logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2024
37m 5s

Why our Brains Don't Fear Climate Change...

Pushkin Industries
About this episode

Humans are great at reacting to mortal danger... but only sometimes. Unfortunately, some risks to our safety and wellbeing don't set off alarm bells in our brains. Climate change falls into that category. Why is that?

Harvard psychologist Dan Gilbert explains how some dangers trigger us, and some don't. In discussion with Dr Laurie Santos, he also outlines ways in which we can be made to care more about threats to the planet and maybe react to them in more positive, happiness-inducing ways.   

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 24
Why Being Grateful Makes Us Feel Great (A Thanksgiving Re-run)
<p>It's Thanksgiving - a good time to think about gratitude and being selfless. Concentrating on the things we have to be grateful for is a great way to boost your happiness. So thank the people who've done good things for you, and think of ways you can help others too.&nbsp;&nbs ... Show More
27m 17s
Nov 5
Reset Your Relationship with Stress (for National Stress Awareness Day)
On National Stress Awareness Day we've pulled a popular episode from our archive. Stress can suck. Many of us drown in it - worrying about past events and fearing upcoming challenges. We even stress about feeling stressed. So how can we reset our relationship with stress - benefi ... Show More
43m 27s
Oct 27
How Horror Movies and True Crime Can Make You Happier
Halloween isn't just costumes and candy. It's also a time when we indulge our interest in the scary and macabre. But there's also a taboo about gory horror movies and gruesome true crime shows - we often feel that being interested in blood and violence is unhealthy. The opposite ... Show More
44m 57s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2021
Why do we find it so hard to take action on climate change?
<p>For decades scientists have warned us about the risks of climate change. Yet humans are badly psychologically designed to face up to the challenge of changing our behaviour. Research shows that constant threats of impending doom make us hit the snooze button rather than waking ... Show More
27m 23s
Aug 2022
[BEST-OF] Vous ne devez pas faire confiance à vos peurs avec Albert Moukheiber
<p>Albert Moukeihber est neuroscientifique et psychologue libanais, je l’ai déjà reçu sur ce podcast pour parler de la culpabilisation écologique. Et aujourd’hui nous parlons de nos peurs mais surtout notre incapacité très souvent à bien évaluer le risque. Est-ce que vous vous êt ... Show More
40m 47s
Jun 2021
#177 Vous ne devez pas faire confiance à vos peurs avec Albert Moukheiber
<p>Albert Moukeihber est neuroscientifique et psychologue libanais, je l'ai déjà reçu sur ce podcast pour parler de la <a href="https://podcasts.audiomeans.fr/vlan--8b487e552bff/vlan-108-pourquoi-la-culpabilisation-ecologique-ne-fonctionne-pas-avec-albert-moukheiber-53a5566693a2" ... Show More
40m 47s
Jun 2019
From the Vault: Neurosecurity: Dawn of the Brain Hackers
While hackers and malware can certainly cause a great deal of damage and misery, these dangers can’t hurt us physically, right? In this episode of the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast, Robert and Joe are sorry to say you’re wrong -- and as more biotechnology and brain-computer int ... Show More
1h 18m
Jan 2021
Afraid of the Wrong Things
<p>Around the world, people are grappling with the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. How do our minds process that risk, and why do some of us process it so differently? This week, we talk with psychologist <a href="https://psychology.uoregon.edu/profile/pslovic/">Paul Slovic ... Show More
50m 14s
Oct 2023
How to Feel Safe, Secure & At Peace | Stephen Porges, Ph.D. & Seth Porges
<p>Why do we sometimes feel unsafe or anxious for no reason? Neuroscientist Stephen Porges, Ph.D. shares how his groundbreaking polyvagal theory reveals the hidden workings of our nervous system. He and his son Seth Porges, explore in their new book <a href="https://amzn.to/48NPG ... Show More
1h 1m
Sep 2022
How the need to belong drives human behavior, with Geoffrey L. Cohen, PhD
The desire to belong is a fundamental part of human nature. Geoffrey Cohen, PhD, of Stanford University, talks about how feeling like an outsider can harm us; why threats to belonging drive problems as varied as achievement gaps and political polarization; and how to boost people ... Show More
33m 30s
Nov 2022
Why We Are So Often Wrong & How to Dial Down Anxiety
Why does it seem that your stomach growls at exactly the wrong time? It is right when the room is full of people and very very is quiet. That's when your stomach emits those grumbling noises that you are certain everyone can hear. This episode begins with an explanation as to why ... Show More
49 m
Oct 2021
Facing Your Fears
Fear brings with it a kind of powerful temptation: people want to know fear, to confront it, and maybe even conquer it. In the lead up to Halloween, we're devoting an episode to all things scary. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with psychologist Lisa Feld ... Show More
30m 11s
Oct 2023
The Enemies of Gratitude
<p>One of the mysteries of human behavior is that it’s often easier for us to focus on what’s going wrong than on what’s going right in our lives. Why is that? Psychologist <a href="https://psychology.cornell.edu/thomas-d-gilovich">Thomas Gilovich</a> studies the barriers that pr ... Show More
49m 32s