To kick off this new season, I’m speaking with Dr Paul Goldsmith, a neuroscientist and practising neurologist with a background in founding and building life sciences companies across both the drug and digital therapeutics space, in addition to NHS systems and strategic experience, clinical networks, vanguard and clinical senate roles.

Having studied natural sciences at the University of Cambridge and gained a clinical scholarship from the University of Oxford, Paul undertook postgraduate medical training in Oxford, at the National Hospital for Neurology in London, and in Cambridge, and went on to take a Ph.D. in developmental neuroscience at Cambridge, which lead to an interest in evolutionary medicine. A visiting professor at Imperial College London in the Institute of Global Health Innovation, he is also the author of a new book, “The Evolving Brain: How to thrive in a world we weren’t meant for”, a guide that draws from his clinical to offer compassionate, practical insights on the evolutionary origins of our brain and how we can best use it to thrive in our daily lives.

Given the increasing complexity and turbulence we face today, this felt like a poignant place from which to open this series of conversations, and I hope you find this episode as uplifting, companionate and insightful as I did.

SUMMARY

In this conversation, Paul Goldsmith and Nathalie Nahai explore the intricate connections between the human psyche, the evolving brain, and the challenges of modern life. They discuss the importance of understanding our place within a larger system, the role of social goals in happiness, and the impact of meaningful relationships on well-being. They examine the complexities of modern existence, including the decline in fertility rates, the influence of social media on loneliness, and the significance of community and shared experiences. Finally, Paul and Nathalie emphasise the need for self-compassion, the power of physical activity, and the potential for finding beauty in adversity.

WEBSITE

https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-goldsmith-624241/

BOOKS

The Evolving Brain: How to thrive in a world we weren’t meant for (https://www.hachette.co.uk/contributor/dr-paul-goldsmith/)

CHAPTERS

00:00 The Global Human Psyche

02:39 Understanding the Evolving Brain

05:40 The Complexity of Modern Goals

08:29 Navigating Social Dynamics and Relationships

11:40 The Role of Melancholy in Goal Pursuit

14:38 The Impact of Modern Society on Fertility and Loneliness

17:35 Finding Meaning and Belonging in Life

33:16 The Quest for Validation in Modern Life

36:21 Understanding Neurodivergence and Focus

40:50 Auditing Personal Goals and Life Purpose

44:40 The Power of Connection and Community

56:25 The Role of Ego in Our Perception of Reality

Hello, and welcome to this special Solstice episode of the podcast.

It’s been a while since the last show, and that’s because this year has been a bit of a whirlwind for me. I was hosting over the summer, the nascent season of a new show called “I am not creative” for Do Radio, and I’ve since been on the road for a solid three months giving talks on how we might navigate this age of AI and automation with greater criticality, agency, humanity and discernment. I’ve shared stages with Brené Brown, Adam Grant and Grace Blakeley, and I’ve even dared an auditorium full of 1300 business people to sing together at a moment’s notice, and joined futurists in conversations around longevity and the future of the human race.

I’ve also been spending time painting towards a solo exhibition which will be launching in London in late Autumn 2026, and I’ve been back in the studio recording a third album with Mercury nominated producer, Drew Horley, down in Somerset.

It’s been a really bonkers year, full of intensity, beauty, challenges and surprises, and so I’m delighted to be rejoining you once again for this touchstone, and what has become a cherished tradition of reflection, contemplation, and looking ahead to the year to come.

In this conversation, I rejoin Manda Scott and Della Duncan for a collaborative midwinter offering from myself, Accidental Gods, and the Upstream Podcast.

From the questions we’re holding to the highlights we’re taking from the year, this is a ritual that I’ve come to really look forward to, and I hope you find it as uplifting as I do.

To introduced my companions…

Manda Scott is a novelist, podcaster and smallholder. Formerly a veterinary surgeon, Manda’s novels have been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Edgar and the Saltire Award and has won the McIlvanney Prize. She is host of the Accidental Gods podcast, which showcases individuals and organisations at the emerging edge of our world, to set the foundation for a future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us.

We’re joined by Della Duncan, a Renegade Economist based in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a co-host of the Upstream Podcast, a Right Livelihood Coach, a faculty member at the California Institute of Integral Studies, a Senior Fellow at the London School of Economics, a founding member of the California Doughnut Economics Coalition, and the designer and co-facilitator of the Cultivating Regenerative Livelihood Course at Gaia Education.

This is always a special episode for me, and I’m very grateful to be able to dive into conversation with these two brilliant women. I hope you find it inviting and inspiring, and I wish you a peaceful Winter Solstice and a fruitful new year

Hello and welcome to a special episode of In Conversation with Nathalie Nahai – the podcast that explores our relationship with one another, with technology and with the animate world.

On this rare occasion, I have the pleasure of interviewing two friends of the podcast – Manda Scott and Rupert Read – about their powerful, compelling and practical new book, Transformative Adaptation.

A selection of essays by leading practitioners and pioneers this book lays out approaches for adaptation that work with, not against nature, and it is a theory and a practice, a community and an attitude, designed to support us in imagining and creating a flourishing future even in the jaws of adversity.

Rupert Read is an eco-philosopher, academic, author, campaigner, UK Green politician, and environmental activist. Having been a key spokesperson for the Extinction Rebellion movement, Rupert now dedicates his time to the Climate Majority Project as its Co-Director.

Manda Scott is a Thrutopian novelist, podcaster and smallholder. Formerly a veterinary surgeon, Manda’s novels have been shortlisted for the Orange Prize, the Edgar and the Saltire Award, and she has won the McIlvanney Prize. She is host of the popular Accidental Gods podcast, which showcases individuals and organisations at the emerging edge of our world, to set the foundation for a future we’d be proud to leave to the generations that come after us.

SUMMARY

In this conversation, Nathalie Nahai, Manda Scott, and Rupert Read explore the themes of collective awakening to climate risks, the importance of imagination in envisioning a flourishing future, and the vital role of art and creativity in shaping narratives. They discuss the necessity of community action for transformative adaptation and the significance of acknowledging despair as a pathway to empowerment. The conversation emphasises learning from the Global South's experiences and the evolving consciousness among politicians regarding climate realities. Ultimately, they call for individuals to recognise their power to influence change and to build a shared narrative of possibility for a sustainable future.

BOOK

• US edition of TrAd: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/801723/transformative-adaptation-by-edited-by-rupert-read-and-morgan-phillips-with-manda-scott/
• UK edition of TrAd: https://www.permanentpublications.co.uk/port/transformative-adaptation/

WEBSITES

• Edge Cities: https://www.edgecity.live/
• Edge City in California: https://www.edgeesmeralda.com/
• Our House (creating civil charters by Peoples’ Assemblies): https://ourhouseuk.org/
• OPUS in Sheffield: https://www.weareopus.org/

Rupert Read

• https://rupertread.net/
• https://climatemajorityproject.com/

Manda Scott