Why do people like to watch scary movies or listen to sad songs? Why do we run marathons and raise children, even though both of those pursuits come with struggle and pain? Paul Bloom, PhD, discusses why suffering is linked to meaning in life, the connection between pleasure and pain, and the difference between chosen and unchosen suffering.
Please take ou ... Show More
Oct 8
Dyslexia myths, misconceptions and facts, with Tim Odegard, PhD
Dyslexia is one of the most common learning differences, yet it’s still widely misunderstood. Tim Odegard, PhD, talks about how dyslexia is diagnosed and defined; his own experience growing up with dyslexia; how kids at risk can be identified early; what interventions work best; ... Show More
39m 5s
Oct 1
Lefties, righties and mixed-handers: The psychology of brain asymmetry, with Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD
Left-handers make up about 10.6 percent of the world’s population. Sebastian Ocklenburg, PhD, talks about why handedness and other brain asymmetries exist; the genetic and environmental factors that influence handedness; whether there’s any truth to the stereotype that lefties ar ... Show More
36m 46s
Sep 24
Teens, AI and the science of risky decisions, with Valerie Reyna, PhD
You might think the best way to make decisions is to know all the facts. But psychologists’ research suggests that getting the “gist” – the core meaning behind the facts – is more important than focusing on every last detail. Valerie Reyna, PhD, talks about why gist matters; how ... Show More
34m 33s
Aug 2024
Why Comfort Creates Suffering
Are you suffering, or are you simply too comfortable?!
In this powerful episode, I confront one of the most dangerous traps in life: "suffering in comfort." Pain is inevitable—it's a part of the human experience—but getting stuck in comfort and mistaking it for fulfillment, that' ... Show More
38m 42s
Jan 2025
Buddhist Neuroscientist On: How To Quit Bad Habits And Why You’re Not Keeping Your Resolutions | Dr. Judson Brewer
How to use your innate mindfulness to turn the volume down, or even uproot, your everyday addictions. Dr. Judson Brewer is the Director of Research and Innovation at the Mindfulness Center and professor in Behavioral and Social Sciences and Psychiatry at the Schools of Public H ... Show More
1h 15m
Jun 2025
#354 – What the dying can teach us about living well: lessons on life and reflections on mortality | BJ Miller, M.D. and Bridget Sumser, L.C.S.W.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter BJ Miller, a hospice and palliative care physician, and Bridget Sumser, a licensed social worker specializing in serious illness and end-of-life car ... Show More
2h 16m
Sep 30
Access Your Divine Intelligence! Dr. Bernardo Kastrup Provides a Mind-Expanding Explanation of Consciousness that Leads You to Higher Meaning
Is Everything You Know About Reality…Wrong? What Is Consciousness & How Does It Shape Our Reality?? In this mind-expanding episode of Mayim Bialik's Breakdown, Dr. Bernardo Kastrup (Executive Director of the Essentia Foundation, CEO of AI company Euclyd B.V., and the leading voic ... Show More
1h 12m