Episode 210: The Priming of the American Mind (with Jesse Singal)
Journalist, podcaster, and rapper Jesse Singal joins us to talk about his new book The Quick Fix, positive psychology (scam?), cancel culture in the media and academia (overblown?), Substack incentive...
6 Apr 20212h 1min
Episode 209: Basic Instincts (with Paul Bloom)
VBW favorite Paul Bloom joins us to talk about William James' account of instinct and its parallels to the nativism/empiricism debates in developmental psychology today. Also discussed: Richard Dawkin...
23 Mar 20211h 36min
Episode 208: Dream Theater
We’ve always had nothing but praise for neuroscientists and their work, and today is no exception. We talk about a fantastically rich and ambitious essay by Erik Hoel that offers a theory of dreams ...
9 Mar 20211h 42min
Episode 207: Sometimes a Paper Tray is Just a Paper Tray
David and Tamler wander through the maze of Room 237, the great documentary by Rodney Ascher about five people and their views about what Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" is really about. When do inter...
23 Feb 20211h 28min
Episode 206: Angel Chasing (Ted Chiang's "Hell is the Absence of God")
David and Tamler return to the TCU (Ted Chiang Universe) to talk about his short story "Hell is the Absence of God." How would we behave if we had unequivocal proof of God, heaven, hell, and angels? W...
9 Feb 20211h 37min
Episode 205: Making Your Nervous System Your Ally (William James on "Habit")
Ever wonder why you're still listening to VBW all of these years? Or why you check your phone 50 times a day? Or why you put on your pants the same way every morning? (If you still wear pants these da...
26 Jan 20211h 32min
Episode 204: Happy Freedom Day! (with Lauren Anderson)
The legendary Houston Ballet dancer Lauren Anderson joins us to talk about the Atlanta Episode "Juneteenth" (Season 1, Episode 9), a hilarious exploration of race, class, identity, and carrying around...
12 Jan 20211h 36min
Episode 203: Gorgias, Tell Me Something I Don't Know (with Agnes Callard)
Philosopher Agnes Callard joins us to talk about Plato and his dialogue the Gorgias. Why did Plato write dialogues – are they the best way of presenting arguments? Is Plato cheating when characters co...
22 Des 20201h 34min
