New York Times science reporter Matt Richtel talks about creativity and what awakens it, the conditions where it thrives and what happens when it’s blocked.
Read more
Has the digital world broken American democracy?
Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses how tech companies have sowed rifts and how the communication breakdown means we are now being ruled by mob dynamics.
Read more
Hey, Siri, what happens when AI talks like humans?
Steven Johnson from New York Times Magazine talks about how computers are learning languages so accurately that it’s hard to know you aren’t talking to a human.
Read more
Dying insects and migrating trees: our planet in peril
Of all the species on Earth, humans have easily had the biggest impact. We’ll look at how our actions have affected everything from the bug population to the plants and trees many animals call home.
Read more
Stopping to smell the roses can give your life meaning
Joshua Hicks, a professor of psychological and brain sciences, discusses why appreciating small, significant moments can lead to a sense of purpose.
Read more
There’s no point in seeking closure — and that’s OK
Prof. Pauline Boss discusses the pain from our collective loss of the pandemic, which lacks clarity, and the ongoing struggle to understand the new normal around us.
Read more
Your attitude about aging could be a self-fulfilling prophecy
Becca Levy, a professor of epidemiology and psychology, discusses the beliefs around aging and how policy changes and positive thinking can create successful outcomes.
Read more
From crickets to whales, the sounds of a healthy planet
David George Haskell explains sonic diversity and its importance to human and animal life – and how we are silencing those critical noises around us.
Read more
We can all accomplish more — here’s how
Ayelet Fishbach discusses research into why we can’t always find the mental strength to take on a new task, how to clear the distractions that get in the way, and ways to stay on target to reach your goals.
Read more
The Cosmologist who left the streets behind
Hakeem Oluseyi joins host Krys Boyd to talk about his early life, when he struggled with inequality, poverty and addiction, and how he found his way out by studying the stars.
Read more
Why we sweat
Sarah Everts teaches journalism at Carleton University, and she joins us to talk about why we fight our body’s natural function – and about what sweat can tell us about our health.
Read more
Plenty of animals have gay sex, do they also have homophobia?
Frans de Waal discusses challenges to what’s understood about masculinity and femininity and the limitations of gender binary thinking.
Read more