This past year, COVID-19 and the U.S. elections have provided fertile ground for conspiracy theories—with sometimes disastrous consequences. Karen Douglas, PhD, of the University of Kent in the United Kingdom, discusses psychological research on how conspiracy theories start, why they persist, who is most likely to believe them and whether there is any way t ... Show More
Aug 20
Why numeracy counts in everyday life, with Ellen Peters, PhD
From deciding whether to buy a house to weighing the risks and benefits of taking a new medication, many important life decisions hinge on understanding numbers, statistics and probability. Ellen Peters, PhD, author of “Innumeracy in the Wild: Misunderstanding and Misusing Number ... Show More
35m 22s
Aug 13
Encore - How science can help you change your behavior for the better, with Katy Milkman, PhD
What can you learn from the science of behavior change that can help you make the changes you want to see in your life? Katy Milkman, PhD, a professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of the book How to Change: The Science of Getting From Where Y ... Show More
43m 42s
Aug 6
Encore -- Why we choose to suffer, with Paul Bloom, PhD
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 ... Show More
23m 18s
Nov 2018
30th anniversary, Incivility of politicians, Arctic scientists' mental health
Happy Birthday to us! All in the Mind is 30 years old this month and to celebrate we’ve searched the archive to bring you clips of Anthony Clare, the original presenter of the programme, and a very young Claudia Hammond as a reporter. Professor Catherine Loveday is in the studio ... Show More
28m 11s
Nov 2023
Belief in conspiracy theories, exercising before work, and living with OCD
It’s not hard to find headlines about conspiracy theories these days, and on social media, they appear everywhere. It would be easy to think that more people are falling victim to conspiracies than ever before, but is there any evidence that this is the case? Claudia Hammond talk ... Show More
27m 59s
Jan 2022
We Don't Need No Thought Control: The Psychology of Disinformation and Cult Mentality
On this episode of the pod we are joined by a special guest, Dr. Jay Van Bavel, who is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, to discuss the anti-vaccine movement, cult-mentality, and the predilection for conspiratorial thinking. We summar ... Show More
1 h