Latif Nasser - "Connected," Intellectual Humility, and the Truths Baked into Our World

I'm a massive fan of Latif Nasser, my guest on today's show. Latif is the host and executive producer for the Netflix science documentary series, Connected. He is also the Director of Research at the award-winning New York Public Radio show Radiolab, where he has done stories on everything from snowflake photography to medieval robots to a polar bear who liked to have sex with grizzly bears. Earlier this year, he hosted the miniseries The Other Latif, about his Moroccan namesake who happens to be Detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. He has also given two TED talks and written for the Boston Globe Ideas section. He has a PhD from Harvard's History of Science department.

I don't have time to binge watch shows on Netflix. And yet, after my daughter showed me the first episode of Connected, I literally watched the entire series in one sitting. Not only is the content educational, but it is mind-blowing and reaffirming in an almost spiritual way to learn "the surprising and intricate ways in which we are connected to each other, the world and the universe." As the host, Latif manages to remain an educator while reacting with genuine curiosity and intellectual humility. It is a fantastic production, and Latif is a brilliant guy who I couldn't wait to speak with. I think you will love this conversation.

Listen as we discuss:

• The wisdom behind intellectual humility
• Latif's Netflix show, Connected 
• The rewards of being dumb 
• Latif on being a good host: “I’m the proxy for that part of your brain that wants to ask that dumb question”
• How the concept of self-esteem burdens us to appear to always know (See my talk with Dr. Kristin Neff)
• The ongoing mysteries of dark matter, dark energy and sleep
• Why people defend their politics like a religion
• The way that we are teaching science is answering questions students never asked
• Grading students on the wrong criteria
• Benford’s Law (even if you're not a math nerd, this will blow your mind)
• “A truth baked into the world”
• The amazing Birds that immigrate from Delaware to Brazil and return to the same tree
• The privacy paradox and why we let Tinder and Facebook spy on us willingly
• The origin of his Connected
• The fish fossil connection that will bring you to tears
• Latif's wish for the world and his own children

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Don't forget to subscribe to Slo Mo for new episodes every Saturday. Only with your help can we reach One Billion Happy #onebillionhappy