Podcast Episodes
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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 deep…
6 years, 2 months ago
On The Knife's Edge
What would drive someone to take another person's life? When researchers at the University of Chicago asked that question, the answer was a laundry l…
6 years, 2 months ago
Creatures Of Habit
At the beginning of the year, many of us make resolutions for the months to come. We resolve to work out more, procrastinate less, or save more money…
6 years, 2 months ago
Why We Love Surprises
Why do we fall for surprise endings? It turns out that our capacity to be easily fooled in books and movies is made possible by a handful of predicta…
6 years, 2 months ago
Did That Really Happen?
Our memories are easily contaminated. We can be made to believe we rode in a hot air balloon or kissed a magnifying glass — even if those things neve…
6 years, 3 months ago
Zipcode Destiny
There's a core belief embedded in the story of the United States — the American Dream. Today we look at the state of that dream as we revisit our 201…
6 years, 3 months ago
In The Heat Of The Moment
In a fit of anger or in the grip of fear, many of us make decisions that we never would have anticipated. This week, we look at situations that make …
6 years, 3 months ago
Counting Other People's Blessings
Envy is one of the most unpleasant of all human emotions. It also turns out to be one of the most difficult for researchers to study. And yet, there'…
6 years, 3 months ago
The Ventilator
Many of us believe we know how we'd choose to die. We have a sense of how we'd respond to a diagnosis of an incurable illness. This week, we have the…
6 years, 4 months ago
Hungry, Hungry Hippocampus
Anyone who's tried (and failed) to follow a diet knows that food is more than fuel. This week, we revisit our 2018 episode about the psychology behin…
6 years, 4 months ago