"Success is a process of continually seeking answers to new questions." - Sir John Templeton
Since 2015, Tyler Cowen’s podcast Conversations with Tyler (CWT) has had over 20 million listens, views, and transcript readers. Through rigorous research, unconventional questions, and an interdisciplinary mindset, Tyler moves world-class thinkers to share unexpected insights into their work and how they see the world. Previous guests include leaders in politics, technology, culture, and academia, including Sam Altman, Rick Rubin, and Daniel Kahneman.
Building on CWT’s global success as a leading platform for intellectual curiosity, this proposal funds 20 new episodes delving into "Big Questions" on the fundamental nature of humanity and the universe. In addition to these episodes, the project includes four listener meetups that will foster community and deepen dialogue about the Big Questions. A listener survey will also collect valuable feedback to shape future content and enhance audience impact, as well as yield new knowledge on how to deepen engagement in humble inquiry.
Through the podcast, Tyler shows how to ask better questions and to challenge one's current mental models of the world. He models inquisitiveness through his in-depth preparation for each episode and careful choice of questions. This project will not only ask Big Questions, but drive listeners to develop their own curiosity, humility, and sense of wonder.
Through this project, JTF funds will inspire curiosity and intellectual engagement in a world increasingly dominated by soundbites and superficial analysis. By connecting listeners to ideas and frameworks that challenge commonplace perspectives, it will cultivate a global community of humble and inquisitive individuals. The anticipated outcome is a richer, more nuanced public discourse on the questions that shape our understanding of ourselves and the universe.
