Who am I? A philosophical inquiry - Amy Adkins
AdultsPhilosophyPsychologySelfThroughout the history of mankind, the subject of identity has sent poets to the blank page, philosophers to the agora and seekers to the oracles. These murky waters of abstract thinking are tricky to navigate, so it's probably fitting that to demonstrate the complexity, the Greek historian Plutarch used the story of a ship. Amy Adkins illuminates Plutarch's Ship of Theseus.
How Your Brain Helps You Lie To Yourself
AdultsHumanPsychologyMental HealthA new study aims to find out why and how we avoid information we don't want to hear-- and how we can stop doing it.
A psychologist debunks the claim that fidget spinners help kids focus
AdultsGadgetsPsychologyMental HealthEducationFidget spinners are everywhere these days. You can buy them on any street corner for a few dollars, and both kids and adults are obsessed with them. The companies that make these hot new gadgets claim they help relieve stress and anxiety and can help kids with ADHD focus. David Anderson, PhD, a clinical psychologist from the Child Mind Institute, shares his thoughts on spinners.
How do focus groups work? - Hector Lanz
AdultsBusinessMarketingPsychologyFocus groups have been widely used by organizations and individuals to find out how their products and ideas will be received by an audience. From the usage of household products to a politician's popularity, almost everything can be explored with this technique. But how are focus groups put together? And how did they come about in the first place? Hector Lanz explains how focus groups work.
Using GPS to Get Around Is Making Us Dumber
AdultsHumanScienceTechnologyPsychologySocietyGPS services have made getting from point A to point B a lot easier, but what effects does this have on our brains?
Can you solve the pirate riddle? - Alex Gendler
AdultsMathPsychologyProblem-SolvingGamesFunIt's a good day to be a pirate. Amaro and his four mateys - Bart, Charlotte, Daniel, and Eliza have struck gold - a chest with 100 coins. But now, they must divvy up the booty according to the pirate code - and pirate code is notoriously complicated. Can you help come up with the distribution that Amaro should propose to make sure he lives to tell the tale? Alex Gendler shows how.
Why You're Attracted To Certain People
AdultsBiologyRelationshipsPsychologyLoveLove is a beautiful thing, but what causes it? Well, it might all just be in your head.
Being A Jerk May Not Be Your Fault
AdultsPsychologySocietyHumorLaughter may be contagious, but did you know rudeness is too? Is there a way to stop bad attitudes from spreading?
Why The Popular Kids Don't Stay Cool
AdultsCulturePsychologySocietyEducationSome people in high school engage in risky behavior, such as drinking and smoking, in an attempt to be cool. Does this pay off long term? Join Tara as she reports on new research showing that being popular in high school might be bad in your adulthood!
Why humans are so bad at thinking about climate change
AdultsGlobal WarmingHumanPsychologyEnvironmentThe biggest problem for the climate change fight isn't technology - it's human psychology.
The Science Of Racism
AdultsScienceSocietyBiologyPsychologyWhy are some people racist, but others are not?
The Problem with Over-Friendly People
AdultsPsychologyRelationshipsSocietySelfFriendliness is a great virtue. Over-friendliness can be an unexpected problem.
Dogs and Humans: A 30,000-Year Friendship
AdultsHistoryHumanPetsAnimalsPsychologyOf all the species that humans have domesticated, dogs are our oldest animal friends. But how did a group of wolves become the furry pup at the end of the bed? New research is finally unlocking the paw-in-hand evolution of dogs and humans. In this episode we're answering one big question: Did we domesticate dogs, or did dogs domesticate us?
Is it time to retire the police sketch?
AdultsArtPsychologyMediaWe see police sketches in the news all the time, but do they actually work?
Why do people get so anxious about math? - Orly Rubinsten
AdultsMathPsychologyEducationMental HealthHave you ever sat down to take a math test and immediately felt your heart beat faster and your palms start to sweat? This is called math anxiety, and if it happens to you, you're not alone: Researchers think about 20 percent of the population suffers from it. So what's going on? And can it be fixed? Orly Rubinsten explores the current research and suggests ways to increase math performance.
Weird Things Your Body Does When You're Around Your Crush
AdultsBiologyHumanRelationshipsPsychologyLoveLove has some strong effects on our bodies. From blushing to sweating, why do we react the way we do when facing a crush?
Why are we so attached to our things?
AdultsHumanSelfSocietyPsychologyRelationshipsAfter witnessing the "violent rage" shown by babies whenever deprived of an item they considered their own, Jean Piaget - a founding father of child psychology - observed something profound about human nature: Our sense of ownership emerges incredibly early.
You Can't See This (MIND TRICKS)
AdultsHumanNeurosciencePsychologyScienceEntertainmentYour eyes aren't always telling the truth.
Can machines read your emotions?
AdultsFutureMachine LearningSoftware EngineeringArtificial IntelligenceTechnologyPsychologyComputers can beat us in board games, transcribe speech, and instantly identify almost any object. But will future robots go further by learning to figure out what we're feeling?