Seize the Moment Podcast

On episode 94, we welcome cognitive neuroscientist Christian Jarrett to discuss what comprises a personality, the positive and negative traits according to The Big 5 Factor Model, how the environment affects one’s traits, why it’s important that one’s personality is still malleable in adulthood, the methods to increase positive traits and decrease negative ones like neuroticism, why it’s difficult to accept that personalities aren’t stable over time, how diseases can change personalities, and how black and white thinking can make us averse to the complexity of human cognition and behavior. A cognitive neuroscientist by training, Christian Jarrett is Deputy Editor of Psyche, a global digital magazine that illuminates the human condition: https://psyche.co. Christian has written about psychology and neuroscience for publications across the world, including BBC Future, WIRED, New York magazine, New Scientist, GQ Italia and The Guardian. He was the founding editor and creator of the British Psychological Society's Research Digest, presenter of their PsychCrunch podcast, and an award-winning journalist on The Psychologist magazine. His books include The Rough Guide to Psychology and Great Myths of The Brain. Today we’ll discussing his newest book, BE WHO YOU WANT: Unlocking The Science of Personality Change. Christian Jarrett | ► Website | https://psychologywriter.org.uk/ ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/Psych_Writer ► Books | https://www.amazon.com/Who-You-Want-Unlocking-Personality/dp/150117469X Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 93, Alen and Leon speak about how anxiety has held them back in the past, the difference between common episodic anxiety and anxiety disorders, performance anxiety and how they used the fear of disappointing each other to push past it and create the podcast, the ways they self-sabotaged in their relationships due to rejection anxieties, the winner effect and the importance of focusing on the smaller victories for continued success, utilizing rational thinking to manage anxiety, the anxious temperament and inherent inability to completely overcome one's anxiety, and why people struggling with anxiety aren't necessarily abnormal. Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 92, Alen and Leon discuss the book The Scout Mindset by Julia Galef, focusing on how to cultivate an open-mind, the benefits and pitfalls of self-deception, holding your identity loosely, the right ways to interpret critical feedback, how to develop short-term rewards for long-term goals, the importance of feeling pride for the person you're becoming, Darwin's dual theory of natural selection and sexual selection and admitting that he was wrong about evolution, Alen's journey from defensiveness and suspicion to learning how to consider alternative perspectives, Leon's intellectual overconfidence as indicated by the results of an objective, certainty and validity test, and why the scout mindset is a continual process rather than a destination. The Scout Mindset | ► Website/Book Link | https://juliagalef.com/ Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 91, we welcome author Michael Shermer to discuss why and how humans come to believe in anything, our difficulty with understanding randomness and how it contributes to the belief in improbable conspiracy theories, the harms of cancel culture, combating misinformation and bad arguments with better ones, why we should become better public speakers instead of silencing opposing views, using Socratic questioning rather than argumentation to increase the chance of altering a belief, the Jordan Peterson controversy regarding pronoun use, and Leon’s clinical practice. Michael Shermer is a science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and Editor in Chief of its magazine Skeptic, which is largely devoted to investigating pseudoscientific and supernatural claims. He has written many books, the latest of which is called Giving the Devil his Due: Reflections of a Scientific Humanist and he’s the host of the largely popular podcast, The Michael Shermer Show.  Michael Shermer | ► Podcast | https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/ ► Website | https://michaelshermer.com/ ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/michaelshermer ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/michaelshermer1/?hl=en ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/Michael.Brant.Shermer ► Books | https://michaelshermer.com/giving-the-devil-his-due/ Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 90, we welcome author Mohamedou Ould Slahi to recount his imprisonment in Guantanamo Bay and discuss black and white thinking in the American narrative of the good guys vs. the bad guys, why he still loves Americans and can see the good in them, America’s descent into fascism, the importance of applying the rule of law to both American and foreign citizens, the role of dehumanization in sadism and torture, defeating racial stereotypes, why he chose to forgive the American agents and guards who tormented him for 20 years, working on the biographical  film The Mauritanian, and what he learned about the meaning of life from his harrowing experience. Mohamedou Ould Slahi is a Mauritanian man who was detained at Guantánamo Bay detention camp without charge from 2002 until his release on October 17, 2016. Slahi wrote a memoir in 2005 while imprisoned, which the U.S. government declassified in 2012. His memoir, titled Guantanomo Diary, was later published in 2015 and the new movie, The Mauritanian, which is out now, is based on the events of that time, his memoir and his experience. Mohamedou Ould Slahi | ► IMDB | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4761112/ ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/MohamedouOuld ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/mohamedououldsalahi ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100013967859228 ► Amazon| https://www.amazon.com/Mauritanian-originally-published-Guant%C3%A1namo-Diary/dp/0316282545 Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 89, we welcome science fiction writer Christopher Mark Rose on to discuss his new story: God on a Bad Night, artificial intelligence and how it can change our relationships, the flaws of the multiverse interpretation of quantum physics, the ethical questions of creating new universes, how science fiction provides a platform for spreading philosophical ideas, and whether or not it matters if we’re living in a simulation. Christopher Mark Rose is an author and owner of the blog curiousful. He works at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab, and is a member of the Baltimore Science Fiction Society. He writes mainly about speculative fiction and wrote a story in the book Philosophy Through Science Fiction Stories titled God on a Bad Night.  Christopher Mark Rose | ► Blog | https://curiousful.wordpress.com/about/ ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/cchrisrose ► Amazon| https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QZ97R5T/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 88, Alen and Leon talk about their favorite podcasts. They discuss what podcasts they listen to for inspiration, to laugh, and to learn. Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 87, we welcome environmental lawyer and activist Robert Bilott to discuss the widespread prevalence and health effects of forever chemicals (including cancer and autoimmune disorders), his decades-long legal war with the DuPont chemical company over their decisions to dump chemical waste into the environment, Wilbur Tennant and the beginnings of Robert’s investigation into DuPont’s coverup of their scientific inquiries into the hazardous effects of these chemicals, why politicians and judges struggle with the science of their effects, the difference between scientific evidence and the legal conception of burden of proof, what average people can do in order to reduce the spread of forever chemicals, working on the film Dark Waters and having Mark Ruffalo play Robert, and ways to improve public policy in regulating chemical companies. Robert Bilott is an American environmental attorney from Cincinnati, Ohio. Bilott is known for the lawsuits against DuPont on behalf of plaintiffs from West Virginia. Bilott has spent more than twenty years litigating hazardous dumping of the chemicals perfluorooctanoic acid and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid. Robert’s book is called Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer's Twenty-Year Battle against DuPont. His story was then adapted into the critically acclaimed film, Dark Waters. Robert Bilott | ► Website | https://www.taftlaw.com/people/robert-a-bilott ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/robertbilott ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/robert.bilott/ ► IMDB | https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9071322/ ► Amazon | https://www.amazon.com/Exposure-Be-Confirmed/dp/1501172816 Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 86, we welcome Marc Mero to discuss how and why he became a motivational speaker, speaking to kids about suicidal thoughts and other important mental health related struggles, working with Stone Cold Steve Austin and learning from him, Dusty Rhodes’ mentorship and how he created the Johnny B. Badd character, overcoming drug addiction, the importance of a healthy mindset and gratitude for success, how living a life of service gives Marc incredible meaning, why fame is often a dead end, and how his relationships inspired him to become the man he is today. Marc Mero is an American retired professional amateur boxer and professional wrestler, as well as a motivational speaker. He’s also the author the author of the book, How to Be the Happiest Person on the Planet. Marc Mero | ► Website | https://www.marcmero.com/ ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/MarcMeroPage ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/MarcMero ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/marcmero Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment

On episode 85, we welcome writer Sofia Samatar to discuss her chapter in Philosophy Through Science-Fiction Stories titled “The New Book of the Dead,” our obsession with and love of Artificial Intelligence, the persistent human quest for immortality, the process of uploading human consciousness, what a techno-topian future would look like, whether we’d still be ourselves if we were disintegrated and teleported  to another world, how literature and technology unite but can also divide us, moving with the technological advances instead of resisting them, what life could look like if most of our jobs become automated, and the invariable link between philosophy and science-fiction. Sofia Samatar is the author of the novels A Stranger in Olondria and The Winged Histories, the short story collection, Tender, Monster Portraits, and The New Book Of The Dead featured in Philosophy Through Science Fiction Stories. Her work has won several awards, including the World Fantasy Award. She teaches African literature, Arabic literature, and speculative fiction at James Madison University.   | Sofia Samatar | ► Book | https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QZ97R5T/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 ► Website | http://www.sofiasamatar.com/ Where you can find us: | Seize The Moment Podcast | ► Website | https://o4lonlinenetwork.com/seizethemoment ► Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/SeizeTheMoment ► Twitter | https://twitter.com/seize_podcast  ► Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/seizethemoment