Episodes

  • Why Win-Win Thinking Is So Hard (Liv Boeree)

    Why Win-Win Thinking Is So Hard (Liv Boeree)
    Dec 16 2025
    Liv Boeree is a former professional poker champion turned science communicator whose work explores game theory, technology, and the incentive systems shaping our world. In this wide-ranging conversation, Amanda and Liv examine how our competitive instincts can either sabotage us or help us grow, how to design lives that create more win-win dynamics, and why learning to “zoom out” may be the most powerful resilience skill we have. They also dig into why we misjudge luck, tilt, and loss, and how gamifying our choices can reveal what truly makes our tails wag. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 4 mins
  • Old School: Protect Your Heart (Jason Baldwin)

    Old School: Protect Your Heart (Jason Baldwin)
    Dec 12 2025
    By the time he was sixteen, Jason Baldwin had already felt the sting of prejudice from his community in West Memphis, Arkansas. Kids at the trailer park where he lived had long been shunned by more well off residents of the town. Still, nothing could have prepared him for how vicious these prejudices would turn once the bodies of three eight year old boys were found murdered. Jason and two of his friends were convicted of the murder despite a complete lack of physical evidence. If not for the case coming to the attention of two documentary filmmakers, the West Memphis Three would likely still be in prison today. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 8 mins
  • Who's Right? - Excuses

    Who's Right? - Excuses
    Dec 11 2025
    Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Why Shame Makes the Best Punchlines (Youngmi Mayer)

    Why Shame Makes the Best Punchlines (Youngmi Mayer)
    Dec 9 2025
    Youngmi Mayer is a comedian, writer, and podcaster whose work blends dark humor with deeply personal stories about trauma, identity, and immigrant family dynamics. In this conversation, Amanda and Youngmi explore how humor can become a survival tactic passed down through generations, how telling the “inappropriate” truths can create unexpected community, and how comedy helps us confront the parts of ourselves we’re taught to suppress. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • How Fear Distorts Our View of Climate Solutions (Isabelle Boemeke)

    How Fear Distorts Our View of Climate Solutions (Isabelle Boemeke)
    Dec 2 2025
    Isabelle Boemeke is a former fashion model turned climate activist, author and the world’s first “nuclear energy influencer,” known for making one of the most complex and controversial climate solutions both accessible and inspiring. In this conversation, Amanda asks how Isabel transformed despair about climate change into agency and why optimism about human creativity may be our most important renewable resource. They explore how individuals can actually move the needle on massive problems, why embracing imperfect solutions beats paralyzing cynicism, and how joy, creativity, and personal responsibility can turn even the scariest global challenges into solvable puzzles. Isabelle's book, Rad Future: The Untold Story of Nuclear Electricity and How It Will Save the World https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/739852/rad-future-by-isabelle-boemeke/ Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 mins
  • Old School: Love and Justice (Anna Vasquez)

    Old School: Love and Justice (Anna Vasquez)
    Nov 28 2025
    Anna Vasquez was just nineteen when she and three of her friends were accused of a horrific crime that they were completely innocent of. Their case was swept up in the mass hysteria about satanic cults that had seized the country in the 80s and 90s. It would take twenty four years for Anna and her friends to be fully exonerated, including over a decade in prison. But Anna's story didn't end with her release from prison or even with her exoneration. After prison, Anna found love. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    55 mins
  • Who's Right? - Gratitude

    Who's Right? - Gratitude
    Nov 27 2025
    Amanda and Chris return for another round of Who’s Right?, this time debating the meaning and future of Thanksgiving. Together they ask how the holiday’s mythology became so cringe, and why rethinking its stories, rituals, and food traditions might help us build a culture of gratitude that actually feels authentic. Along the way, they explore how gratitude works in real life, not just in holiday lore, and why reframing our struggles as opportunities can transform even the most frustrating moments. Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 mins
  • How the Genius Myth Misleads Us (Helen Lewis)

    How the Genius Myth Misleads Us (Helen Lewis)
    Nov 25 2025
    Helen Lewis is a journalist and author whose new book The Genius Myth dismantles how achievement really works. In this conversation, Amanda and Helen ask how the stories we tell about brilliance shape our culture and why our fixation on lone, exceptional individuals so often misleads us. They explore how luck, collaboration, and power create the illusion of “born geniuses,” and why understanding the real mechanics of success can make our own lives more grounded, resilient, and meaningful. The Genius Myth https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803542/the-genius-myth-by-helen-lewis/ Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.amandaknox.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠amandaknox.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: @amandaknox IG: @amamaknox Bluesky: @⁠⁠amandaknox.com⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Free: My Search for Meaning⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Waking Up Meditation App ⁠⁠⁠https://www.wakingup.com/Amandaknox Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 7 mins