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In-depth conversations about the world’s most pressing problems and what you can do to solve them.

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Every episode has a full transcript and links to further reading.

Quotes from the show

I’m very, very concerned that North Korea today has an advanced biological weapons program.

You don’t need a lot of biological weapons to potentially kill billions of people…

Fortunately, while we’re not there yet, the science and the tools that are now available enable the possibility of making [such] bioweapons obsolete.

…they randomly determined when officers would take the training… so it’s a really nice natural experiment.

And they found that this one-day training program pretty dramatically reduced both complaints and use of force.

…more teachers, more books, more inputs, like smaller class sizes – at least in the developing world – seem to have no impact, and that’s where most government money gets spent…

I’m inclined to think that I can imagine a being with the ability to consciously think and perceive, but no ability to feel pleasure or pain.

And still, it just actually seems monstrous to me to think about killing such a being.

About the show

The 80,000 Hours Podcast features unusually in-depth conversations about the world’s most pressing problems and how you can use your career to solve them.

We invite guests pursuing a wide range of career paths – from academics and activists to entrepreneurs and policymakers — to analyse the case for and against working on different issues and figure out which approaches are best for solving them.

The show is produced and edited by Keiran Harris. Get in touch with feedback or guest suggestions by emailing [email protected].

How to listen

Subscribe here, or anywhere you get podcasts:

You’ll find transcripts and links to further reading on the episode pages.

“The podcast has substantially changed how I think about the entire world, how I donate money, and has made me open to exploring job opportunities that would do more good for the world.”

— Steven Bills

What is 80,000 Hours?

80,000 Hours is a nonprofit dedicated to helping people have a larger positive influence on the world with their careers. If you’re new here, read our career guide to get our current take on how to think about careers that have a positive impact and where the best opportunities may lie.

Read our career guide

About Rob Wiblin

Rob Wiblin portrait photo

Rob studied genetics and economics at the Australian National University, graduating top of his class and later being named Young Alumnus of the Year. He worked as a research economist in various Australian Government agencies, before joining the Centre for Effective Altruism in Oxford, first as Research Director and then Executive Director. In 2015 he joined 80,000 Hours as Head of Research. You can find out more on his personal website.

View Rob’s writing at 80,000 Hours

Robert Wiblin is one of the interviewers I most respect, and indeed, envy. He is Director of Research at a nonprofit called 80,000 Hours, and their mission is to figure out and then communicate to people how they can do the most good with their careers.

Robert is a long-standing leader in the effective altruism movement. He runs an excellent podcast called the 80,000 Hours Podcast. And he is from Adelaide.

Tyler Cowen

About Luisa Rodriguez

Luisa studied Sociology at Carleton College, and International Development at Brandeis University.

Before joining us as our second podcast host, Luisa was Will MacAskill’s Chief of Staff at the Forethought Foundation, where she helped do the research for MacAskill’s 2022 book, What We Owe the Future. She also spent time at Rethink Priorities and the Future of Humanity Institute (conducting cause prioritisation research); and ImpactMatters, Innovations for Poverty Action, and GiveWell doing cost-effectiveness analysis for nonprofit and government programmes.

View Luisa’s writing at 80,000 Hours