To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Hip-hop artist Dxtr Spits advocates for emotional openness among men, discussing his How Men Cry movement. Michael Trimble delves into the neuroscience behind why we cry, uncovering its evolutionary significance. Jen Plants explores the emotional resonance of crying in media, emphasizing how films and music can evoke tears. They collectively challenge societal norms around vulnerability, highlighting the necessity of embracing tears as a critical form of human expression and connection.

Pop music is a gazillion-dollar industry that churns out hits and creates celebrities. It seems like the definition of ephemeral – today’s chart topper is gone tomorrow. But pop music is a powerful vehicle for bringing people together, and fans - from K-pop to the #FreeBritney movement — have something to teach us about community and hope. Original Air Date: March 26, 2022 Interviews In This Hour: When we're disconnected, can we reconnect through K-pop? — From pop to punk: Shaping our musical identities — How a fan movement freed a pop star from her gilded cage Guests: Regina Kim, Kyla Nicole, Kelefa Sanneh, Samantha Stark Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

In 2020, Donald Trump won 84 percent of the white evangelical vote.). Lately, he’s been leaning even more deeply into the rhetoric of Christian nationalists. Who are they, and what’s their role in the evangelical church? We talk with some Southern Baptists today, whose views may surprise you. Original Air Date: March 09, 2024 Interviews In This Hour: The 'simmering violence' of Donald Trump and Christian nationalism — Examining the Role of Southern Baptist Women — Why One Black Pastor Left the Southern Baptists Guests: Jeff Sharlet, Beth Allison Barr, John Onwuchekwa Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Exploring the impact of colonization on Africa, focusing on unraveling cultural erasure and reclaiming identity. Discussions on decolonizing education, literature, and language. Interviews with experts on unlearning the colonial mindset and embracing African heritage. Reckoning with history, resistance through literature, and the struggle to publish in native languages. Insights on the paradox of studying English literature in a colonized world.

Explore the profound impact of dreams on self-discovery, relationships, and consciousness. Delve into dream symbolism, cross-cultural significance, and the spiritual dimensions of dreaming. Discover the intricacies of dreams, including creativity, acceptable conversation topics, and saving humanity with drool. Embrace nighttime creativity, insomnia for artistic pursuits, and the influence of artificial light on our perception of darkness.

Guest Roland, a pioneering psychedelic researcher, discusses how psilocybin can ease fears about dying and change our approach to the end of life. Topics include using psychedelics to ease anxiety in terminal illness, the terror and ecstasy of psychedelics, and personal experiences with psychedelics in confronting mortality.

The bond we share with dogs runs deep. The satisfaction of gentle head scratches or a round of playing fetch is simple and pure, but in other ways, the connection we have is truly unknowable. How do dogs make our lives better? How do they think? And how do we give them the lives they deserve? Original Air Date: February 05, 2022 Interviews In This Hour: Adventure, goofiness and trail snacks: Stories from the dog musher's journal — Getting inside the mind of a dog — Nothing makes losing a dog easy. But a bridge dog can help. — Joy and peace, high up on Dog Mountain Guests: Blair Braverman, Quince Mountain, Donna Haraway, Sarah Miller Further Reading: Pet Loss Resource Center: Resources for animal loss and grief Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Today we're bringing you a conversation from "Kelly Corrigan Wonders." As a podcaster, Kelly is a kindred spirit – curious, genuine, caring — and this conversation is from a series about one of TTBOOK’s own core values – intellectual humility.  It’s about the magic that happens when we stop trying to be right all the time. In this episode, Kelly talks with researcher and academic Daryl Van Tongeren about how we come to conclusions and what, if anything, can interrupt the creation of overconfident, under-researched, ironclad, and divisive by nature convictions. Daryl teaches at Hope College in Michigan and researches the social motivation for meaning and its relation to virtues and morals.

In the world of internet influencers and YouTube stars, it’s not enough to be ordinary anymore. You need to be special. But where did this craze for personal branding come from? Why are we so obsessed with ourselves? To understand this cult of the self, we need to go back to 19th century spiritual movements and the rise of the huckster — and also the myth of rugged individualism. But if we’re always shouting “Me me me,” what are we losing? What has it cost us? Original Air Date: February 03, 2024 Interviews In This Hour: If nobody sees you online, do you exist? — How personal branding became an American religion — Why rugged individualism is a dangerous myth — The philosophers who invented the modern self Guests: Angelo Bautista, Tara Isabella Burton, Alissa Quart, Andrea Wulf Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Neil Gaiman, a celebrated author known for his iconic fantasy tales, discusses the allure and pitfalls of escaping into fantasy worlds. He reflects on the impact of childhood experiences with Disney and how they shape adult perspectives. Gaiman examines the blurred lines between fantasy and reality, particularly in American culture, revealing the role of storytelling in addressing existential themes like death. He also highlights the transformative power of narrative in both personal and societal contexts.