Inquiring Minds
Indre Viskontas
Each week we bring you a new, in-depth exploration of the space where science and society collide. We’re committed to the idea that making an effort to understand the world around you though science and critical thinking can benefit everyone—and lead to better decisions. We want to find out what’s true, what’s left to discover, and why it all matters.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 12, 2016 • 57min
121 Marah Hardt - Sex in the Sea
On this special Valentine’s Day episode we talk to marine biologist Marah Hardt about 8-foot long whale penises, shark ejaculation systems, vagina mazes, fish orgies, and all the other crazy sex-stuff happening in our oceans. She’s the author of Sex in the Sea: Our Intimate Connection with Sex-Changing Fish, Romantic Lobsters, Kinky Squid, and Other Salty Erotica of the Deep.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Feb 5, 2016 • 59min
120 Eric Weiner - The Geography of Genius
On the show this week we talk to bestselling author Eric Weiner about his latest book The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Jan 29, 2016 • 1h 10min
119 Kara Platoni - Hacking Human Perception
On the show this week we talk to science reporter Kara Platoni about her new book We Have the Technology: How Biohackers, Foodies, Physicians, and Scientists Are Transforming Human Perception, One Sense at a Time.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Jan 22, 2016 • 45min
118 Kim Cobb - The Evolution of El Niño
On the show this week we talk to climate scientist Kim Cobb about the science of El Niño and climate change—and how studying coral can help us understand both.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Jan 15, 2016 • 1h 6min
117 Douglas Fields - The Science of Rage and Why We Snap
On the show this week we talk to neurobiologist Douglas Fields about his new book Why We Snap: Understanding the Rage Circuit in Your Brain.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Jan 8, 2016 • 38min
116 Indre and Kishore’s 2016 Science Predictions
On the show this week Indre and Kishore share their predictions for what some of the big science stories of 2016 will be.http://patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Dec 18, 2015 • 1h 11min
115 Chris Ferguson - Violence in Video Games
On the show this week we return to the topic of violence in video games. We spoke to psychologist Chris Ferguson who offers a contrasting view on the subject.For more discussion, check out episodes 106 & 107.http://patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Dec 11, 2015 • 55min
114 Mark Schatzker - The Dorito Effect
On the show this week we talk to Mark Schatzker, author of The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth About Food and Flavor, “a lively and important argument from an award-winning journalist proving that the key to reversing America’s health crisis lies in the overlooked link between nutrition and flavor.”http://patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Dec 4, 2015 • 1h 7min
113 Robert Sapolsky - Being Human
Robert Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, and a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya. We talked to Sapolsky about what it means to be human, what we humans can learn from other species, and why he—despite being a self-described pessimist—feels optimistic about our prospects as a species. This week’s episode was recorded live in San Francisco for the 2015 Bay Area Science Festival and was produced in collaboration with The Leakey Foundation and their podcast Origin Stories.http://leakeyfoundation.org/http://leakeyfoundation.org/originstorieshttp://patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
Nov 27, 2015 • 57min
112 Ed Lu - The Real Threat of Asteroids
Ed Lu is a former astronaut and current CEO of the B612 Foundation. On the show this week we talked to him about the threat of asteroids hitting our planet—and what we can do about it.http://patreon.com/inquiringmindsSupport the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds
