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PODCAST

How To Academy Podcast

How To Academy is London"s home of big thinking. From Nobel laureates to Pulitzer Prize winners, we invite the world’s most influential voices to share new ideas for changing ourselves, our communities, and the world. Our biweekly podcast is your chance to hear in-depth from the most exciting thinkers in global culture.

society & culture self-improvement

All Episodes

54:42

Peter Jones - The Secret History of the Seven Deadly...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/04/02

In 2026 the Seven Deadly Sins have become a bit of harmless fun, more associated with ice creams and videogame villains than the immortal soul. But in the medieval world, the Sins were a guide to the human mind, offering insight into the deepest questions of life, meaning, and happiness. Medievalist Peter Jones has uncovered their origins and significance and joins us on the podcast to show how these very old ideas can still show us who we are in the modern world.Learn more about your ad choices

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66:33

Neuroscientist Daniel Levitin — How to Harness the...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/31

Daniel Levitin returns to How To Academy to explore how music can transform our health and wellbeing—repairing our bodies, calming our minds, and healing our deepest psychological wounds. By uncovering the cutting-edge neuroscience behind how rhythm and melody strengthen memory, reduce pain, and provide emotional equilibrium, Daniel will offer a compelling new vision for the future of music as medicine. Join us for a joyful celebration of one of humanity’s oldest and most powerful forms of

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69:19

Ayala Panievsky–Fighting Censorship in the Age of...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/27

Heavy-handed censorship is unnecessary when one can manipulate people to censor themselves…From the birth of 'the strategic bias', to weaponizing liberal norms against liberal democracy, the populist right has found a way to exercise an effective and socially acceptable type of silencing and manipulation. Instead of banning stories, they spread flows of disinformation, which take hours and days to debunk. Instead of silencing, they shout louder. Instead of blue-pencilling, they employ fake users,

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54:02

Oren Harman - The Human History of Metamorphosis

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/24

As a boy, Oren Harman set up his own bedroom "laboratory" to uncover the caterpillar's transformation into a butterfly. But these marvellous creatures are far from alone in radically transforming: it is thought that 75% of animal life undergoes a form of metamorphosis. The story of how and why is one that has puzzled some of the most remarkable minds in history, from Aristotle onwards; in his new book Metamorphosis, Oren tells their story. He joins us on this episode of the podcast to reveal

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70:14

Dr Gavin Francis – Making Sense of Mental Health

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/19

Between a quarter and a fifth of young people in the UK now suffer from a mental disorder. One in four adults are prescribed psychiatric medication. These figures reveal an extraordinary expansion in the language and labelling of mental health — but they tell us little about the lived experience of those seeking help, or about what it truly means to heal. In this episode of the podcast, Dr Gavin Francis will explore the tangled history of psychiatry and our evolving understanding of the mind. From

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50:56

C. Thi Nguyen - How to Stop Playing Someone Else's Game

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/13

C. Thi Nguyen considers games of all kinds to be an art form, no less beautiful than cinema, literature, or music: but the qualities that make games aesthetically valuable are very different to those we associate with other media. In this episode of the podcast, he reveals how games create meaning -- and what happens when we apply the logic of game design to real life, in the form of scoring systems that dictate what is and is not good and valuable. Join us and find out how we can begin to reclaim

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41:55

Keza MacDonald - How Nintendo Changed the World

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/06

Guardian journalist and lifelong Nintendo superfan Keza MacDonald is the author of a new history of that reveals how the company's unique culture transformed a Kyoto playing card manufacturer into one of the most loved organisations in the history of popular entertainment. Whether you know the names of every Pokemon or are simply fascinated by how a major corporation can consistently innovate, delight, and enthral millions of adults and children across the world, this conversation is an unmissable

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56:49

Neuroscientist Paul Goldsmith – How to Thrive in a...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/03/03

In a world transformed beyond recognition, the neural systems that once kept our ancestors alive now leave us overwhelmed, distracted, and dissatisfied. We battle loneliness, anxiety, and stress. We chase status, validation, and impossible standards—then blame ourselves when we fall short. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and clinical cases, evolutionary neuroscientist and practising neurologist Dr Paul Goldsmith will reveal how many of our struggles are not personal failures. Our restlessness,

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60:29

Jennifer Breheny Wallace – Mattering: The Secret to a...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/27

Feeling seen, needed, and valued isn't just a nice-to-have—it's essential for our wellbeing and society's future. When people feel they truly matter, everything changes—productivity soars, relationships deepen, and communities strengthen. As AI erases jobs that once gave people a sense of identity and purpose, and many feel isolated, burnout, and disconnected, we now face a crisis of mattering. In this episode of the podcast, award-winning journalist and writer Jennifer Breheny Wallace will provide

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64:55

Natalie Haynes and Robin Ince - The Myth of Medea,...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/24

Priestess, witch, daughter of a brutal king: Medea is the greatest tragic heroine of the classical world. But, as Sunday Times bestselling writer Natalie Haynes reveals, Medea can be so much more than that too. Joining her longtime friend Robin Ince, she reveals her own journey that led her towards classical mythology, and invites modern-day dwellers to revisit the mythical past anew. From the extraordinary characters of classical heroines such as Medea, Pandora, and Medusa, to how classical myths

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74:38

Wayne McGregor – How to Unlock Your Physical...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/21

How much do you know about your body? How much does your body know about you? The most acclaimed choreographer of our age, Sir Wayne McGregor’s trailblazing innovations have radically defined dance in the modern era. And over the past three decades, he has discovered that our intelligence lies not only in our brains, but in our bodies too. Physical intelligence is instinctive, pre-verbal, and continually upgrades itself. Mastering it will allow us all to release the knots in our physical and

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37:10

Filmmaker Petra Costa - Democracy on a Knife-edge

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/17

When we spoke to Petra Costa last, her film Apocalypse in The Tropics had just been released on Netflix. The film, which leaves us in the aftermath of January 8th 2023 and the storming of the Brazilian Congress by hundreds of protestors demonstrating against the re-election of Lula De Silva and defeat of Jair Bolsanaro, explores the relationship between evangelical Christianity and the Far Right. Much has happened in the intervening months. Bolsonaro is now behind bars; convicted for inciting the

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63:41

Stanford's Ben Rein – The Neuroscience of Social...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/13

It’s not just what you feed your brain that matters—it’s who. From your morning coffee order, to weaving through commuters on the train, sitting through work meetings, riding in a packed lift, heading to the pub with colleagues, or relaxing on the sofa with family, every day is filled with social interactions that nurture and support your brain's health. Whether mundane or extraordinary, they make up your brain’s 'social diet', which influences your wellbeing, shapes your experience, and can even

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33:15

Award-winning Novelist Joanna Kavenna - How to Play a...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/10

A riotious comic novel of ideas, Seven tells the story of an unnamed philosopher plunged into the strange world of Theodoros Apostalakis: dentist, poet, pursuer of lost things, and obsessive player of 'Seven', a revered board game whose champions struggle to hold onto what is most valuable in human life in the face of Artificial Intelligence. Blending academic satire, travel writing, farce, and philosophy into a singular, intoxicating brew, Seven is a literary novel that stretches the boundaries of

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76:40

Investigative Journalist Oliver Bullough - How the...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/06

Whether you’re a fraudster, a cartel boss, a corrupt politician, a kleptocrat or a terrorist mastermind, your options to move and hide your money are more secure and more impenetrable than they have ever been. There has never been a better time to be a criminal. Meanwhile, innocent people are wrongly being frozen out of banking services across the world. Something needs to change. All efforts at legislation, diplomacy, prosecution and compliance have been a complete flop. Investigative journalist

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59:40

Psychobiologist Daisy Fancourt – How the Arts Can...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/02/03

How does art affect our brains and bodies, down to our very DNA? Psychobiologist Daisy Fancourt reveals the extraordinary effect of art on our health, and what we can do to make the most of art’s life-changing power. From how music synchronises our movement to how storytelling enhances our emotional intelligence, Daisy illuminates this under-appreciated pillar of health, and shares practical and meaningful ways to incorporate art into our daily and social lives.Learn more about your ad choices

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36:02

Tim Minshall - Your Life is Manufactured

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/01/30

Where do the things we buy actually come from? And how did they become the products on our store shelves, the food in our pantries, and the familiar items in our homes? Cambridge Professor and expert in manufacturing and innovation Tim Minshall guides us down the intricate journeys within the world of manufacturing, revealing how everyday items find their way across the world to reach us.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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76:43

Rutger Bregman Meets George Monbiot - How to Change...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/01/27

Global sensation Rutger Bregman joins George Monbiot to show how small groups of committed individuals changed the course of history – and how you can, too.The average full-time worker will spend 80,000 hours at their job: are you making the most of them? Do you truly believe in what you do, day in day out?Every day we’re bombarded with methods, mantras, life hacks and coaching sessions that promise us mindfulness, prosperity and wellness. We read countless self-help books to unlock the seven

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57:22

Amy Jeffs – Stories of Love and Death From...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/01/23

In this episode of the podcast, Amy Jeffs reveals the spellbinding world behind Old Songs, her exploration of traditional British ballads and the stories that have carried human fears, desires, and wonder across centuries. From the historical role of ballads in everyday life, to their modern afterlives in literature, music, and live performance, Amy shows us why these old songs still resonate so strongly today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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70:04

Data Scientist Hannah Ritchie – How to Solve Climate...

How To Academy Podcast ·

2026/01/20

With so many conflicting headlines out there, it’s tough to sort fact from fiction when it comes to climate change and the solutions we need for a cleaner future. The first piece of good news is that data scientist Hannah Ritchie is here with answers, and the steps we need to take now. Using simple, clear data, she joins us to tackle questions such as, ‘Is it too late?’, ‘Won’t we run out of minerals?’ and ‘Are we too polarised?’. The second piece of good news: the truth is way more hopeful than you

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