Episodes
Nov. 12, 2025
Communication Fix: Relationship Skills for Better Conversations and a Happy Life with Patricia Timerman Barbosa da Silva, PhD
Cultural differences profoundly impact our ability to communicate in relationships, often leading to misunderstandings when interpreting nonverbal cues, directness of speech, or emotional expression. To have better conversati...
Nov. 5, 2025
The Altruistic Brain: Architecture of Connection and Community Amid Chaos with Nicole Karlis
Research studies reveal there are neurological, emotional, and physical rewards to acts of altruism. We experience awe, most often, when we witness acts of human kindness, no matter how small. Volunteering offers a powerful a...
Oct. 29, 2025
Well-Being and Post-COVID Recovery: Exploring U.S. Consumer Pessimism Amid Economic Growth with Carol Graham, PhD
Well-being science reveals that, despite signs of economic growth during the post-COVID recovery, a widespread "vibecession" phenomenon of U.S. consumer pessimism persists. This challenges the traditional economic assumption ...
Oct. 22, 2025
Public Perception: The Psychology Behind Public Acceptance of Misinformation & Political Rumors with Adam Berinsky, PhD
Misinformation is aggressively injected into the information ecosystem, and it is readily consumed and adopted by those who are too busy to fully pay attention, leveraging cognitive bias in a distracted society. This media ma...
Oct. 15, 2025
How Memory Works: The Science of Information Processing and Recall with Gillian Murphy, PhD
Many people liken recalling memories to accessing mental filing cabinets, but our memories are actually more disjointed. Memory science defines how memory works as a dynamic form of complex information processing, which relie...
Oct. 8, 2025
Reawakening Sexuality After Trauma: Healing, Recovery, and Sober Sex for Survivors with Stephanie Covington, PhD, LCSW, and Vanessa Carlisle, PhD, MFA
In the journey toward healing, survivors often find that intentional practices like sober sex foster a deeper emotional and physical intimacy, essential for their trauma recovery. This emphasis on connection stands in stark c...
Oct. 1, 2025
Joy and Hopefulness in Difficult Times: Positive Political Action from The Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College
When we agree to practice joy through community, connection, and belonging in its own powerful way, it is an act of defiance to what's going on around us. We must ask ourselves, particularly in these difficult times, what we ...
Sept. 24, 2025
Loving the World in Dark Times: Fearless Thinking from the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College
Current research indicates that despite unprecedented levels of global connectivity, societies are experiencing an unparalleled state of metaphysical loneliness. This condition is a potent catalyst for political instability, ...
Sept. 17, 2025
Wise Enough to Be Happy with Brendan Barca
Tired of feeling tossed around by your thoughts and emotions? By embracing the impermanence of all things, including anxious thoughts, and accepting that suffering is a part of life, difficult emotions can be navigated with w...
Sept. 10, 2025
Blueprint for Joy: Planning Happiness and Fulfillment with Mark Fabian, PhD
Humans are perpetual seekers, as contentment is not part of our evolutionary design. We can move toward happiness by actively planning for fulfillment, leading us toward purposeful and satiated lives. By creating a blueprint ...
Sept. 3, 2025
On the Spectrum of Humanity: Thriving in a Neurodivergent World with Sol Smith
A diverse world is a happy world. It may seem that neurodivergent people are more common now, but the increase in diagnoses is attributed to awareness and diagnostic tools, not a rise in the population. Neurodivergence is a d...
Aug. 27, 2025
Belief, Bias, and Behavior: Rational Thinking and Behavioral Economics with Dan Ariely PhD
Most people who practice rational thinking are susceptible to bias, a key concept of behavioral economics. Beliefs can be swayed by our social environments—from our online networks to our family gatherings. This vulnerability...
Aug. 26, 2025
Belief, Bias, and Behavior: Rational Thinking and Behavioral Economics with Dan Ariely, PhD
Most people who practice rational thinking are susceptible to bias, a key concept of behavioral economics. Beliefs can be swayed by our social environments—from our online networks to our family gatherings. This vulnerability...
Aug. 20, 2025
Love That Lasts: Expert Tips for Happy and Healthy Relationships with Amy Morin, LCSW
In long-term relationships, maintaining a healthy connection is one of life's most fulfilling achievements. However, even the happiest couples can fall into bad habits that hinder growth. A commitment to open, honest communic...
Aug. 13, 2025
Philosophically Dealing with Depression, Anxiety, and Disappointment with Samir Chopra, PhD
A philosophical approach to overcoming disappointment involves accepting that setbacks are a normal part of life. This strategy allows us to navigate challenges with greater resilience. Philosophical inquiry invites us to exa...
Aug. 6, 2025
Digital Detox for Your Neural Networks: Brain Health in the Technology Era with Carl D. Marci MD
Prioritizing brain health in children is crucial, as their brains continue to mature until around age 20, making them particularly susceptible to manipulation before reaching full cognitive development. In our present technol...
July 30, 2025
Embracing Mature Sexuality: Passionately Thriving in Our Wisdom Years with Justin Garcia PhD
From the blush of first loves to the mature sexuality of later years, intimacy adapts to our changing bodies, shifting priorities, and the various life stages we traverse. Whether it's rediscovering a partner in a long-term r...
July 23, 2025
Why We Believe Lies: Groupthink, Cognitive Bias, and the Spread of Political Misinformation with Stephan Lewandowsky PhD
The pervasive nature of social media can undermine the democratic process by facilitating the widespread dissemination of political misinformation and a decline in critical thinking. This phenomenon can be exacerbated by grou...
July 16, 2025
More Than Code: How Real Relationships Sustain Us in an Automated World with Allison Pugh PhD
Many have come to believe that AI is a universal solution for managing repetitive tasks and a panacea for improving productivity. But is it realistic to think that machines can replace humans in a world built on connection an...
July 15, 2025
More Than Code: How Real Relationships Sustain Us in an Automated World with Allison Pugh, PhD
Many have come to believe that AI is a universal solution for managing repetitive tasks and a panacea for improving productivity. But is it realistic to think that machines can replace humans in a world built on connection an...
July 9, 2025
The Flexible Mindset: How Mental Agility Builds Emotional Intelligence with Elaine Fox PhD
How open are you to new experiences? Have you found that with age comes a fear of learning new things? Research finds that being willing to admit that we may be wrong about truths we previously held while maintaining confiden...
July 2, 2025
How Listening Shapes Peacemaking and Global Communication: A Conversation with the Nobel Peace Center
Listening is a fundamental tool for learning from one another and fostering a more inclusive and harmonious world. By truly hearing and understanding others, we lay the groundwork for effective communication and peacemaking. ...
June 25, 2025
Well-Being Science: From Despair to Hope and Happiness with Carol Graham, PhD
Are people with more discretionary income happier than those who live paycheck to paycheck? Maybe some, but not all. As it turns out, more is not always better or the prescription for a happy life. Ultimately, it seems that a...
June 18, 2025
Fearless Conversations and Essential Connections: An Indigenous Perspective with Tyson Yunkaporta PhD
Attempting to gain dominance over others rarely benefits everyone involved. Instead, embracing diversity as a superpower — not as a tool to enforce artificial equity, but as a genuine celebration of varied strengths and persp...