government has covered up why they were really there and what happened. Stephen has been investigating this story since it happened and today we get to hear what 30 years of research has uncovered.

Sponsors:

Get 10% discount on your first month from BetterHelp at https://betterhelp.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)

Get 20% discount & free shipping on your Lawnmower 4.0 at https://www.manscaped.com/ (use code MODERNWISDOM)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:30) What Happened on Flight 149? (09:14) After the Iraqi Capture (18:07) State of the Passengers (25:39) How Did the Captain React? (32:41) Rescuing the Passengers (44:30) Margaret Thatcher’s Reason for the Landing (50:06) Geopolitical Implications (54:48) Cover-ups from Political Leaders (58:31) Progress 30 Years On (1:06:30) Where to Find Stephen

Extra Stuff:

Buy Operation Trojan Horse - https://amzn.to/3lPXIF9

Check out Stephen's website - https://stephendaviswriter.com/

Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Positive Psychology's Lessons For Coping With Stress - Dr Samantha Boardman - #358 Aug 14, 2021

Show notes

Dr Samantha Boardman is a psychiatrist and an author.

Divorces, bankruptcies and moving house are major stresses. But what about the micro-stressors we deal with every day, how much do they contribute to diminishing our wellbeing and what can we do to stop that from happening?

Expect to learn which activities studies say are most effective for making you resilient to stress, how to break a downward spiral in your growth, why discomfort is a feature not a bug, how creating a persona can give you confidence and much more...

Sponsors:

Get £70+ of free upgrades on amazing design work from 99designs by Vistaprint at https://99designs.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)

Get 20% discount on the highest quality CBD Products from Pure Sport at https://puresportcbd.com/modernwisdom (use code: MW20)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:22) Recovering From Lockdown (08:00) What Are Micro-Stressors? (15:31) Leaning Into Discomfort (19:52) How to Cope With Bad Days (26:35) How Not to Deal With Stress (32:00) Escaping a Downward Spiral (37:28) The Usefulness of a Persona (47:30) Therapy & Action (55:37) Positive Psychology 101

Extra Stuff:

Buy Ready For Anything - https://amzn.to/3lS5wpR

Follow Samantha on Twitter - https://twitter.com/sambmd

Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 500-Year Plan To Reach Other Worlds - Christopher Mason - #357 Aug 12, 2021

Show notes

Christopher Mason is a Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, founding Directors of the WorldQuant Initiative for Quantitative Prediction and an author.

Eventually, the sun is going to engulf the earth. This means that if we want human and animal life to not be snuffed out within a billion years, we need to reach other worlds and Christopher has put together a 500-years roadmap for how we could do it.

Expect to learn why space flight is so harsh on the human body, how genetic manipulation could assist us with survival, whether locking generations of humans on a spaceship is ethical, if zero gravity birth is possible, whether anyone has had sex in space yet, why we should bathe in yoghurt and much more...

Sponsors:

Get 40% discount on everything from boohooMAN at https://bit.ly/manwisdom (use code MW40)

Reclaim your fitness and book a Free Consultation Call with ActiveLifeRX at http://bit.ly/rxwisdom

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (01:00) A Roadmap to Leave Earth (06:00) Our Duty as Conscious Beings (13:38) 500 Years in the Future (16:57) Space’s Impact on Human Bodies (31:32) Evolving in Space (36:19) Ethics of Long-Term Space Travel (44:00) Social & Mental Issues in Space (47:09) Preparing to Colonise the Galaxy (55:56) Death of the Universe

Extra Stuff:

Buy The Next 500 Years - https://amzn.to/3lwzkrY

Check out Christopher's lab - https://masonlab.net/

Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What It's Truly Like Living In North Korea - Yeonmi Park - #356 Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

Yeonmi Park is a North Korean defector, an author and a YouTuber.

North Korea is the most shrouded, dictatorial and walled-off nation on earth. The only press who are permitted access are get shown a performance masquerading as real life and leaving the country is essentially impossible. At 13 years old, Yeonmi escaped along with her sister & mother.

Expect to learn how North Korea's citizens are conned into spying on each other, why it's better to die than go to prison, how the state has managed to get the total escapees down to 0 in the last few years, if Yeonmi is scared about retribution from Kim-Jong Un and much more...

Sponsors:

Get 5 Free Travel Packs, Free Liquid Vitamin D and Free Shipping from Athletic Greens at https://athleticgreens.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)

Get 83% discount & 3 months free from Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MODERNWISDOM (use code MODERNWISDOM)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:29) Dreams of North Korea (05:00) What Life Is Like as a Citizen (16:49) Why Is There Perpetual Famine? (20:40) Crime & Prison Camps (24:48) The North Korean Leaders’ Lineage (32:16) Kim Jong-nam (39:03) How Does North Korea Make Money? (45:22) North Korean Defectors (50:10) Should We Be Concerned About China? (1:01:04) The Repercussions of Yeonmi Defecting (1:06:18) Where to Find Yeonmi

Extra Stuff:

Buy In Order To Live - https://amzn.to/37jDKdB

Check out Yeonmi's YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpQu57KgT7gOoLCAu3FFQsA

Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exorcisms, Rockstar Priests & Dangerous Taboos - Andrew Gold - #355 Aug 07, 2021

Show notes

Andrew Gold is a documentary maker and podcaster.

In the depths of the Buenos Aires suburbs is a priest who is warding off vampires, levitating followers and battling demons. Or maybe he's kidnapping schizophrenic patients from a local psychiatric ward. Andrew traipsed through Argentina to find out.

Expect to learn what it's like to fear 5000 people are going to kill you in South America, how Andrew infiltrated an underground network in Germany, why the BBC's diversity quota might be protecting the top jobs, how brutal it is to work in Amazon's warehouse and much more...

Sponsors:

Get 20% discount & Free Shipping on awesome vegan meals at https://vibrantvegan.co.uk/modernwisdom (use code MODERNWISDOM)

Get 20% discount on the highest quality CBD Products from Pure Sport at https://puresportcbd.com/modernwisdom (use code: MW20)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:24) Andrew’s Work (04:43) Meeting an Exorcist (19:45) Pitching a Documentary to BBC (27:28) Problem with Diversity Quotas (36:10) Accepting Differing Opinions (43:05) The Power of Belief & Lived Experience (47:09) Undercover in Amazon (53:30) What Really Matters Today? (1:00:49) Infiltrating a Pedophile Network (1:19:15) The Ultimate Taboo (1:25:11) Superstar Journalists

Extra Stuff:

Check out Andrew's Podcast - https://www.andrewgoldpodcast.com/

Follow Andrew on Twitter - https://twitter.com/andrewgold_ok

Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perform Like A Navy Seal - Rich Diviney - #354 Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

Rich Diviney is a retired Navy SEAL Commander and an author.

The Navy Seals are one of the most hardened military groups in the world. During 13 tours and over a decade of service, Rich researched and tested his favourite ways to improve and enhance the mental and physical performance of himself and his unit.

Expect to learn how to immediately move your system from a sympathetic to parasympathetic state, why optimal performance is preferable to peak performance, why understanding the relationship between skills and attributes is crucial, how to cope with fear and much more...

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:26) Doing BUD/S at 22 (05:36) Intellectual Navy SEALs (10:06) Lessons Learned as a Navy SEAL (18:22) Recovering from Stress (28:01) Preparing Mentally for Situations (33:05) Peak vs Optimal Performance (39:19) Why Attributes & Skills Are Different (47:24) Developing Resilience (54:49) Keys to Self-Improvement (1:00:29) Mental Impacts of Fear & Humour (1:06:21) How to Be More Efficient (1:14:29) Increasing Discipline

Extra Stuff:

Buy The Attributes - https://amzn.to/3l9vqoM

Check out Rich's site - https://theattributes.com/

Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Do Genes Influence Our Behaviour? - Robert Plomin - #353 Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

Robert Plomin, is a psychologist, geneticist and an author.

Separating the influence of nature and nurture is something everyone considers. Robert is the 71st most cited psychologist of the 20th century and has run the largest and most clinically detailed twin and adoption studies in history to finally provide definitive answers to these fundamental questions.

Expect to learn how much of who we are can be attributed to our environment and how much was predisposed by our genetics, why parenting doesn't make a difference, why the choice of school your child goes to only impacts 1% of their outcomes, whether penis size is heritable, if there is a gay gene or not and much more...

Sponsors:

Get 20% discount on Reebok’s entire range including the amazing Nano X1 at https://geni.us/modernwisdom (use code MW20)

Get 10% discount on your first month from BetterHelp at https://betterhelp.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (01:42) What Are Behavioural Genetics? (04:22) Nature & Nurture (17:52) How Genetics Are Studied (22:39) Biggest Ever Twin Study (27:39) Do Genes Influence Behaviour & Health? (36:32) Heritability of Different Traits (50:09) Seeking Happiness (55:57) Heritability of Sexual Preference (58:41) Do Children Behave Like Their Parents? (1:03:22) Non-Genetic Impacts on Behaviour (1:09:54) Educating Children on Genetics (1:23:38) DNA Dating (1:29:51) Increasing Equality of Opportunity (1:35:08) Living with Acceptance of Genetics (1:39:49) Where to Find Robert

Extra Stuff:

Buy Blueprint - https://amzn.to/3f2OYYk

Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How To Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - Ben Aldridge - #352 Jul 31, 2021

Show notes

Ben Aldridge is an author, musician and teacher.

After finding himself increasingly anxious and suffering regular panic attacks, Ben purposefully spent an entire year doing things which really pushed the limits of his comfort in an effort to regain control of his mindset.

Expect to learn what Ben's Mrs thought of him sleeping on the floor next to the bed, what he discovered when he climbed Everest up and down his house's stairs, why acupuncture in the face can be useful, how exposure therapy spills over into regulating your daily emotions and much more...

Sponsors:

Get 20% discount on the highest quality CBD Products from Pure Sport at https://puresportcbd.com/modernwisdom (use code: MW20)

Get perfect teeth 70% cheaper than other invisible aligners from DW Aligners at http://dwaligners.co.uk/modernwisdom

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:28) Year of Adversity (07:47) Applying Philosophy to Life (18:15) Growth Mindset & CBT (24:17) Ben’s Small Challenges (29:13) Summoning Adrenaline (36:34) Most Challenging Task (42:03) Climbing Everest at Home (47:14) Lessons Learned from Discomfort (51:30) Where to Find Ben

Extra Stuff:

Buy How To Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - https://amzn.to/3BPpMhC

Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The World's Deepest Submarine Rescue - Stephen McGinty - #351 Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

Stephen McGinty is an author, journalist and documentary producer.

In 1973, two British men, Roger Chapman & Roger Mallinson were 1500ft below the surface laying trans-Atlantic telephone cables in the Pisces III submarine.

What happened next is one of the longest, most dangerous, complex and daring rescues ever attempted as America, Canada, Ireland and Britain marshalled their forces in the air and beneath the sea to save the two men, all while their oxygen, food and power was rapidly running out.

Sponsors:

Get £70+ of free upgrades on amazing design work from 99designs by Vistaprint at https://99designs.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)

Get a Free Sample Pack of all LMNT Flavours at https://www.drinklmnt.com/modernwisdom (discount automatically applied)

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:23) World’s Deepest Submarine Rescue (05:05) Why Did They Need Rescuing? (13:13) How Long Does a Rescue Take? (17:18) Rescue Process for Pisces 3 (37:55) Physiological State of the Divers (46:55) How Far Away From a Bad Ending? (49:38) What Did the Team Do After? (51:02) Meeting the Team (56:09) Where to Find Stephen

Extra Stuff:

Buy The Dive - https://amzn.to/3wUBnIt

Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/ModernWisdomPodcast

Email: https://www.chriswillx.com/contact

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Change Your Breath, Change Your Life - James Nestor - #350 Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

James Nestor is a journalist and an author.

We get more energy from our breath than we do from food or hydration or sleep. And yet most people have never considered assessing how properly they breathe. Thankfully James has spent years speaking to the world's leading researchers, breathwork teachers, monks and free divers to find out exactly what we need to know.

Expect to learn why computer use is affecting your breath, how poor breathing can cause diabetes, why snoring is a dangerous habit, James' tips for optimising your daily breathing, the best strategies to use for athletic performance, how to improve your breathing while you sleep and much more...

Sponsors:

Get 40% discount on everything from boohooMAN at https://bit.ly/manwisdom (use code MW40)

Reclaim your fitness and book a Free Consultation Call with ActiveLifeRX at http://bit.ly/rxwisdom

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro (00:19) The Focus on Breathing & Sleeping (05:55) Breath's Impact on the Nervous System (09:41) Poor Breathing Patterns (14:57) James’ Breathing Eureka Moment (17:12) Tummo Breathing & Wim Hof (23:37) Breathing in Different Cultures (27:33) Why Is Too Much Breath Bad? (33:55) Can Breathing Changes Heal Illness? (37:47) Improving Non-Conscious Breathing (40:30) Breathing & Athletic Output (51:10) How to Increase CO₂ Tolerance (54:33) How to Fix Snoring and Sleep Issues (1:03:11) Extreme Breath Feats (1:10:30) What James Missed From the Book

Extra Stuff:

Buy Breath - https://amzn.to/3eJzLei

Follow James on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrjamesnestor

Get my free Ultimate Life Hacks List to 10x your daily productivity → https://chriswillx.com/lifehacks/

To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom

Episodes You Might Enjoy:

This Is How To Master Your Life - David Goggins - #577: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins⁠⁠⁠

How To Destroy Your Negative Beliefs - Dr Jordan Peterson - #712: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Peterson⁠⁠⁠

The Secret Tools To Hack Your Brain - Dr Andrew Huberman - #700: ⁠⁠⁠lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman⁠⁠

Get in touch.

Join the discussion with me and other like minded listeners in the episode comments on the MW YouTube Channel or message me...

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx