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Artwork for Making Sense

Making Sense with Sam Harris

Sam Harris
Artificial Intelligence
Donald Trump
Social Media
Israel
Consciousness
Trump Administration
Misinformation
Democracy
Iran
Covid-19
Elon Musk
Ukraine
Hamas
Anti-Semitism
Mindfulness
Trump
Republican Party
Trumpism
Political Violence
Neuroscience

Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Sam is also the creator of the Waking U... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes517Founded13 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ScienceSociety & Culture

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Artwork for Making Sense

Latest Episodes

Sam Harris speaks with Jimmy Carr about comedy, culture, and the state of the West. They discuss Carr's new book on the craft of joke writing, why comedy should be taught, the ethics of crowd work, AI as a new god, cancel culture, attention and medit... more

Sam Harris speaks with Kevin Roose about the race to build artificial general intelligence. They discuss Roose's book The AGI Chronicles, the scaling laws behind AI's rapid progress, Dario Amodei's "big blob of compute" memo, the birth of reasoning m... more

In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss Alex Gibney's documentary on Elon Musk, Dara Horn's insights into antisemitism, the Democrats' Hasan Piker problem, Abdul El-Sayed and Zohran Ma... more

Sam Harris speaks with Alex Gibney about his new documentary, Musk. They discuss Sam's former friendship with Musk, the line between visionary and con man, the myth of Tesla's founding, the staged self-driving video, Musk's lurch to the right, DOGE a... more

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Recent Guests

Kevin Roose
Technology journalist and author of The AGI Chronicles
Episode: #499 — The Birth of AGI
Alex Gibney
Documentary filmmaker
Jigsaw Productions / Director of Musk
Episode: #497 — The Confidence Man
Dara Horn
Author of The Final Solution to the Jewish Question, A Love Story for the Living
Episode: #496 — The Oldest Lie
Anne Applebaum
Guest, observer of geopolitics and author
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian; columnist
Episode: #495 — Foreign Policy for Sale
Ryan Greenblatt
Chief Scientist at Redwood Research
Redwood Research
Episode: #494 — A Coin Toss for the Future
James Kirchick
Writer and journalist discussed in the episode
The Atlantic (former The New York Times)
Episode: #491 — The Suicide of the Left
Preet Bharara
Former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York
Episode: #490 — Lies, Bulls**t, and the Rule of Law
Daniel Kahneman
Nobel Prize–winning psychologist, author
Princeton University (emeritus)
Episode: #150 — The Map of Misunderstanding (From the Archive)
Cameron Berg
Researcher, Reciprocal Research
Reciprocal Research
Episode: #487 — Is AI Already Conscious?

Host

Sam Harris
Host of the show

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 43.2k ratings
  • Really Good But…The Burritos

    I’ve been a listener for years and think Sam is a really clear and original thinker the vast majority of the time. He has a great sense of humor and really quick on his feet. Mostly I’m a fan. BUT- I know he hears this all the time but his relentless defense of Israel is just baffling. It’s almost become funny. I should get a bingo card for Sam’s Israel non sequiturs. I feel like if his guest started talking about burritos he would somehow turn the conversation to how unfair burritos are t... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    mau5convert
    United Statesa month ago
  • In one episode, Harris interviews Jaron Lowenstein (Harris' manager and business partner) to recap the week's events, Jaron refers to Trump as a, "know-nothing moral lunatic in charge of our quickly waning superpower." Harris neither counters or challges the assertion. Elsewhere in the interview other slights are made.

    I was hoping to find a more centrist, informed, less rabid, and elevated discussion. Harris has steeped himself in the blind hatred of Trump that permeates academia. A waste.

    Podcast Addict
    1
    jhoney
    a month ago
  • Stick to meditation

    Awww the big bad dsa is scaring your pants off, Sam haha stick to meditation.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Just Like Tiddlywinks
    United Statesa month ago
  • Why So Expensive?

    Dear Sam, The two star markdown is due to your elimination of a scholarship option below $59/year. $60 a year is simply not affordable for some. In essence what you are doing is creating a platform for people with greater discretionary income. How much do you really need to make this a meaningful project? Offer an option for people who want to hear your content who can’t afford to send you >$60, advertising like every other podcast. Otherwise, just keep engaging your small potential fraction ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    SLO Independent
    United Statesa month ago
  • Love It!!

    Sam Harris is so awesome and this podcast is an expression of his being awesome!

    i don’t want to leave out his team either! they are excellent in support, so helpful and kind—i am delighted to receive their help!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    JIMMY600
    Canadaa month ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the depth and breadth of guests, and the quality of long-form conversations.
Many reviewers highlight thought-provoking insights that challenge conventional thinking.
A few comments note a shift toward higher-profile guests and more opinionated takes.
Some listeners criticize perceived bias or controversy around topics like politics or religion.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#12
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#248
Canada/Top Podcasts
Apple Podcasts
#8
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#14
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#11
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#59
Germany/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#499 — The Birth of AGI
Q: What's your sense of the reality of risk, and how much does that motivate you in covering this topic?
Roose says AI risks are real and points to the continued progress predicted by scaling laws, arguing that repeated claims that AI capabilities would plateau have been wrong.
#499 — The Birth of AGI
Q: How did you get into AGI, and when did you first convince yourself that this was worth paying attention to above seemingly everything else at this moment?
Roose traces his path from religion and finance reporting to technology journalism, then explains that AI's rapid progress and the small community pursuing AGI convinced him the subject deserved a historical account.
#150 — The Map of Misunderstanding (From the Archive)
Q: What are the liabilities of the research process that can lead to non-replicable results?
Biases from researchers' desires to see positive outcomes, p-hacking practices, and selective reporting can undermine credibility and replication in science.
#150 — The Map of Misunderstanding (From the Archive)
Q: What is the worst thing about winning the Nobel Prize?
Kahneman suggests there are limited downsides, but the question invites reflection on expectations, responsibility, and the way public perception can shift once you receive such an accolade.
#486 — Luck All the Way Down
Q: Could you summarize why behavioral genetics remains controversial, even with the growth of the field over the past decade?
The controversy stems from the potential implications of genetic differences for behavior and social outcomes, historical misuses like eugenics, and the fear that scientific findings could be used to justify inequality or discriminatory policies; yet the science also shows inheritance plays a role without determining fate, which makes clear communication crucial.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Making Sense

What is Making Sense about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Thoughtful, science-leaning conversations that explore psychology, philosophy, technology, and modern culture through deep, evidence-based dialogue. Episodes often feature renowned researchers and public intellectuals discussing judgment, consciousness, AI ethics, psychedelics, behavioral genetics, cancer biology, and the societal implications of rapid technological change. A standout trait is the willingness to tackle controversial topics with nuance and intellectual honesty, often bridging rigorous science with secular ethics and everyday life. The show is likely to appeal to listeners who value critical thinking, long-form interviews, and ideas about how to live a more examined life in a complex world.

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Which podcasts are similar to Making Sense?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Making Sense:

1. Conversations with Coleman
2. The Ezra Klein Show
3. The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
4. Honestly with Bari Weiss
5. Ask Haviv Anything

How many episodes of Making Sense are there?

Making Sense launched 13 years ago and published 517 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Making Sense?

Recent guests on Making Sense include:

1. Kevin Roose
2. Alex Gibney
3. Dara Horn
4. Anne Applebaum
5. Ryan Greenblatt
6. James Kirchick
7. Preet Bharara
8. Daniel Kahneman

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