We all like to throw around terms that describe human behavior — “bystander apathy” and “steep learning curve” and “hard-wired.” Most of the time, they don’t actually mean what we think they mean. But don’t worry — the experts are getting it wrong, too.
Jun 12
677. Can Backgammon Save Us from Ourselves?
It brings strangers together. It teaches probability, strategy, and emotional control. It has even helped N.F.L. teams win the Super Bowl. Stephen Dubner explores why this ancient game is having a renaissance. (Part two of a series, “We Are All Gamers Now.”) SOURCES: Remington Da ... Show More
59m 19s
Jun 10
This Is Your Brain on Pollution (Update)
As the Trump administration rolls back environmental regulations, we revisit a 2022 episode that explored the hidden cost of an invisible threat: air pollution. SOURCES: Angela Duckworth, psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Greenstone, economist at the Univers ... Show More
47m 24s
Jul 2020
RU97: RENDERING DR KEVIN VOLKAN UNCONSCIOUS, PSYCHOANALYSIS, EDUCATION, MUSIC, WRITING, CLINIC WORK
Dr. Kevin Volkan is a founding faculty member and Professor of Psychology at California State University Channel Islands, where he researches and teaches courses in psychopathology and atypical behaviors, personality theory, as well as Nazi Germany, and Eastern philosophy. He als ... Show More
1h 14m
<p>Are you the same person you were a decade ago? Do we get better as we age? And is your sixth-grade class clown still funny? </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9768518/">Aaron (Tim) Beck</a>, professor emer ... Show More
<p>Are fantasies helpful or harmful? How is daydreaming like a drug? And what did Angela fantasize about during ninth-grade English class?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/psHQN_yANkg">Patrick Bet-David</a>, YouTuber and ... Show More
