Bounce! Conversations with Larry Weeks Larry Weeks

The world of hospice nursing has always been a profound intersection of life and death, revealing lessons not only about the journey of mortality but also about the true essence of living in the shadow of it.
 
On this Podcast, my guest is Hadley Vlahos or simply Nurse Hadley. Hadley is not just a seasoned hospice nurse but also an end-of-life educator and now a New York Times bestselling author. Her journey and her experiences became the foundation for her bestselling work, The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments. The book captures deep, poignant stories from her time with patients, giving insights into what life's final moments can teach us about existence itself.
Beyond her written work, Hadley has taken a step further with her nonprofit respite hospice house. This sanctuary is conceptualized to offer families a peaceful environment to remember and celebrate their loved ones.
 
In today's episode, we cover these topic points :
Her journey from young mother to nurse and from hospice nurse to author. Hadley's experiences where patients stated and acted out as if they were seeing their deceased loved ones - and what they reveal about end-of-life encounters. The enigma of the "in-between moments" and their interpretations. Our shared narratives on the afterlife and my skepticism. Some common and not-so-common regrets of the dying How Hadley thinks about death and how she tries to live her life in its shadow And lastly, the practicalities of hospice, from deciding when it's time to seek hospice care to understanding the intricacies of coverage.
Despite the heavy nature of the topic, this episode is remarkably life-affirming. Many thinkers, from philosophers to psychologists, have advocated that understanding our own mortality paves the way to a richer, fuller life. Today's discussion provides not just a touch of emotional depth but also very practical advice that is invaluable to hear in advance of ever needing it. 
 
For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com

My guest is the renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson. He is the fifth head since 1935 of the Hayden Planetarium in New York City and the first occupant of its Frederick P. Rose Directorship. He is a research associate of the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History. He is also the author of fifteen books—many of them international bestsellers—including the #1 best seller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, and His most recent is Starry Messenger Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization.
Niel is also the host of the Emmy-nominated podcast StarTalk, as well as two seasons of Cosmos, televised by Fox and National Geographic. He has received 21 honorary doctorates as well as NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal. The man has an asteroid named after him, for heck's sake.
On the show, we discuss the book Starry Messenger and his scientific perspectives on a variety of topics, including:
Ballroom dancing (you read that right) The book’s purpose and defining a cosmic perspective The overview effect The history and Impact of space exploration Revisiting the moon landing The Allegory of the Cave His view of Mars missions and the commercialization of space  Space as supply chain, the solar system as backyard His personal vision for the future  How to think scientifically  His one conspiracy theory On scientific consensus and what to do in its absence   The social importance of probability  On God and faith  UFOs, aliens, and the Fermi Paradox  Artificial Intelligence and the new generative AI’s  What’s it like to go to the movie theater with Neil  His favorite time-travel movie   For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com

“You can delegate the activity but not the responsibility; you can share the praise but not the blame. the most finite, limited resource in our lives is time.” - Dr. Tim Pychl 
Larry speaks with Professor Tim Pychyl about the impact procrastination has on our well-being. This isn't about managing or optimizing a to-do list; procrastination affects the whole of your life. 
Tim is a retired psychology professor whose research focused on understanding why we can become our own worst enemy through procrastination. In addition to journal publications and co-edited scholarly books, including Procrastination, Health & Well-Being, and Counseling the Procrastinator in Academic Settings, Tim wrote the brief and accessible Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change. An award-winning teacher, Tim has shared his passion for learning through his iProcrastinate podcast and blog on Psychology Today. 
In this episode, we delve into a variety of topics, including:
On teaching and the importance of presence Defining and qualifying  procrastination  How procrastination differs from normal delay Rational and irrational delay On self-regulation failure Future self-theory  Getting started Strategies/tactics Priming the pump and the five-minute rule Recognizing avoidance when it appears Procrastination and depression Acceptance and self-compassion On ego depletion theory and replication On extended will  Enjoy!
For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com

Getting stuck is inevitable. I hope you find yourself getting stuck only rarely, but when you do, know that breakthroughs aren't too far behind - Adam Alter 
Today we are going to look at the challenges of creative blocks, inertia, and the accompanying feeling of being stuck, whether it be a project, product, or personal life, and, more importantly, when we find ourselves in these states - how to get unstuck, what is the step by step structure of a breakthrough. 
My guest is Professor Adam Alter.
Adam Alter is a Professor of Marketing at New York University's Stern School of Business and the Robert Stansky Teaching Excellence Faculty Fellow, with an affiliated appointment in the New York University Psychology Department.
Adam is the New York Times bestselling author of two books: Irresistible (March 2017) and Drunk Tank Pink (2013), and his latest which is also the topic of the podcast - Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most 
Adam has also written for the New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Atlantic, WIRED, Slate, Huffington Post, and Popular Science, among other publications. Adam's academic research focuses on judgment, decision-making, and social psychology, with a particular interest in the surprising effects of subtle environmental cues on human cognition and behavior. His research has been published widely in academic journals and featured in dozens of TV, radio, and print outlets worldwide.
In this episode, we delve into these subjects:
The commonality of creative blocks why progress isn't always a straight line. How Our reactions to being stuck might be the real problem. The process of getting unstuck can lead to valuable advancements. Why the creative process is often lengthy and messy, contrary to many people's expectations. Why breakthroughs often seem accidental and come after hitting a wall. Do breakthroughs happen more commonly in a group (remote work)  Does creativity decline over time? Breakthrough tactics, including the "friction audit."  The role of environment in creativity and progress is significant. The use of AI as it relates to creative blocks.  When should someone quit vs. persist - and much more For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com

"Learn to use AI. That's, that's my message. You wanna learn to use AI as a professional and as a citizen in your personal life. The more you know how to use it, the better you'll make of it, the better your life will be. AI gives power; like any technology, it gives power to those who understand it and use it" - Pedro Domingos
Recent developments in AI, specifically consumer-facing generative AIs, are helping people create a lot of cool content while also generating a ton of concern. A big bucket of that concern is AI alignment - what are the possible unintended consequences to humans? The internet transformed our relationship to information, but it took a few years; now, AI is doing it in real time. 
My guest on this episode is Professor Pedro Domingos. 
Pedro is a leading AI researcher and the author of the worldwide bestseller "The Master Algorithm." He is a professor of computer science at the University of Washington in Seattle. He won the Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining Innovation Award and the international joint Conference on AI John McCarthy Award, two of the highest honors in data science and AI.
Pedro helped start the fields of statistical relational AI, data stream mining, adversarial learning, machine learning for information integration, and influence maximization in social networks. 
On this episode, we run the gamut to include...
Where are we with generative AIs Pedro demystifies LLMs (Large Language Models) Progress and problems with generative AIs Hallucination in AI - and Illusion in humans The homunculus fallacy Risks, regulations, known-unknowns Comments on existential threats The S curve in emerging technologies like AI AI's possible impact on employment and the economy Artificial General Intellience or AGI Goals and end games, is AGI the goal? Does he think LLMs AI's like ChatGPT are conscious? No matter your technical level, you'll enjoy this discussion with Pedro. He is passionate about the subject matter, no surprise - much of what he's predicted has come to pass in the field, And if you feel a tinge of AI anxiety, consider this a bit of exposure therapy. 
Listen and learn more about how these systems work and how they might impact your life. 
For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com
 

“The root of my optimism comes in kind of a basic observation, that if we can create 1% more than we destroy every year, that 1% compounded over time is civilization. So the delta, the difference between a gain and very tiny gain, is hard to see in the present.” - Kevin Kelly 
My guest is well-known technologist and futurist Kevin Kelly. Kevin is a renowned American writer, editor, and futurist, best known as the co-founder of Wired magazine. He has made significant contributions to the fields of technology, science, and culture. He has written several books, including "Out of Control: The New Biology of Machines, Social Systems, and the Economic World," "New Rules for the New Economy," "What Technology Wants," and "The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future."
He explores recent developments in technology as well as shares some great life advice from his upcoming book aptly named, "Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I'd Known Earlier.
 
In this conversation, we talk about these topics and more. 
Living in a "protopia" and the net 1% compounding principle  Embracing problems as capacity improvers Why Kevin’s optimistic Societal implications of AI Current state of AI and its role in job market AI's resemblance to the early internet  What's different this time  A "universal personal intern" Extended Mind and its relation to AI and tools Opinions on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology What Kevin worries about Discussing new book and advice for living Practical tips on embracing change, prototyping life, and active listening. Enjoy! 
For show notes and more, visit larryweeks.com