Michael Varnum

Michael Varnum, an associate professor at Arizona State University, explores the groundbreaking use of AI to simulate ancient minds for social psychology studies. They discuss how feeding historical texts to chatbots can unlock insights about past cultures. Varnum highlights the impressive parallels between AI-generated data and real human responses, while also addressing potential biases in training datasets. The conversation dives into how diverse cultural perspectives can enhance AI's understanding of historical psychology, shedding light on underrepresented groups and their contributions.

In this fascinating discussion, Dr. Michael Varnum, an associate professor of social psychology at Arizona State University, explores the effects of 'season creep'—the shifting patterns of seasons due to climate change—on human behavior. He highlights how these changes may worsen conditions like Seasonal Affective Disorder and examine their impact on mood and social interactions. Varnum also delves into historical sleep patterns and suggests strategies for coping with seasonal mood fluctuations, emphasizing the interconnectedness of climate and psychology.