Podcast Episodes

How to be happy

What does it take to be happy? Professor of psychology Laurie Santos just might have the answer.

This week The Gray Area takes a break from its regula…

1 year, 1 month ago

The screens between us

What is the first thing that you touch in the morning? What about the last thing you touch before you go to sleep? For many of us, it’s our phone. Di…

1 year, 1 month ago

The importance of failure

At the beginning of the new year, many of us make pledges to change ourselves. We want to work out more. Or read more. Or cook more. Within a few mon…

1 year, 1 month ago

What to do with your sadness, pain, and grief

How can we find happiness? That's an old question. Since the beginning of philosophy people have been wondering what makes us happy and how to get mo…

1 year, 2 months ago

What do animals feel?

Can you ever really know what’s going on inside the mind of another creature?

In some cases, like other humans, or dogs and cats, we might be able to …

1 year, 2 months ago

Are men okay?

This week, host Sean Illing gets personal when he asks professor and podcast host Scott Galloway: What’s going on with men?

There’s a growing body of …

1 year, 2 months ago

How to feel alive

The sheer feeling of aliveness. We all know what that is, even though it comes in many different forms. Maybe it’s going for a long run at night. Or …

1 year, 2 months ago

The antidote to climate anxiety

In this episode, host Sean Illing speaks with marine biologist Ayana Elizabeth Johnson about her book What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Fut…

1 year, 3 months ago

America’s reactionary moment

What just happened?

It’s been almost two weeks since the presidential election, and many Americans are still grappling with the result. The political …

1 year, 3 months ago

Well this is awkward

Philosopher Alexandra Plakias says there are no awkward people, only awkward situations. In her book, Awkwardness: A Theory, Plakias explains the dif…

1 year, 3 months ago