Explore every episode of the podcast 1440 Explores
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Introducing: 1440 Explores | 18 Sep 2025 | 00:03:08 | |
1440 Explores dives into the most fascinating topics of our timeâwhy we dream, how AI thinks, the magic (and consequences) of credit cards, and moreâblending science, history, and expert insights to make sense of the world. Produced in collaboration with Rhyme Media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Ghosts: Why We See What Isn't There | 30 Oct 2025 | 00:25:36 | |
Every culture has themârestless spirits, haunted houses, things that go bump in the night. But why do we believe in ghosts? Psychologist and skeptic Dr. Chris French joins host Sony Kassam to explore the science behind the supernatural, from sleep paralysis and hallucinations to the brainâs pattern-making instincts. Together, they uncover why our minds see meaningâand sometimes ghostsâwhere none exist, and what that reveals about fear, memory, and our need to believe in something beyond the grave. Guest: Dr. Chris French, head of the Anomalistic Psychology Research Unit in the Psychology Department at Goldsmiths, University of London. Credits: 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media, hosted by Sony Kassam. This episode was produced by Nicolo Majnoni. It was fact-checked by Meher Qazilbash. Our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Background reading: https://join1440.com/t/ghosts Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories:
About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isnât just a traitâitâs a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement:Â https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Alcohol: Why We Drink and What It Does to Us | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:36:24 | |
Alcohol is the worldâs most popular drugâa molecule that can calm or excite and bond communities or tear them apart. We trace alcoholâs journey from ancient rituals to modern hangovers, uncover how it shaped civilizations, and dive into the neuroscience of how it affects your brain and body. With insights from leading experts, we ask: Given all that we know, why do humans continue to drink? Guests:
Credits: 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media, hosted by Sony Kassam. This episode was produced by Dan Bobkoff and Kim Nederveen Pieterse. It was fact-checked by Sanam Skelly. Our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories:
About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isnât just a traitâitâs a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement:Â https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Credit Cards: The Story Behind the Plastic | 09 Oct 2025 | 00:29:34 | |
Credit cards feel like magicâtap, swipe, approved. But behind that split-second ding is one of the most complex financial systems ever built. We unpack how your $5 latte triggers a global relay between banks and networks like Visa and Mastercard, trace the 1958 campaign that jump-started the credit card revolution, and reveal how a trillion-dollar system quietly shapes the way we spend. From interest rates to rewards points, this is the hidden story of money in motionâand how a small piece of plastic changed the world. Guest: Sean Vanatta, senior lecturer in financial history and policy at the University of Glasgow and author of Plastic Capitalism, Banks, Credit Cards, and the End of Financial Control. Background reading: https://join1440.com/t/credit-cards Credits: 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media, hosted by Sony Kassam. This episode was produced by Nicolo Majnoni. It was fact-checked by Sanam Skelly. Our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories:
About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isnât just a traitâitâs a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement:Â https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Science of Dreaming | 11 Dec 2025 | 00:26:50 | |
We spend 6 years of our lives dreaming. But what if someone else is controlling what you dream about? With help from pioneering sleep scientist Dr. Bob Stickgold, 1440 editor-in-chief and host Sony Kassam unpacks what dreams really are, why the brain spins up these nighttime storylines, how memories and emotions shape them, and why certain dreams feel like weâre suddenly in the driverâs seat. Plus, the new frontier of dreams: how companies and researchers can control them. Guest: Dr. Bob Stickgold, a professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and a visiting professor at M.I.T. Media Lab Background reading: https://join1440.com/t/dreams Credits: 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media, hosted by Sony Kassam. This episode was produced by Dan Bobkoff and Sony Kassam. It was fact-checked by Meher Qazilbash. Our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1440daily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1440Daily/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@1440daily About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isnât just a traitâitâs a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement: https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| Inside the ChatGPT Black Box | 20 Nov 2025 | 00:26:26 | |
Ever asked ChatGPT a question and felt like it understood you? Or marveled at how AI can write, explain, or even argue convincingly? With help from legendary computer scientist and Mathematica creator Stephen Wolfram,1440 editor-in-chief and host Sony Kassam unpacks how large language models really workâhow they predict the next word, why they sometimes hallucinate, and what the mechanics reveal about intelligence, language, and humanity. Guest: Stephen Wolfram, founder and CEO of Wolfram Research and creator of Mathematica, Wolfram|Alpha, and Wolfram Language Credits: 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media, hosted by Sony Kassam. This episode was produced by Nicolo Majnoni. Our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Background reading:
Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories:
About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isnât just a traitâitâs a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement:Â https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| The Wild Story Behind the First Cell Phone Call | 08 Jan 2026 | 00:29:54 | |
A battle with a telecom giant. A stunt call on a New York sidewalk. A forgotten memo that rewired the world. Host Sony Kassam sits down with Marty Cooper, the father of the cell phone, and Arlene Harris, the first lady of wireless, to explore the innovation, politics, and high-stakes battle that pried connectivity out of corporate control and built the always-on world we live in today. Guests: Marty Cooper, engineer, entrepreneur, and "father of the cell phone." Arlene Harris, wireless entrepreneur, pioneer of prepaid cellular, and the "first lady of wireless.â Credits:Â 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media. This episode was produced by Nicolo Majnoni and edited by Dan Bobkoff. Our fact-checker is Meher Qazilbash, and our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories:
About 1440:Â 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isnât just a traitâitâs a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement:Â https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| How Fire Turned From Friend to Foe | 29 Jan 2026 | 00:23:08 | |
A planet that learned to burn. A century of fire suppression. A warming world primed to ignite. 1440 Explores host Sony Kassam sits down with fire historian Stephen Pyne to trace how humans turned fire from our greatest tool into our most dangerous threatâand what it would take to live with fire again. Guest: Stephen J. Pyne, fire historian and emeritus professor at the Center for Biology and Society at Arizona State University Credits: A production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media Host: Sony Kassam Producer: Kim Nederveen Pieterse Editor: Dan Bobkoff Fact-Checker: Sanam Skelly Sound Designer: Jay Cowit Executive Producers (1440): Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald Executive Producer (Rhyme): Dan Bobkoff About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed that helps curious people stay informed and inspired on a daily basis. We live in an age of limitless information but limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than truth. And the tools meant to expand knowledge now distort it. Join the knowledge collective: https://www.join1440.com Follow us: https://youtube.com/@1440explores https://www.instagram.com/1440daily https://www.facebook.com/1440Daily/ https://www.tiktok.com/@1440daily Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||