In this episode, Sam Harris, neuroscientist, author, and host of the Making Sense Podcast, joins Peter to discuss this unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The discussion includes the important distinction between COVID-19 and influenza, the impact on the economy, the dire situation in New York, and the challenge of creating a safe and effective vaccine. Additionally, Sam brings insights from his extensive meditation practice to help those struggling with stress, anxiety, and fear in this extraordinary situation.

Want more content like this? Check out our interviews with Kristin Neff on the power of self-compassion and Esther Perel on the effects of trauma.

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We discuss:

  • A time unlike any other—why many people don’t seem to fully grasp the magnitude of this situation [2:00];
  • Why comparing COVID-19 to influenza is a bad analogy [10:45];
  • The impact on the economy of measures like shelter-in-place—Is the “cure” worse than the disease? [16:45];
  • Why are some places, like New York, getting hit so much worse? [24:45];
  • The trickle down effect of an overrun healthcare system on non-COVID related health issues [34:45];
  • How to calm our minds and manage our emotions during this craziness [38:00];
  • Talking to kids about this situation without burdening them with undue stress [50:15];
  • Insights from meditation practice—Recognize and unhook yourself from a heightened emotional state [52:00];
  • How to make the most of a situation where you let your emotions get the best of you [59:15];
  • What are some potential positive things that Sam hopes could be learned from this crisis and applied to the future? [1:09:30];
  • The unfortunate politics being layered on top of this crisis [1:15:30];
  • The challenge of creating a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 [1:20:00]; and
  • More.

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Sam Harris, Ph.D.

Sam Harris is the author of five New York Times bestsellers and the host of the Waking Up Podcast. His books include The End of FaithLetter to a Christian NationThe Moral LandscapeFree WillLyingWaking Up, and Islam and the Future of Tolerance (with Maajid Nawaz). The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. His writing and public lectures cover a wide range of topics—neuroscience, moral philosophy, religion, meditation practice, human violence, rationality—but generally focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Harris’s work has been published in more than 20 languages and has been discussed in The New York TimesTimeScientific AmericanNatureRolling Stone, and many other journals. He has written for The New York TimesThe Los Angeles TimesThe EconomistThe Times (London)The Boston GlobeThe AtlanticNatureThe Annals of Neurology, and elsewhere. Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. For more, see his publications and lectures. [samharris.org]

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