Podcast Episodes

How Testosterone Makes Men, Men [Encore]

What creates the differences between the sexes? Many would point to culture, and my guest today would agree that culture certainly shapes us. But she…

3 years, 6 months ago

The Unexpected Origins of Our Christmas Traditions

With Christmas coming up, you're likely in the full holiday swing of things — decorating your tree, eating certain foods, listening to particular mus…

3 years, 6 months ago

The Affectionate, Ambiguous, and Surprisingly Ambivalent Relationship Between Siblings

For most people, their siblings will be the longest-lasting relationships of their lives, potentially enduring all the way from birth until past the …

3 years, 6 months ago

Why Homer Matters

Even though the legendary poet Homer wrote the Iliad and Odyssey thousands of years ago, my guest would say that these epic poems are just as relevan…

3 years, 6 months ago

Befriending Winter

Some people dread winter with its cold weather, long dark nights, and the downcast mood these elements often induce.

But my guest would say it's possi…

3 years, 6 months ago

How Polio Made a President

Of the dozens of men who have served as US president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt had a particularly close connection with the citizens he served. The …

3 years, 7 months ago

The Existential in Red Dead Redemption 2

People sometimes ask me what I think of video games. I think that, in moderation, they're a fine source of the kind of passive entertainment we all n…

3 years, 7 months ago

The Real Rules of Power

Most leadership advice says the same thing: to be a good leader, you need to be generous, humble, and authentic.

My guest, professor of organizational…

3 years, 7 months ago

The Brain Energy Theory of Mental Illness

Mental illnesses of all kinds are on the rise, and yet we seem no closer to being able to treat them effectively. We're only able to treat the sympto…

3 years, 7 months ago

Overcome the Comfort Crisis

Our world has never been more convenient and comfortable. With just a few taps of our fingers, we can order food to our door, access endless entertai…

3 years, 7 months ago