Keep Talking

Hemant Mehta is an author, a YouTuber, and an atheist activist. During our conversation, Hemant talks about his journey to atheism, the threat of Christian nationalism to secular society, and the atheist and secular movements. He also addresses the loss of community felt by those who leave religion, and the life and legacy of Daniel Dennett, including his work with The Clergy Project.------------Keep Talking SubstackRate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------00:00 Intro00:44 Hemant's personal and religious background07:05 Hemant's experience losing his religious belief08:47 Has Hemant's atheism changed him?11:37 What persuaded Hemant to become an atheist?14:56 Modern instances of religious overreach into secular society20:44 Hemant's definition of atheism23:00 What motivates Hemant's work30:57 Christian nationalism in America36:32 Reasons for optimism42:26 The loss of community as people leave religion47:05 Does Hemant have doubts about his atheist convictions?49:29 Who does Hemant go to for information? 55:56 Dan Dennett and The Clergy Project

D.J. Taylor is a novelist, a literary critic, and the author of two biographies of George Orwell: Orwell: The Life, and Orwell: The New Life. During our conversation, D.J. talks about Orwell's life, why Orwell's books, particularly his two on totalitarianism, Animal Farm and 1984, have endured so many years after his death, and the relevance of his ideas and insights to modern times.------------Keep Talking SubstackRate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------00:00 Intro00:34 Who was George Orwell?02:48 Why is Orwell so intriguing to D.J. Taylor?04:46 Orwell's relevance over the past 20 years08:06 How did Orwell capture totalitarianism so clearly?13:15 The totalitarian impulse in Orwell17:51 Orwell's commitment to his beliefs21:44 A power of facing unpleasant facts26:32 The void filled by the decline of religion30:00 What was Orwell for?34:43 Orwell's final years on Jura38:33 Criticisms of Orwell45:04 How would Orwell view modern times?51:52 Euphemism and Newspeak today54:28 Famous quotes from Orwell55:30 Why does Orwell endure?

Camilla Kring is an author, a global speaker, and is the founder of B-Society, an organization fighting for "chronotype equality." During our conversation, Camilla talks about night owls and morning birds, why humans have a wide spectrum of sleep cycles, our cultural bias towards early birds, the damage done to night owls who are asked to fit into a morning bird society, and how we might be able to provide greater time autonomy to people to live in accordance with their own rhythms.------------Camilla's org, B-SocietyKeep Talking SubstackRate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------00:00 Intro00:39 An "A person" vs "B person"02:40 Social jet lag of night owls04:15 Evolutionary reasons for night owls11:15 How society became biased against night owls15:30 Are night owls lazy?21:00 The range of preferred sleeping cycles in humans26:27 The guilt of and bias against night owls32:12 Advice for night owls who can't control their schedule36:10 How AM sunlight and light exposure helps people37:20 The importance of sleep43:16 Chronotypes and a quote from "Why We Sleep"48:44 Can night owls turn into morning birds?54:30 Is our society chronically sleep-deprived?58:23 How does a sane society approach sleep?

Sarah Everts is a science journalist, an associate professor at Carleton University, and the author of "The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration." During our conversation, Sarah talks about how sweating was an evolutionary superpower for humans, what sweat is, why some people sweat more than others, the history of the antiperspirant industry, and why we receive such psychological benefits from sauna exposure and exercise-induced sweating.------------Keep Talking SubstackRate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------00:00 Intro00:53 Sarah's interest in sweat02:23 Sweating as an evolutionary advantage13:11 Why do some people sweat more than others?19:32 Is being able to easily sweat a sign of health?24:33 Ethnic differences in sweating29:08 How advertising created the antiperspirant industry39:38 The benefits of heat and sweating51:48 Forcing your heart to exercise

Sherry Ning is an author and an essayist, whose Substack, "Pluripotent," has some of the best writing I've come across on human nature, purpose, and how to live. During our conversation, Shelly talks about creating one's own path, success, open-mindedness, beauty, nostalgia, spirituality, and religion.------------Keep Talking SubstackRate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------00:00 Intro00:34 A purpose to write2:35 Trait openness6:10 Real diversity is found in human personality8:35 Fame10:29 WEIRD people12:43 For happiness, ask: what will make me miserable?15:45 Success and going your own way26:34 Open-mindedness and particularity of taste34:04 Wildflowers: beauty and toughness39:50 The death of Sherry's father43:25 Nostalgia and good times49:47 What modern writer does Sherry enjoy?52:24 Sherry's religious and spiritual beliefs

Stuart Whatley is a writer, a Senior Editor at Project Syndicate, and the author of "Toward a Leisure Ethic," my favorite essay that I've read of the past few months. During our conversation, Stuart talks about the historic purpose of leisure and work, our culture's obsession with busyness and praise of toil, and the reason for striving towards a life of a leisure ethic: where one has control of one's time, one's energy, and where one works on projects for their own sake.------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------Rate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------00:00 Intro00:57 What has been a "leisure ethic" in history?03:51 Isn't extolling leisure a call for laziness?09:50 The role of work and leisure in history15:30 The shame of having an anti-work mentality20:30 A quote from "Toward a Leisure Ethic"26:48 A response to people who disagree with Stuart31:57 "Enough" and how to live a life well-lived40:05 How much we worked as hunter-gatherers43:22 We lack models for a "leisure ethic"48:10 Workaholism in America51:30 Derek Sivers, money hoarders, and insatiable desires55:00 A story from "The Psychology of Money" and how to use money

Matt Johnson is the Susan Hill Ward Professor of Psychedelics and Consciousness and a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. As stated on the Hopkins' website, Matt "is one of the world’s most published scientists on the human effects of psychedelics, and has conducted seminal research in the behavioral economics of drug use, addiction, and risk behavior."During our conversation, Matt talks about the resistance and skepticism he faced in attempting to study psychedelics for therapeutic purposes, herd mentality within academia, and the effectiveness of psychedelics in mitigating human suffering, specifically in cancer patient's end-of-life anxiety, treatment-resistant depression, nicotine addiction, and alcohol addiction. He also talks about the state of mental healthcare in America and the life and work of one of his colleagues, the late Roland Griffins.Matt has been a pioneer in the psychedelic renaissance, and I believe that his commitment to independent-thinking and freedom of thought, determination in the face of skepticism, and openness to being wrong can be a model for any ambitious person attempting to do original, important, and potentially world-changing work and research.

Rob Henderson is an Air Force Veteran, an alumnus of Yale and Cambridge, an essayist, and the author of "Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class." During our conversation, Rob talks about his early life, his experience in the American foster care system, and his unlikely journey out of the unstable and chaotic environment of his youth.Rob is one of my favorite thinkers, and it's damn near miraculous that this brilliant and prolific writer comes from the upbringing that he details in the book. Rob's memoir gives voice to a human experience that is largely invisible and unknown to the American credentialed class: abandonment by one's biological parents, an unstable home life with uncaring guardians, rampant drug abuse and early childhood violence, and a general environment of nihilism that pervades the formative years of life.Rob's arc gives him a unique perspective into American social class, what really matters in the development of children, and what our society should prioritize for childhood and adult well-being.Rob notes in the book that "in the U.S., 60% of boys in foster care are later incarcerated, while only 3% graduate from college." We are all fortunate that Rob is one of the lucky ones to escape the crucible of his upbringing, and to give testimony to the lived, troubled experiences of the voiceless millions who have had similar lives, right under our noses.------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------Rate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------(00:00) Intro(03:00) How the book came about(08:15) Rob's early life(18:42) The effect of instability and two quotes from "Troubled"(26:37) America's misguided "success" obsession with education and credentials(34:04) How to help kids in chaotic foster care or impoverished homes(42:29) Should parenthood be more rare?(53:49) How Rob knew he needed to enlist to change his life trajectory(01:02:58) Rob addressing rehab and his own trauma(01:16:04) Shame and rage and deliberately trying to change(01:22:10) Observations from Yale and luxury beliefs(01:37:18) Advice for kids with a similar background to Rob

Jon Dean is a postdoc research fellow at UCSD and received his PhD in molecular and integrative physiology at the University of Michigan, where he published a landmark 2019 study on DMT. During our conversation, we talk about how and why Jon became interested in DMT, the details of his 2019 study, Rick Strassman's 2001 book "DMT: The Spirit Molecule", and what Strassman found after giving nearly 400 doses of DMT to roughly five dozen volunteers.Jon is quick to note how little we understand about consciousness and the mind, and how our world is created in our brains. He discusses the bizarre, rather consistent details that many who take DMT report, and we speculate as to the role that this simple chemical might have in making what we call reality, along with the anecdotal stories of those who believe that its modulation can create a portal into another.------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------Rate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------00:00 Intro02:04 How Jon got interested in DMT 07:36 How a death of a friend influenced Jon's journey 11:00 The influence of Rick Strassman 12:29 Rick Strassman's work, detailed in "DMT: The Spirit Molecule" 20:11 Anecdotes from what happens to people who do DMT 24:41 How Jon attempts to get funding for a controversial subject 32:51 Jon's three main discoveries about DMT from his 2019 paper 41:54 DMT is the only psychedelic known to be produced by the human body 44:51 Quotes from Rick Strassman speculating about DMT 53:45 How Jon's research on DMT has changed his view on life and death 57:36 Jon's growing acceptance of death post-psychedelic use 59:03 The future of psychedelic research

Robin Dunbar is a professor, an evolutionary psychologist, and the author of many books, including "Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships." During our conversation, Robin talks about how and why he became interested in evolutionary psychology, what evolutionary psychology is, and its explanatory power.He also talks about human social dynamics, and our "circles of friendship." These concentric circles include the universal findings of how, on average, human numerically structure their social lives: intimate friends (1.5), close friends (5), best friends (15), good friends (50), friends (150), acquaintances (500), and known names (1,500). "Dunbar's number" of 150 is really just one of these tiers.Finally, Robin discusses why humans have friends, the "seven pillars of friendship," how people vet others for their appropriate tier early in friendship, and the loneliness people often experience when their "inner circles" are not robust and strong. The health and endorphin benefits of real friends, Robin notes, is often better than any therapy or medicine, and is free to all. I loved talking to this fascinating, friendly, and funny scholar, and hope to have him back on the show not too far down the road.------------Support via VenmoSupport on SubstackSupport on Patreon------------Rate on SpotifyRate on Apple PodcastsSocial media and all episodes------------00:00 Intro02:51 Why evolutionary psychology? 07:16 Rethinking evolutionary arguments to benefit genes. 15:43 Humanities are actually proper sciences applying evidence. 18:32 Evolution shapes behavior, but brain allows freedom. 26:07 Social groups crucial for primate survival. 29:47 Close friendships crucial for psychological and physical health. 37:16 Research found commonalities in social media posting. 42:27 Club membership based on beer, social interaction. 48:18 In hunter-gatherer societies, 150 descendants are common. 54:40 Friends book explores universal categories for human friendships. 58:41 Close friends can help you live longer.01:01:39 Building friendships