This chapter explores the connection between alcohol consumption, cognitive control, and creativity. It discusses studies showing that individuals with a moderate blood alcohol content perform better at lateral thinking tasks, shares anecdotes about alcohol's facilitation of creative discussions, and examines the impact of alcohol on group creativity.
Do we have alcohol to thank for civilization? The answer, according to Edward Slingerland’s new book, “Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization,” is a resounding yes. Edward, who’s a professor at the University of British Columbia and self-proclaimed “philosophical hedonist,” says that far from being an evolutionary fluke, our taste for alcohol is an evolutionary advantage — one that we’ve relied on for millennia to help us lead more social, creative, and pleasurable lives.
(This episode first aired in July 2021.)