Podcast Episodes
Back to Search
Panic In The Street
It sounds like a movie plot: police discover the body of a young man who's been murdered. The body tests positive for a deadly infectious disease. Authorities trace the killing to a gang. They race t…
Published on 5 years, 9 months ago
The Bomb That Didn't Explode
We know that we live in an ever-changing world, but one thing we often overlook is demographic change. Whether the world's population is growing or shrinking can affect many aspects of our lives, fro…
Published on 5 years, 9 months ago
The Tale of the Cowboy Philosopher
In 2009, an old man died in a California nursing home. His obituary included not just his given name, but a long list of the pseudonyms he'd been known to use. In this episode, which we originally re…
Published on 5 years, 9 months ago
The Influence You Have
Think about the last time you asked someone for something. Maybe you were nervous or worried about what the person would think of you. Chances are that you didn't stop to think about the pressure you…
Published on 5 years, 10 months ago
Liar, Liar, Liar
Editor’s note: Since this episode first aired, researchers have raised concerns about a number of studies authored by Dan Ariely, including one cited in this episode. That study included data from an…
Published on 5 years, 10 months ago
Passion Isn't Enough
Many Americans feel an obligation to keep up with political news. But maybe we should be focusing our energies elsewhere. Political scientist Eitan Hersh says there's been a rise in "political hobbyi…
Published on 5 years, 10 months ago
When Things Click
There can be a lot of psychological noise involved in teaching. But what if we replaced all that mental clutter...with a click? This week, we bring you a 2018 episode exploring an innovative idea abo…
Published on 5 years, 10 months ago
Secret Friends
Where is the line between what is real and what is imaginary? It seems like an easy question to answer: if you can see it, hear it, or touch it, then it's real, right? But what if this way of thinkin…
Published on 5 years, 11 months ago
Warnings, Warnings Everywhere
After a disaster happens, we want to know whether something could have been done to avoid it. Did anyone see this coming? Many times, the answer is yes. So why didn't the warnings lead to action? Thi…
Published on 5 years, 11 months ago
Emotional Currency
What's the point of money? The answer might seem obvious: we need it to get paid for our work, and to buy the things we need. But there's also a deeper way to look at the role of money in our lives. …
Published on 5 years, 11 months ago