Why do bad feelings have such staying power? In The Opposite of Happiness: How Bad Feelings Make and Break Us, behavioral economist George Loewenstein explores how evolution shaped our emotional lives—and why sadness, anxiety, and regret so often crowd out pleasure. Psychotherapist Whitney Goodman takes on our response to those feelings in Toxic Positivity: ... Show More
Oct 15
Why We Want Things We Don’t Need
Why does the next new thing always seem like the thing that will finally make life better? In Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness—And How to Take Back Your Life, New York Times editor Eric Athas explores our appetite for novelty and the t ... Show More
21m 43s
Oct 13
Why Smart Groups Make Bad Decisions
Smart people can make terrible decisions—or brilliant ones. What makes the difference? In Goodthink: The New Science of Collective Intelligence, Damon Centola, a University of Pennsylvania professor who directs the Network Dynamics Group, shares two decades of research showing th ... Show More
35m 57s
Sep 2024
William T. Taylor, "Hoof Beats: How Horses Shaped Human History" (U California Press, 2024)
From the Rockies to the Himalayas, the bond between horses and humans has spanned across time and civilizations. In this archaeological journey, William T. Taylor explores how momentous events in the story of humans and horses helped create the world we live in today. Tracing the ... Show More
1h 1m
Mar 2025
Horses
Horses—majestic, powerful, and deeply woven into the fabric of human history. From wild herds roaming ancient plains to their role in shaping civilizations, horses have carried us through battles, journeys, and everyday life. How did this bond between humans and horses begin, and ... Show More
50m 7s
Oct 2021
Wendy Doniger, "Winged Stallions and Wicked Mares: Horses in Indian Myth and History" (U Virginia Press, 2021)
Raj Balkaran speaks with Wendy Doniger about her new book Winged Stallions and Wicked Mares: Horses in Indian Myth and History (University of Virginia Press, 2021), along with her translation of the final four books of the Mahābhārata's Critical Edition translation project, the p ... Show More
1h 3m
<p>For most of human history, horsepower made the world go. Then came the machines. So why are there still seven million horses in America? (Part one of a series, “<a href="https://freakonomics.com/the-horse-is-us/">The Horse Is Us</a>.”)</p><p> </p><ul><li><strong>SOURCES:</stro ... Show More
