Podcast host David McRaney talks about why we must approach beliefs from the eye of the beholder, why our own thoughts might be wrong, and why group thinking harms intuitive reasoning.
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How to read people, even when they’re lying to you
Psychotherapist David J. Lieberman explains how to pick up on subtext in spoken and written words, how to sniff out lies, and where to find the devil in the details.
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Your AC won’t keep up with climate change
Eric Dean Wilson discusses how America uses more energy for cooling than any other nation on the planet and how that’s fueling the climate crisis.
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How did NASA get those cool images of the universe?
Lee Billings, senior editor of space and physics for Scientific American, joins us to talk about the latest scientific discoveries of the James Webb Space Telescope and the secrets of the universe astronomers hope to unlock.
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Giving back the sense of touch to amputees
National Geographic writer Cynthia Gorney explains why, out of the five senses, touch is so key to well-being, and the latest tech helping amputees to feel again.
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Google search isn’t as useful as it used to be
Charlie Warzel, contributing writer at The Atlantic, joins us to discuss Google’s search engine and why some critics say its function is decaying.
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Why guns are deadlier than ever
Writer Phil Klay talks bout why we’ve felt the need to make guns even more deadly, and explains the technology that has allowed guns to evolve from single shooters to automatic weapons.
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Imagine finding a T. Rex
David K. Randall, a reporter for Reuters, tells the story of Barnum Brown’s discovery of the T-rex and how this discovery amazed the world.
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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.
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If we blindly follow AI, where does that leave us?
Journalist Chris Jones talks about re-learning how to think for ourselves; Greg Beringer of The New York Times discusses the geopolitical influences of our digital maps; and Karen Hao of MIT Technology Review talks about Facebook’s “machine learning” algorithms.
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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.
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What a rare-bird sighting says about the planet
Kevin Nguyen is features editor for The Verge, and he joins us to tell the story of a man who spotted the first redwing in Maine and the domino effects that unleashed for avid birders.
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