How Compassion Rewires Your Brain with Dr. James Doty
What if compassion wasn’t just a virtue, but a science that could rewire your brain, reduce stress, and even extend your life expectancy?This conversation is one of our earliest recordings, now released for the first time, with the late Dr. James Doty: Stanford neurosurgeon, New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and founder of Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE).Recorded in our early days but never shared until now, this conversation captures Dr. Doty’s extraordinary wisdom on the science and practice of compassion. He explains how compassion rewires the brain, simple self-compassion techniques to silence the inner critic, and why compassionate organisations consistently outperform those built on fear.Along the way, he reflects on his own journey - from losing $80 million at the height of success to finding true fulfilment in service, and the role the Dalai Lama played in shaping his work at Stanford.Dr. Doty’s life was devoted to proving that compassion is not soft, but the foundation of human flourishing. We’re honoured to share this conversation from our archives as a tribute to his enduring legacy.To learn more about Dr Doty's life and legacy, visit: https://www.jamesrdotymd.com/Follow High Net Purpose on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/highnetpurpose Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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How We Lose Control of AI - and How to Stop It, with Kristian Rönn
Everyone’s talking about ChatGPT—but what if the real threat from AI is happening elsewhere?Kristian Rönn is the co-founder of Lucid, a company helping governments track the movement and usage of AI chips globally. He previously founded Normative, the carbon accounting platform that helped shape EU and UK climate disclosure rules—and began his career researching existential risk at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute.He’s also the author of The Darwinian Trap, a bestselling book that explores how misaligned incentives—and short-term thinking—can push systems toward catastrophic outcomes. It’s a framework he now applies to AI, arguing that without global coordination, the very infrastructure powering this technology could spiral out of control.In this conversation, he explains why AI’s biggest risks aren’t in the models—but in the chips, supply chains, and silent diffusion happening behind the scenes.We explore:• Why frontier models are a distraction from the real governance challenge• The one global policy move governments must make before it’s too late• What a chicken sandwich teaches us about AI’s hidden complexity• And what carbon accounting taught Kristian about building systems that actually scaleIf you care about who’s really in control of AI—and how we avoid losing the plot—this is essential listening.Chapters00:00 – Intro: Welcome to High Net Purpose00:29 – Kristian Rönn: From Philosopher to AI Safety Pioneer01:31 – Early Life: What Shaped Kristian’s Worldview04:29 – The Impact of Peter Singer and Utilitarian Thinking08:31 – Exploring Existential Risks and the Road to AI13:20 – Building Normative: The Startup That Changed Carbon Accounting21:29 – Why Kristian Left Climate Tech for AI Governance23:22 – The Darwinian Trap: Why Good Incentives Lead to Bad Outcomes25:36 – Darwinian Demons vs. Cooperative Systems34:47 – The Challenge of Global AI Governance35:23 – Centralization vs. Decentralization in AI Control37:33 – The Chicken Sandwich Analogy: AI and Hidden Value Chains39:28 – Can Decentralized Governance Actually Work?40:49 – Enlightenment Thinking and Biological Drives45:11 – AI Assurance, Risk Management, and Value Chain Complexity48:27 – Who Should Govern AI? Security, Policy, and Global Standards53:09 – What the Future of AI Regulation Could Look Like01:05:18 – Final Thoughts: Purpose, Power, and What Comes Next Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The CIA, Area 51 & a world of secrets hidden in plain sight — with Annie Jacobsen
What if the most powerful secrets shaping our world were hidden in plain sight?Annie Jacobsen is America’s most fearless investigative journalist. A seven-time bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist, she’s spent decades uncovering the truth behind the CIA, covert military operations, nuclear war planning, and the government’s deepest classified programs - from Area 51 to assassination missions you were never meant to know about.Annie pulls back the curtain on stories that challenge what we think we know about power, secrecy, and war. She shares what it’s like to earn the trust of the world’s most dangerous men - and why the truth is often stranger, and scarier, than fiction.You’ll learn:How Annie went from earning $0 as a writer to breaking into national security reportingThe advice that changed her life — and how it led to bestselling investigationsWhat it takes to gain the trust of CIA operatives and intelligence insidersWhy “alpha individuals” survive — and what their psychology reveals about resilienceHow secrets stay buried despite being technically declassifiedWhy U.S. ICBMs don’t have the range to hit North Korea without flying over RussiaThe chilling truth behind the 72-minute nuclear war scenarioHow a single miscommunication between the U.S. and Russia could trigger World War IIIChapters:00:00 Welcome to High Net Purpose00:24 Meet Annie Jacobsen: Master of Government Secrets02:45 Annie’s Purpose: Telling Astonishing True Stories05:13 From Struggling Writer to National Security Reporter09:31 Billy Waugh: The CIA’s Most Legendary Spy16:31 Inside the Shadow World of Espionage22:02 The Secrets Behind Intelligence and Covert Ops25:49 The CIA’s First Hunt for Bin Laden26:23 Clinton, Bin Laden, and the Mission That Didn’t Happen27:59 Disguises, Deception & Espionage Tactics Revealed29:05 From Field Reporting to Bestseller Author29:53 The Lucky Break That Led to Area 5130:58 Nuclear War Planning: Too Real to Ignore36:56 NATO, Russia, and the Future of Global Security42:12 Writing About Dangerous Truths: The Personal Risks45:56 Staying Grounded in a World of High-Stakes Secrets49:51 Final Words for Future Truth Tellers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Longevity by Design: Lessons from Blue Zones Founder Dan Buettner
What if everything you’ve been told about living longer was wrong?Dan Buettner has spent decades uncovering the truth. He’s the mastermind behind Blue Zones - the five places in the world where people live the longest, healthiest lives on Earth.His discovery of the Blue Zones sparked a global movement. Since then, he’s written four New York Times bestselling books, starred in a hit Netflix series, won 3 Emmy awards and helped over 70 cities redesign themselves for better public health - impacting more than 10 million lives for good.In this episode, Dan shares the powerful habits, community rituals, and environmental designs that make living well in to you 100s not just possible - but probable.You’ll learn:What every Blue Zone has in commonThe overlooked food that could add 4 years to your lifeThe ritual proven to reduce stress in minutesWhy purpose is a stronger predictor of longevity than any supplementHow cities are using design to make well-being the defaultChapters: 00:33 – Dan Buettner: Explorer, Author, Longevity Pioneer 01:52 – Ancient Wisdom, Modern Living 03:16 – His Global Quest for the Secrets of Long Life 08:06 – How the Blue Zones Were Born 09:42 – Why Where You Live Shapes How Long You Live 17:06 – What the Longest-Lived People Really Eat 23:27 – Purpose, Belonging & the Longevity Effect 25:02 – The Link Between Volunteering & Wellbeing 25:34 – Rethinking Public Health Through Urban Design 25:46 – Inside the Blue Zones Projects 28:10 – Longevity in Action: Real-World Results 31:01 – What Singapore Got Right About Health 34:00 – Love, Connection & Relationships That Last 35:41 – Loneliness: The New Public Health Crisis 37:04 – Food vs. Pharmaceuticals: What Works Best? 39:42 – How to Manage Stress Like a Blue Zoner 45:04 – Dan Buettner’s Playbook for a Longer, Better Life 46:36 – Final Reflections on Health, Happiness & Legacy Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Martha Lane Fox: From lastminute.com to Lasting Impact
At 25, Martha Lane Fox co-founded the early internet disruptor lastminute.com and became one of Britain’s first true digital pioneers.But it was surviving a near-fatal accident that truly reshaped her life and sense of purpose.Today, Martha leads far beyond technology. She is President of the British Chambers of Commerce, a crossbench peer in the House of Lords, Chancellor of The Open University, and sits on the boards of British Airways, Chanel, and Multiverse.Her work is reshaping business, education, and the future of digital transformation.In this episode, Martha shares her extraordinary story of resilience, reinvention, and leadership - and what it really takes to create lasting impact.You'll learn:The 3-question framework to use before saying yes to anything.How a near-fatal car crash changed everything, and nothing.The brutal reality still facing female founders.What most leaders get wrong about digital transformation.What it really takes to change government systems.The one decision she regrets from the Lastminute.com journey.Why legacy isn't about status - it's about example.Chapters00:00 – Welcome to High Net Purpose00:26 – Martha Lane Fox: Tech Pioneer & Digital Leader02:00 – Her Decision-Making Framework for Purpose & Impact03:46 – Why Diversity Fuels Innovation in Tech05:06 – Navigating Change in a Rapidly Evolving Digital World07:46 – Founding Lastminute.com: Early Startup Lessons11:06 – Her Life-Changing Accident & New Perspective15:41 – Advice to Young Founders & Entrepreneurs20:45 – From Tech to Government: Driving Digital Inclusion22:36 – Fixing the Digital Divide: Access, Jobs & Equity23:07 – How Tech Can Reconnect Local Communities24:16 – What Government Should Learn from Startups24:50 – Inside the Creation of GDS (Government Digital Service)25:57 – Lessons from Scaling Tech in the Public Sector26:16 – Why Prime Ministerial Backing is a Game-Changer27:15 – Building Effective Teams in High-Stakes Environments27:43 – Her Personal Growth Through Government Work29:25 – Joining the House of Lords: A New Platform for Change31:46 – The Real Role of Boards: Governance, Influence & Integrity34:51 – The Power of Mentorship in a Purpose-Driven Career37:47 – True Digital Transformation Starts with Culture39:26 – The Future: Climate, AI, and Diversity in Leadership41:55 – Family, Legacy & What Drives Her Now44:01 – Final Reflections from Martha Lane Fox Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Most of us are in pursuit of purpose, but it can be especially hard to bring purpose into your business. On this show, we invite growing businesses and industry leaders to share their purpose and give us ‘the pitch’. We want to find out how entrepreneurs and global leaders in our network are allocating capital in a more responsible and purposeful way. But more importantly, we want to know what isn’t in the pitch deck. Joe McCarthy hits his guests with the hard questions in order to find the paradoxes and nuances in their pitches. High Net Purpose is hosted by Joe McCarthy, founder of Islandbridge, a company focused on helping highly successful people allocate their capital in a meaningful way. Whilst traditional investing is often solely focused on the accruement of more wealth, Joe has been working hard to shift the focus to purpose-led investing and show that’s it’s not black and white, but it is worth it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Ireland