The roots of rhythm
Why do we make music? Why do we love music? Well, you say, because it's in our nature. Our brains were sculpted over the course of evolution to delight in sonic sequences, to remember melodies, to rev...
1 Sep 20211h 4min
Babies, grandmas, and our most human capacities
Welcome back friends! Cue the kazoos and the champagne—after a short summer snooze, we're much revived and ready for a third season of Many Minds! I could not be more thrilled about the guest we have ...
18 Aug 20211h 5min
From the archive: Revising the Neanderthal Story
We're on summer break this week. Back in a couple weeks with the kick-off of Season 3! In the meanwhile, here's a favorite episode from our archives: a conversation with Dr. Rebecca Wragg Sykes about ...
4 Aug 20211h 18min
Mind everywhere
Preferences, decisions, goals. When you hear these words, you probably think of humans. Or, if not humans then maybe charismatic animals—you know, great apes, certain species of birds, maybe dogs. In ...
21 Juli 20211h 2min
Changing cultures, changing minds?
Public opinion can sometimes shift dramatically over time. Beliefs that were widely held a few decades ago may now seem antiquated or even repugnant. But what's driving these shifts? Is it individual ...
7 Juli 202143min
The scents of language
You've no doubt heard that—as humans—our sense of smell is, well, kind of pathetic. The idea goes all the way back to Aristotle, that we have advanced senses—especially sight and hearing—and then lowl...
23 Juni 20211h 14min
Is speciesism in our nature?
Let's say you're out on the open sea, having a leisurely sail, when you suddenly encounter not one but two sinking boats. One is a boat with two dogs in it; the other is a boat with a single human in ...
9 Juni 202131min
The puzzle of piloerection
Welcome back folks! We've got an audio essay for you this week. It touches on art, music, the skin, the spine, individual differences, vestigial responses, tiny muscles. There's even some Darwin throw...
26 Maj 202113min
