

Joshua Paul Dale, "Irresistible: How Cuteness Wired our Brains and Conquered the World" (Profile Books, 2023)
Feb 10, 2024
Dr. Joshua Paul Dale, author of 'Irresistible: How Cuteness Wired our Brains and Conquered the World,' explores the neuroscience, evolution, and cultural impact of cuteness. Topics covered include the origins of Japan's kawaii culture, the connection between cuteness and animal domestication, the influence of cuteness in Japanese and Western art, the evolution of the concept of childhood, the history of the word 'kawaii' in Japanese society, and the potential future of cuteness with robotics and AI.
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Introduction
00:00 • 2min
The Evolution and Cultural Impact of Cuteness
02:11 • 14min
Cuteness and its Influence on Japanese and Western Culture
16:12 • 5min
Changes in European Art and the Emergence of the Modern Idea of Childhood
20:43 • 5min
The Evolution of 'Quite' and Changing Ideas of Cuteness
25:45 • 4min
The Future of Cuteness
29:22 • 5min