Explore every episode of the podcast EAG Talks

According to one recent estimate, there are one sextillion animals on Earth that may be sentient, most living in the wild. Yet wild animal welfare is neglected by intergovernmental bodies such as the IPCC. This talk discusses the importance and difficulty of developing a framework for evaluating interventions targeted at improving wild animal welfare. It considers how a model recently developed by Rethink Priorities might be used to quantify wild animal welfare and discusses different theories of population value, identifying sources of uncertainty. It ends with a discussion of preventing the spread of wild animal suffering to other planets. Tim Campbell is a philosopher and research fellow at the Institute for Futures Studies (IFFS) in Stockholm and the Mimir Center for Long Term Futures Research. His research focuses on topics in ethics related to population change, personal identity over time, whole brain emulation, and, most recently, wild animal welfare.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6b7XRoaq8Q

Darren Margolias, Executive Director of ‪@BeastPhilanthropy‬, answers questions from EA Forum users, posted here: https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/7QfKaF2bnCbuREJNx/ama-beast-philanthropy-s-darren-margolias/

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ylphNrBjWI

How do narratives affect people and cultures? What role do they play in our attempts to do good? What are the risks and pitfalls to avoid when trying to use stories for positive impact? In this talk, Timon shares some of the key insights he gains from exploring the science of narrative impact and persuasion, and what it takes to craft a story that enriches lives. Timon Renzelmann has an engineering background and a recent Master's in Sustainable Energy Engineering. For the last 3-4 years, alongside his academic studies, he explores the science of narrative impact and what it means for positive impact. He also enjoys writing and reading fiction and is a keen tennis player.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YO4SioAF-zA

AI systems deceiving humans, particularly about their alignment, pose significant challenges for ensuring their safety. Olli Järviniemi talks about his recent research on the deceptive tendencies of language models: will LLMs take deceptive actions without external instruction or pressure to do so? The basic approach is to create a realistic simulation environment and naturally provide opportunities for deception. The focus of this talk is on the experimental setup and results, with some discussion of future research directions.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynF8QuyO_9Q

In this talk, Maria addresses why it is crucial for the Effective Altruism community to think beyond the 80,000 Hours Job Board and embrace a variety of career paths to enhance our collective impact. Discover the board’s selection process and learn how to apply these principles to find opportunities in your local context, moving beyond the typical UK, US, and remote listings. Gain practical tips for getting started and learn how to overcome the ""approval stamp"" effect that may restrict your career options. Additionally, we discuss how members of local groups can support each other in searching for diverse career paths. Maria serves as the Community and Event Manager at Effective Altruism Norway. Her extensive involvement with the Norwegian Effective Altruism community includes co-founding both Gi Effektivt and EA Norway. Prior to her current role, Maria was a Job Board Curator and Designer at 80,000 Hours and the Managing Director of Gi Effektivt. Additionally, she has experience as a service designer in both the private and public sectors. Maria holds a degree in Industrial Design Engineering from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZyzeg_6_hc

In this talk, Kristian Rönn delves into the compelling notion that humanity’s gravitation towards short-term success and solutions poses a significant threat to our long-term survival and alignment with our deepest values. Dubbing this phenomenon the “Darwinian trap,” Rönn outlines how it underpins many of today’s most pressing issues—from the degradation of our workplaces to the global catastrophic threats of nuclear war, climate change, and artificial intelligence. He posits that by fostering cooperation and adopting principles from accounting—to accurately assess, track, and manage what truly matters—we can evade evolutionary traps, i.e., short-term successes and solutions that pose a significant threat to our long-term survival amidst the accelerating pace of technological advancement. Kristian left the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University to found the carbon accounting company Normative in 2014. His expertise in mathematics, philosophy, computer science, and AI has led to speaking engagements at notable forums like COP & Davos. Kristian has provided counsel to governments and international bodies and received recognition from the UNDP for his contribution to UN Goal 13. Google.org has acknowledged Kristian as a “Leader to Watch.”

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NwxJmXwI20

The Norwegian think tank Civita is currently working to raise the debate on how the aid budget can be best spent, and how the Norwegian aid system should be structured. By highlighting the alternate costs and pushing for more systematic use of evidence, the aid budget can reach further and produce better outcomes. Project team member Maria Bakken talks about why evidence is so important in development aid and how we can prioritize better in the field of aid and development.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9ApZkZTwuc

How rich are you really? How much good can giving really do? And why would 8,842 people from 100 countries pledge to donate 10% of their income to effective charities? Join Lucas Moore, Head of Global Coordination at Giving What We Can, in exploring these questions and finding out why it is a mistake not to prioritize giving as part of effective altruism, and how effective giving is the key to unlocking the impact that effective altruism seeks to create.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veg3yfVS1yg

This talk shared about the Taimaka's Project theory of change, outlining their inputs to outcomes and demonstrate how their theory of change improves lives.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npNfScjwc2M

This talk introduced Lafiya Nigeria, a non-profit dedicated to providing women with contraception. It is focused on optimizing cost-effective solutions, making it competitive with GiveWell's top charities in terms of cost-effectiveness. The talk shared about the Lafiya Nigeria model and the lessons that have been learned so far.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e6p29EmEMU

This panel session brings representatives from three organizations implementing health interventions in Nigeria, sharing more about their interventions, experience, and critical lessons from their operation. Panelists concurred that data-driven decision-making, proper stakeholder engagement, and public-private partnerships are vital for intervention success. They emphasized the importance of contextual understanding, cultural sensitivity, and collaboration with local stakeholders to ensure effective implementation.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M9kcNhI6Lo

This talk focused on effective altruism and animals, sharing how factory farming is rising in Africa and what can be done to address the problem. It draws from Animal Advocacy Africa's (AAA) recent research with Bryant Research, "Preventing Factory Farming in Africa: Strategic Considerations," and four intervention-specific reports by AAA (which were made available online before the conference).

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuaXslLbrME

This talk explored research findings, such as the 5 Freedoms of Animal Welfare and recent discoveries revealing that many animals are sentient, meaning they "feel" a range of emotions, including fear, happiness, and suffering, similar to humans. The talk emphasized that a cage-free Africa is crucial to ensuring the welfare of animals on the continent.

Watch on Youtube:

This talk walked participants through a mind-shifting conversation between the present and the future and focused on inspiring and interrogating human actions and their long-term impacts. Additionally, the talk introduced the concept of long-term thinking and future literacy as essential skills for navigating the complexity of future challenges.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eEIjZUcUkI

This is talk about the Data for Activism and it focused on enligting how data can be leveraged to empower citizens to demand transparency and accountability for good governance. Most references from the talk are in Nigerian context.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKwp6n2yg5w

This talk shared how Innovation Poverty Action (IPA) uses rigorous evidence to inform policies and programs for achieving effective outcomes. It shared case studies on how IPA uses evidence to inform its policy recommendation and program delivery.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PH31TA4Vpo

This talk shared how Evidence Action strategically is reducing global health inequities by removing some of the biggest health barriers children and adolescents face. It shared the case for its deworming program in Nigeria. Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLhFmaqM4W8

Community Health Workers (CHWs) are critical in bringing healthcare services to underserved communities. This talk shared Dimagi CommCare Connect learnings from applying Effective Altruism principles to deploy CommCare Connect across 7 countries. The talk featured case studies from completed projects where CHWs successfully completed a full Learn, Deliver, Verify, and Pay cycle autonomously.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CzsXLiOoVg

This talk introduces Ambitious Impact's 5 different programs, as well as other impactful career paths, including - Charity founding, Earning to give, Research, For-profit Entrepreneurship, and more. the talk shared various different traits useful for each pathway, how you can upskill and maximise your chance of success and what each program looks like.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_78fL0sc4hA

This talk discussed Ola's career journey, Explaining how he ought to prioritize work ranging from management consulting to literary publishing, community libraries, and ultimately, the specialized global health security niche he had carved out for himself.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEHZfFjtyp4

This closing session talk focused on inspiring the summit attendees to take action and make the most of the values drives out of the summit.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJaCcMZ7CZ4

This workshop explored how to initiate your project or charity and provided guidance on determining fit for the five Ambitious Impact programs.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QetjUnsxjzk

This talk shared more details about EA Nigeria's Theory of Change and its future plans. It shared how its activities and inputs translated into outputs, outcomes, and impacts.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oftOeA8gHU

This session features the CEO of the Centre for Effective Altruism (CEA), Zach Robinson. Zach talks about the principles that he considers core to EA, explains why CEA under his leadership will continue to promote them above and beyond any single or set of cause area(s), and answers questions from the audience. Zach joined as CEA's CEO in February 2024. He also serves as the CEO of CEA's fiscal sponsor, Effective Ventures Foundation USA. Previously, he was Chief of Staff at Open Philanthropy (OP), where he managed communications and grantmaking teams, developed organisation-wide policies to help OP scale, and identified new Global Health and Wellbeing cause areas to increase OP's giving. Prior to his work at OP, he was the director of product and strategy for startup Ivy Research Council (now Veris Insights) and worked as a management consultant at Bain and Company.

This session is a brief overview of how to get the most out of EA Global, and provides some guidance and tips for first-time attendees. Zershaaneh is an AI strategy researcher at Convergence Analysis. She became active in EA after a career shift in 2023. Before this, she worked at a for-profit company where she researched and consulted on market dynamics in the global water industry, and helped to organise international conferences. Previously, she studied Mathematics and Philosophy at the University of Oxford. Charlotte Darnell is a Community Liaison at the Centre for Effective Altruism. Before joining the Community Health team, Charlotte worked on the Events team and has also worked on various community-building projects outside of CEA, such as EAGxOxford 2022, UK high school outreach, and university group events. She studied History and Modern Languages at the University of Exeter.

Hear updates from charities incubated by Ambitious Impact (AIM) working on topics including fundraising for animal welfare work, tobacco policy and maternal health. Learn about the innovative ways to contribute and low-hanging fruit in global health and development and animal welfare. Klau Chmielowska is the co-founder and co-executive director of Lafiya Nigeria, a highly effective charity providing family planning counselling and access to contraception in northern Nigeria. With a degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from the University of Oxford, Klau combines their expertise in global development with a passion for building scalable and highly impactful poverty interventions. José Mallén has been involved in effective altruism since 2015 and in animal advocacy since the mid-90s. He works at Animal Ask as Global Stakeholder Engagement Coordinator. Animal Ask is a Charity Entrepreneurship incubated, UK-based group that supports organisations with in-depth, cross-comparative research to support decision making towards the most promising opportunities for animals. José is currently focused on helping connect researchers, advocates and funders to build an ever-expanding knowledge base. A generalist, he is interested in animal movement-centric approaches to R&D and in near-term and long-term theories of change. Thom Norman is the co-founder of FarmKind, a new effective giving organisation launched out of the Charity Entrepreneurship incubation program in April 2024. Farmed animal welfare is woefully underfunded, with global resources of less than 30 cents of funding per animal killed in the US alone. FarmKind's mission is to help reduce the funding gaps for some of the best evidenced-effective organisations in the space. Supriya is the co-founder and Executive Director of Ansh. Supriya has worked in multiple roles for non-profits across the UK, the US, and India. During the second wave of COVID-19 in India, she co-founded a helpline that established a supply chain network for medicines, oxygen, and other essential medical services for vulnerable families. She also worked at Suvita, a charity incubated by Charity Entrepreunership, to increase the uptake of routine vaccinations in Bihar and Maharashtra. Supriya holds a Master's in Criminological Research from the University of Cambridge and a Bachelor's in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The final talk is from the co-founder of Concentric, a policy NGO launched through the Charity Entrepreneurship-AIM incubation program. Hailing from California, he attended the University of Maryland and created his own degree through the university's most selective academic program. He has experience living and working in the conflict zone of Congo for an all-Congolese NGO, as well as, starting a small business in Goma, Congo. He is passionate about political system reform, especially in the United States

Greg Sadler, the CEO of Good Ancestors Policy, discusses his approach to policy advocacy in Australia, gives an overview of the major projects GAP has completed and their impact, as well as insight into the work going on behind the scenes. Finally, Greg talks about what's planned for the next 12 months and how you can get involved, including by using your political capital in the most impactful ways. Greg Sadler is the Secretary of Effective Altruism Australia, helped found EAA: Environment, and is the CEO of Good Ancestors Policy. At Good Ancestors, he works to translate EA ideas and research into policy change at the state and federal levels. Good Ancestors has worked on a range of issues from catastrophic disasters and food security to AI Safety and pandemic prevention. Previously, Greg was a public servant where he held senior positions relating to managing catastrophic risk, counter-terrorism and cyber security. MC: Will Horan

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xZFMSYKtGM

This panel brings together three leading researchers to discuss their work on welfare and moral patienthood in non-human minds. The panel focuses on two especially challenging cases: invertebrates and digital minds. Jeff Sebo (NYU) begins with a discussion of ethical and methodological considerations related to extending moral considerability to invertebrates and AI systems; Daniela Waldhorn (Rethink Priorities) discusses the current state of evidence regarding consciousness and sentience in invertebrates; and Patrick Butlin (Oxford) discusses what is currently known about the prospects for artificial sentience in digital systems. Jeff Sebo is Associate Professor of Environmental Studies, Affiliated Professor of Bioethics, Medical Ethics, Philosophy, and Law, Director of the Animal Studies M.A. Program, Director of the Mind, Ethics, and Policy Program, Co-Director of the Wild Animal Welfare Program, and Deputy Director of the Center for Environmental and Animal Protection at New York University. He is the author of Saving Animals, Saving Ourselves (2022) and co-author of Chimpanzee Rights (2018) and Food, Animals, and the Environment (2018). He is also a board member at Minding Animals International, an advisory board member at the Insect Welfare Research Society, a senior research fellow at the Legal Priorities Project, and a mentor at Sentient Media. Daniela Waldhorn is Director of Animal Welfare at Rethink Priorities. She has more than 15 years of experience in animal advocacy in Latin America and Europe, and has extensively researched several farmed invertebrate welfare issues. Daniela is also a Ph.D. researcher at the Department of Social Psychology at the University of Barcelona, a board member of the Centre for Animal Ethics, an Associate Professor at Pompeu Fabra University, and a research member of the COMPASS Project at the same university. She also serves as an advisor to the Shrimp Welfare Project and the Aquatic Life Institute. Daniela has an MS in International Development (Jaume I University and University of Valencia) and an MS in Ethics and Politics (University of Barcelona), and you can reach out to her in Spanish, Catalan or English. Patrick Butlin is a philosopher of mind and a researcher at the Global Priorities Institute, University of Oxford. Patrick previously worked at the Future of Humanity Institute. Most of Patrick's research is on consciousness and agency in AI. Andreas Mogensen is a Senior Research Fellow at the Global Priorities Institute, which is part of the Faculty of Philosophy at Oxford University. Andreas has worked on a range of different issues in meta-ethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics. His current research is primarily focused on questions in the philosophy of mind and well-being, with the potential to inform the weights we assign to non-human minds in priority setting.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FQ_tLPbYoY

Taking a giving pledge could be a high impact way to help others—but there are some important considerations to think through before making a commitment. This session is a balanced exploration about why and why not to pledge, and the relevant factors that might influence your decision. In this talk you'll hear from people who haven't pledged, as well as those who have and learn about their thinking on the topic. We cover insights from Giving What We Can's user research about what motivates people to pledge, as well as why others choose not to pledge. This session is for anyone who gives, or is considering giving, as well as community builders who want to have better conversations about what it means to pledge to give effectively. Grace Adams is the Head of Marketing at Giving What We Can. She has worked in marketing, digital product and customer experience through various roles including as a management consultant. Grace graduated with distinction from an applied bachelor of business with a major in marketing at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. She is striving to create a world where all its inhabitants are able to thrive, and thanks everyone who is spending their precious time on earth to do the same. Akhil Bansal is a medical doctor from Australia, who currently works in public health and as a field strategy consultant on antimicrobial resistance for Schmidt Futures. Lizka Vaintrob works on various content-related projects at the Centre for Effective Altruism. Before starting at CEA, she worked in maths education and was a visiting research fellow at Rethink Priorities. Lizka holds a BA from Columbia University with a double major in mathematics and comparative literature.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0iaLUGksPQ

Associate Director of External Relations Carlita Bevege gives us an inside look at Evidence Action's flagship programs, Deworm the World and Dispensers for Safe Water, and take us through the Accelerator, their engine for new program development. She provides insight into how Evidence Action evaluates the research behind promising new interventions and brings those with the most potential for impact to scale, reaching hundreds of millions of people with proven low-cost health solutions. Evidence Action is a foremost partner of GiveWell, CEA, J-PAL, and Open Philanthropy because of its rigorous and inspiring approach to using evidence to improve global well-being. Carlita Bevege is Evidence Action’s Associate Director, External Relations, and works across fundraising, communications, and thought leadership. Prior to joining the team full time in 2020, Carlita was a consultant to Evidence Action’s Nairobi office, where she supported a variety of initiative variety of initiatives including a global strategic plan for Deworm the World. MC: Bec Mayo

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrOshn1PyfA

Professional groups and EA navigating uncertainty together with open-mindedness and humility Ellie Christian and Clare Harris Ellie Christian is a Newcastle-based medical doctor. She is a masters of public health student at the University of Sydney. She is the Australia coordinator for High Impact Medicine. Clare Harris is a junior medical doctor working as a researcher for Spencer Greenberg at SparkWave.tech. She's head of monitoring and evaluation at High Impact Medicine. She has experience working in phase 1 and 2 clinical trials research in neuroscience, and has also worked as a contractual researcher for academic and non-academic institutions."

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brP1sc5n4E4

A fire side chat with Marcus Daniell (professional tennis player and Olympic medallist) about founding High Impact Athletes, an organisation helping athletes give effectively. Marcus is the Founder and Executive Director of High Impact Athletes and has pledged 10% of his earnings to effective organisations for life. Marcus is a two-time Olympian and bronze medallist, a Wimbledon and Australian Open Quarterfinalist, and 5-time ATP Titleholder. Grace is the Head of Marketing at Giving What We Can. She has worked in marketing, digital product and customer experience through various roles including as a management consultant. Grace graduated with distinction from an applied bachelor of business with a major in marketing at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. She is working towards a flourishing future for all humans and non-human animals where suffering no longer exists. MC: Bridget Loughhead

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB6Wk-eUdzU

Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED) is a nonprofit organization with two primary objectives: 1) to identify, pilot, and prepare resilient food alternatives, in the event that a catastrophe damages conventional food supplies 2) to help governments and communities implement these solutions during a global food shock As devastating as catastrophes are, the threat of a global catastrophe is not just the initial destruction, but also the impact it could have on food supplies and distribution. We aim to minimize the damage of a global catastrophe by ensuring that the people continue to have access to nutritious food, during and after the catastrophe. Kevin has almost a decade of experience in for-purpose organisations and start-ups, working in the areas of international development, global health, and education. He has worked in engineering, operations, strategy, teaching, and coaching roles over his career. Away from his day job, he can be found on the athletics track and is an Australian representative 400m sprinter and income pledging athlete with High Impact Athletes. MC: Michael Noetel

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTJ0XAm89EA

Hear why it’s a mistake not to prioritise giving as part of effective altruism and how effective giving is the key to unlocking the impact that effective altruism seeks to create. You’ll also learn practical ways we can all help increase funding to effective charities and projects. Luke Freeman manages Giving What We Can, a global community dedicated to giving effectively and significantly that’s best known for their over 8,000 members who have pledged to give 10% of their lifetime income to the most effective charities. He is also an active volunteer with various social impact focused projects, has a background in marketing with a focus on growing early-stage technology startups and holds degrees and diplomas in media and communications from Macquarie University and Simon Fraser University. Luke himself is personally committed to giving effectively and significantly and is a proud member of both Giving What We Can and Founders Pledge. Grace is the Head of Marketing at Giving What We Can. She has worked in marketing, digital product and customer experience through various roles including as a management consultant. Grace graduated with distinction from an applied bachelor of business with a major in marketing at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. Having always wanted to do good, Grace was immediately taken with the ideas of effective giving and effective altruism when they were explained to her. She is working towards a flourishing future for all humans and non-human animals where suffering no longer exists. MC: Will Horan

The danger of nuclear weapons is growing: what can we do to address this existential risk? Marianne Hanson Building on her keynote remarks, Marianne Hanson, co-founder of the Nobel Prize-winning International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), elaborates on the escalating dangers posed by nuclear weapons and outlines steps that can be taken to mitigate these risks. Marianne Hanson is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, Australia, where she teaches and researches in the field of international security, focusing on arms control, disarmament, international organisations and international law. Prior to joining the University of Queensland, she was Stipendiary Lecturer in Politics at Magdalen College, Oxford University. Dr Hanson gained her MPhil and Doctoral degrees at Oxford University. She is an Australian member of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network. MC: Michael Noetel

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5kN4JvFbiE

Climate 200 helps communities strike at the root of the problem when it comes to action on climate change, and opportunities to get involved in the community independents movement. Alexandria Rantino is the Chief Operating Officer at Climate 200, a crowdfunded organisation that supports the election campaigns of independents committed to science based climate action, restoring integrity to politics, and advancing the respect and safety of women. Alex has pursued climate action throughout her entire career, including as a Paris Agreement negotiator at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and a policy adviser at the Climate Change Authority, United Nations Environment Programme, Australian Conservation Foundation and Environment Defenders Office. Alex is a qualified lawyer with honours degrees in law, media and communications from Melbourne University. MC: Michael Kerrison

Chetan Kharbanda - Starting a Charity Entrepreneurship charity on-ground. This talk is aimed at sharing key learnings from the journey of going from incubation to launching real-world operations. It outlines how the CE program equipped the charity with tools and funding and the execution required to navigate complex systems and lots of uncertainty. Making good data-driven decisions and flexibility are imperative to starting an impactful charity. Kate Tapping - From a 'shower idea' to a $117,000 donation to effective charities: the story behind Write the World notebooks. Chetan is the co-founder of ""ansh"", an early-stage charity launching its pilot program to build neonatal healthcare capacity in India to save newborn lives. Kate is the founder of Write the World notebooks, which she launched in 2019. MC: Michael Kerrison

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akaJrXRnn6I

Ryan is Co-Director of the ML Alignment Theory Scholars Program, a Board Member and Co-Founder of the London Initiative for Safe AI, and a Manifund Regrantor. Previously, he completed a PhD in Physics at the University of Queensland and ran UQ’s Effective Altruism student group for ~3 years. Ryan’s ethics are largely preference utilitarian and cosmopolitan; he is deeply concerned about near-term x-risk and safeguarding the long-term future. James Fodor is a PhD student in the Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences Program. He completed graduate studies in physics and economics at the University of Melbourne, and a masters degree in neuroscience at the Australian National University. He has also worked as a research assistant in structural biology at Monash University. Outside of research, James has a keen interest in science, philosophy, and critical thinking. He is passionate about Effective Altruism, including causes such as global poverty and animal welfare.

Hon Dr. Andrew Leigh is the Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Assistant Minister for Employment in the Albanese ministry. Leigh holds a PhD from PhD in Public Policy from Harvard Kennedy School. Dr Bidda Jones AM leads the Australian Alliance for Animals' strategy for animal welfare and evidence-based research. A zoologist specialising in animal behaviour and welfare, Bidda previously worked for RSPCA Australia as their Chief Science and Strategy Officer, establishing the organisation’s reputation as a trusted source of animal welfare science over her 25-year tenure. In 2021, Bidda was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for significant services to animal welfare science and advocacy. Marianne Hanson is Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Queensland, Australia, where she teaches and researches in the field of international security, focusing on arms control, disarmament, international organisations and international law. Prior to joining the University of Queensland, she was Stipendiary Lecturer in Politics at Magdalen College, Oxford University. Dr Hanson gained her MPhil and Doctoral degrees at Oxford University. She is an Australian member of the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network. Greg Sadler is the Secretary of Effective Altruism Australia, helped found EAA: Environment, and is the CEO of Good Ancestors Policy. At Good Ancestors, he works to translate EA ideas and research into policy change at the state and federal levels. Good Ancestors has worked on a range of issues from catastrophic disasters and food security to AI Safety and pandemic prevention. Previously, Greg was a public servant where he held senior positions relating to managing catastrophic risk, counter-terrorism and cyber security.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGrVvtKufmk

Jenna Ong is the co-creator of Insights for Impact, a Youtube channel which works on communicating research insights for positive impact in the form of documentary-style, entertaining and explanatory videos. She was also the co-founder of Effective Altruism Canberra. Wellbeing science has seen rapid development in the last few decades thanks to new data. Researchers in this space are primarily interested in how to reduce suffering and live a good life. Meanwhile the core aim of effective altruism is to reduce suffering and do the most good. Are these two fields talking? Join Jenna for an exploration of measures and models of wellbeing, and current questions that researchers are tackling in this space, towards doing more good for yourself and others!

The richest countries in the world are about one hundred times wealthier per person than the poorest countries. How did such immense differences arise, and why do they continue to exist? This talk summarises various proposed solutions to this paradox of economic development, including theories emphasising culture, geography, dependency, and institutions. Drawing upon comparative historical analysis, formal models, and statistical evidence, the talk argues that the quality of political and economic institutions ultimately explains most of the differences in development outcomes between countries. It concludes by considering implications for the effective altruism movement. James Fodor is a PhD student in the Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences Program. He completed graduate studies in physics and economics at the University of Melbourne, and a masters degree in neuroscience at the Australian National University. He has also worked as a research assistant in structural biology at Monash University. Outside of research, James has a keen interest in science, philosophy, and critical thinking. He is passionate about Effective Altruism, including causes such as global poverty and animal welfare.

Victoria Baranov is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne. In her research, Victoria couples RCTs and longitudinal data in her research that looks into how psychological factors may perpetuate poverty traps. Her team conducted an RCT in rural Pakistan, providing psychotherapy to depressed mothers in the treatment group, while simultaneously collecting bio-samples and baseline data. She compared life outcomes at 7 years postpartum, with significant positive effects. While ‘classical’ development microeconomics has focused on credit constraints, lack of insurance, or high exposure to disease, Baranov’s findings have significant implications for where resources should be directed in LDCs in order to break poverty traps, and offers profound insight into how mental health pervades individual and societal wellbeing. Victoria Baranov is an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Melbourne. In her research, Victoria couples RCTs and longitudinal data in her research that looks into how psychological factors may perpetuate poverty traps. MC: Bridget Loughhead

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD0L4prUHjE

Climate change is one of the biggest problems we have to face. This talk discusses some of the more effective and neglected methods of addressing climate change, and unpacks what Australia can do to make a difference in climate on a global scale. Jack Rafferty is the Manager of Climate Giving for Giving Green Australia. Prior to joining Giving Green, Jack was the Co-founder and Director of Lead Exposure Elimination Project, a policy focused international NGO that is working to end childhood lead poisoning worldwide.Jack holds bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Science and Philosophy from the University of Sydney.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZShvP97sjY

This talk introduces the audience to the philosophical and scientific study of animal consciousness. It explains why understanding animal consciousness is inseparable to the project of animal welfare, and why the current ‘valence-based’ and ‘preference-based’ approach to animal welfare are inadequate. It ends by urging effective altruists concerned about animal welfare to care about fundamental, theoretical research on animal consciousness. Jack Hawke is currently undertaking a research Masters in philosophy at the Australian National University (ANU). Earlier, he completed a graduate program at the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care. Before that, he completed a Bachelor of Politics, Philosophy and Economics (Honours) at the ANU. MC: Bec Mayo

Chelsea and Krystal give a talk on pursuing EA-aligned policy careers in Australia. They go through what's important to consider in your fit for policy work, what EA-aligned policy work looks like day-to-day and across different types of organisations, the current landscape of EA policy organisations, and different routes to impact. Chelsea Liang is a Health Security Policy Researcher at Good Ancestors Policy, a charity that seeks to engage all levels of government and civil society on the biggest challenges of the century. There she has created a bespoke and concrete set of pandemic preparedness policy papers tailored to meet the current Australian legal, bureaucratic, and scientific infrastructure. This work was supported by an Open Philanthropy grant. Krystal is a Co-Founder of Policy Foundry, a policy development unit that provides high-quality policy proposals for advocates on the most important 21st century global challenges. Previously, she worked at the Grattan Institute, economic consultancy HoustonKemp and the Victorian Department of Treasury and Finance. She is currently an economics honours student at Monash University. MC: Lucas Lewit-Mendes

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXYT-5vHXNE

Cellular Agriculture has the potential to create a more ethical, accessible and sustainable food system. However, this potential won't be realised unless the sector can overcome a number of significant and pressing challenges, such as accessing regulatory approval, scaling manufacture and gaining social acceptance. Cellular Agriculture Australia focuses exclusively on the non-competitive challenges and opportunities facing the sector in Australia. Ren Springlea: Why you should pursue a career in animal advocacy (even if you're a longtermist!) Working in animal advocacy is both really enjoyable and an opportunity to have an immense impact. I'll explain why animal advocacy could be a great option for you, especially if you're worried your skills or moral frameworks might make animal advocacy a less competitive option. I'll also discuss some resources for getting started. Michael Dello-Iacovo: Key considerations for longtermist animal advocates: Overlaps and opportunities Longtermism and animal advocacy are often discussed separately. However, by neglecting the other, longtermists and animal advocates may be missing out on key considerations to maximise their impact. In this talk, Michael will give an overview of the overlap between longtermism and animal advocacy, and discuss some important considerations that proponents of both should keep in mind. Sam has taken on many roles around sustainability, strategy, and R&D, and today is the CEO of Cellular Agriculture Australia. Ren works as a Research Scientist at Animal Ask. They are also co-founding a new project focusing on humane fish slaughter in Mediterranean fish farms, and have been involved with the Animal Justice Party. Michael currently works for the Sentience Institute as Strategy Lead & Researcher. He has also co-founded The Life You Can Save Adelaide, has been the CEO of Effective Altruism Australia, and has been involved with the Animal Justice Party. MC: Bec Mayo

Alternative proteins hold the potential to move humanity beyond animal agriculture. If successful, this would have substantial benefits, in animal suffering, climate change, public health, food security and more. Yet after the initial wave of excitement in recent plant-based products such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods, it’s clear there are significant technical and non-technical challenges to overcome. This 1 hour session is geared towards students and professionals who are interested to learn more, brainstorm together and ultimately have potential career interest to contribute in this space. We divide the session by business and scientific backgrounds, discuss key challenges, then conclude by talking about next steps for career exploration. The session is co-hosted by Lucie from Cellular Agriculture Australia, a non-profit working with multiple stakeholders to to progress the field, and Simon from Better Bite Ventures, an early stage investor in new alt protein startups. Thomas King is a founder, international speaker and future food specialist who has been recognised as one of Australia’s most accomplished young pioneers. For over a decade Thomas has driven food systems, environmental and poverty alleviation initiatives across five continents. He was named Young Australian of the Year VIC in 2015, awarded a Myer Innovation Fellowship in 2019 and on The Australian’s 2022 100 Top Innovators list. MC: Lucas Lewit-Mendes

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB28UJi7_oE

We all agree that suffering matters, but how much does it matter compared to other issues we could devote resources to? In this talk, Jonathan Leighton will discuss the relationship between happiness and suffering, including how it is understood by many rationalists and members of the EA community, and argue for an alternative ethical framework that prioritises the inherent urgency of extreme suffering, while still explicitly acknowledging the important role of our intuitions. Jonathan Leighton is the Executive Director of the Organisation for the Prevention of Intense Suffering (OPIS), a think-and-do tank he founded to promote compassionate ethics in societal decision-making. OPIS is best known for its advocacy for better access to effective medications for people in severe pain, including morphine for terminal cancer patients in lower-income countries, and psychedelics for patients with horrendously painful conditions like cluster headaches. It also advocates for anti-speciesism and an end to factory farming and the abuse of animals. MC: Michael Kerrison

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADWCe3bbnA8&t=18s

In this session, Loic presents the concept of emerging innovations in international development (a.k.a Best Bets) and goes over the 14 that IPA has identified in a recent flagship report. As Chief Research & Policy Officer for Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA), Loic's work is about championing research and evidence that is connected with real-world decision-makers to improve the lives of people living in poverty. In practice, Loic oversees IPA's various sector programs, IPA's Policy team, and the Right-Fit-Evidence unit—an advisory unit that helps funders and implementers with their own use of M&E (monitoring and evaluation), data and evidence.

The richest countries in the world are about one hundred times wealthier per person than the poorest countries. How did such immense differences arise, and why do they continue to exist? This talk summarises various proposed solutions to this paradox of economic development, including theories emphasising culture, geography, dependency, and institutions. Drawing upon comparative historical analysis, formal models, and statistical evidence, the talk argues that the quality of political and economic institutions ultimately explains most of the differences in development outcomes between countries. It concludes by considering implications for the effective altruism movement. James Fodor is a PhD student in the Decision, Risk and Financial Sciences Program. He completed graduate studies in physics and economics at the University of Melbourne, and a masters degree in neuroscience at the Australian National University. He has also worked as a research assistant in structural biology at Monash University. Outside of research, James has a keen interest in science, philosophy, and critical thinking. He is passionate about Effective Altruism, including causes such as global poverty and animal welfare.

Watch on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tA8wkOGJrE