About this episode
Ellen Langer is a psychologist at Harvard who studies the mind-body connection. She’s published some of the most remarkable scientific findings Steve has ever encountered. Can we really improve our physical health by changing our mind?
Apr 18
18. Robert Sapolsky: “I Don’t Think We Have Any Free Will Whatsoever.”
He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the crim ... Show More
41m 34s
Apr 11
17. Emily Oster: “I Am a Woman Who Is Prominently Discussing Vaginas.”
In addition to publishing best-selling books about pregnancy and child-rearing, Emily Oster is a respected economist at Brown University. Over the course of the pandemic, she’s become the primary collector of data about Covid-19 in schools. Steve and Emily discuss how she became ... Show More
41m 32s
Apr 4
16. Joshua Jay: “Humans Are So, So Easy to Fool.”
He’s a world-renowned magician who’s been performing since he was seven years old. But Joshua Jay is also an author, toy maker, and consultant for film and television. Steve Levitt talks to him about how magicians construct tricks, how Joshua’s academic studies of magic have infl ... Show More
42m 3s
Dec 2023
173. How Important Is Your Choice of Words?
35m 28s
Apr 2024
191. Can You Change Your Personality?
39m 3s
Dec 2023
175. Why Is Astrology So Popular?
37m 32s
Jun 2024
201. Are You Dreaming Too Big?
41m 44s
Feb 2024
184. Are You Doing Too Much?
40m 51s
Sep 2023
164. Do You Have Impostor Syndrome?
38m 43s
Jan 2024
180. What Makes Some Objects Feel Special?
38m 29s
Apr 2024
Should You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone?
40m 24s
Dec 2023
174. What’s the Point of I.Q. Testing?
35m 42s
Apr 2024
Extra: Why Is 23andMe Going Under? (Update)
<p>Five years ago, we published an episode about the boom in home DNA testing kits, focusing on the high-flying firm 23andMe and its C.E.O. Anne Wojcicki. Their flight has been extremely bumpy since then. This update includes an additional interview with the <i>Wall Street Journa ... Show More
1h 2m
<p>What happens when three psychologists walk into a magic show? What’s Angela’s problem with the word “talent”? And why does LeBron James refer to himself in the third person?</p><p> </p><p>SOURCES:</p><ul><li><a href="https://psychology.yale.edu/people/john-bargh">John Bargh</ ... Show More
<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>Why does your horoscope seem so accurate? Is it possible to believe and not believe in something at the same time? And is Mike a classic Gemini?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/true-story-pt-barnum-greatest-hu ... 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
<p>How can you strive for excellence without overworking yourself? Why is perfectionism on the rise? And is Angela part of the problem?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-andrus-426734223/">Kristin Andrus</a>, philanth ... Show More
<p>Does anyone really know what they’re doing? How do we reward the competent and not the confident? And what’s wrong with using TikTok for research? </p><p> </p><p>RESOURCES:</p><ul><li>"<a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/02/13/the-dubious-rise-of-impostor-syndrome ... Show More
<p>Where does sentimental value come from? Why did Angela throw out her childhood journals? And would Mike wear Hitler’s sweater? </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.cmu.edu/tepper/faculty-and-research/faculty-by-area/profiles/galak-jeffrey.h ... Show More
<p>What do the most creative people have in common? How open-minded are you, really? And what’s wrong with ordering eggs Benedict? </p><p>Take the Big Five inventory: </p><p><a href="http://freakonomics.com/bigfive">freakonomics.com/bigfive</a></p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES ... Show More
<p>Are gifted and talented programs discriminatory? Why do so many adults still remember their SAT scores? And how did Angela transform from a party girl to an Ivy League psychologist?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biograp ... Show More
