Best Amazon Unplugged Podcasts (2025)

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UK’s £1B AI Push, China’s 631GB Data Leak, and Robotic Exoskeletons 34:43

1d ago34:43

34:43

This week, we delve into the UK government’s substantial investment in AI infrastructure and its implications for cloud sovereignty; Is it related to the trump administration, the economy or the AI arms race? We discuss China’s unprecedented 631 GB personal data leak and whether it is a honeytrap or negligence. Plus, Wandercraft’s latest advancemen…

1
Alan Pinkerton: The Private Detective Who Saved Lincoln’s Life and Built America’s Contract Security State 50:07

4d ago50:07

50:07

Alan Pinkerton is perhaps the most over-achieving barrel-maker who ever lived. After practicing his trade in rural Illinois for a few years in the 1850s, the Scottish immigrant busted up a counterfeiting ring, which got the attention of Chicago’s police department, offering him a job as a detective. From here he worked as an intelligence agent in t…

1
AI Governance & Change Management in Financial Services 56:08

5d ago56:08

56:08

Send us a text “AI Governance & Change Management in Financial Services” Guest: Parijat Banerjee, Global Head of Financial Services at LatentView Analytics 🔗 Episode Summary In this episode of Financial Forward, host Jim McCarthy sits down with Parijat Banerjee, a leading expert in financial data analytics and the Global Head of Financial Services …

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MacArthur’s Plans to Drop 50 Nuclear Bombs During the Korean War 50:45

6d ago50:45

50:45

The Korean War came dangerously close to going nuclear, and if would have if Gen. Douglas MacArthur had gotten his way. He proposed using 30 to 50 nuclear primarily to targeting air bases, depots, and supply lines across the neck of Manchuria to create a radioactive barrier and halt Chinese and North Korean advances. This would have killed millions…

1
The Many Ways That Rome Never Fell and Lives On Today 37:16

11d ago37:16

37:16

Rome’s Western Empire may have fallen 1,600 years ago, but its cultural impact has a radioactive half-life that would make xenon jealous. Over a billion people speak Latin (or at least a Latin-derived language). Governments around the world self-consciously copy Roman buildings and create governments that copy the imperial senate. Every self-aggran…

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From AI Labs to Warzones: Proteins, Drones & Dog Tech 42:15

11d ago42:15

42:15

In this episode, Jon and Lewis cover four wildly different stories, from Warfare to the impact of Trump conspiracies on Datacentres. First up, Microsoft is investing $400 million to turn Switzerland into the next cloud capital. Is it for neutrality, Trump instability syndrome or just demand? Then, we meet a glow-in-the-dark protein made by an AI ca…

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Hooves of History: How Horses Created Ancient Warfare, Built the Silk Road, and Became the Dividing Line Between Nobleman and Peasant 44:28

13d ago44:28

44:28

In order to become rich, powerful, and prestigious in the pre-modern world, nothing mattered more than horses. They were the fundamental unit of warfare, enabling cavalry charges, and logistical support. They facilitated the creation of the Silk Road (which could arguably be called the “Horse Road”) since China largely built it to enable the purcha…

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Behind the Credit Curtain: Understanding Consumer Reporting with NCRA’s Eric Ellman 48:57

16d ago48:57

48:57

Send us a text Episode Title: Behind the Credit Curtain: Understanding Consumer Reporting with NCRA’s Eric Ellman Guest: Eric Ellman, President of the National Consumer Reporting Association (NCRA) Host: Jim McCarthy 🎙️ Episode Summary: In this episode of Financial Forward, host Jim McCarthy sits down with Eric Ellman, the newly appointed president…

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Moonshining Survived (and Thrived) At Least Two Decades After Prohibition Ended 45:47

18d ago45:47

45:47

The Prohibition era (1920–1933), enacted by the 18th Amendment, birthed an overnight economy of moonshiners who distilled and distributed homemade liquor to meet America’s insatiable demand for alcohol, transforming rural farmers and opportunists into underground entrepreneurs who supplied speakeasies. But this new economy didn’t disappear after Pr…

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Design Meets AI: OpenAI and Jony Ives, VEO AI film creation, and how to predict the weather with M.S 39:50

19d ago39:50

39:50

This week, we dive into OpenAI’s $6.5B acquisition of Jony Ive’s ‘io’ and what it means for the future of AI-native devices. We explore Google’s VEO 3 and the deepfake dilemmas it raises, along with Microsoft’s Aurora AI and its ability to predict the weather. Plus, Google’s new try-on AI lets you see how clothes fit without leaving your house, and…

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How to Cross the Sahara as a Tenth-Century Cameleer 53:08

20d ago53:08

53:08

What comes to mind when we think about the Sahara? Rippling sand dunes, sun-blasted expanses, camel drivers and their caravans perhaps. Or famine, climate change, civil war, desperate migrants stuck in a hostile environment. The Sahara stretches across 3.2 million square miles, hosting several million inhabitants and a corresponding variety of lang…

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How American Slaves Fled By Sea, Whether as Stowaways or Commandeering a Confederate Ship 46:06

25d ago46:06

46:06

As many as 100,000 enslaved people fled successfully from the horrors of bondage in the antebellum South, finding safe harbor along a network of passageways across North America via the Underground Railroad. Yet many escapes took place not by land but by sea. William Grimes escaped slavery in 1815 by stowing away in a cotton bale on a ship from Sav…

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AI Infrastructure Boom: CoreWeave's IPO, AWS Transform, and Quantum Computings Next Leap 44:18

25d ago44:18

44:18

In this episode, we dissect industry-shaping stories, debating CoreWeave's $35 billion IPO, AWS Transform: AI for legacy app modernisation, and the exciting intersection of quantum computing and AI and how much Nvidia is investing in the Market - are they becoming the new Microsoft, Apple or Google? Whether you're deep in tech, cloud services, AI i…

1
The Science of Stillness: Why Your Brain Needs Boredom 44:16

27d ago44:16

44:16

What if boredom is the secret to clarity? In this episode, Jeremy Jarvis reveals the overlooked power of stillness—and why strategic boredom might be the reset your brain has been craving. You’ll discover how silence and space lead to mental breakthroughs, emotional regulation, and deeper creativity. 🌿 Learn how doing less can help you think more c…

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Did WW2 Heads of State Want to Preserve Their Empires As Much as Defend Their Homelands? 47:51

27d ago47:51

47:51

2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of Germany’s surrender and the fall of the Third Reich. Likewise, World War II is the single most studied conflict in human history. But most Western accounts offer a one-dimensional interpretation: the war was a noble crusade against fascism, creating a convenient parable about good and evil. But this depiction…

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Why You Can’t Focus Anymore — And How to Fix It 42:07

1M ago42:07

42:07

Is your mind constantly jumping from one thing to the next? Do you feel like your focus is fading — no matter how hard you try? In this episode of Clarity Reset, host Jeremy Jarvis explores why focus is breaking down in 2025 — and what you can do to rebuild it. You’ll learn: Why attention is being hijacked by overstimulation The 3 hidden enemies of…

1
Saudi’s AI Empire, Nvidia’s Robot Plans, and talking Dolphins 43:53

1M ago43:53

43:53

In this, almost, but never quite, 30-minute episode, we investigate how Saudi Arabia is set to become the world’s next AI hub. Unravelling the state-backed initiative, HUMAIN, and the billions being channelled into local data-centre capacity with Nvidia and AWS. We also uncover Nvidia’s newly open-sourced Isaac GR00T N1 foundation model, trained on…

1
How a British Governor of Virginia Raised an Ex-Slave Regiment in 1776 to Fight Patriots and Triggered the Revolutionary War 55:09

1M ago55:09

55:09

As the American Revolution broke out in New England in the spring of 1775, dramatic events unfolded in Virginia that proved every bit as decisive as the battles of Lexington and Concord and Bunker Hill in uniting the colonies against Britain. Virginia, the largest, wealthiest, and most populous province in British North America, was led by Lord Dun…

1
The 24-Hour Dopamine Reset: Beginner’s Guide 42:26

1M ago42:26

42:26

What if you could reset your brain in just 24 hours? In this episode of Clarity Reset, host Jeremy Jarvis guides you through a beginner-friendly dopamine detox — a full-day mental reset designed to help you feel clear, calm, and in control again. You'll learn: What dopamine really does in your brain Why constant stimulation is wrecking your focus H…

1
From Analyst to Luka Dončić’s Double: The Viral Rise of Jacob 51:01

1M ago51:01

51:01

Send us a text 🔍 Episode Summary: In this unforgettable episode of Financial Forward, host Jim McCarthy reconnects with Jacob, the breakout analyst from McCarthy Hatch whose debut podcast went viral. But Jacob's talents go far beyond financial risk modeling — turns out, he was hired as Luka Dončić’s body double in the buzzy new Jordan Brand ad, ‘Th…

1
How a Marine Embedded with Mao Zedong’s Guerrillas in the 30s Became WW2’s Most Celebrated Special Forces Leader 55:46

1M ago55:46

55:46

He was a gutsy old man.” “A corker,” said another. “You couldn’t find anyone better.” They talked about him in hushed tones. “This Major Carlson,” wrote one of the officers in a letter home, “is one of the finest men I have ever known.” These were the words of the young Marines training to be among the first U.S. troops to enter the Second World Wa…

1
Microbes Were Discovered in the 1600s. Why It Take 200 Years For Doctors To Start Washing Their Hands? 54:16

1M ago54:16

54:16

Scientists and enthusiastic amateurs first confirmed the existence of living things invisible to the human eye in the late sixteenth century. So why did it take two centuries to connect microbes to disease? As late as the Civil War in the 1860s, most soldiers who perished died not on the battlefield but of infected wounds, typhoid, and other diseas…

1
Big Retail Cyber Attack: Amazon’s AI Offensive & the Google AI Opt‑Out Illusion 33:16

1M ago33:16

33:16

In this 30‑minute episode, Jon and Lewis unpick the coordinated ransomware wave that struck Britain’s high‑street giants. They trace the attack chain that emptied Co‑op shelves, froze M&S online orders and attempted, but failed, to extort Harrods. Lewis takes a look at Amazon’s latest generative‑AI arsenal: Amazon Q’s new developer‑first agents, th…

1
From Einstein’s Chalkboard to Oppenheimer’s Nuclear Test: The 50-Year Path to the Atomic Bomb 48:14

1M ago48:14

48:14

The story of the atomic age began decades before Robert Oppenheimer watched a mushroom cloud form over the New Mexico desert at the Trinity nuclear test in mid 1945. It begins in 1895, with Henri Becquerel’s accidental discovery of radioactivity, setting in motion a series of remarkable and horrifying events. By the early 20th century, a brilliant …

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7 Signs You’re Addicted to Dopamine (And How to Break Free) 25:07

1M ago25:07

25:07

Are you constantly distracted? Struggling to focus? Feeling like nothing holds your attention anymore? This episode of Clarity Reset explores the hidden addiction most of us face daily: dopamine overload. 🎯 Inside this episode: The 7 subtle signs you’re hooked on quick-hit pleasure Why your brain craves constant stimulation What boredom actually me…

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Japan’s Desperate Air Battles Against the US in the Final Months of WW2 37:15

2M ago37:15

37:15

The B-29 Bomber led the Allied strategic bombing offensive against Japan, succeeding when US Bomber Command switched from high-level daytime precision bombing to low-level nighttime area bombing. The latter tactic required Superfortresses to attack their targets individually, without a formation or escorting fighters for protection. Despite this, J…

1
Europe in the Dark: Cyber-attack Suspicions, Meta’s New AI, Qwen 3 & Earths rotation changes 37:38

2M ago37:38

37:38

In this 30-minute episode, Jon and Lewis delve into the root causes of Europe’s recent Spain, France and Portugal blackouts, scrutinising grid-failure reports and probing whether a sophisticated cyber-attack might have been to blame. They then analyse Meta’s newly unveiled AI alongside the arrival of Qwen 3 and Google's AgentSpace update, and how J…

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What Is Dopamine Detox — And Why You Need One in 2025 37:29

2M ago37:29

37:29

Feeling burned out, addicted to your screen, or constantly distracted? You’re not alone — and dopamine detoxing might be the reset your brain needs. In this premiere episode of Clarity Reset, we dive deep into what dopamine is, how overstimulation is hijacking your focus, and why a dopamine detox is one of the most powerful ways to reclaim mental c…

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D-Day From the East: The Soviet Operation Bagration Crippled the Wehrmacht in Late 1944 42:08

2M ago42:08

42:08

Throughout the war on the Eastern Front, there were two consistent trends. The Red Army battled to learn how to fight and win, while involved in a struggle for its very survival. But by 1944 it had a leadership that was able to wield it with lethal effect and with far more effective equipment than before. By contrast, the Wehrmacht had commenced a …

1
Google AI Agentspace Workflows, Oracle Cloud Breach and OpenAI’s New Features 35:39

2M ago35:39

35:39

In this fact-busting 30-minute episode, Jon and Lewis explore Google’s AI AgentSpace technology and how it could let business teams run complete workflows without ever leaving the agent environment. They then test the marketing claims behind Openai’s latest model features, before dissecting Oracle’s cloud data breach. Finally, they map out the pote…

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Pilgrimages Involved Penitent Marches, Visiting Holy Places, and Watching Drunken Emperors Go on Chariot Rides 44:53

2M ago44:53

44:53

Pilgrimages are a universal phenomenon, from China’s bustling Tai Shan to the ancient Jewish treks to Jerusalem. But why? What is it about a grueling penitent march to an isolated temple that has become a prerequisite for a civilization of any size, whether Chicen Itza in the Mayan Empire or the holy sites of Mecca? To explore this is today’s guest…

1
Britain Learned How to Set Up Its Global Empire on a Tiny Bermudan Island 44:02

2M ago44:02

44:02

Years before Jamestown planters made New World farming profitable by growing tobacco, and years before their countrymen up north in Plymouth Colony managed to overcome their starvation conditions and acclimate to New England’s growing conditions, there was an English settlement in Bermuda that was wealthier, larger, and more prosperous. It was esta…

1
American Fintech Council - Ian Moloney Talks the Future of Our Industry 1:01:41

2M ago1:01:41

1:01:41

Send us a text Guest: Ian Moloney, Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, American Fintech Council Host: Jim McCarthy, Chairman of McCarthy Hatch and Founding Member of the CFPB Podcast: Financial Forward 🔑 Key Topics: What the American Fintech Council Stands For Ian describes the AFC's role as a bridge between regulators and innovators, ensuring fin…

1
The Hatfield-McCoy Feud Started Over a Pig and Nearly Escalated Into a Regional War 45:20

2M ago45:20

45:20

The origins of the Hatfield-McCoy conflict (between the Hatfield family of West Virginia, led by William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield, and the McCoy family of Kentucky, led by Randolph "Old Randall" McCoy) begins with a dispute over a pig. From here, it escalated from minor disagreements to violent encounters that spanned decades, nearly sparking…

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CTO/Co-founder Thomas Boltze: Why Your Engineering Team is Slow - and How to Fix It | Episode 40 1:10:13

2M ago1:10:13

1:10:13

In this episode of Cloud Unplugged, Jon talks with Thomas Boltze—CTO at Santander’s PagoNxt, former CTO of Funding Circle, Agile Coach, and cloud/fintech leader with 15+ years experience—about fixing broken tech teams. They cover rebuilding systems from scratch, cutting through technical debt, and why culture trumps code every time. Lessons from fi…

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The 1845 Potato Blight Struck Across Northern Europe. Why Did Only Ireland Starve? 48:41

2M ago48:41

48:41

In 1845, a novel pathogen attacked potato fields across Europe, from Spain to Scandinavia—but only in Ireland were the effects apocalyptic. At least one million Irish people died, and millions more scattered across the globe, emigrating to new countries and continents. Less than fifty years after the union of Ireland with the rest of Great Britain,…

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Banking-as-a-Service Unplugged: A Conversation with Steve Bishop, Founder of Ambassador 1:06:29

2M ago1:06:29

1:06:29

Send us a text In this episode of Financial Forward, Jim McCarthy sits down with Steve Bishop, one of the leading voices in Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and founder of Ambassador. If you're in banking, fintech, or regulatory circles—you’ve heard Steve’s name. And if you haven’t yet, you will. From humble beginnings on a gravel road in Missouri to be…

1
A Simple Tennessee Preacher Transformed Abolitionism from a Deeply Unpopular Radical Movement to a Centrist Cause 51:18

2M ago51:18

51:18

Sitting high above the small community of Ripley, Ohio, a lantern shone in the front window of a small, red brick home at night. It was a signal to slaves just across the Ohio River. Anyone fleeing bondage could look to Reverend John Rankin’s home for hope. To the slaveholders they fled from, Rankin’s activities as a “conductor” on the Underground …

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How Benjamin Franklin’s Stove Invention Kept Early America From Freezing 41:53

2M ago41:53

41:53

The biggest revolution in Benjamin Franklin’s lifetime was made to fit in a fireplace. Assembled from iron plates like a piece of flatpack furniture, the Franklin stove became one of the era's most iconic consumer products, spreading from Pennsylvania to England, Italy, and beyond. It was more than just a material object, however—it was also a hypo…

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Roman Churches Had No Involvement in Marriage. How Did It Become a Holy Sacrament by the Middle Ages? 38:25

2M ago38:25

38:25

For much of Christian history, the Church had little involvement in marriage, which was primarily a contract between families. It wasn’t until the fourth century that church weddings emerged, and even then, they were mostly reserved for the elite. Fast forward to the High Middle Ages, and marriage became a sacrament of the Roman Catholic Church. Si…

1
How a Mess Cook Saved Dozens of Sailors from Shark Infested Waters Off the Coast of Guadalcanal 28:21

3M ago28:21

28:21

On the night of September 5, 1942, the USS Gregory (APD-3), a converted destroyer turned high-speed transport, was caught in a deadly ambush near Guadalcanal. The ship had been supporting U.S. Marine forces, ferrying troops and supplies, when it was mistaken for a larger threat by a group of Japanese destroyers. Outgunned and unable to escape, Greg…

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Fintech & Consumer Regulations in the New Trump Administration (Rebroadcast from The Bates Group) 1:02:06

3M ago1:02:06

1:02:06

Send us a text In this special Financial Forward rebroadcast, we’re sharing an essential panel discussion originally produced by The Bates Group, examining how the return of the Trump administration may reshape consumer financial protection, fintech regulation, and compliance strategies across the industry. Recorded live, this expert panel dives in…

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Humanity’s Past Suggests We Only Have 10,000 Years to Change or Go Extinct 53:19

3M ago53:19

53:19

We are living through a period that is unique in human history. For the first time in more than ten thousand years, the rate of human population growth is slowing down. In the middle of this century population growth will stop, and the number of people on Earth will start to decline - fast. As Gee demonstrates, our population has peaked, and is dec…

1
The 16th Century Ottomans Nearly Conquered Europe. Why Did European Kingdoms Make So Many Alliances With Them? 51:05

3M ago51:05

51:05

The determined attempt to thwart Ottoman dominance was fought by Muslims and Christians across five theaters from the Balkans to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean, from Persia to Russia. But this is not merely the story of a clash of civilizations between East and West. Europe was not united against the Turks; the scandal of the age was the al…

1
Fort Stanwix and the Forgotten Revolutionary War Siege That Convinced France to Help the US 42:07

3M ago42:07

42:07

After a series of military defeats over the winter of 1776–1777, British military leaders developed a bold plan to gain control of the Hudson River and divide New England from the rest of the colonies. Three armies would converge on Albany: one under Lieutenant General John Burgoyne moving south from Quebec, one under General William Howe moving no…

1
Enough is Enuf, Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell 39:21

3M ago39:21

39:21

No language is as inconsistent in spelling and pronunciation as English. Kernel and colonel rhyme, but read changes based on past or present tense. Ough has many pronunciations: ‘aw’ (thought), ‘ow’ (drought), ‘uff’ (tough), ‘off’ (cough), ‘oo’ (through). In response to this orthographic minefield, legions of rebel wordsmiths have died on the hill …

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A Conversation About Caregiving & Self-Care with Mario & Linda Straub Jones 1:06:19

3M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

Send us a text In This Episode: In a departure from our usual finance and regulation discussions, this special episode of Financial Forward focuses on the emotional, financial, and personal challenges of caregiving. Whether you're a parent of a child with special needs, caring for an aging family member, or supporting a loved one through difficult …

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Did Haiti’s First and Last King Squander the Revolution or Succeed in Underappreciated Ways? 51:04

3M ago51:04

51:04

Slave, revolutionary, king, Henry Christophe was, in his time, popular and famous the world over. Born to an enslaved mother on the Caribbean island of Grenada, Christophe first fought to overthrow the British in North America, before helping his fellow enslaved Africans in Saint-Domingue, as Haiti was then called, to end slavery. Yet in an incredi…

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Bank Automation Summit 2025 - Bank Automation News 1:05:01

3M ago1:05:01

1:05:01

Send us a text Finding Financial Success in the New Regulatory-Mandated Open Banking Episode Description: In this special episode, we rebroadcast a panel discussion from Bank Automation Summit 2025, where industry leaders explore the evolution of embedded finance, how financial institutions can ensure modern, compliant, and seamless payment process…

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What Ancient Greeks and Victorian Explorers Thought Was at the North Pole 41:34

3M ago41:34

41:34

The North Pole looms large in our collective psyche—the ultimate Otherland in a world mapped and traversed. It is the center of our planet’s rotation, and its sub-zero temperatures and strange year of one sunset and one sunrise make it an eerie, utterly disorienting place that challenges human endurance and understanding. Erling Kagge and his frien…

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