On hot-button topics such as climate change, vaccines and genetically modified foods, science denial is rampant – and it crosses party and ideological lines. What are the psychological forces that lead people to disbelieve scientific consensus? Is science denial worse than it’s ever been? How have the internet and social media changed the landscape of scien ... Show More
Sep 9
Why does music move us? With Robert Zatorre, PhD
Why does music give many of us goosebumps, bring back vivid memories and make us want to dance -- but leaves some people cold? Robert Zatorre, author of “From Perception to Pleasure: The Neuroscience of Music and Why We Love It,” discusses how music engages the brain’s reward sys ... Show More
49m 56s
Sep 2
How teaching and learning will change in the age of AI, with C. Edward Watson, PhD, and Beth Schwartz, PhD
Over the past several years, generative AI has moved into classrooms at lightning speed. C. Edward Watson, PhD, author of “Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning,” and Beth Schwartz, PhD, senior director of teaching and learning at APA, discuss how stu ... Show More
48m 22s
Aug 26
Why people cheat—and can relationships recover, with Galena Rhoades, PhD
Infidelity can shatter trust and leave people questioning their relationships and themselves. Galena Rhoades, PhD, discusses why people cheat; infidelity in the age of dating apps, social media and AI chatbots; what makes some betrayals harder to overcome than others; and how psy ... Show More
30m 57s
Jul 2021
191. Michael Gordin on the Fringe of Where Science Meets Pseudoscience
<p>Everyone has heard of the term "pseudoscience", typically used to describe something that looks like science, but is somehow false, misleading, or unproven. Many would be able to agree on a list of things that fall under its umbrella — astrology, phrenology, UFOlogy, creationi ... Show More
1h 31m
Oct 2025
How science got here, and where next
As anti-science leaves research reeling, does evidence-based policy in a scientific society have much of a future? Michael Mann, Naomi Oreskes, Angie Rasmussen and Deb Houry discuss some of the sources and motivations that perhaps belie the current state of scientific affairs. Pr ... Show More
31m 30s
Mar 2023
Heidi J. Larson, "Stuck: How Vaccine Rumors Start--and Why They Don't Go Away" (Oxford UP, 2020)
Vaccine reluctance and refusal are no longer limited to the margins of society. Debates around vaccines' necessity -- along with questions around their side effects -- have gone mainstream, blending with geopolitical conflicts, political campaigns, celebrity causes, and "natural" ... Show More
47m 44s
Aug 2023
Gary Smith, "Distrust: Big Data, Data-Torturing, and the Assault on Science" (Oxford UP, 2023)
There is no doubt science is currently suffering from a credibility crisis. Gary Smith's book Distrust: Big Data, Data-Torturing, and the Assault on Science (Oxford UP, 2023) argues that, ironically, science's credibility is being undermined by tools created by scientists themsel ... Show More
36m 48s
Jan 2022
We Don't Need No Thought Control: The Psychology of Disinformation and Cult Mentality
On this episode of the pod we are joined by a special guest, Dr. Jay Van Bavel, who is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, to discuss the anti-vaccine movement, cult-mentality, and the predilection for conspiratorial thinking. We summar ... Show More
57m 47s
Nov 2023
Navigating online misinformation and improving science communication, with David R. Grimes
In this episode, we're joined by science writer and author of 'The Irrational Ape — Why We Fall for Disinformation, Conspiracy Theories, and Propaganda', David Robert Grimes, for a discussion about science communication and the unrelenting rise of misinformation on social media. ... Show More
49m 11s