Sumanth Jois
Making Sense is the podcast hosted by neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author Sam Harris. The show explores important and controversial questions about the mind, society, current events, moral philosophy, religion, and rationality. With nearly 500 episodes, Making Sense has become one of the most influential intellectual podcasts in the world.
If you're a PR professional or publicist looking to pitch a guest for Making Sense, this list gives you a snapshot of who's been on the show and the types of guests Sam tends to book.
Sam Harris Podcast Guest List
1. Garry Kasparov — Chess grandmaster, pro-democracy activist, and author of Winter Is Coming. Garry discussed the collapse of democratic norms, Russia's influence in global politics, and the 2026 midterms as a decisive moment for democracy.
Episode Appeared On: #461 — Dictators Always Tell You What They'll Do
2. Anne Applebaum — Pulitzer Prize-winning historian, journalist, and author of Autocracy, Inc. Anne spoke about America's retreat from global leadership, the Sudanese civil war, and the erosion of democratic institutions worldwide.
Episode Appeared On: #429 — The New World Order
3. Judea Pearl — Computer scientist, philosopher, and Turing Award winner known for his work on causal reasoning in AI. Judea discussed why LLMs won't produce AGI, alignment concerns, and the rise of antisemitism after October 7th.
Episode Appeared On: #453 — AI and the New Face of Antisemitism
4. Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares — AI safety researchers and co-founders of the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI). They discussed the alignment problem, AI survival instincts, hallucinations in LLMs, and existential risk from artificial intelligence.
Episode Appeared On: #434 — Can We Survive AI?
5. Nicholas Christakis — Yale sociologist, physician, and author of Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society. Nicholas discussed the harms of modern communication technology, how AI agents can improve cooperation, and the social implications of humanoid robots.
Episode Appeared On: #466 — What Is Technology Doing to Us?
6. William MacAskill — Philosopher and co-founder of the effective altruism movement. William discussed the post-FTX recovery of EA, global health priorities, the intelligence explosion, and what a post-work world might look like.
Episode Appeared On: #467 — EA, AI, and the End of Work
7. Peter Zeihan — Geopolitical strategist and author of The End of the World Is Just the Beginning. Peter discussed the unraveling of American power, Trump's tariff policies, the AI bubble, and deglobalization.
Episode Appeared On: #447 — The Unraveling of American Power
8. Dan Carlin — Podcaster and host of Hardcore History. Dan discussed the growing powers of the presidency, the fragmentation of American society, libertarianism, and the prospect of political violence.
Episode Appeared On: #433 — How Did We Get Here?
9. David French — New York Times columnist, attorney, and author. David discussed the persecution of political opponents, abuse of the pardon power, and whether democracy in the United States can survive.
Episode Appeared On: #432 — The Undoing of America
10. Jonathan Rauch — Senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of The Constitution of Knowledge. Jonathan discussed the 18 criteria of fascism, state violence, and the politicization of law enforcement.
Episode Appeared On: #456 — American Fascism
11. John McWhorter — Columbia University linguist, author, and New York Times columnist. John discussed the rise and persistence of "wokeness" and DEI, the legacy of George Floyd's death, and how identity shapes public discourse.
Episode Appeared On: #452 — Is Wokeness Finally Dead?
12. David Frum — Staff writer at The Atlantic, former White House speechwriter, and author. David discussed Trump's corruption, immigration crackdowns, and the state of American governance.
Episode Appeared On: #426 — How Bad Is It?
13. Jonah Goldberg — Co-founder of The Dispatch and author of Liberal Fascism. Jonah discussed the politicization of federal institutions, the erosion of legal norms, and the schism within the conservative movement.
Episode Appeared On: #460 — When the Center Cannot Hold
14. Sarah Longwell and Tim Miller — Co-founders of The Bulwark. Sarah and Tim discussed the psychology of Trump's base, the new era of authenticity in politics, and how media broke American political discourse.
Episode Appeared On: #458 — The Bulwark Against MAGA
15. George Packer — Staff writer at The Atlantic and author of The Unwinding. George discussed the erosion of democratic institutions, Congressional dysfunction, and the weaponization of government agencies.
Episode Appeared On: #444 — America's Zombie Democracy
16. Ross Douthat — New York Times columnist and author. Ross discussed the case for faith in an age of digital disembodiment, declining birthrates, and the upheaval that AI may bring to society.
Episode Appeared On: #449 — Dogma, Tribe, and Truth
17. Rob Reid — Author, entrepreneur, and host of the After On podcast. Rob discussed biosecurity, the dangers of gain-of-function research, open science norms, and the role of AI in accelerating bioweapon development.
Episode Appeared On: #463 — Privatizing the Apocalypse
18. Paul Bloom — Psychologist and author of Against Empathy. Paul discussed the state of LLMs, the risks and benefits of AI companionship, attributing consciousness to AI, and Trump's attacks on science.
Episode Appeared On: #427 — AI Friends & Enemies
19. Matt Mahan — Mayor of San Jose and Democratic candidate for governor of California. Matt discussed the dysfunction of progressive governance, the homelessness crisis, and why California can't seem to build housing.
Episode Appeared On: #464 — The Politics of Pragmatism and the Future of California
20. Michael Osterholm — Epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. Michael discussed lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, major public health response mistakes, and the science of airborne transmission.
Episode Appeared On: #436 — A Crisis of Trust
21. Marc Lipsitch — Epidemiologist and former CDC official. Marc discussed what we learned from Covid, loss of trust in institutions, vaccine hesitancy, and communicating scientific information in a fractured media landscape.
Episode Appeared On: #425 — Are We Prepared for the Next Pandemic?
22. David Edmonds — Philosopher, journalist, and author of Death in a Shallow Pond. David discussed Peter Singer's famous thought experiment, consequentialism, trolley problems, and the philosophy of doing good.
Episode Appeared On: #448 — The Philosophy of Good and Evil
23. Michael Plant — Philosopher and founder of the Happier Lives Institute. Michael discussed the nature of well-being, Nozick's "Experience Machine" thought experiment, and the conflict between experiencing and remembering selves.
Episode Appeared On: #446 — How to Do the Most Good
24. Douglas Wilson — Theologian, pastor, and author. Douglas discussed his debates with Christopher Hitchens, American evangelicalism, young-earth creationism, and Christian nationalism. Related book
Episode Appeared On: #443 — What Is Christian Nationalism?
25. Stephen Marche — Author of The Next Civil War. Stephen discussed what a modern American civil war might look like, key risk factors, and the role of extremism and immigration in driving political violence. Related book
Episode Appeared On: #441 — The Threat of Civil War
26. Robert D. Kaplan — Journalist, geopolitical analyst, and author of over 20 books on foreign affairs. Robert discussed climate change, demographics, why Russia is in decline, and the migration crisis in Europe. Related book
Episode Appeared On: #440 — A World in Crisis
27. Damon Linker — Political writer and author of the newsletter Notes From the Middleground. Damon discussed the mechanisms of authoritarian consolidation, the Insurrection Act, and the Right's weaponization of wokeness.
Episode Appeared On: #439 — How to Lose a Democracy
28. Dan Senor — Foreign policy advisor and co-author of The Genius of Israel. Dan discussed global antisemitism, the reshaping of the Middle East, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Episode Appeared On: #437 — Two Years Since 10/7
29. Haviv Rettig Gur — Senior analyst at The Times of Israel. Haviv discussed Israel's war with Iran, Iran's nuclear program, and how the conflict is reshaping the broader Middle Eastern landscape.
Episode Appeared On: #422 — Zionism & Jihadism
30. Michael Roth — President of Wesleyan University and author. Michael discussed campus protests, the limits of academic free speech, DEI, and how colleges should navigate extreme political views.
Episode Appeared On: #431 — What Is Happening on College Campuses?
What Type of Guests Does Making Sense Book?
Based on the guest history, Making Sense tends to book:
- Public intellectuals and academics — philosophers, scientists, linguists, and researchers tackling big ideas
- Political commentators and journalists — especially those covering democracy, authoritarianism, and institutional decay
- AI and technology thinkers — researchers and writers focused on existential risk, alignment, and the societal impact of AI
- Authors with new books — nearly every guest has a recent book, article, or major project to discuss
- Foreign policy and national security experts — analysts covering geopolitics, conflict, and global power shifts
If you're pitching a client for Making Sense, they'll need deep expertise in their field and the ability to hold a rigorous, long-form intellectual conversation. Sam's interviews typically run 1-2 hours and go deep — this isn't a show for surface-level takes.
About the Host
Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, and five-time New York Times best-selling author. His books include The End of Faith, Waking Up, and The Moral Landscape. He's also the creator of the Waking Up meditation app. Making Sense (formerly the Waking Up podcast) has been running since 2013 and publishes weekly.
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