Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality—with an overarching focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live.
Sam is also the creator of the Waking Up app. Combining Sam's decades of mindfulness practice, profound wisdom from varied philosophical and contemplative traditions, and a commitment to a secular, scientific worldview, Waking Up is a resource for anyone interested in living a more examined, fulfilling life—and a new operating system for the mind.
Waking Up offers free subscriptions to anyone who can't afford one, and donates a minimum of 10% of profits to the most effective charities around the world. To learn more, please go to WakingUp.com.
Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
#492 — The Second Plane, 25 Years Later
#17 trending · Science
On the 25th anniversary of September 11th, Sam discusses the significance of the second plane, the writing of The End of Faith, the failure to take jihadist belief seriou
Sep 9 37 min
#491 — The Suicide of the Left
Sam Harris speaks with James Kirchick about the far left's growing influence over Democratic politics. They discuss Kirchick's article "The DSA Is a Parasite," the group'
Sep 1 25 min
#490 — Lies, Bulls**t, and the Rule of Law
Sam Harris speaks with Preet Bharara about the collapse of good faith debate in American politics. They discuss the fragmentation of media, the treatment of Anthony Fauci
Aug 25 24 min
#489 — More From Sam: A Fabulist at Cambridge, the Strait of Hormuz, AOC in 2028, and More
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss the death of Cambridge professor Jason Arday and the institution
Aug 21 23 min
#150 — The Map of Misunderstanding (From the Archive)
From the archive: In this 2019 episode, Sam Harris speaks with Daniel Kahneman at the Beacon Theatre in NYC. They discuss the replication crisis in science, System 1 and
Aug 11 47 min
#488 — Ego, Ecstasy, and Equanimity
Sam Harris speaks with Neal Brennan about the experiences that shaped his life and work. They discuss Sam's mother's television career, growing up with an absent father,
Aug 4 12 min
#487 — Is AI Already Conscious?
Sam Harris speaks with Cameron Berg about whether AI systems are or could become conscious. They discuss self-reports in LLMs, what models say when deception is switched
Jul 31 1 h 25 min
#486 — Luck All the Way Down
Sam Harris speaks with Kathryn Paige Harden about behavioral genetics, moral luck, and the problem of blame. They discuss Harden's book Original Sin, the controversy over
Jul 22 21 min
#485 — The New Science of Cancer
Sam Harris speaks with Siddhartha Mukherjee about the science of cancer. They discuss the updated edition of The Emperor of All Maladies, whether cancer is one disease or
Jul 14 1 h 21 min
#484 — Artificial Intimacy
Sam Harris speaks with Paul Bloom about our relationships with AI and the future of human connection. They discuss the surprising pace of AI progress, AI companions as a
Jul 8 27 min
#483 — The Knots We Tie Ourselves Into
Sam Harris speaks with Alain de Botton about the psychology of unhappiness, the secular world's discomfort with ecstasy and ritual, psychedelics as a tool for self-discov
Jul 1 22 min
#482 — More From Sam: The Iran Deal, College in the AI Age, Mamdani's DSA, and More
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss topics from Making Sense Community, including one-world governme
Jun 25 21 min
#481 — Sam Harris Receives the 2026 Richard Dawkins Award
Richard Dawkins presents Sam Harris with the 2026 Richard Dawkins Award at a live Center for Inquiry event. After the tribute, the two friends discuss consciousness and e
Jun 17 54 min
#480 — The Economics of Everything
Sam Harris speaks with economist and Substack writer Noah Smith about the U.S. national debt, wealth inequality, and the economic consequences of AI. They discuss the mec
Jun 12 24 min
#479 — When Robots Take Over
Sam Harris speaks with Vinod Khosla about AI, economic disruption, and political risk. They discuss the prospect of mass job displacement, a trillion-dollar policy framew
Jun 4 15 min
#478 — The Psychedelic Mind
Sam Harris speaks with Robin Carhart-Harris about psychedelic research and its therapeutic potential. They discuss the current state of the field, the FDA denial of MDMA-
May 29 30 min
#477 — More From Sam: Iran's Unraveling, The Gaza Information War, AI-Generated Music, and More
Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence against civilians during the October 7 attacks (33:49 - 34:35). Listener discretion is advised.
In this
May 26 21 min
#476 — The Bittersweet Age
Sam Harris speaks with Susan Cain about writing, creativity, and what AI means for human culture. They discuss the future of books and reading, the tells AI inherits from
May 20 22 min
#475 — The Hard Problem of Consciousness
Sam Harris speaks with Michael Pollan about consciousness, the mind, and the self. They discuss Pollan's new book, the relationship between consciousness and intelligence
May 12 25 min
#474 — More From Sam: Hasan Piker, Islamism, Making Sense Community, and More
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events. They discuss the launch of Making Sense Community, Sam's Ben Shapiro conversa
May 7 17 min
Chart trend
Position in the Science chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#14#27JunJulAugSep
#1
all-time peak
16
days in the top 3 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where Making Sense with Sam Harris ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 14, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
This episode provided an excellent summary of what happened, where we stand and what we can do about it. Really appreciate your clear and concise delivery on the topics that need to be addressed if we are to move forward in a productive way. Sam, please keep the information. we need your voice.
October 13 2023 · Nov 2024
Appreciate Sam Harris’s perspective and interesting guests. I also appreciate that he is an independent thinker who doesn’t just espouse woke rhetoric. Rather his guests and his show really delve into topics meaningfully and thoughtfully. It’s refreshing.
talia jerome · Nov 2024
Sam Harris has done an amazing job in providing clear and informative answers and information about n the war between Israel and Hamas. It is a must listen if you have any opinion and are unclear on the subject.
hagarwave · May 2024
Race is complex. To narrow cast the issue into a US vs THEM or a kumbaya assimilation mantra is futile. The first step in fixing race relations is acknowledging the destruction of numerous thriving black communities from post reconstruction to the 1960’s. Then reviving the empowerment values that made those communities thrive. Only then can we all move on to progress and peace.
iCentaur.com · Feb 2024
I’ve listened to numerous episodes of this podcast and have gleaned some interesting viewpoints of him and his guests. however, I recently came across some statements of his that are definitely suggestive of Islamophobic takes on the current mayor of New York, and this is truly disappointing. Apparently he used words such as ‘sinister’ to describe Mamdani, yet lacks the critical, deep evidence for such remarks. As an atheist myself, I am all for limiting religious influence in government, yet crying wolf and claiming someone is an extremist without the receipts is undeniably harmful to our mosaic of a country. Podcast has now been deleted from my library, with absolutely no hesitation.
Queen Tar-zjay · Jul 2026
I am a long-time listener and reader. This review applies to the whole tenure of the podcast.
Sam Harris helps listeners find clarity. I always draw a conclusion on a topic after listening to a given episode. But my conclusion often differs from Sam’s.
His most engaging episodes rigorously test conventional angles on the human mind, culture, politics, technology, science.
His least interesting episodes present a lower bar and usher people directly over it.
aroskere · Jun 2024
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of Making Sense with Sam Harris, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
