Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

Episodes

The seductiveness of secular gurus (with Christopher Kavanagh)

April 3, 2026

Chris Kavanagh unpacks the rise of secular gurus, their manipulative tactics, and why their scientific veneer makes them dangerously seductive.

What beats intuition when it comes to doing good? (with Marcus Davis)

March 27, 2026

What's better: saving a life or funding art? Marcus Davis argues for a rational, model-based approach to philanthropy over pure intuition.

Can averages explain a human life? (with Steven C. Hayes)

March 19, 2026

Psychology's reliance on population averages is a statistical error. ACT creator Steven C. Hayes explains why individual journeys defy the bell curve.

What happens when your co-workers are AIs? (with Evan Ratliff)

February 27, 2026

Evan Ratliff discusses cloning his voice, the rise of AI scams, and the reality of building a company with AI employees.

How to use your career to help the world (with Devon Fritz)

February 5, 2026

Boost your career's global impact. Use counterfactual thinking to find irreplaceable roles, overcome imposter syndrome, and drive change.

Are personality types a statistical mirage? (with Colin DeYoung)

January 28, 2026

Personality isn't about fixed 'types' but continuous traits. Psychologist Colin DeYoung discusses the Big Five, its stability, and its link to mental health.

Ambitious goals for reducing animal suffering (with Jeff Sebo)

January 21, 2026

Jeff Sebo discusses ambitious goals: banning industrial animal ag, addressing wild animal suffering, and the ethics of potential AI sentience.

Live at EA Global - The future of U.S. foreign aid (with Dean Karlan)

January 7, 2026

Dean Karlan on embedding evidence at USAID, the high-impact 'Graduation Model,' and the shocking political dismantlement of U.S. foreign aid.

Improving your skill of emotional regulation (with Shireen Rizvi)

December 31, 2025

Why therapy fails and how evidence-based methods like CBT & DBT teach skills like radical acceptance and validation for lasting mental health improvement.

When voting fails (with Nicholas Gruen)

December 24, 2025

Beyond elections: How representation by random sampling, like juries, can solve gerrymandering, reduce polarization, and fix broken politics.

Why aren't we relying on nuclear power? (with Isabelle Boemeke)

December 17, 2025

Nuclear power is a misunderstood but essential clean energy source. This episode debunks myths on safety, cost, and waste to make its case.

A conversation with a person with OCD (with David Adam)

December 10, 2025

Unpacking OCD: A disorder of intrusive, egodystonic thoughts and the compulsive rituals used to fight overwhelming, irrational anxiety.

What, if anything, will save the environment? (with Dan Stein)

December 3, 2025

Climate change isn't hopeless. Forget performative actions like planting trees; real progress lies in systemic change and tech innovation.

Can you do 100x more good? (with Sjir Hoeijmakers)

November 19, 2025

You can do 100x more good with your charitable donations. This episode explores the principles of effective giving and the 10% pledge.