The psychology behind how social media is deranging and dividing us
This is a piece that I, Zach Elwood, wrote about the ways in which social media (and internet communication more broadly) may be amplifying us-versus-them polarization and extreme thinking. Much of t...
28 Dec 202141min
How might artificial intelligence produce real consciousness?, with Hod Lipson
A talk with roboticist and artificial intelligence researcher and roboticist Hod Lipson. Topics include: how close he thinks we are to genuinely self-aware machines; research strategies that he sees a...
21 Dec 202153min
Does video surveillance decrease crime?, with Eric Piza
A talk with criminologist Eric Piza about how video has affected crime rates. Topics discussed include: what the research shows about video surveillance and crime reduction; what factors make camera p...
4 Dec 202155min
Liberal-side reactions to the Rittenhouse verdict through the lens of political polarization
Host Zachary Elwood examines liberal reactions about the Rittenhouse verdict and how some of the more extreme and pessimistic reactions may be seen as being caused by political us-vs-them polarization...
22 Nov 202156min
What is conversation analysis and ethnomethodology?, with Saul Albert
A talk with social scientist Saul Albert (saulalbert.net) about conversation analysis — the scientific analysis of talking — and the wider field of ethnomethodology. Topics discussed: what conversatio...
12 Nov 20211h 21min
Tracking people over land, aka "sign cutting," with Rob Speiden
I talk with Rob Speiden, an expert in sign cutting, which is the tracking of humans or animals over the ground using clues of physical disturbance. Topics discussed include: common methods of tracking...
28 Okt 202148min
What research finds about social media effects on polarization, with Emily Kubin
I talk with Emily Kubin, who recently, with her co-researcher Christian Von Sikorski, did a comprehensive review of 121 studies on social media effects on political polarization. We talk about her res...
14 Okt 202153min
How a pro musician uses psychology and reads behavior, with Ben Tyler
I talk with Ben Tyler, a professional musician and musical educator based in Portland, Oregon, about reading and understanding people in the musical world. (I use Ben's music for my intro music.) Topi...
3 Okt 202153min
