In celebration of Halloween I'm speaking with Mathias Clasen, a scholar of horror fiction and associate professor in literature and media at Aarhus University in Denmark. Clasen’s research integrates horror study with the natural and social sciences, in particular human behavioral biology and evolutionary and cognitive psychology. In this episode we talk about classic horror tales, why we love feeling scared, and the evolution of classic horror icons. This is the great conversation for those who love horror and those who are nervous to face their fears. If you're the latter, check out Mathias' newest book 'A Very Nervous Person's Guide to Horror Movies'.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here We Are

Recreational Fear w/Mathias Clasen

This week I talk with Nicholas Coles, A research scientist at Stanford University. Nicholas is an experimental psychologist who conducts research in affective science and the emerging field of meta-science. In affective science, Nicholas seeks to understand the social, cognitive, and physiological processes that underlie the conscious experience of emotion. In this episode we talk about what emotions are, cultural differences in emotional experience and why faking a smile is so exhausting. Plus we discuss multiple studies on embodied cognition.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Emotional Labor w/Nicholas Coles

Today I am speaking with Coltan Scrivner, who is a researcher at The University of Chicago in the Department of Comparative Human Development and a Fellow at the Institute for Mind and Biology. We talk about horror, anxiety, why some people enjoy scaring themselves for fun, and I take Coltan's Morbid Curiosity Test! Find out how morbidly curious you are! https://www.coltanscrivner.com/morbid-curiosity-test Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Morbid Curiosity w/Coltan Scrivner

Today I'm speaking with Adam Willcox from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville. His lab focuses on the human dimensions of biodiversity conservation, endangered species management, and protected areas management. Adam also serves with the Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture. We discuss changing social and environmental norms, the cost of meat consumption, conserving biodiversity, and how traveling can change your worldview. Explore Adam's research here! https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=0DlfX14AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Influencing Environmental Norms w/Adam Willcox

Today I'm speaking with Sean Doody, who studies reptiles and conservation biology theory! We talk about the evolution of reptiles, the difficulty with studying reptiles' bizarre, yet surprisingly active social lives, and what we could learn from lizards' unique limb regeneration abilities. Sean co-wrote the book "The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles" with Gordon M. Burghardt who was also recently on the show. You can check their book out here: https://amzn.to/3od8ZA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles w/Sean Doody

How much of our personality is bound to our genetic makeup, and how much can we actually change about ourselves? Is there any hope for the notoriously unconscientious personalities in the world? What can we learn about the evolutionary motivators built-in to our goal-directive behaviors? Dr. Colin DeYoung, associate professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, joins the show to discuss all of that and more. https://deyoung.psych.umn.edu/  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well-being and Personality

Emily Willingham joins me today to talk all about the evolutionary pressures that lead to the variety of penis designs we find in nature. Her new book, "Phallacy: Life Lessons from the Animal Penis" is available to purchase along with her other fascinating books on her website at http://www.emilywillinghamphd.com/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Phallacy w/Emily Willingham

Today I'm speaking with returning guest, Rob Brooks! Rob is a Scientia Professor of Evolution at the University of New South Wales. He studies human mating preferences how cutting edge technologies are manipulating our evolved human nature and impacting culture. We also talk about political polarization, status and inequality, the conflict between societal and biological influences, creativity, and his new book "Artificial Intimacy: Virtual Friends, Digital Lovers, and Algorithmic Matchmakers". Pre-order Rob's new book: Artificial Intimacy | Columbia University Press Follow Rob on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial Intimacy w/Rob Brooks

Marcy Souza is an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, College of Veterinary Medicine. We talk about the rapidly changing world of agriculture, zoonotic diseases of exotic animals, how to get people interested in epidemiology, the mislabeling and overuse of phrases such as "free range" and "organic", disease spillover, and tons more!  Marcy J. Souza: https://publichealth.utk.edu/people/msouza/ One Health Initiative: https://onehealth.tennessee.edu/ H.A.B.I.T. : https://habit.utk.edu/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Backyard Chickens w/Marcy Souza

Gordon Burghardt studies comparative behavior and psychology in animals. We talk about the evolution of 'play', anthropomorphism and anthrodenialism, thrill-seeking behavior, embodied cognition, and what he learned from raising bears! "The Secret Social Lives of Reptiles" https://amzn.to/3xlCrFH https://eeb.utk.edu/people/gordon-burghardt/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Science of Play | Gordon Burghardt

Science of Play w/Gordon Burghardt

Astrobiofuturist and designer, Billy Almon is joining me today! Billy is an inventor who aims to reach the next generation of inventors, designers, scientists and engineers and showing them how to design the future they wish to see. In addition to speaking and hosting workshops, Billy also co-hosts the “Little Giants” show on Animal Planet. We talk about biomimicry, circular economies, space farming, and how to get people more interested in science. Check out Billy's site to learn more: https://www.billyalmon.com/ https://www.instagram.com/billy_almon/ https://twitter.com/billy_almon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Biomimicry + Space

Today I'm speaking with one of my favorite Standup Science guests, Clive Wynne, Director of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University. We talk about the complex minds of dogs, the history of the human-to-dog relationship, and the unique hypersocial skills of domesticated dogs. Is the popular training style we often see on TV really the best way to have a mutually beneficial relationship with our best friends? What can we learn from dogs? Clive Wynne: https://twitter.com/caninecognition https://www.clivewynne.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dog is Love w/ Clive Wynne

Today I speak with returning guest, Athena Aktipis, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Human Generosity Project. We talk about how viruses can hijack behavior, the diversity of cancers, and what a real apocalypse could look like.  http://www.athenaaktipis.org/ Listen to Athena's podcast :https://www.zombified.org/ Read Athena's new book: https://amzn.to/3yXv8F4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Viruses + The Apocalypse

In this first ever 4-person episode of Here We Are, I get to geek out all about cicadas with Barrett Klein (who is a good friend of mine and very popular Here We Are guest), Joseph Yoon (Executive Director of Brooklyn Bugs), and Gene Kritsky (Entomologist and cicada expert). We discuss the origin of cicadas, the cultural aversion to eating insects in West, the interesting relationship cicadas have with prime numbers, and more! Barrett Klein: https://www.pupating.org/ https://www.uwlax.edu/profile/bklein/ Gene Kritsky's new book "Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition": https://amzn.to/3yygAMg Cicada Safari app: https://cicadasafari.org/ Joseph Yoon: https://www.brooklynbugs.com/ https://linktr.ee/brooklynbugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cicadas!

Join comedian Shane Mauss as he interviews science experts across the country in a journey to find out what makes us who we are.

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Here We Are

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