Nov 5

The Science of Optimism

It’s easy to feel optimistic when everything is going according to plan. But what happens when the plan falls apart—or the challenge lasts longer than expected? Positive psychology researcher Michelle Gielan says optimism isn’t just a feeling we either have or don’t. In Resilient ... Show More

23m 19s

Nov 4

To Plan Your Future, Look at Your Past

Before you make plans for the future, how often do you stop to consider the life you’ve already lived? In Life in Perspective, productivity expert Tiago Forte makes the case for an annual review that starts with looking back—not judging yourself or rushing into resolutions. Then, ... Show More

31m 46s

Nov 3

How Parenthood Changes the Brain

Becoming a parent changes your life—but what happens to your brain? Neuroscientist Susana Carmona explores the remarkable transformations of pregnancy and parenthood in A Mother’s Brain: The New Science of the Neuro-Maternal Revolution, and explains why “mommy brain” isn’t quite ... Show More

32m 42s

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 2025

651. The Ultimate Dance Partner

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>.”) <ul><li>SOURCES:</stro ... Show More

1h 8m

Jun 2023

Origins of Horse Riding

Human and Horse relationships have long be intertwined; from the ancient Eurasian plain, through to modern cowboys. But how did these huge, independent creatures become domesticated - and what was the original intention behind such an act? Originally tamed for their meat and m ... Show More

44m 9s

Apr 2023

How Horses Conquered America (Twice)

Horses have been a bulwark of American culture and society for centuries. Think of cowboys in the Mid-West or Native Americans riding bareback on the Great Plains. But new, ground-breaking archeological evidence has emerged to suggest horses were present in the Americas more t ... Show More

25m 18s

Jun 2023

Hooves Up!

The girlies investigate a beloved middle school archetype — the horse girl. They explain the history of The American Horse™️, the women who protected them from extinction, and why love stories between girls and horses are so much more empowering than the heteronormative script ... Show More

1h 20m

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

Game Theory Explains the Weird Things Yo...