Podcast Episodes

Philosophers on psychedelics

Some call it the "psychedelic renaissance." In the last decade or so, interest in psychedelic drugs has surged—and not just among Silicon Valley types and psychiatrists and neuroscientists. It's also…

Published on 4 months, 1 week ago

The cuttlefish and its coat of many colors

We humans have a hard time becoming invisible. For better or worse, we're basically stuck with the skin and body we have; we’re pretty fixed in our color, our shape, our overall appearance. And so we…

Published on 4 months, 3 weeks ago

Life, free energy, and the pursuit of goals

You've probably come across the "free energy principle." It's become one of the most influential ideas in the broader cognitive sciences. Since the neuroscientist Karl Friston first introduced it in …

Published on 5 months, 1 week ago

Universal emotions in fact and fiction

Are human emotions universal? Or do they vary from one place to the next and from one time period to the next? It's a big question, an old question. And every discipline that's grappled with it bring…

Published on 5 months, 3 weeks ago

From the archive: Fermentation, fire, and our big brains

Hi friends,

We're taking care of some spring cleaning this week. We'll be back in two weeks with a new episode. In the meantime, enjoy this favorite from our archives!

- The Many Minds team

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Published on 6 months ago

Howl, grunt, sing

The tree of life is a noisy place. From one branch come hoots and howls, from another come clicks and buzzes and whines. And coming from all over you hear the swell of song. But what is all this ruck…

Published on 6 months, 2 weeks ago

The development of evolution

Evolution is not what it used to be. A lot has changed since Darwin's day. In the first half of the 20th century, evolutionary theory was integrated with an emerging understanding of genetics. Late i…

Published on 7 months ago

String theories

Where would our species be without string? It's one of our most basic technologies—so basic that it's easy to overlook. But humans have used string—and its cousins rope, yarn, cordage, thread, etc.—f…

Published on 7 months, 2 weeks ago

The other half of the brain

Neurons have long enjoyed a kind of rock star status. We think of them as the most fundamental units of the brain—the active cells at the heart of brain function and, ultimately, at the heart of beha…

Published on 8 months ago

A paradox of learning

How do we learn? Usually from experience, of course. Maybe we visit some new place, or encounter a new tool or trick. Or perhaps we learn from someone else—from a teacher or friend or YouTube star wh…

Published on 8 months, 2 weeks ago