Robert Macfarlane of Cambridge University shares his extraordinary journey writing and researching his latest book “Is a River Alive?” and explains why a river can be viewed very much as a metaphor for life, always flowing, twisting, changing and adapting while at the same time providing sustenance for man and nature alike.
Laura Delano is the author of “UNSHRUNK: A Story of Psychiatric Treatment Resistance." As you’ll hear, Laura Delano speaks from first hand experience - diagnosed as a teenager with bipolar disorder, Delano shares her own struggles with mental illness, the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industry and the toll that treatment and medication took on her.
Laurie Santos talks about the power of a sabbatical, burn out, and her new online course titled: “The Science of Well-Being for Parents” —a direct result of discovering just how much pressure, stress and anxiety parents are under these days.
Ocean Vuong is a Vietnamese American poet, essayist, novelist and professor of modern poetry and poetics at New York University. Some of you may already be familiar with his best-selling debut novel, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous , which received a MacArthur “Genius” grant and was nominated for the National Book Award for Fiction in 2019. Vuong’s award-winning poetry collections include, Time Is a Mother (2022) and Night Sky with Exit Wounds (2016). His latest novel is “The Emperor of Gladness...
Pico Iyer, essayist and author of numerous books including “The Half Known Life:In Search of Paradise ” and most recently “Aflame: Learning from Silence,” reflects on the death of Pope Francis and highlights the extraordinary impact Pope Francis’s life had, despite Iyer’s non-Christian faith. Pope Francis’s humility, simplicity, and actions, Iyer says, which exemplified his teachings had and continue to have a great impacted over Iyer’s spiritual life. Paul Elie, religion scholar with the Berkle...
This week, economist and author of “ Wild Problems: A Guide to the Decisions That Define Us ,” Russ Roberts offers a different perspective and approach to tackling some of life’s biggest challenges and decisions. Revisit the complete episode of Life Examined with Russ Roberts which originally aired August 27th, 2022...
Rebecca Lemov , professor of the history of science at Harvard University and author of “The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-persuasion,” talks about the origins of brainwashing. The term ‘brainwashing,’ was first used to describe what happeded to American POW's during the Cold War in Korea. After enduring terrible conditions and indoctrination by their Chinese captors, 21 American prisoners of war refused to return home, believing that life in China and under communi...
This week, Michael Sandel , professor of political philosophy at Harvard University and author of “ The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good? ” addresses the myth of meritocracy - the idea that, if all chances in life were made equal, then people would advance based on merit and succeed as far as their talent and effort would take them. Less acknowledged, Sandel says, is the role of luck; family, teachers, neighbors, time and place in success. Shifting from a merit-based perspectiv...
Fred Luskin, director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, reflects on the nature of forgiveness and the value of letting go of grievances.
This week, Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer prize-winning reporter and author of Supercommunicators; How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection talks about why some people are just better at conversation and communication than others. Duhigg says conversations typically fall into three buckets; practical, emotional and social. Super communicators, Duhigg says, have the ability to listen for what kind of conversation is happening and are able to “match back.” The science behind this, as Duhigg expla...
Jillian Turecki, renowned couples coach, host of the podcast, ‘Jillian On Love.’ and author “It Begins With You: The 9 Hard Truths About Love That Will Change Your Life” unpacks some of the essential skills and habits needed to maintain long-term, healthy relationships. Turecki shares her own experience, marked by her husband's abandonment that prompted her obsession to find the essential ingredients that go into making a relationship work. Focusing on some of the little things that are fundamen...
This week, Robin Wall Kimmerer , Indigenous ecologist and author of “The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance,” talks about the virtues of the ‘gift economy,” and explains that gifting is instinctive in the natural world and has been the way of life with Indigenous cultures who have found that relying on each other is mutually beneficial. When one group or person shares their resources, they have the shared understanding that there is always reciprocity down the road....
Alex Hutchinson , award-winning journalist and author “ The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,” discusses the reasons behind human exploration. Hutchinson talks about the historical significance of human exploration and delves into the neuroscience and psychology behind why we are driven to test the limits of our abilities and to expand our knowledge. Hutchinson expands on the significant role dopamine plays in providing the fuel and desire ...
This week, Jennifer Senior , New York Times opinion writer and author “ All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox of Modern Parenthood,” discusses the impact of having children on life satisfaction and meaning. Citing the psychologist and behavioral economist Daniel Kahneman’ s work on the "experiencing self" versus the "remembering self," Senior says that while parenting can be exhausting in the moment, most often later on in life, the years raising kids are fondly remembered. While there’s no easy answe...
Lisa Damour, psychologist and author of “ The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” addresses some of the common perceptions and misconceptions around raising teens. Damour addresses the impact of social media and societal pressures on teen mental health and advocates for a balanced approach, acknowledging both the benefits and potential risks associated with digital engagement. Despite societal concerns about social media and mental health, Da...
This week, journalist and author of The Explorers Gene:Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map,” Alex Hutchinson tackles something athletes and sports enthusiasts think about all the time; how to break through physical barriers. Hutchinson suggests that athletic milestones, and he uses the example of Roger Bannister breaking the 4-minute mile, often have little to do with physical ability and skill, but what holds us back is a lack of belief....
Owen Flanagan , professor of philosophy and neurobiology at Duke University and author of “ What Is It Like to Be an Addict? Understanding Substance Abuse” reflects on his life as an alcoholic and explores the brain science and individual complexities behind why we become addicted. Flanagan addresses the role of the individual and agency and is critical of those who maintain that addiction is a disease of the brain. When it comes to treatment, Flanagan says community, compassion and love are key...
This week, polar scientist, explorer and author of “ Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers” Felicity Aston reflects on her experience of leading a failed North Pole expedition and the time it’s taken her to face and process that failure. Aston uses the example of the historical Scottish explorer David Livingston to show how much can be gained from time and perspective and to illustrate the challenge of balancing success and failure in e...
Polar scientist Felicity Aston reflects on her fascination with exploration; shares lessons on survival, risk, and adventure. Guest: Felicity Aston Polar scientist, first woman to ski solo across Antarctica and author of “ Life Lessons From Explorers: Learn how to weather life’s storms from history’s greatest explorers.” and “ Polar Exposure: An All-Women’s Expedition to the North Pole.”...
This week, psychologist and author of “ The Emotional Lives of Teenagers: Raising Connected, Capable, and Compassionate Adolescents,” Lisa Damour addresses one of the toughest challenges in parenting - communicating and connecting with teenage children. When it comes to exactly what that means, Damour suggests that parents typically see communicating with their teens as an opportunity to impose their ideas or agendas and that’s a mistake. What most kids want is to be able to share what they enjo...
David Whyte, poet and author of “ Consolations II: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words, ” reflects on the transformative power of the poetry and its ability to rekindle our emotions - from anguish and anxiety, to death, humor and joy. Whyte shares personal experiences, time spent in the Himalayas, and the vital role that humor, laughter and a daily blessing have on his life....
This week, writer and author of Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story, Leslie Jamison reflects on her childhood marriage fantasy and says when it comes to love and marriage we all want that perfect Hollywood ending. However all too often marriages don’t actually work like that but Jamison points out that even when the love is gone from a marriage - as she saw with her own parents, the mutual respect and friendship remained..and that too can be an equally wonderful gift....
Episode description: Jonathan Bastian talks with Tracy Dennis-Tiwary , professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at Hunter College , about the anxiety epidemic and her book “ Future Tense; Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) .” “Anxiety is a feature of being human,” Dennis-Tiwary says. “It’s not a bug, it's not a malfunction. We can learn and work through it.” Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the L...
This week, cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Yale University Lori Santos explains that negative emotions are very much part of the human experience and essential to leading a happy life. Leaning into these emotions and accepting them is better for us than trying to dismiss or suppress them.
Baratunde Thurston, comedian, writer and host of the TV series “America Outdoors,” on PBS reflects on life growing up in Mount Pleasant, Washington DC and how his mother instilled a passion for all things outdoors. Thurston explains why there’s such a misconception around the outdoors being a “white space,” the complex relationship Black people have to the land and the influence Indigenous communities had on teaching us how to live with one another and in harmony with nature....
This week, Kenneth Miller , writer and author of "Mapping the Dark; The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked The Mysteries of Sleep," offers a practical approach for insomniacs. Instead of investing in expensive gadgets, technology, pillows or pharmaceuticals, which can have the side effect of making us even more anxious, examine the root of your sleep problem. The key to getting a good night's rest may lie in simple and cost effective solutions- like regular sleep habits, exercise or reducing caff...
Ruha Benjamin, sociologist and professor of African American Studies at Princeton University discusses the concept of "us topia" as an alternative between dystopia and utopia, which accomodates shaping the future through collective agency. Benjamin says technology also can play a role in representing the public good and shares the example of Barcelona’s Decidim app which promotes democratic participation in city governance. Aaron Robertson, author and writer talks about the utopian ideal and how...
This week, Amir Levine , associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University and co-author of Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find—and Keep—Love , explains why people with secure attachment styles are not only more loving, trusting and easier to live with but why choosing to be around ‘secures’ can modulate our own behavior and help us in turn become more secure....
Lewis Cohen, a psychiatrist and dementia researcher and Jeff Zesiger, a hospice specialist, discuss the complexities of end-of-life decisions for dementia patients. Cohen, talks about the subject of his book “ Winter’s End: Dementia and Dying Well,” Dan Winter who decided to end his life at 61 due to early-onset dementia. Zesiger highlights the challenges of making end-of-life choices with dementia, noting the conundrum in that the six month requirement for medical aid in dying does not apply. D...
This week, Kelsey Johnson , astronomer and author of Into the Unknown:The Quest to Understand the Mysteries of the Cosmos talks about the Cosmos and the moral necessity of exploring existential questions about it’s and our existence. Johnson says nurturing our curiosity and cultivating a deeper connection with the stars in the night sky helps us gain a greater perspective of who we are and our place in the Cosmos. This episode of Life Examined with Kelsey Johnson was broadcast January 5th 2025 G...
