Feb 8

Oren Harman, "Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History" (Basic Books, 2025)

A search for the meaning of one of nature's greatest riddles: why do so many creatures transform? “How many creatures walking on this earth / Have their first being in another form?” the Roman poet Ovid asked two thousand years ago. He could not have known the full extent of the ... Show More

37m 58s

Feb 4

Tom Griffiths, "The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind" (Henry Holt and Co., 2026)

The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind (Henry Holt and Co., 2026) is an exploration of the quest to use mathematics to describe the ways we think, from its origins three hundred years ago to the ideas behind modern AI systems and the ways in which th ... Show More

1h 8m

Feb 3

Jennifer Vail, "Friction: A Biography" (Harvard UP, 2026)

Friction, the force that resists motion, is synonymous with difficulty and complication. If you’ve ever replaced tires worn smooth by the road or reached for a can of WD-40 to fix a creaking door hinge, then you know the headache this force can cause. In Friction: a Biography (Ha ... Show More

34m 22s

Aug 2022

How We Remember

What is a memory made of? Which parts of the brain help us remember? And what can taxi drivers’ brains tell us about how memories are made? In this episode of How We’re Wired, join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin as she dives into the science of memory, and how we reme ... Show More

30m 50s

Sep 2025

Unpacking the Brain’s Role in Inventing Your Perception

Human brains don’t just perceive reality—they invent it. In this episode of Science Quickly, cognitive neuroscientist Daniel Yon speaks with host Rachel Feltman about how perception is an active process of prediction in which the brain constructs theories about the world that can ... Show More

15m 37s

Apr 2023

How We See

How do we see? What parts of the brain are responsible for vision? And how can gene therapy restore sight to people living with a visual impairment? In this episode of How We’re Wired, join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin as she unpicks the neuroscience behind our sens ... Show More

36m 1s

Oct 2025

Jane G. Goldberg, "Wired for Why: How We Think, Feel, and Make Meaning" (2025)

WIRED FOR WHY: How We Think, Feel and Make Meaning. (Self-Published 2025) spans eighteen chapters exploring everything from how we manage to stay alive against all odds, to why language separates us from other species, to whether death might be a metaphor. It's a journey through ... Show More

1h 3m

Oct 2023

Dan Dennett Looks Back on His Career

Get tickets for our event: <a href= "https://www.skeptic.com/event" target="_blank" rel= "noopener">skeptic.com/event</a> Daniel Dennett, preeminent philosopher and cognitive scientist, has spent his career considering the thorniest, most fundamental mysteries of the mi ... Show More

1h 28m

May 2023

Redefine Your Reality & Unveil the Secrets of Your Conscious Mind - Philip Goff & Anil Seth : 1052

What if everything you perceive is just a construction of your brain? In this episode, Anil Seth and Philip Goff explain how our perception of reality is a product of our minds and how it can be manipulated. They also delve into the implications of these findings, and take a d ... Show More

49m 41s

Feb 2025

523. Why We Dream, Learn, and Adapt Faster Than Any Other Species | Dr. David Eagleman

Dr. Jordan B. Peterson sits down with neuroscientist, bestselling author, and PBS presenter Dr. David Eagleman. They discuss brain plasticity, how perception works, whether free will exists (and if it’s superordinate), how willingness to engage with higher entropy indicates sophi ... Show More

1h 35m

Nov 2022

How We Move

How do we move? What parts of the brain control how we use our muscles? And what implanted technology is allowing people with spinal cord injuries to walk again? In this episode of How We’re Wired, join evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin as she picks apart the neuroscienc ... Show More

35m 39s

Jul 2024

E106 - Donald Hoffman: The Emerging Science, “We Are ONE Consciousness” - Life, Death & The Simulation

Donald Hoffman is back on Know Thyself today to explore the constraints of time and space, and how they shape our understanding of the world around us. He discusses the "headset analogy" - the idea that our senses act as a kind of cognitive filter, preventing us from ... Show More

2h 20m

Jun 2022

How We're Wired Trailer

Love. Touch. Speech. Movement. Consciousness. What do they all have in common? From before birth to after death, our brains underpin our experiences and feelings. They make us who we are. But how? In How We’re Wired, evolutionary anthropologist Dr Anna Machin goes behind the scen ... Show More

2 m

Christopher Kemp, "Dark and Magical Plac...