Sam Harris
500 episodes listed below
Sam Harris interviews scientists and journalists on AI risk, religion, and US politics.
Making Sense with Sam Harris treats public life as a moral and intellectual problem, not a churn of takes. Recent conversations move from AI and social media harm to Iran, China, California politics, effective altruism, and biosecurity.
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Making Sense with Sam Harris runs two recurring formats: long single-guest interviews ranging from about 20 to 110 minutes, and shorter subscriber-oriented 'More From Sam' Q&A episodes where Harris responds to listener questions about the week's news. Interview guests are typically scientists, technologists, journalists, and philosophers; this sample includes causal-AI researcher Judea Pearl, Tristan Harris on social media and AI harms, political writer Jonathan Rauch on the language of fascism, and effective-altruism philosopher Will MacAskill. Recurring subjects across both formats include AI-driven job loss and extinction-risk scenarios, the ethics and track record of effective altruism, the condition of US democracy under Trump, and arguments against religious apologetics from a secular standpoint. The Q&A episodes also examine media and podcasting responsibility, discussing figures such as Joe Rogan, Theo Von, and Tucker Carlson in relation to conspiracy theories reaching large audiences. Harris regularly references mindfulness and meditation, tied to his Waking Up app, as a way of processing distressing news rather than as a standalone topic. Israel, antisemitism, and Middle East politics come up in both interview and Q&A episodes. The tone is analytical and often argumentative, with Harris pressing guests and explaining why he declines to debate certain public figures. Full Q&A episodes are partially paywalled, with only an initial segment released publicly before a subscription prompt. Listeners drawn to AI policy debates, philosophy of religion, or secular political commentary on the Trump era make up the core audience, spanning quick news-reaction episodes and long-form guest conversations.
Made for: Listeners interested in secular philosophy, AI risk debates, and analytical commentary on US politics and religion.
What sets it apart: Combines long-form expert interviews with recurring solo subscriber Q&A segments, filtered through the host's neuroscience and meditation background.
Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Sam is also the creator of the Waking Up app. Combining Sam's decades of mindfulness practice, profound wisdom from varied philosophical and contemplative traditions, and a commitment to a secular, scientific worldview, Waking Up is a resource for anyone interested in living a more examined, fulfilling life—and...
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Making Sense connects political events to deeper questions about institutions, belief, technology, and moral responsibility through persistent, definition-driven conversation.
Making Sense with Sam Harris turns current affairs into arguments about first principles. Interviews with Jonathan Rauch, Will McCaskill, and Judea Pearl move from American institutions and political violence to effective altruism, artificial intelligence, and antisemitism.
Waffle House teleportation meets moral reality, and you get Sam Harris testing both with the same impatience.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A sharp live Q&A on conspiracy thinking, civic attention, and the responsibility that comes with enormous audiences.
Sam Harris uses this live subscriber Q&A to move through public conversation, conspiracy thinking, attention, and the absurdity of a FEMA figure describing a supposed teleportation to a Waffle House.
A sharp EA conversation about weird moral frontiers, AI anxiety, and the risk of dismissing tomorrow's obvious ethics.
Sam Harris brings Will McCaskill back to Making Sense for a conversation about effective altruism after a turbulent decade, framed by the 10th anniversary edition of Doing Good Better.
A careful argument for why "fascism" may fit Trump-era leadership, with real attention to definitions and limits.
Sam Harris and Jonathan Rauch take up a loaded question in current political commentary: whether "fascism" is now the right word for the Trump administration. Rauch, drawing on his Atlantic piece "Yes, It's Fascism," works through the label by definition rather than shock value.
Pearl on where AI reasoning stops short, AGI risk he takes at face value, and an antisemitism that came dressed as a negotiation.
Judea Pearl, author of The Book of Why and a founding figure in AI, returns to Making Sense with two subjects that rarely share an episode: causal reasoning's case against large language models, and antisemitism.
Harris moves from mortality and religion to AI anxiety and demon stories, with skepticism doing most of the work.
This More From Sam installment catches Harris moving through familiar pressure points: a resolution to live as if time is short, the patience people grant religious claims, the difficulty of staying appropriately worried about AI, and a late tease of Tucker Carlson's demon…
WSJ reporters unpack the Epstein files, surrogacy industry abuses, and true-crime court battles.
Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway argue through tech, media, and Trump-era politics twice weekly.
Dan Carlin's solo essays connecting executive power, historical collapse, and American democracy.
Sharp political debate with policy detail and real disagreement.
Demetri Kofinas interviews specialists on geopolitics, energy markets, AI, and finance at length.
Ben Rhodes and Tommy Vietor track the US-Iran war and Trump's foreign policy moves.
Sam Harris opens with Tristan Harris, who helped shape public attention around social media through The Social Dilemma and a 2017 60 Minutes interview.
What begins as ridicule of an implausible story turns into concern about public reasoning and what people with enormous audiences owe everyone else.
Moral seriousness gets weird fast.
Sam Harris interviews Nicholas Christakis about the harmful effects of information technology on society, including polarization and mental health crises, over the past decade.
Sam Harris opens a live subscriber Q&A on Making Sense with a note that only the first part is available unless listeners subscribe at SamHarris.org.
This episode features an interview with Matt Mahan, the mayor of San Jose and a Democratic candidate for governor of California, discussing his pragmatic political approach and personal journey into politics.
Sam Harris interviews Rob Reed about biosecurity, pandemic risk, and the fate of the Deep Vision Project.
Sam Harris discusses philosophical and societal questions with a focus on morality, religion, and rationality, often featuring interviews and live Q&A sessions.
Sam Harris interviews Gary Kasparov about his work with the Renew Democracy Initiative and their focus on defending democracy in the context of Trumpism and global authoritarian threats.
Sam Harris and Jonah Goldberg discuss the erosion of politicized institutions and current political issues.
Sam Harris discusses the experience of live streaming and previews a conversation about politics with guests from The Bulwark.
Sam Harris interviews Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller about their work at The Bulwark in opposing MAGA and Trumpism.
Sam Harris discusses a postponed live event due to a family medical emergency and reflects on the challenges of canceling shows.
Fascism is the disputed word.
Sam Harris discusses upcoming live shows, the Waking Up app's recognition, and a recent killing by ICE officers, exploring societal and ethical implications.
Sam Harris and a guest discuss recent political events including ICE, tariffs, NATO, Iran, and other news.
Sam Harris hosts computer scientist Judea Pearl, a founder of causal AI and father of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, to discuss his new book Coexistence and Other Fighting Words.
Sam Harris interviews John McWhorter about the state of the culture war and the lasting impact of 'woke' ideology on academia and the arts.
Patience has run out.
Sam Harris and Ross Douthat discuss the rationality and necessity of religion, exploring their differing views on whether religion is part of the cure or disease in modern culture.
Sam Harris interviews philosopher Michael Plant about utilitarianism, happiness research, and how to maximize well-being for the most good.
Sam Harris interviews political commentator Damon Linker about his transition from conservatism to liberalism and the current state of democracy.
Sam Harris and Paul Bloom discuss AI, consciousness, and moral dilemmas, reflecting on their past collaboration and the philosophical implications of artificial entities.
Sam Harris interviews David Frum about the first six months of the second Trump administration, discussing domestic politics and controversies.
Sam Harris interviews epidemiologist Mark Lipsitch about his scientific background and work on infectious diseases, vaccines, and COVID-19 response.
Sam Harris discusses current events and philosophical questions with a focus on how understanding ourselves changes how we should live.
Sam Harris interviews Daniel Coccatello about his work at OpenAI, AI governance, and the AI 2027 forecast.
Sam Harris interviews Congressman Richie Torres about his background growing up in poverty in the Bronx and his entry into politics.
Sam Harris interviews Donald Robertson about his academic background in philosophy and psychotherapy, focusing on stoicism and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Sam Harris discusses changes to the podcast's subscription policy and paywall.
Sam Harris interviews physicist David Deutsch about the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics and other topics.
Sam Harris answers subscriber questions about current events, including why some Jews feel safer with Trump in office.
Sam Harris introduces a conversation with a historian about moral ambition and the big questions of history.
Sam Harris discusses the societal impact of the pandemic and how our appreciation for life has changed.