Encore - Why you should take a vacation—and how to get the most out of it, with Jessica de Bloom, PhD, and Sarah Pressman, PhD
Whether your idea of the perfect vacation involves the beach, exploring a city, or just relaxing at home, you probably look forward to your time off all year. Sarah Pressman, PhD, of the University of California Irvine, and Jessica de Bloom, PhD, of Groningen University in the Netherlands, talk about why taking a break from work is important for physical and mental health, what you can do to make the most of your vacation time, and differences in work and vacation culture around the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
7 Aug 202438min
Encore - What is it like to be face blind? With Joe DeGutis, PhD, and Sadie Dingfelder
After a lifetime of thinking that she was just a little bit bad at remembering people, Sadie Dingfelder learned that she had prosopagnosia, a disorder more colloquially known as face blindness. Harvard psychologist Joe DeGutis, PhD, who runs the research study that Dingfelder participated in, joins her to discuss how people with face blindness see the world, why it’s such an interesting disorder to study, and promising treatments that his lab is exploring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 Juli 202443min
Inside the mind of an octopus, with Jennifer Mather, PhD
Octopuses haven’t shared a common ancestor with humans in at least 600 million years. But somehow, separately, these invertebrates evolved remarkable problem-solving abilities, curiosity and intelligence. Octopus researcher Jennifer Mather, PhD, talks about what we know about octopus behavior and cognition, how they evolved to be so smart, how the octopus brain is structured, and what can we learn about thinking and intelligence in general from studying how it evolved in a species so far removed from us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 Juli 202436min
Why psychological safety matters in a changing workplace, with Dennis Stolle, PhD
APA’s 2024 Work in America survey found that younger workers are more likely than older workers to feel stressed, lonely and undervalued at work. Dennis Stolle, PhD, senior director of APA’s office of applied psychology, talks about why that might be and how employers can create workplaces where all ages can thrive; as well as other key findings from the survey including the state of remote work, hybrid work and four-day work weeks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
17 Juli 202429min
The future of brain-computer interfaces, with Nicholas Hatsopoulos, PhD
A few decades ago, the idea of being able to interact directly with a computer using only your thoughts would have sounded like science fiction. But today researchers and companies are testing brain-computer interfaces that allow patients to move a computer cursor or control a prosthetic limb directly with their thoughts. Nicholas Hatsopoulos, PhD, discusses the future of brain-computer interfaces, how they work, the practical challenges researchers face, and what scientists have learned about the brain as they develop this technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
10 Juli 202427min
How to use psychology to write a best seller, with Jennifer Lynn Barnes, PhD
From getting lost in a novel to binge-watching a favorite TV show, we humans spend a lot of time in fictional worlds. Jennifer Lynn Barnes, PhD, a psychologist and novelist, talks about why we’re drawn to fictional worlds; the psychology of fandom and fan fiction; and how insights from psychology helped her write her best-selling series “The Inheritance Games.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
3 Juli 202450min
How noise pollution harms our health, with Arline Bronzaft, PhD
From roaring leaf blowers to screeching trains, the world is full of unwelcome noise – and researchers have found that noisy environments can take a real toll on people’s mental and physical health. Arline Bronzaft, PhD, talks about how noise affects health and well-being, how it can harm kids’ learning, why it’s not just a problem in big cities, and the most unusual noise complaints she’s heard in her five decades of advocacy combating noise pollution. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
26 Juni 202438min
Mental health in a warming world, with Kim Meidenbauer, PhD, and Amruta Nori-Sarma, PhD
Last year -- 2023 -- was the world’s warmest on record, and 2024 could bring another record-shattering summer. Psychologist Kim Meidenbauer, PhD, and public health researcher Amruta Nori-Sarma, PhD, discuss how heat affects people’s mental health, emotions and even cognitive abilities; the link between heat, violence and aggression; who is most vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat; and what policy makers could be doing to mitigate its effects. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
19 Juni 202441min
