153. We’re Not Getting Sicker — We’re Ov...

<p>Michael Greenstone knows it’s corny, but he wants to make the world a better place — by tracking the impact of air quality, developing pollution markets in India, and … starting a podcast, which Steve says proves he’s over the hill.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong> ... Show More

<p>Suleika Jaouad was diagnosed with cancer at 22. She made her illness the subject of a <i>New York Times</i> column and a memoir, <i>Between Two Kingdoms.</i> She and Steve talk about what it means to live with a potentially fatal illness, how to talk to people who've gone thro ... Show More

<p>Physicist and former pop star Brian Cox tells Steve about discovering the Higgs boson, having a number-one hit, and why particle physics research will almost certainly not create a black hole that destroys all life on earth.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li> ... Show More

<p>Do humans need touch to survive? Do any of us get enough touch throughout our lives? And why doesn’t Angela want to hug anyone for eight seconds?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.philosophie.lmu.de/de/personen/kontaktseite/ophelia-deroy- ... Show More

<p>Young people have been reporting a sharp rise in anxiety and depression. This maps neatly onto the global rise of the smartphone. Some researchers are convinced that one is causing the other. But how strong is the evidence?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li>< ... Show More

<p>What’s the difference between narcissism and high self-esteem? Does social media fuel arrogance or self-consciousness? And do people get less toxic with age? </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://brenebrown.com/">Brené Brown</a>, research profes ... Show More

<p>Are things really as bad as they seem? Has Gen Z given up hope for the world? And why was the father of positive psychology a lifelong pessimist?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/29/science/albert-bandura-dead.html">A ... Show More

<p>Is there any upside to negative emotions? What can comedians teach us about dealing with pain? And why did Angela eat off of a stranger’s plate at a sushi bar? </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ludwig-van-Beethov ... Show More

<p>What are Mike and Angela’s favorite songs to cry to? Can upbeat music lift you out of a bad mood? And what is Angela going to sing the next time she does karaoke?</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://sociology.princeton.edu/people/matthew-desmon ... Show More

<p>How can you learn to love uncertainty? Is it better to cultivate acceptance or strive for change? And, after 223 episodes, what is the meaning of life? </p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.depts.ttu.edu/psy/people/jalquist/">Jessica Alquist ... Show More

<p>Abby and Patrick welcome Loren Dent, a clinical psychologist in the Lacanian tradition. The topic is psychosis, both as understood theoretically by Freud and Lacan, and also as experienced and encountered by real people in New York City, where Loren practices and where he has ... Show More

Cluster B This show aims to educate the audience from a scientifically informed perspective about the major cluster B personality disorders: narcissism, histrionic, borderline, and antisocial. References:  Berenson, K. R., Downey, G., Rafaeli, E., Coifman, K. G., & Paquin, N. L. ... Show More

<p>Also: are the most memorable stories less likely to be true? Stephen Dubner chats with Angela Duckworth in this classic episode from July 2020.</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</strong><ul><li><a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1938/buck/biographical/">Pe ... Show More