Latest Interviews

How to keep cool while the world gets hotter

Sarah El-Batouti, Eleni Miravili, Vijay Vaideswaran

Record-breaking heat waves and a growing reliance on fossil-fuel-powered cooling systems are accelerating a dangerous feedback loop, with global air conditioning usage projected to drive emissions up by 90% by 2050 if left unaddressed. To mitigate this crisis, innovators and policymakers are deploying a mix of passive building designs, natural cooling strategies, and urban greening initiatives in cities like Athens and Cairo to reduce temperatures without exacerbating the problem. Successful long-term outcomes depend on scaling affordable, low-energy technologies globally to ensure developing nations can meet cooling demands while avoiding high-end exclusivity and further environmental degradation.

The hidden cost of black hair

The event examines the $4 billion to $9 billion U.S. ethnic hair care market, highlighting severe health risks from unregulated chemicals and historical biases that have long marginalized natural Black hairstyles. It details how Black entrepreneurs, exemplified by Rachel Tumasi-Cawson and Joycelyn Maté, are disrupting this landscape by launching health-focused brands that address specific needs like traction alopecia while navigating a regulatory environment with minimal federal oversight. Furthermore, the discussion tracks the cultural and legislative shifts driving the natural hair movement, including the declining sales of relaxers and the recent passage of "Crown Act" legislation to ban hair discrimination in professional settings.

From 9/11 to covid-19: can New York recover?

Jon Fasman, Mike, Dan Doktoroff, Wellington Chen, Eric Adams

New York City compares its $14 billion pandemic relief to the $20 billion allocated for post-9/11 reconstruction, highlighting severe fiscal gaps that contributed to the permanent closure of over 3,000 small businesses and a $933 million annual tax revenue loss from high-income departures. The crisis disproportionately affected communities like Chinatown through delayed aid and a surge in anti-Asian hate crimes, while housing policies failed to produce affordable units for new workers, exacerbating pre-existing inequality. Incoming mayoral candidate Eric Adams faces the challenge of funding recovery initiatives without massive federal support, aiming to replicate the ambition of the post-9/11 era while rectifying past exclusions of vulnerable populations.

Covid-19: how tech will transform your kids' education

The 2020 pandemic disrupted education for 1.4 billion students globally, exposing structural inequities that spurred major government interventions and a projected doubling of EdTech spending to over $400 billion by 2025. Industry leaders like Century founder Priya Lakhani and Mersion are deploying AI-driven platforms and simulation software to personalize learning and revolutionize teacher training, shifting focus from consumer tools to classroom-specific efficiency. Despite these innovations, experts warn that without targeted infrastructure investment in under-resourced schools, the emerging hybrid model risks widening the digital divide, even as hybrid learning gains acceptance for combining physical instruction with technology-enabled skill acquisition.

Alexei Navalny: will the West stand up to Russia?

Alexei Navalny, Vladimir Putin, Shashank Joshi

Vladimir Putin has escalated tensions by re-detaining opposition leader Alexei Navalny and deploying over 100,000 troops to the Ukrainian border to signal domestic strength and test Western resolve. While the United States and its allies respond with targeted sanctions against intelligence operatives and diplomatic expulsions, experts warn that these measures have thus far failed to alter Kremlin behavior or prevent the intimidation of Ukraine. The West now prepares for a severe security crisis and fresh sanctions should Moscow pursue further aggression or annexation in the Donbass region, marking a critical shift in European security dynamics.

Can vaccine passports kickstart the economy?

Helen Joyce

Governments worldwide are deploying vaccine passports to accelerate economic recovery and restore civil freedoms, with Israel's "Green Pass" serving as a primary model driving a projected 7.5% growth rate. While these digital credentials facilitate access to venues and travel, their implementation faces significant hurdles including the risk of viral transmission from new variants, deepening socioeconomic inequalities along generational and racial lines, and serious civil liberties concerns regarding data privacy. Experts warn that without robust transparency and sustained vaccine efficacy, these temporary measures could evolve into permanent mechanisms that further entrench disparities between wealthy and developing nations.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General of NATO

Jens Stoltenberg, Nick Schifrin

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg identifies climate change as a critical security threat that forces military adaptation while describing Russia as an assertive adversary and China as a systemic challenge to the alliance's liberal democratic values. To counter these evolving risks, the organization has implemented its largest collective defense reinforcement since the Cold War, including new battle groups in Eastern Europe, even as it maintains operational readiness during the pandemic and prepares for the planned troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Through the "NATO 2030" initiative, the alliance aims to preserve its consensus-based unity and global dominance by adapting its command structures, reducing fossil fuel dependence, and addressing hybrid threats like disinformation campaigns.

Julian Salisbury, Global Co-Head of Asset Management at Goldman Sachs

Julian Salisbury

Goldman Sachs deployed its $14 billion Strategic Solutions Fund between early 2020 and mid-2020 to provide junior debt and equity liquidity for corporate balance sheet repair, prioritizing immediate survival over business model optimization during the initial pandemic shock. The firm's approach balanced aggressive capital deployment with strict valuation discipline in emerging markets, relying on a global team capable of overriding local preferences to avoid overpriced assets. Executive Julian Salisbury emphasized that rigorous due diligence and learning from operational errors are critical to success, urging new investors to challenge expert narratives through direct questioning and independent verification.

Inflation: could covid-19 cause prices to rise?

Simon Cox

This analysis examines the collapse of the traditional Phillips curve relationship, which previously predicted that low unemployment would drive inflation, a dynamic that failed to materialize during the 2010s despite record-low joblessness. Various theories now compete to explain this anomaly, including anchored inflation expectations, globalization, and wage rigidity, while central banks have simultaneously shifted to unprecedented fiscal-monetary cooperation to address economic stagnation. Consequently, recent pandemic-era policies featuring massive government stimulus and near-zero interest rates aim to finally breach the persistent low-inflation trap and restore stable price growth.

Synthetic Media: Virtual Influencers & Live Animation: Figments (S19) - YC Gaming Tech Talks 2020

Jay Rosenkranz

YC-backed startup Figments, led by CEO Jay Rosenkranz, is building a virtual production platform that merges motion capture with live streaming to create fictional esports characters like Noralis competing in *Super Smash Brothers Ultimate*. The company successfully pivoted to a fully remote model during the pandemic, utilizing Unreal Engine and ARKit to drive viral growth and secure commercial partnerships with brands such as Reebok and Guayaquil Yerba Mate. As Figments expands its storytelling across Twitch and YouTube, it is actively recruiting talent to further develop its proprietary technology for digital product placement and character creation.

Care after covid: the future of elderly health-care

Sasha Nauta

Amidst a rapidly aging global population where the 80-and-older demographic is set to double, rising dementia costs and severe care home mortality rates have exposed the fragility of current long-term care systems. While some nations explore controversial international outsourcing to manage labor expenses, the sector remains crippled by chronic understaffing driven by wages significantly lower than those in acute hospital settings. In response, pilot programs utilizing remote monitoring technology are proving that half of institutional care could shift to home settings, offering a potential pathway to mitigate resource strain and improve patient outcomes.

Election 2020: What has President Trump done to America?

Trump, Samaya Keynes

The Trump administration's term was defined by aggressive domestic policy shifts, including major tax cuts, the withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, and the appointment of 217 federal judges that solidified conservative judicial control. Internationally, the "America First" strategy dismantled NAFTA, initiated a trade war with China, and drastically reduced refugee admissions while relying on executive orders to enforce strict immigration borders. These actions collectively accelerated political polarization and rewrote institutional norms in ways that analysts project will constrain future Democratic ambitions and persist beyond the administration's tenure.

Public Debt: how much is too much?

Ryan Avent

Between April and June 2020, the United States borrowed a record $3 trillion while the global economy saw public debt surge by an estimated $300 billion due to pandemic-related spending. Historical precedents and favorable conditions, such as low interest rates, have traditionally allowed nations to sustain high debt levels, though experts warn that a potential rise in rates could threaten financial stability. Consequently, economists maintain that despite these risks, continued deficit spending remains essential to prevent lasting damage to the global recovery.

Covid-19: why travel will never be the same

Leo Mirani

In April 2020, global aviation experienced a historic collapse with passenger numbers dropping 94% year-over-year, forcing carriers like Virgin Atlantic to eliminate thousands of jobs while the IATA warned that without government aid, only 30 of over 700 airlines would survive. Regional recovery remains uneven, with European and U.S. flight levels still down by 75% and 57% respectively, threatening to permanently erase business travel segments that once subsidized leisure fares. Looking ahead, the industry faces a potential shift toward closed borders and reduced globalization, as travel restrictions and the retirement of older aircraft reshape the economic and operational landscape for years to come.

Make Disadvantage Your Superpower | Lex Fridman | AMA #6

Lex Fridman, Zachariah

Dr. Lex advises Libyan high school student Zachariah to transform his educational disadvantages into a competitive advantage by leveraging online resources to build and publicly share practical AI projects. He urges Zachariah to prioritize bold passion and early risk-taking over seeking traditional stable careers or elite university admissions, emphasizing that meaningful engineering impact arises from startups or applied work in diverse sectors. This mentorship reframes early struggles as the necessary foundation for a future "great story," assuring the young student that consistent hard work and kindness will ultimately yield significant professional fulfillment.