Τα καλύτερα Curious Apes podcast (2024)

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#36 - Sheldon Solomon: How Death Motivates Our Lives 1:05:27

7d ago1:05:27

1:05:27

Today we're joined by social psychologist, Sheldon Solomon. Currently based out of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, Sheldon has spent roughly 40 years as one of the world’s leading researchers of death. Alongside his colleagues Jeff Greenberg and Tom Pyszczynski, Sheldon established the Terror Management Theory, a rigorous body of scientif…

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#35 - Frank Krueger: The Neuroscience of Trust 52:23

15d ago52:23

52:23

Today I’m joined by psychologist, physicist, and neuroscientist, Frank Krueger. Based out of George Mason University, where he runs the Social Cognition and Interaction: Functional Imaging lab, Frank’s work primarily focuses on the dynamics of trust, cooperation, altruism. In this episode, we explore these subjects from their evolutionary roots to …

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#34 - Bobby Azarian: How Complexity Imbues The Universe With Meaning 1:18:34

4M ago1:18:34

1:18:34

In this episode I’m joined by neuroscientist Bobby Azarian, who authored the 2022 book, The Romance of Reality: How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity. I interviewed Bobby two years ago when the book was released, where he explained to me how the second law of thermodynamics creates complexity as a wa…

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#33 - Ken Sheldon: Goals, Autonomy, Free Will, and A.I. 53:01

5M ago53:01

53:01

On this episode I'm joined by psychology professor and researcher at the University of Missouri, Ken Sheldon. Ken focuses on a few of my favorite subjects in his research, namely that of personality, motivation, goals, happiness, and well-being. He’s also a leading researcher on the self-determination theory, arguably the world’s leading theory on …

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#32 - Rob Chavez: Lessons from a Computational Social Neuroscientist 1:08:38

6M ago1:08:38

1:08:38

Rob Chavez, an associate professor at the University of Oregon, joins me to discuss his field of computational social neuroscience. In addition to exploring his unique field of study, we also take a look at the weaknesses and strengths of brain imaging, the current state of neuroscience, the future impacts of AI, the importance of remembering "the …

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#31 - Steve Stewart-Williams: Evolution, Maladaptation, Sex Differences 1:09:06

6M ago1:09:06

1:09:06

Evolutionary psychologist Steve Stewart-Williams joins me for a discussion on common evolutionary myths and misunderstandings, how these misreadings of the literature often lead to destructive ideologies, ways in which our modern world is mismatched to our evolutionary wiring, speculative explorations into theories of complexity and consciousness, …

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#30 - W. Keith Campbell: Modern Narcissism and Anti-fragility 1:04:08

6M ago1:04:08

1:04:08

Human Summary: Narcissism researcher Keith Campbell joins me for a very candid discussion on narcissism and the latest findings on the subject. We also explore its connections with anti-fragility and the ways in which technology and academia are failing us. AI Summary: The conversation explores the topic of narcissism, discussing its definition, di…

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#29 - Jean Twenge + Singularity: How Generations Are Shaped By Technology 44:12

7M ago44:12

44:12

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week my guest is Jean Twenge, a renowned psychologist, professor, and author who has been one of the world’s leading researchers investigating generational differences and the impacts of technology. This includes her books The Narcissism Epidemic, Gener…

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#28 - Jonathan Haidt + Singularity: How Social Media Dissolves Society 57:25

7M ago57:25

57:25

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, who has authored several of my personal favorite books including the Happiness Hypothesis, The Righteous Mind, and the Coddling of the American Mind. We're lucky enough to have Jon join us to discus…

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#27 - Robert Sapolsky + Singularity: A Future Without Free Will 55:16

7M ago55:16

55:16

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is Stanford neuroscientist, Robert Sapolsky. You may know Dr. Sapolsky from his incredible 25-part lecture series on Youtube, his triumphant book, Behave, or his guest appearances on the Joe Rogan and Huberman Lab podcasts. And if you kno…

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#26 - Duncan Trussell + Singularity: Navigating Our Human Transformation 1:05:49

7M ago1:05:49

1:05:49

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** Today we have one of my favorite comedians, Duncan Trussell, who many of you might recognize from his frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, on Drunk History, or his latest Netflix show, The Midnight Gospel. He also has his own podcast, the ⁠Duncan T…

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#25 - Bret Weinstein & Heather Heying + Singularity: Our Evolutionary Challenges 1:05:30

7M ago1:05:30

1:05:30

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guests are evolutionary biologists, Bret Weinstein and Heather Heying, who many of you might recognize from their frequent appearances on the Joe Rogan Podcast, or from their very own show, the⁠ Darkhorse Podcast⁠, where they explore current af…

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#24 - Anna Lembke + Singularity: Dopamine & Digital Addiction 41:36

7M ago41:36

41:36

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist currently working as the Chief of Addiction Medicine at Stanford’s Dual Diagnosis clinic. She was recently interviewed for the Social Dilemma, the amazing Netflix documentary exploring the dangers of social media. On this episod…

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#23 - Reggie Watts + Singularity: Basic Income & Digital Advertising 44:54

7M ago44:54

44:54

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** Today we are joined by actor, comedian, and musician, Reggie Watts, who many of you might recognize from the Late Late Show with James Corden, where he leads the house band, or from one of his many amazing performances, including TedTalks and music videos th…

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#22 - Jim Rutt + Singularity: Engineering a Better Society With Game B 51:06

7M ago51:06

51:06

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is businessman and entrepreneur, Jim Rutt, who you may know as the former chairman of the Sante Fe Institute or from his own podcast, The Jim Rutt show. Jim is also arguably the founding spearhead for a movement known as “Game B,” which w…

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#21 - Scott Barry Kaufman + Singularity: Becoming Your Best Self Among Technology 35:14

7M ago35:14

35:14

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is cognitive scientist, Scott Barry Kaufman, who has an impressive resume that includes teaching at NYU and Columbia, writing for Scientific American, hosting a podcast on psychology that is so definitive it’s actually called The Psycholo…

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#20 - Douglas Rushkoff + Singularity: Culture, Socio-Economics, and Local Impact 53:46

7M ago53:46

53:46

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week we have Douglas Rushkoff, a no-bullshit media theorist who is undeniably one of the most influential thinkers who has been steering digital culture. We touch on many topics in this episode, but without a doubt the biggest focus throughout is how ca…

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#19 - Donald Hoffman + Singularity: Why Reality Is a Lie 1:12:52

7M ago1:12:52

1:12:52

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week we sit down with cognitive psychologist and long-time professor at UC Irvine, Donald Hoffman. Hoffman has a long history working with some of the greatest minds in the history of humanity, including Francis Crick who was part of the team that disco…

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#18 - William Von Hippel + Singularity: Social Evolution, Innovation, & Technology 53:28

7M ago53:28

53:28

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is William Von Hippel, a social psychologist who teaches at the University of Queensland in Australia, and author of the 2018 novel, the ⁠Social Leap: The New Evolutionary Science of Who We Are, Where We Come From, and What Makes Us Happy…

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#17 - Meghan O'Gieblyn + Singularity: God, Human, Animal, & Machine 53:39

7M ago53:39

53:39

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠ ** This week our guest is Meghan O'Gieblyn, who has written regularly for entities such as Wired, The New York Times, and The Guardian, in addition to authoring books such as Interior States and her latest book: God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor…

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#16 - Karl Friston + Singularity: Free Energy and AI 33:21

7M ago33:21

33:21

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with ⁠Singularity⁠** This week my guest is professor of neuroscience at University College London, Karl Friston. Viewed by many as one of the world’s most influential neuroscientists, Friston rose to prominence when he pioneered one of the key techniques that allows neuroscientis…

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#15 - Chris Ryan + Singularity: Evolution Vs the Modern World 56:30

7M ago56:30

56:30

** This is a partnership episode originally recorded in collaboration with Singularity ** Chris Ryan is well known for exploring the evolution of human society and behavior through his books, Sex at Dawn and Civilized to Death. In this episode, we take a candid tour through the many misconceptions and misunderstandings of early hunter-gatherer life…

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#14 - Lasana Harris: Social Cognition, Dehumanization, & the Culture Wars 51:03

3y ago51:03

51:03

Lasana is an associate professor of experimental psychology at the University College London where he runs the boundaries of social cognition lab. In addition to exploring the content of his 2017 book, Invisible Mind: Flexible Social Cognition and Dehumanization, we also explore how these concepts are in play in modern society, especially as it rel…

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#13 - PixelSmixel: The Life & Views of an Untraditional Twitch Streamer 53:52

3y ago53:52

53:52

Pixel describes herself as "a reformed childhood spy, ex ballet dancer, Neopets millionare and forensic psychology degree holder" who makes "average opinionated political/current event/educational content." In this episode, we dive into Pixel's opinions are and what it's like to be one of the small percentage of people in the world who make their l…

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#12 - Vaush: The Failures of Capitalism, Political Discourse, & Culture Wars 1:23:32

3y ago1:23:32

1:23:32

Today my guest is Vaush, a self-described left-wing Youtuber known for his advocacy for libertarian market socialism and debates with other YouTubers. Our discussion centers heavily around 3 keys topics: the culture wars, our current political discourse, and capitalism--its failures, its strengths, and its alternatives (eg: anarcho-syndicalism). Va…

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#11 - Solo: Aggressive Activism & the Neuroscience Behind Why It Fails 19:55

3y ago19:55

19:55

I recently wrote an essay exploring "How Ideological Extremists Are Undermining Their Own Goals" and I thought for this episode I would try something a little different, exploring this essay as a solo podcast. The main focus of that essay (and therefore this episode) is dedicated to showcasing how the hostility of the "us" vs "them" dynamic that is…

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#10 - Eric Kaufmann: "White Shift," Populism, and Immigration 52:59

3y ago52:59

52:59

In this episode we sit down with Eric Kuafmann, a professor of politics at Birkbeck College, University of London who commonly writes on the dynamics of demographic change. In this episode we discuss these ideas as they relate to his 2018 book White Shift, which explores how immigration and populism will play out as we navigate a future where white…

1
#9 - Colin Wright: Exploring Sex & Gender 56:10

3y ago56:10

56:10

In this episode, I'm joined by Colin Wright, who is an evolutionary biologist and the managing editor at Quillette--the online magazine dedicated to free thought. We discuss the sex and gender debate currently dominating much of social justice zeitgeist, which includes exploring the legal and cultural ramifications of those who seek to step outside…

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#8 - Donovan James: Randomly Selected Philosophical Questions 52:12

3+ y ago52:12

52:12

In this episode, my good friend Donovan returns to answer questions randomly selected from a list of philosophical questions we found online. This takes us on a meandering tour through topics such as self-deception, self-actualization, immortality, suffering vs meaning, religion's place in the world, the downfall of human civilization, binary think…

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#7 - John Vervaeke: Wisdom vs Foolishness Amongst a Meaning Crisis 1:32:08

3+ y ago1:32:08

1:32:08

In this episode, I'm joined by one of my favorite contemporary thinkers, John Vervaeke, a professor at the University of Toronto where he lectures on psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhism. John has a phenomenal series on Youtube called 'Awakening From the Meaning Crisis,' where he explores how science and spirituality have lessons of ancient …

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#6 - Justin Murphy: The Intellectual Who Left Academia for the Internet 43:48

3+ y ago43:48

43:48

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020) In this episode we sit down with social scientist and political theorist, Justin Murphy, who spent five years as a lecturer at the University of Southampton before realizing that academia was ironically stifling his ability to be a truly creative and productive freethinker. Upon this realization, he set h…

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#5 - Aella: Awkward Social Dynamics, Authenticity, & Enlightenment 51:46

3+ y ago51:46

51:46

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020) On this episode, we're joined by Aella, previously one of the world's top-paid cam girls who is now a prominent figure in the online intellectual community. We enjoy an incredibly playful conversation surrounding her background, social dynamics, authenticity, and enlightenment. Follow Aellas work via her …

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#4 - Erik Davis: Psychedelics, Coronavirus, & Post-Religion Spirituality 1:21:38

3+ y ago1:21:38

1:21:38

(Originally recorded in the Spring of 2020) On this episode I'm joined by the ever-articulate scholar, Erik Davis, who wrote one of my favorite non-fiction books of all time: Techgnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (seriously, it's remarkable). Erik also recently released a new book, High Weirdness, that explores the psyche…

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#3 - Jay Mutzafi & Donovan James: Climate Change, Basic Income, & Death 1:19:09

3+ y ago1:19:09

1:19:09

In this episode, I'm joined by Donovan James and Jay Mutzafi, two friends who I meet with several times a month for challenging and thought-provoking conversations. You can expect to see them as frequent guests on the show discussing myriad topics, but this time around we focus on climate change, basic income, and longevity. This takes us through m…

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#2 - Donovan James: The Importance of Nuance Amongst the Culture Wars 1:25:12

3+ y ago1:25:12

1:25:12

In this episode, I sit down with my dear friend, Donovan James, who kicks off the conversation by asking me why I decided to start this podcast. This takes us on a massive tour through many of the current controversies and challenges facing our society, but ultimately focuses on one key idea: we absolutely need to embrace the discomfort of nuance a…

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#1 - A Short Introduction to Curious Apes 5:08

3+ y ago5:08

5:08

Welcome to Curious Apes. In this episode, I provide a brief (5min) overview, the topics we'll commonly be discussing, and why such conversations are crucial to our well-being as individuals and as a society.