logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2019
25 m

You 2.0: Our Better Nature

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode

If you live in a big city, you may have noticed new buildings popping up — a high-rise here, a skyscraper there. The concrete jungles that we've built over the past century have allowed millions of us to live in close proximity, and modern economies to flourish. But what have we given up by moving away from the forest environments in which humans first evolved? This week, we revisit our 2018 conversation about the healing power of nature with psychologist Ming Kuo.

Up next
Jul 7
You 2.0: The Passion Pill
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” The idea is that pursuing your passion will feel invigorating — almost magical. But passions can easily wane over time. This week, behavioral scientist Jon Jachimowicz looks at how to ... Show More
49m 25s
Jun 30
You 2.0: What Is Your Life For?
What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there are scientifically-tested methods that can help you to feel more in harmony with yourself and the world. This week, and in a companion conversation for Hidden Brain+, researcher Vic ... Show More
1h 3m
Jun 23
Win Hearts, Then Minds + Your Questions Answered on Identity and "Covering"
There’s a saying that’s attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is the best teacher. It’s a nice idea. But when people don’t share our values, it’s hard for us to tolerate theirs. This week, we bring you a favorite episode with sociologist Robb Wil ... Show More
1h 25m
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2022
A vision of sustainable housing for all of humanity | Vishaan Chakrabarti
By 2100, the UN estimates that the world's population will grow to just over 11 billion people. Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti wants us to start thinking about how we'll house all these people -- and how new construction can fight climate change rather than make it worse. In this ... Show More
10m 58s
Mar 2021
Jeremy DeSilva, "First Steps: How Upright Walking Made Us Human" (Harper, 2021)
Blending history, science, and culture, a stunning and highly engaging evolutionary story exploring how walking on two legs allowed humans to become the planet’s dominant species. Humans are the only mammals to walk on two, rather than four legs—a locomotion known as bipedalism. ... Show More
1h 7m
May 2022
Death in the rainforest
Tree mortality in tropical moist forests in Australia has been increasing since the mid 1980s. The death rate of trees appears to have doubled over that time period. According to an international team of researchers, the primary cause is drier air in these forests, the consequenc ... Show More
58m 42s
Jan 2022
Brian Fagan and Nadia Durrani, "Climate Chaos: Lessons on Survival from Our Ancestors" (PublicAffairs, 2021)
Human-made climate change may have begun in the last two hundred years, but our species has witnessed many eras of climate instability. The results have not always been pretty. From Ancient Egypt to Rome to the Maya, some of history's mightiest civilizations have been felled by p ... Show More
55m 2s
Jun 2023
Tom Higham, "The World Before Us: The New Science Behind Our Human Origins" (Yale UP, 2021)
Fifty thousand years ago, Homo sapiens was not the only species of humans in the world. There were also Neanderthals in what is now Europe, the Near East, and parts of Eurasia; Hobbits (H. floresiensis) on the island of Flores in Indonesia; Denisovans in Siberia and eastern Euras ... Show More
41m 25s
Jan 2023
Look at the Big Brain on Humans
On today’s episode: Why is it ancient roman buildings are still standing? Self-healing concrete! What’s better than camouflage? Invisibility! All that and more today on All Around Science. LINKS: [ARTICLE] First-in-Class Honeybee Vaccine Receives Conditional License from the USDA ... Show More
52m 15s
Nov 2018
Making Progress Last
Over the past ten episodes, we have heard about technologies, innovations, and ideas that will make cities smarter, happier and more productive places than ever before. So how do we make sure it lasts? In this episode, we explore how cities can interact with the natural environme ... Show More
22m 34s
Jun 2023
Why Spending Time in Nature Makes us Happier and Healthier with Florence Williams
In this episode, Florence Williams shares the profound benefits of being outdoors and in nature, offering you a fresh perspective on self-care and a path toward increased well-being. Discover the scientific evidence that proves how spending time in nature makes us happier, health ... Show More
35m 24s