The Cowboy Philosopher
In 2009, an old man died in a California nursing home. His obituary included not just his given name, but a long list of the pseudonyms he'd been known to use. In this episode, we trace the life of ...
7 Jan 201948min
Loss and Renewal
Maya Shankar was well on her way to an extraordinary career as a violinist when an injury closed that door. She eventually found a new path forward in a very different field. Hosted by Simplecast, an ...
31 Dec 201824min
Compassion
This week, we look at the science of compassion, and why doing good things for others can make a big difference in your own life. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for info...
24 Dec 201816min
Radio Replay: Yum and Yuck
We dig into the psychology that determines the foods that make us salivate and the scents that make us squirm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our c...
21 Dec 201848min
Alan Alda Wants Us To Have Better Conversations
Arguments and bickering can sour family gatherings during the holiday season. This week, we share tips on how to avoid miscommunication from our January 2018 conversation with actor Alan Alda. You mig...
17 Dec 201840min
Starving the Watchdog
When a newspaper shuts down, there are obvious costs to the community it serves: job losses, fewer local stories. But new research suggests there's another consequence that's harder to spot—one that c...
10 Dec 201828min
Spoiler Alert!
Why do we always fall for surprise endings? It turns out that our capacity to be easily fooled in books and movies is made possible by a handful of predictable mental shortcuts. We talk this week with...
3 Dec 201828min
A Founding Contradiction
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." These words, penned by Thomas Jefferson more than 240 years ago, continue to inspire many Americans. And yet they were writt...
26 Nov 201848min
