12 Geniuses

Finding and fighting against national security threats is a crucial job. In any election cycle, it’s even more necessary as political enemies and disinformation can pose serious threats to our democratic process. As a career veteran and defense specialist, Vance "Jethro" Cryer helps spotlight the threats we may face in the intersection between polarization and national defense and how we can overcome them. Vance describes America’s external threats, what they stand to gain by a weakened America, and how they are using America’s division as a tool to undermine democracy. This episode is live now on the 12G website or your favorite podcast app.

12 Geniuses has partnered with Starts With Us on this special podcast series, Debate Without Hate: 2024 Elections, to help people navigate the overall 2024 election. The goal of this season is not to sway votes, but rather to help people make informed decisions when they step into the voting booth. Episode One - released today - is with Jay Van Bavel, PhD. Jay, along with host Don MacPherson, discuss why people side with political parties, how social identities and partisanship play in today’s politics, why people believe the other side is the problem, and, most importantly, how people can overcome bias and partisanship. Author and researcher Dr. Jay Van Bavel explores the psychology and neuroscience behind why our brains think the way we do and how we can overcome the toxic polarization in this upcoming election.

This brilliant, young Genius is one of the people working to make AI safe for humanity. In this clip, Charlotte Siegmann breaks down ways in which law makers should be thinking about regulation. She argues algorithms should be "explainable, predictable and aligned with humanity's values." She goes on to talk about the distribution of AI benefits and how AI is used. Charlotte is a PhD student in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she is working on the economics of AI governance, the intersection of mechanism design, game theory, and AI safety. She has worked as a Predoctoral Research Fellow in Economics at Oxford’s Global Priorities Institute, as a Research Assistant for a professor at Stanford University, and as an intern in the European Union Parliament.

"Is it true? Is it relevant? Is it helpful?" These are the questions that need to be asked when someone is challenging their imposter syndrome, according to leadership expert Hortense le Gentil. She says "mindtraps" like imposter syndrome can start early in a career or even during childhood and remain powerful, limiting factors to career or individual success without the proper tools to overcome them. In the full podcast episode (S11 | E2) about leadership development, author and executive coach Hortense describes how leaders can unlock their power by learning to lead with empathy, authenticity, and humanity. Hortense describes how many leaders are held back by mindtraps like imposter syndrome, fixed mindsets, emotional stereotypes, familial expectations, etc. Hortense shares how leaders can overcome these mindtraps by becoming aware of them, having a desire to change them, and the courage to directly face the obstacles holding the leader back. She finishes the conversation by describing how leaders can build and anchor new perspectives and new practices that will unlock more empathetic and effective leadership capabilities. Hortense le Gentil is a world-renowned executive leadership coach, speaker and author. She guides CEOs and senior executives on their journey from hero leaders to human leaders. She is the author of the book Aligned: Connecting Your True Self with the Leader You’re Meant to Be, which was published in 2019 and “The Unlocked Leader: Dare to Free your Own Voice, Lead With Empathy and Shine Your Light in the World,” released in 2023. 12 Geniuses explores the trends shaping the way we live and work.

In S11 | E8, Dr. Christopher Tucker, Chairman of the American Geographical Society, discusses when, how, and why the human footprint on Earth has grown, along with a population explosion, since the 19th century. He goes on to talk about the incredible progress and benefits realized during this time. Dr. Tucker shares why the education and empowerment of young women and girls is the key to reducing global population to a more manageable carrying capacity. He talks about how we can avoid catastrophe by “shrinking to abundance,” how leaders should be thinking about global population and a future that may not be incented by growth, and he gives his very candid, critical assessment of people and countries that say we need to continue growing Earth’s population. He finishes the interview by talking about the mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief. Dr. Christopher Tucker has spent the last two decades at the intersection of technology, strategy, geography and national security as an innovator, investor, social entrepreneur, author, and strategic advisor to the US national security community. As Chairman of the American Geographical Society, he launched a multi-year strategic dialog known as Geography2050, focused on the vital trends that will reshape the geography of our planet over the coming decades. He has served on a wide variety of public sector, corporate, and non-profit boards. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD from Columbia University. His passion for geography and the fate of future generations animates this work. 12 Geniuses explores the trends shaping the way we live and work.