Is the Middle East on the Verge of All-Out War?
Since October 7, 2023, many have feared that the conflict between Israel and Hamas would bloom into a wider war that would consume the Middle East. Today, we are dangerously close to that reality. In ...
4 Okt 20241h 2min
The Surprising Science of Cynicism (Plus: The Policy Paradox of the 2024 Election)
Derek shares his biggest frustrations about the 2024 election, like the lack of a policy debate and blind spots in news coverage and polling analysis. Then he welcomes Jamil Zaki to the show: a profes...
27 Sep 20241h 5min
A Sports Mystery: What Happened to the NFL Quarterback?
Today, a mystery about what some people consider the most important position in sports: What the hell is going on with the NFL quarterback? We are two weeks into the 2024 football season. And as sever...
20 Sep 202445min
How AI Could Help Us Discover Miracle Drugs
We may be on the cusp of a revolution in medicine, thanks to tools like AlphaFold, the technology for Google DeepMind, which helps scientists predict and see the shapes of thousands of proteins. How d...
13 Sep 202452min
The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories
Are conspiracy theories more popular than ever? Are Americans more conspiratorial than ever? Are conservatives more conspiratorial than liberals? Joseph Uscinski is a political scientist at the Univer...
6 Sep 20241h 18min
"Exercise May Be the Single Most Potent Medical Intervention Ever Known"
Exercise is a conundrum. On the one hand, physical activity is clearly one of the best interventions for preventing physical disease and mental suffering. On the other hand, scientists don't really un...
30 Aug 202457min
Democrats Are Euphoric. But This Election Is Much Closer Than They Think.
Derek offers a short but sweet review of the Democratic National Convention, the science of post-convention bounces, and the reality of the 2024 polling: It's still a toss-up. If you have questions, ...
23 Aug 202411min
The Four Biggest Myths About Political Persuasion
Today's episode is about how we change our minds—and what political science tells us about the best ways to change the minds of voters. Our guest is David Broockman, a political scientist at the Unive...
16 Aug 202444min
