The Hidden Iran Risk No One Is Talking About (#297)

Iran briefly showed it could choke off a waterway carrying nearly a fifth of the world’s oil.That’s the visible threat.The real risk may be something else entirely.Former Deputy National Security Advisor and U.S. Special Representative to Iran Elliott Abrams breaks down where Iran's strategy backfired, whether those in power in Tehran can hold on, and why the most dangerous consequence could outlast the war itself.He is senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.--------------------------Exciting news!We’ve been nominated for a Webby Award — one of the top honors for podcasts.  If you enjoy the show, you can vote for 3 Takeaways here: (Just takes a minute - sign in with Apple or Google, no need to provide your email)   https://wbby.co/57427N(Voting ends tomorrow)Thank you! 😊 👏

We’re entering a world where life itself could become programmable.What if creating new forms of life becomes as simple as writing code? Geneticist Adrian Woolfson explains how close we are — and why the consequences could be extraordinary.--------------------------Exciting news!We’ve been nominated for a Webby Award—one of the top honors in podcasts.  If you enjoy the show, you can vote for 3 Takeaways here: (Just takes a minute - sign in with Apple, no need to provide your email)  https://wbby.co/57427N(Voting ends April 16)Thank you!

Is the war with Iran actually a turning point for the Middle East?Dan Kurtzer - former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Egypt, advisor to presidents, peace negotiator and Princeton professor - has seen these moments up close, when expectations surge - and the outcome looks nothing like the promise.His unfiltered take on Iran - and what actually changes after a war like this.--------------------------Exciting news!We’ve been nominated for a Webby Award—one of the top honors in podcasts.  If you enjoy the show, you can vote for 3 Takeaways here: (Just takes a minute - sign in with Apple, no need to provide your email)   https://wbby.co/57427N(Voting ends April 16)Thank you!

Love him or hate him, Elon Musk has upended entire industries - from cars to rockets - by doing things differently.Jon McNeill, former president of Tesla, reveals the thinking behind Tesla and SpaceX that drives radical innovation - and shows how anyone can apply it.He also offers a rare glimpse into how Elon Musk operates close up. --------------------------Exciting news!We’ve been nominated for a Webby Award—one of the top honors in podcasts.  If you enjoy the show, you can vote for 3 Takeaways: (Just takes a minute - sign in with Apple, no need to provide your email) 👉 https://wbby.co/57427N(Voting ends April 16)Thank you!

A few paragraphs from Washington once stopped oil tankers in their tracks halfway around the world - no navy, no missiles. Eddie Fishman, who helped design and implement U.S. sanctions and economic warfare policies, explains how these quiet battles shape global power. If countries can inflict real damage without firing a shot, what does power look like in this new kind of war - and how vulnerable are we?

Scientists are finding tiny fragments of plastic inside the human body - including the brain.Dr. Matthew Campen of the University of New Mexico explains how they get there - and why the biggest source may surprise you.

The government feels louder and faster than ever: executive actions, constant disruption, everything happening at once. But Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute argues that all this motion may be masking something deeper. He explains why durable change comes from laws passed by Congress - not one-off deals- and why the shift from rule-making to deal-making could shape the future in unexpected ways.

The rules of quantum physics aren’t just strange - they’re usable. Particles can exist in multiple states at once. Observation can reshape reality. Now, scientists are turning those quirks into machines that could solve problems today’s computers simply can’t touch.Princeton Engineering Dean Andrew Houck breaks down what quantum computing really is, what it can (and can’t yet) do, and why it could transform fields from drug discovery to energy.A clear-eyed look at the weirdest laws of the universe and the revolutionary technology they may soon power.

The Constitution isn’t just a statement of ideals. It’s a framework for power - built to divide authority so that no single institution can fully control the law.But that design has a consequence: it slows decisions and complicates action. Is that inefficiency a weakness - or the very mechanism that protects liberty?Drawing on his experience at the center of federal rule-making, Harvard Law School’s Cass Sunstein explores how these constitutional guardrails actually work, why they were designed to restrain concentrated authority, and what we risk losing when they begin to erode.This isn’t abstract theory. It’s about the quiet architecture that shapes who can act, and how a system of divided power ultimately protects self-government.

We all love the thrill of winning - the house, the promotion, the deal. But as Nobel laureate Richard Thaler explains, some of our biggest “wins” are actually the moments we set ourselves up to lose. Thaler breaks down why we overbid, overpay, and talk ourselves into choices we regret. And he shares simple tricks to help you catch yourself before you make a mistake you can’t undo.