Podcast
Leonard Pickard
Hosted by Leonard Pickard · ENGLISH
This channel features a range of podcasts exploring the frontiers of biotechnology, psychedelics, artificial intelligence, creativity, cognitive enhancement, and more.
We interview CEOs, researchers, philanthropists, and public intellectuals who are shaping the questions—and sometimes the controversies—about what may come.
Here, you’ll encounter talented, passionate, and visionary individuals.
Join us to share in the green-growing edge of life and courageous thought, as we explore the potential futures of our species.
William Leonard Pickard
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Internet Creator Vint Cerf on AI, AGI & What Comes Next
3w ago01:10:52Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard🚀 About Vint Cerf Vint Cerf is widely recognized as one of the architects of the modern internet. As a key designer of the TCP/IP protocols that allowed computers to communicate globally, Cerf helped lay the foundation for the digital world. A former DARPA program manager and longtime leader at Google, he has spent decades thinking not only about technology itself, but about its impact on civilization, knowledge, and the future of humanity.🌐 From the Birth of the Internet to the Age of AI Cerf reflects on the early days of networking—from ARPANET experiments and the first commercial email systems to the explosive rise of the public internet. What began as an academic and government research tool became a planetary nervous system, reshaping communication, commerce, and culture in ways few could have predicted.🤖 Artificial Intelligence: Powerful, Imperfect, and Already Here When asked whether AGI exists, Cerf offers a nuanced answer: in some domains, yes. Modern AI systems can outperform humans in recall, pattern recognition, and certain specialized tasks. Yet they still hallucinate, make mistakes, and lack deeper grounding. He sees current AI not as magic consciousness, but as astonishingly capable systems that continue to evolve through specialized models and layered intelligence.🧠 Meaning, Semantics, and How Machines “Think” One of Cerf’s most fascinating insights centers on language models as engines of meaning. Rather than merely predicting words, these systems operate through embeddings, relationships, and semantic structures. While different from the human brain, he suggests they are processing representations of meaning in ways that are surprisingly effective—and deeply worthy of study.⚠️ AI Agents, Risk, and the Need for Guardrails Cerf expresses particular concern about autonomous AI agents that can act in the real world—handling finances, infrastructure, or decision-making without sufficient oversight. He emphasizes the need for audit trails, constraints, accountability, and thoughtful design before handing powerful systems the keys to human institutions.🔬 AI and the Solving of Great Scientific Mysteries From protein folding to medicine, physics, and chemistry, Cerf believes AI may help solve problems humans have struggled with for generations. Yet he cautions that discovery requires more than analyzing known data—it may also demand new experiments, new sensors, and theories beyond our current understanding. AI may become a partner in discovery, but not the whole story.⚛️ Quantum Computing and the Next Frontier Cerf discusses quantum computing with both excitement and realism. While quantum machines may revolutionize specific classes of problems, they are not universal magic boxes. Challenges like coherence, scaling qubits, and quantum networking remain immense. Still, he sees enormous potential in combining future computational tools with scientific exploration.📱 Technology, Dependence, and Human Fragility Despite his optimism, Cerf warns that society has become deeply dependent on digital tools. Phones, authentication systems, banking, communication, and daily logistics now rest on fragile technological layers. If those systems fail, modern life can quickly unravel. Progress brings power—but also vulnerability.🌌 Wonder, Discovery, and the Unknown Universe Cerf remains driven by awe. He speaks of black holes, gravitational waves, deep time, and mysteries physics has yet to solve. For him, the greatest excitement lies not in what we know, but in what we have not yet learned. Human tools—from telescopes to AI—may reveal realities still hidden from us.🏆 Final Takeaways A profound conSupport the show
Transcribe →East Forest on Mushrooms & the Mystical Secret Behind Sound
3w ago01:03:38Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard🚀 About East Forest East Forest is a musician, composer, and guide whose work lives at the intersection of sound, meditation, and inner transformation. Known for creating immersive musical journeys used in ceremonies, concerts, and therapeutic settings, he blends ambient composition, voice, and intention to help listeners reconnect with presence, wonder, and the deeper currents of consciousness.🌀 Music as a Space for Transformation Rather than simply making songs, East Forest speaks of composing spaces people can enter. Through tone, rhythm, silence, and atmosphere, music becomes more than entertainment—it becomes an invitation to soften, open, and remember something essential. He describes live experiences as shared ceremonies where artist and audience co-create a more spacious state of being. 🍄 Psychedelics, Awakening, and the Inner Labyrinth East Forest shares the powerful story of an early mushroom journey in which listening to his own music became a life-changing revelation. What began as experimentation became a profound encounter with presence, purpose, and the realization that what we seek may already be within us. He reflects on psychedelics not as the destination, but as catalysts that can help reveal the center of one’s own labyrinth. 🎹 Ceremony, Performance, and Holding Space The conversation explores the difference between playing music and facilitating transformation. From lying-down immersive events to seated theater concerts, East Forest explains how intention, trust, and vulnerability shape the experience. He describes music as something that can guide emotional release, deepen self-awareness, and help people feel held in a rapidly distracted world. 🤖 AI Music, Creativity, and the Human Element Turning to technology, East Forest reflects on artificial intelligence and the future of music. While acknowledging that AI may transform recorded music and generate endless content, he questions whether machines can ever replicate the lived feeling of creating. He suggests that as synthetic media expands, people may hunger even more for authentic human presence, live performance, and real-time connection. 🌄 Burnout, Nature, and Coming Home With honesty and humility, East Forest opens up about the emotional toll of touring, constant movement, and the challenge of sustaining a giving life. He speaks of returning to the raw landscapes of Southern Utah to reset, simplify, and reconnect with what matters. Nature becomes a medicine of grounding, perspective, and renewal. 🫀 Grace, Self-Worth, and the River of Giving One of the most intimate moments of the episode centers on receiving grace. After a triumphant performance in Berlin, East Forest found himself alone backstage overwhelmed by gratitude—and by the realization that he often struggles to fully accept the gifts life offers. Together, he and Leonard reflect on giving as one of the noblest human expressions: becoming a river that carries light to others. 🌌 The Mystery of Sound and Consciousness The discussion moves into the origins of music itself: rhythm before language, harmony as mathematics, and sound as a bridge to dimensions beyond ordinary thought. East Forest suggests music may be one of humanity’s oldest sacred tools—a language of feeling and connection that reaches where words cannot. 🏆 Final Takeaways A warm, searching, and deeply human conversation about music, psychedelics, creativity, burnout, grace, and what it means to live from the heart. East Forest reminds us that beneath all striving, the real work happens in the privacy of our own heart.✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive conversations on Patreon: /thelastalchemist🔗 Subscribe for more dialogues exploring consciousness, music, Support the show
Transcribe →Consciousness Gets Strange with Duncan Trussell
3w ago00:59:00Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard🚀 About Duncan TrussellDuncan Trussell is a comedian, podcaster, and modern-day philosopher-trickster whose work blends humor, spirituality, and existential inquiry. Through stand-up, storytelling, and his long-running podcast, he explores the strange edges of consciousness, identity, and the human condition—inviting audiences to laugh, question, and wake up all at once.🌀 Comedy as a Gateway to ConsciousnessTrussell treats comedy not just as entertainment, but as a tool for inquiry—using absurd scenarios, surreal hypotheticals, and philosophical riddles to explore ego, fear, death, and meaning. Whether imagining LSD customer support hotlines or inventing fictional religions, he reveals how humor can soften the boundaries of identity and open space for insight 🧠 Psychedelics, Ego Death, and Letting GoDrawing from personal experience, Trussell reflects on the terror and beauty of psychedelic states—particularly the recurring fear of death that precedes surrender. He describes these experiences as invitations to release control, dissolve identity, and rediscover a deeper, interconnected nature of being.🤖 AI, Android Love, and the Future of HumanityThe conversation expands into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence, where Trussell imagines a near future of human-android relationships, AI-influenced behavior, and technological systems that subtly shape human thought. He frames AI as both a profound opportunity and a potential existential riddle—one that may redefine intimacy, identity, and society itself.🔥 Cult Dynamics, Gurus, and the Human Need for GuidanceWith humor and honesty, Trussell unpacks the psychological roots of spiritual authority—why people seek gurus, how family dynamics shape spiritual longing, and how easily power can be misused in the name of enlightenment. He reflects on the importance of discernment, autonomy, and humility on the path of inner work.🫀 Forgiveness, Compassion, and the Human SuperpowerIn one of the conversation’s most intimate reflections, Trussell describes a dream of forgiving a mythical reptilian being—arriving at a realization that humanity’s greatest power may be the capacity to forgive, even in the face of harm. He points to compassion, service, and connection as the deeper lessons beneath all spiritual traditions.🌌 Weirdness, Reality, and the Absurdity of Being AliveFrom haunted comedy clubs to imaginary animated bank-robbing mushrooms, the conversation dances through the surreal textures of life—suggesting that weirdness is not something we control, but something we participate in. For Trussell, embracing the strange is part of embracing reality itself.🏆 Final TakeawaysA playful yet profound journey through psychedelics, technology, spirituality, and the human psyche—reminding us that laughter, curiosity, and compassion may be the most reliable guides through an increasingly complex and mysterious world.✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive conversations at the intersection of consciousness, comedy, and culture on Patreon:/thelastalchemist🔗 Subscribe for more dialogues exploring psychedelics, technology, spirituality, and the evolving nature of being human.Support the show
Transcribe →The War on Drugs is Built on a Lie — Carl Hart Explains Why
Feb 2400:42:50Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard🚀 About Carl HartCarl Hart is a neuroscientist, professor, and outspoken advocate for evidence-based drug policy and human autonomy. A former Air Force serviceman who rose to become a leading researcher at Columbia University, Hart has dedicated his career to challenging misinformation, dismantling stigma, and defending the dignity and rights of individuals who use psychoactive substances.🧠 From Miami to Neuroscience: A Life Shaped by SystemsHart’s journey—from growing up in Miami to joining the Air Force and eventually entering the world of neuroscience—reveals how structural forces shape opportunity. His work insists that understanding drugs requires understanding the brain, but also understanding society—how narratives, politics, and inequality influence the way we interpret both. ⚖️ Debunking the “Brain Disease” Model of AddictionHart directly challenges the dominant claim that addiction is a chronic brain disease. He argues that this narrative is largely political, not scientific, and can be harmful—encouraging fatalism while limiting humane and effective treatment approaches. Instead, he emphasizes data showing that most people recover and that addiction cannot be diagnosed from brain scans alone. 🌿 Responsible Use, Bodily Autonomy, and HonestyThrough his book Drug Use for Grown-Ups, Hart publicly acknowledges his own responsible use of illicit substances—an act he frames not as radical, but as simple honesty. His goal is to normalize the reality that many adults use psychoactive substances responsibly, just as they engage in other forms of leisure, and to reclaim the right to bodily autonomy. 🔬 What the Science Actually ShowsAcross major research institutions, Hart explains, substances like heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and cannabis are administered to human participants in controlled studies every day. The resulting data reveal that the predominant effects are often positive—improvements in mood, cognition, and alertness—while harms are typically linked to social context, adulterated supply, or preexisting conditions, not the drugs themselves. 🛑 Stigma, Policy, and the Real Sources of HarmHart emphasizes that many harms associated with drugs arise not from chemistry but from prohibition: contaminated supply chains, criminalization, and lack of social support. He points to real-world harm reduction efforts—like community drug-checking initiatives—as compassionate, evidence-based solutions that save lives. 🌍 Freedom, Civil Liberties, and a Global PerspectiveThrough travel and reflection, Hart frames drug policy as part of a broader conversation about human rights and civil liberties. He highlights places like Portugal—where decriminalization and public health approaches allow individuals to exist without fear—as glimpses of what a freer and more humane future could look like.😂 Humor, Humanity, and the Absurdity of the Drug WarFrom research participants expressing pride in government-grown cannabis to border agents suspicious of his academic credentials, Hart shares stories that reveal the strange contradictions embedded in modern drug policy—where stigma, fear, and misinformation often collide with reality.💬 Empathy as a SuperpowerIf given a superpower, Hart says he would give people the ability to feel each other’s suffering as their own. For him, empathy—not punishment—is the foundation of a just and compassionate society.🎶 The Soundtrack of LiberationIf his life had a soundtrack, Hart says it would be Nina Simone—songs of liberation, dignity, and the ongoing journey toward freedom.🏆 Final TakeawaysA bold, clear-eyed conversation that reframes drugs not as moral failings or medical myths—but as human experiencSupport the show
Transcribe →Tom Feegel Reveals What Really Happens Inside an Ibogaine Clinic
Dec 2701:36:04Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS Podcast: Hosted by William Leonard Pickard🚀 About Tom FeegelTom Feegel is the co-founder (with Tali Eisenberg) of BEOND Ibogaine Clinic in Cancún, a medically rigorous program at the forefront of ibogaine-based treatment. Unlike lab-based research or policy debates, Feegel works directly with patients—building real-world protocols for safety, ethics, and long-term healing.🫀 Safety, Medicine, and Ethical CareFeegel details BEOND’s intensive medical framework, including physician-led screening, cardiac monitoring, repeat diagnostics, and strict eligibility standards. The conversation offers a rare look into how ibogaine can be administered responsibly, emphasizing transparency, patient education, and risk mitigation.🧠 Ibogaine, Neuroplasticity, and Cognitive RenewalMoving beyond addiction alone, Pickard and Feegel explore ibogaine’s potential to enhance cognition, restore neural pathways, and support executive function. Drawing on clinical observation and emerging research, they discuss ibogaine’s unusually long window of neuroplasticity and its implications for performance, learning, and personal growth.🔁 Addiction, Relapse, and the Power of IntegrationFeegel speaks candidly about relapse, aftercare, and why community support is essential. He explains how ibogaine often restores a sense of choice—helping patients re-engage with life, relationships, and responsibility—while emphasizing that healing extends beyond the individual to families and social systems.🏛️ From Clinics to CongressIn a bold initiative, BEOND has offered treatment to elected officials—not to lobby, but to heal. Feegel reflects on how firsthand experience can shift perspectives on trauma, addiction, and policy, contributing to broader cultural and regulatory change.🌿 Meaning, Nature, and the Human SpiritInterwoven with clinical rigor are moments of humor and humanity—stories of insight, connection with nature, and the subtle wisdom that emerges during integration. Together, they explore how ibogaine bridges medicine, meaning, and spiritual inquiry.🏆 Final TakeawaysA grounded, deeply human conversation on ibogaine as both medicine and catalyst—examining safety, science, compassion, and the conditions required for true, lasting transformation.✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with leaders in healing, neuroscience, and culture on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist🔗 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of psychedelics, medicine, ethics, and transformation.Support the show
Transcribe →Norman Ohler on Nazis, Psychedelics, and Power
Dec 2001:09:55Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS PodcastHosted by William Leonard Pickard🚀 About Norman OhlerInternational bestselling author of Blitzed and Tripped, Norman Ohler is a historian and cultural investigator whose work exposes the hidden role of drugs in shaping 20th-century war, fascism, and modern consciousness. His research has reframed how we understand the Third Reich, LSD’s origins, and the pharmacological forces behind power and control.🧠 Drugs, War, and the Third ReichOhler unpacks his groundbreaking archival discoveries revealing the widespread use of methamphetamine (Pervitin) within the Nazi military—and Adolf Hitler’s personal dependence on opioids and other substances. The conversation explores how stimulants, sedatives, and drug control fueled aggression, obedience, and catastrophic decision-making at the highest levels of the regime.🧪 LSD, MKUltra, and the Dark Origins of Psychedelic ResearchTracing LSD’s early history, Ohler reveals its links to Nazi experimentation, post-war U.S. intelligence programs, and the pursuit of a so-called “truth drug.” Pickard and Ohler examine the ethical failures of MKUltra and the lasting implications for neuroscience, policy, and psychedelic medicine today.🌈 Psychedelics, Trauma, and HealingMoving beyond the shadows of war, the discussion turns toward healing—exploring LSD microdosing, ibogaine, and their potential roles in addressing trauma, addiction, and neurodegenerative disease. Ohler shares the deeply personal story of his mother’s Alzheimer’s and how psychedelics opened moments of clarity, presence, and connection.🌍 From Nation States to Planetary ConsciousnessOhler reflects on the future of humanity in an age of AI, collapsing hierarchies, and unresolved collective trauma. He argues for the necessity of ritual, community-based psychedelic access, and a cultural shift away from extractive systems toward simplicity, compassion, and planetary responsibility.📚 Stone Sapiens & the Drug History of HumanityLooking ahead, Ohler introduces his forthcoming work Stone Sapiens—a sweeping re-examination of human history through the lens of psychoactive substances, from early hominids to modern civilization, revealing drugs as inseparable from culture, religion, power, and control.🏆 Final TakeawaysA wide-ranging and unflinching conversation on drugs and domination, psychedelics and healing, fascism and freedom—offering rare historical insight into how chemistry has shaped human behavior, and how consciousness may yet shape our future.✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with pioneers in psychedelic history, science, and culture on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist🔗 Subscribe for more conversations at the intersection of psychedelics, history, power, and transformation.Support the show
Transcribe →JLS Podcast: David Bronner on Psychedelic Reform, Conscious Business, and the Future of Activism
Nov 2100:40:48Tap to summarize🚀 Background on David BronnerCosmic CEO of Dr. Bronner’s, activist, burner, philanthropist, and longtime force in drug policy reform.🌈 Psychedelic OriginsBronner reflects on the transformative psychedelic initiations that shaped his life—from early LSD/MDMA experiences in Amsterdam to a deep Bwiti iboga ceremony in Gabon. These journeys ignited his lifelong commitment to service, compassion, and spiritual activism.🏛️ Business With PurposePickard and Bronner explore how Dr. Bronner’s scaled into a global company while staying rooted in ethical values. Bronner shares the vision behind The Purpose Pledge, a new framework promoting living wages, regenerative agriculture, fair labor, and mission-aligned capital—helping companies remain ethically aligned as they grow.🌿 Future of Psychedelic AccessThe conversation looks at where psychedelic policy is heading: regulated therapeutic programs, competent facilitators, insurance coverage—and thriving, responsible, self-regulating entheogenic communities modeled after Indigenous traditions.🚨 Frontlines of ActivismBronner recounts his bold protests at DEA headquarters—die-ins, washable painted messages, and civil disobedience supporting terminal patients seeking psilocybin under Right to Try.🌱 Regeneration & ConnectionThey explore regenerative organic agriculture, ethical sourcing across Palestinian and Israeli farming communities, and the deeper need to reconnect land, labor, and spirit.🔍 What’s NextTogether, Pickard and Bronner consider the future of psychedelic culture—scientific breakthroughs, cultural shifts, community-based healing, and the role of ethical business in shaping a more compassionate world.🏆 Final TakeawaysA dialogue rich with psychedelic insight, activism, spirituality, and cultural transformation—offering a grounded yet visionary look at what lies ahead.✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with pioneers like Hamilton Morris, William Leonard Pickard, and other leaders in psychedelic science and culture on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemist🔗 Stay tuned for more from the frontlines of psychedelic research, culture, and transformation.Support the show
Transcribe →JLS Podcast: Hamilton Morris on Psychedelics, Pharmacopeia, and the Future of Research
Sep 3001:05:45Tap to summarize🎙️ JLS Fund Podcast: William Leonard Pickard in conversation with Hamilton Morris🚀 Background on Hamilton Morris: Journalist, documentarian, and creator of the Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia series, known for exploring the cultural, chemical, and human dimensions of psychedelics.🧠 Inside Hamilton’s Pharmacopeia Morris shares the vision behind his groundbreaking series, the ethical dilemmas faced in filming, and the delicate balance between storytelling and scientific responsibility. His work highlights the voices of chemists, users, and communities often overlooked in mainstream narratives.💊 Big Pharma & Medicalization The discussion explores the role of pharmaceutical companies in psychedelic research, the misconceptions surrounding medicalization, and the broader implications for accessibility and equity in treatment.🚨 Behind the Scenes at the DEA Pickard and Morris reflect on Morris’s rare visit to the DEA headquarters, unpacking insights about policy, enforcement, and the contradictions inherent in the regulation of psychedelics.🌿 Community & Collaboration Beyond the science and politics, the conversation emphasizes the importance of community in psychedelic culture—how collaboration, shared knowledge, and personal experience continue to shape the future of the field.🔍 What’s Next The two visionaries speculate on the trajectory of psychedelic research, from evolving scientific studies to the cultural shifts redefining how society views these substances.🏆 Final Takeaways This dialogue offers a rare blend of personal reflection and cultural critique, spotlighting both the promise and the pitfalls of a rapidly changing psychedelic landscape.✨ Support this work and unlock exclusive interviews with pioneers like Hamilton Morris, William Leonard Pickard, and other leaders in psychedelic science and culture on Patreon: / thelastalchemist 🔗 Stay tuned for more updates from the frontlines of psychedelic research, culture, and storytellingSupport the show
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JLS Podcast: Bryan Hubbard on Ibogaine, Policy Innovation, and Addiction Healing
Aug 2500:48:51Tap to summarizeIn this interview, we speak with Bryan Hubbard — legal expert, policy leader, and Executive Director of the American Ibogaine Initiative, as well as CEO of Americans for Ibogaine, a nonprofit advancing research into ibogaine’s neurorestorative potential.From securing $50 million in state-backed funding for ibogaine research in Texas to shaping national drug policy and advocating for underserved communities, Hubbard brings vision, strategy, and heart to the frontier of psychedelic medicine. His work bridges law, science, and public trust while opening new pathways for addiction treatment, PTSD recovery, and neurorestoration.Tune in to explore the cutting edge of psychedelic advocacy, drug policy, and transformative healing.Support this work and enjoy early access to exclusive interviews with biotech CEOs, ethicists, and pioneers in AI-driven drug discovery, before they’re released to the public, on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemistSupport the show
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JLS Podcast: Jonathan Sporn on Building the Future of Psychedelic Medicine
Aug 2501:01:01Tap to summarizeIn this inaugural interview for the JLS Podcast, we speak with Jonathan Sporn — CEO of Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals, Harvard MD, and former Pfizer researcher. From partnering with Columbia University chemists to designing novel psychedelic-inspired molecules to leading one of the largest biotech deals in history with AbbVie, Sporn brings vision, innovation, and scientific rigor to the frontier of psychedelic medicine. Tune in to explore the cutting edge of drug development, neuroplasticity, and transformative therapies.Support this work and enjoy early access to exclusive interviews with biotech CEOs, ethicists, and pioneers in AI-driven drug discovery, before they’re released to the public, on Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/c/thelastalchemistSupport the show
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