An awe-inspiring journey into the world of proteins--how they shape life, and their remarkable potential to heal our bodies and our planet.
Each fall, a robin begins the long trek north from Gibraltar to her summer home in Central Europe. Nestled deep in her optic nerve, a tiny protein turns a lone electron into a compass, allowing her to see north in color ... Show More
Jun 4
Alfonso Martinez Arias, "The Master Builder: How the New Science of the Cell Is Rewriting the Story of Life" (Basic Books, 2023)
What defines who we are? For decades, the answer has seemed obvious: our genes, the “blueprint of life.” In The Master Builder: How the New Science of the Cell Is Rewriting the Story of Life, biologist Alfonso Martinez Arias argues we’ve been missing the bigger picture. It’s no ... Show More
1h 1m
Jun 3
Agustín Fuentes, "Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Being human entails an astonishingly complex interplay of biology and culture, and while there are important differences between women and men, there is a lot more variation and overlap than we may realize. Sex Is a Spectrum offers a bold new paradigm for understanding the biolog ... Show More
45m 11s
Jun 2
Robert Chernomas, Gregory Chernomas, and Ian Hudson, "The American Gene: Unnatural Selection Along Class, Race, and Gender Lines" (Routledge, 2025)
Biological justification for all forms of inequality has a long history, with the claim that particular groups suffer disproportionately from inherited flaws of ability and character used to explain a remarkably wide variety of inequalities. Providing an important critique of tha ... Show More
26m 31s
Feb 2023
Paul Bloom on Psych, Psychology, and the Human Mind
Do psychologists know anything? Psychologist Paul Bloom says yes--but not the things that you might think. Bloom discusses his book Psych with EconTalk's Russ Roberts and what the field of psychology can teach us about human intelligence, consciousness, and unhelpful instincts. T ... Show More
1h 13m
Sep 2024
Mariana Craciun, "From Skepticism to Competence: How American Psychiatrists Learn Psychotherapy" (U Chicago Press, 2024)
From Skepticism to Competence: How American Psychiatrists Learn Psychotherapy (U Chicago Press, 2024) offers an examination of how novice psychiatrists come to understand the workings of the mind - and the nature of medical expertise - as they are trained in psychotherapy. While ... Show More
1h 48m
Jan 2025
The Psychology of Serial Killers
Dr. Rachel Toles, a licensed forensic psychologist, delves into the psychology of criminals, addressing the motivations behind some of the world’s most notorious killers. Her expertise spans trauma, addiction, and impulse control, culminating in her upcoming U.S. theater tour, Th ... Show More
1h 59m
Oct 2024
E209: Wind Goodfriend: Blazing new trails--Teaching, writing, and living fearlessly
In this episode Garth interviews Wind Goodfriend from Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, IA. Discussing her personal challenges, such as undiagnosed mental health issues and her keen interest in social justice from an early age, Wind reveals how these experiences shaped her c ... Show More
1h 11m
Mar 2025
Magic, Skepticism, and Success w/ Dr. Richard Wiseman
This week, Scott is joined by Dr. Richard Wiseman, a psychologist renowned for his work on magic, illusion, deception, luck, and self-development. As the UK's only Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, Dr. Wiseman has published ov ... Show More
1h 6m
Feb 2025
How academia’s ‘lone wolf’ culture is harming researcher mental health
Academia’s focus on individual achievement can be a breeding ground for poor mental health, says astrophysicist Kelly Korreck.Korreck, who experienced pandemic-related burnout while working on NASA’s Parker Solar Probe, describes a competitive and ultimately damaging ‘lone wolf’ ... Show More
30m 17s
Feb 2025
A Legacy of Social Psychology w/ Dr. Elliot Aronson & Dr. Joshua Aronson
In this special episode, Scott is joined by two legendary figures in social psychology: Dr. Elliot Aronson and his son, Dr. Joshua Aronson. At 93, Elliot Aronson remains a towering influence in psychology, known for pioneering the Jigsaw Classroom—a groundbreaking cooperative lea ... Show More
1h 18m