Big Think

• The CIA method for making quick decisions under stress | Andrew Bustamante

  “The very same time that’s making you anxious is actually your most valuable asset. You can always create more energy and more money—but you can never create more time.” What if the path out of overwhelm was less about doing more and more about doing less—intentionally? In a world saturated with distractions, decisions, and demands, the CIA’s covert approach to multitasking offers a surprising lesson for the rest of us. Former spy Andrew Bustamante unpacks how operatives in high-risk, high-stakes environments manage overwhelming complexity—not through superhuman ability, but by mastering one surprisingly simple principle: do the next fastest thing. 00:00 Resources that matter 01:50 Task saturation 04:23 Your next simplest task 07:37 Your path to survival 08:33 Head trash 10:04 Managing overwhelm About Andrew Bustamante: Andrew Bustamante is a former covert CIA intelligence officer and decorated US Air Force combat veteran. In 2017, he founded EverydaySpy.com, the first digital platform teaching real-world intelligence techniques to everyday people. Drawing from his 20 years running human and technical operations globally, Bustamante empowers individuals to break social, financial, and cultural barriers using proven spy skills. He's a Fortune 10 corporate advisor, cybersecurity expert, and author of "Everyday Espionage: Winning the Workplace and Social Game." Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes ------------------ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Biohacking our way to health with robot cells | Michael Levin

  Developmental biologist Michael Levin proposes an alternative approach to regenerative medicine: one that involves communicating with cells to trigger specific associations and induce changes in tissues. He envisions a future where biomedicine relies less on chemistry, and looks more like behavioral science. By leveraging the native competencies of cells, Levin thinks researchers can achieve complex outcomes without micromanagement. He demonstrates this through the regeneration of frog legs by simply prompting cells towards the regenerative state. Levin introduces “xenobots,” bio-robots formed by self-assembling frog skin cells. These xenobots are key to the regenerative medicine of the future, with the potential to create solutions for birth defects, reprogramming tumors — even creating new organs. Levin emphasizes the moral imperative to pursue this research to address pressing medical needs. ------------------ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Does hope for humanity rely on philosophy?

  Philosopher and Notre Dame professor Meghan Sullivan shares her take on how the AI era has forced us to rethink what truly gives human life value. As machines surpass us in logic and productivity, the love ethic offers an answer rooted in dignity, connection, and care. Similar to other technological advancements throughout history, this moment has created an opportunity for a philosophical breakthrough: one that helps us identify what humanity really is, how to identify it, and how to preserve it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- About Meghan Sullivan: Meghan Sullivan is the Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, where she leads the Ethics Initiative and founded the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. With support from the John Templeton Foundation, the Institute advances research and teaching on human flourishing. Sullivan’s work spans ethics, metaphysics, and religion. She’s the author of Time Biases and co-author of The Good Life Method, based on her acclaimed course “God and the Good Life.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About The Well Do we inhabit a multiverse? Do we have free will? What is love? Is evolution directional? There are no simple answers to life’s biggest questions, and that’s why they’re the questions occupying the world’s brightest minds. Together, let's learn from them. Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes ------------------ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Let go of labels. Transform your life. | Ryan Holiday

  Don’t call yourself “a writer,” just write. Ryan Holiday on how the labels you give yourself can hold you back. Who are you without the labels? What if you stopped defining yourself by what you do and simply focused on doing it? This episode dives deep into identity, ego, and the struggle of living on your own terms. From walking away from a career that didn’t fit to embracing the discomfort of uncertainty, it’s a raw reflection on the moments that humble us, shape us, and force us to grow. Whether it’s a bookstore built in the middle of a pandemic or the realization that success can cloud reality, this conversation will make you rethink what truly matters. How do you measure your life—by what you achieve or who you become? Who would you be without all the labels and identities you’ve collected over the course of your life?Ego, titles, and societal expectations often shape who we think we are—or who we think we should be. Author, and for simplicity's sake, bookstore owner, Ryan Holiday explains the simple question “What do you do?” can turn into a trap, making us cling to roles that don’t really define us. But what happens when you let go of these labels? What if, instead of focusing on the identity of being a writer, you focused on the act of writing itself?As Holiday got older, he learned that being busy “doing the verb” is far more valuable than obsessing over the noun. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to fit into the “right” categories and titles, but that often means copying, comparing, and losing sight of what really matters. About Ryan Holiday: Ryan Holiday is a bestselling author, marketer, and one of today’s leading voices in modern Stoicism. He’s known for taking ancient wisdom and making it relatable and practical for everyday life. Before becoming an author, he led marketing at American Apparel. Now, he writes about strategy, self-discipline, and leadership, weaving history into real-world advice. Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes ------------------ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Why creating is crucial to human existence | Godfrey Reggio, Steve Albini, and Fred Armisen

  🔊 *“Meaning is what you do. It’s not what you say.”* — Godfrey Reggio This meditative episode of *Dispatches from the Well* dives into the lives of three unconventional creators — **Godfrey Reggio**, **Steve Albini**, and **Fred Armisen** — exploring how they find meaning through discipline, presence, and the refusal to follow convention. 🧘‍♂️ **Godfrey Reggio**, once a monk and social worker, became a groundbreaking filmmaker known for *Koyaanisqatsi*, a wordless reflection on humanity and technology. His chaotic studio belies his deep focus and 8+ years of obsessive labor on a single project. He believes: > *“You become what you do.”* His films challenge how we perceive the "normal" by stripping away words and relying on music, especially Philip Glass’s layered scores. Technology, to Reggio, is not neutral — it's our environment, shaping us more than we know. 🎛️ **Steve Albini**, legendary sound engineer, holds fiercely to analog audio for ethical and historical reasons. Rejecting traditional music industry profits, he sees himself not as a producer but a technician preserving cultural truth: > *“I feel like my day-to-day job is being a vector of history.”* Albini emphasizes that analog recordings will survive centuries, offering future generations a clear window into our world — unlike encrypted digital data. 🎭 **Fred Armisen**, with his trademark self-awareness, weaves humor and awkwardness into his art. His brief appearance highlights the delicate interplay between performance and authenticity. 💡 **Core Themes**: - 🎯 *Meaning through discipline*: Daily routine reveals identity. - 📽️ *Art as perception shift*: Not education, but transformation. - 🤖 *Technology’s double edge*: It connects us, yet shapes and traps us. - 📻 *Analog as legacy*: Some things are worth preserving in their purest form. ✨ A poetic meditation on creativity, presence, and our imprint on the cosmos. As Reggio says: > *“Begin, and the work shall show you how.”* Folllow this Podcast for daily Episodes ------------------ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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