Another violent act in America. Another man who committed it. Why do men in our society seem to always be the ones who carry out violent acts? Is it how we bring up boys? Or is there another influence – genes. I was lucky enough to get professor Steve Stewart-Williams, author of the book The Ape That Understood the Universe, … Read More
Ep 335: Conspiracy Theories – Why So Easy To Believe?
Why do some conspiracy theories seem to have so much evidence to support them? Well, that’s because if you look hard enough at any event, and you don’t have any particular theory before you start looking, you’re eventually going to find something. And you’ll probably think that thing is AMAZING. This is what careful thinkers and researchers have to learn: if … Read More
Ep 334: The Psychology of the Fantasticks
Have you seen the musical The Fantasticks? Not only does it have wonderful music but it also has pearls of wisdom. Oh yea, and gender issues. In this episode I talk about the psychology inside this great show. I also talk about how you know when something you read online is probably true (hint: if what you read is boring … Read More
Ep 333: Bible Codes, Anti-Vaccination Beliefs and the Look Elsewhere Effect
In this episode I talk about whether there really is a bible code, anti-vaccination beliefs and whether jellybeans cause acne. It’s all part of how we humans love to find patterns in the world and the amount of wiggle room we’re willing to give ourselves to find them. Too often we make the Look Elsewhere error. And not just of … Read More
Ep 332: How the Brain Lost Its Mind
Most of us have heard of Anton Mesmer and Jean Charcot. They were some of the first to dabble in the “mind cure” using hypnosis and the power of suggestion. But what role did syphilis play in the development of psychology? You’d be surprised. Join me and authors Dr. Allan Ropper and Brian David Burrell as we discuss their new … Read More
Ep 301: Hatred and Violence in America: It’s Not About Mental Illness
There are too many knee-jerk, brief (and incorrect) explanations for why the US is experiencing such a rise in hatred and violence. Claiming that violent perpetrators are “mentally ill” is wrong. We have research and we understand the dangerous path that some young men get involved in and which ultimately leads them to violence. The right answers are more subtle, … Read More
Ep 330: Trouble Sleeping? Psychologist Dr. Shelby Harris’ Approach to Treating Insomnia
I haven’t talked about sleep problems yet here on the Psych Files so I brought in the perfect person to talk to us about sleep and insomnia. Dr. Shelby Harris has written the Woman’s Guide to Overcoming Insomnia and I learned a lot about how Cognitive Behavioral therapy is applied to this specific problem. Dr. Harris also has some tips … Read More
Ep 329: Beauty and the Beast: Psychological Themes
Resources We are the Beast: On Toxic Masculinity and Social Responsibility in Disney’s Beauty and the BeastToxic Masculinity in “Beauty and the Beast”How to Fight Toxic MasculinityCats Do ScienceDog Spies
Ep 328: Authenticity – Is There a Hidden You?
Have you ever wondered if you’re really being true to some inner person of yours? Wondered if there isn’t someone else inside that you that you’re supposed to be actualizing? Guess what? Maybe not. What is authenticity anyway? That’s what we’ll explore in this episode, along with a discussion of some of the doubts being cast on the famous Stanford … Read More
Ep 327: The Team Behind Q – World’s First Genderless Digital Voice
In the last episode I talked about the potential downside to having most of our digital assistants speak to us using a female voice. “Q” – will give us an option. Here’s my interview with Emil Rasmussen, who will give you some of the background behind Q and his hopes for the future of Q. Resources Genderless Voice Twitter feedThe … Read More
