In this conversation, I speak with Indre Viskontas, a professor of psychology and a bridge between the worlds of art and neuroscience. We discuss the importance of creativity, the role of improvisation in opera, the impact of generative AI on creativity, and the connection between music and emotions. We also touch on the challenges of podcasting and the need for society to address climate change and prioritize mental health. Indre is an opera singer-turned-director who came of age during the decade of the brain. She’s always been pulled both by art and by science and has found ways to integrate the two in my work. She finished a Masters of Music degree in Voice Performance and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience and currently is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of San Francisco, with a cross-appointment at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Indre is passionate about communicating ideas to the public, by directing operas that illustrate the richness of the human experience, creating compelling lectures and podcasts about the brain, and conducting research on the neuroscience of creativity.

Shan Rizvi and Dr. Maryam Baqir discuss their new venture, Thumos Care, an AI-powered health optimization platform. They aim to bridge the gap between the healthcare industry and the wellness industry by providing individuals with a clear understanding of their current health status and future trajectory. The platform offers personalized health analysis and recommendations based on medical expertise and scientific evidence. The goal is to democratize good health and help individuals maximize their potential in all aspects of life. The conversation explores the potential of using AI and personalized health data to improve longevity and overall well-being. Shan and Maryam discuss the concept of ‘aging well’ and the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life. They highlight the role of technology, such as smart contact lenses and Neuralink, in enhancing human capabilities and optimizing health. The conversation also touches on the challenges faced in developing the Thumos Care platform and the need for creativity, determination, and self-confidence. The speakers outline their plans for marketing and improving the product in the coming months. Keywords: Thumos Care, AI-powered health optimization platform, healthcare industry, wellness industry, health analysis, personalized recommendations, preventive medicine, aging, comorbidities, scaling the unscalable, maximizing potential, AI, personalized health data, longevity, aging well, purpose, meaning, technology, smart contact lenses, Neuralink, challenges, creativity, determination, self-confidence, marketing, improvement Thumos Care is an AI-powered health optimization platform that provides individuals with a clear understanding of their current health status and future trajectory. The platform offers personalized health analysis and recommendations based on medical expertise and scientific evidence. The goal of Thumos Care is to democratize good health and help individuals maximize their potential in all aspects of life. By addressing root causes and focusing on preventive measures, individuals can improve their overall health and reduce the risk of comorbidities. AI and personalized health data have the potential to improve longevity and overall well-being. Finding purpose and meaning in life is crucial for aging well. Technology, such as smart contact lenses and Neuralink, can enhance human capabilities and optimize health. Developing the most care platform requires creativity, determination, and self-confidence. Marketing and continuous improvement are key to the success of the product.

On this episode of the show, I go over 8 takeaways from my completion of the 2024 LA Marathon. It was a wonderful race across the various cities of the Los Angeles area, and involved a lot of people in the race and a lot of people watching the race. All the festivity was great for everyone, and I did enjoy taking part for a first time. It ended in the city of Century City.

In this episode, author Bianca Bosker discusses her book ‘Get the Picture’ and her journey into the art world. She shares her frustration with art and her rediscovery of its importance in her life. Bosker explores the evolution and universality of art, highlighting its essential role in human experience. She also discusses the unique perspective of artists and their ability to see and experience the world differently. Bosker emphasizes the practicality and essentiality of art, challenging the notion that it is a luxury. She also explores the key players in the art world and the individual expression found in artworks. In this conversation, Bianca Bosker discusses the importance of engaging with work as if it were another living being. She encourages people to slow down and not feel the need to see and like everything. Bianca also emphasizes the value of noticing and appreciating the beauty in everyday life. She explores the concept of glitches and how they can lead to new forms of art and beauty. Bianca concludes by highlighting the transformative power of art and how it can help us live a more rich and meaningful life. Takeaways Art is an essential part of human experience, dating back to ancient times and serving as a universal form of communication. Artists have a unique perspective and ability to see and experience the world differently, allowing them to challenge our expectations and expand our understanding. Engaging with art can help us develop our visual literacy and see beyond our preconceived notions, leading to a more nuanced and enriched experience of the world. The art world is composed of various key players, including artists, gallerists, curators, and collectors, who shape our understanding and appreciation of art. Each artist brings their own individual expression and style to their work, creating a diverse and vibrant art landscape. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Alliterative Names 01:13 The Frustration with Art and Rediscovery 07:12 Artists’ Ability to See and Experience 09:57 Artists’ Unique Perspective and Linking Ideas 13:07 Art as a Glitch in Perception 20:04 Key Players in the Art World 25:29 Individual Expression in Art 29:28 Developing Relationships with Artworks 30:26 Engaging with Work as Another Living Being 33:06 The Importance of Slowing Down and Noticing 37:00 The Joy of Discovering New Perspectives 37:49 Expanding Our Perception of the World 43:56 The Celebration of Glitches and Unexpected Beauty 45:45 The Value and Misunderstanding of Beauty 53:13 Living Life Differently Through Art

Professor Cailin O’Connor is philosopher of biology and behavioral sciences, philosopher of science, and evolutionary game theorist.  She is a Professor in the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, and recently finished co-administering the NSF grant “Consensus, Democracy, and the Public Understanding of Science” with philosopher of physics James Owen Weatherall (previous NSF grant Social Dynamics and Diversity in Epistemic Communities). Their co-authored trade book The Misinformation Age was published with Yale University Press.  Her monograph The Origins of Unfairness was published in July 2019 by Oxford University Press, and her books Games in the Philosophy of Biology and Modeling Scientific Communities were published in the CUP elements series.  She also writes public philosophy.

Bo Winegard obtained a PhD in social psychology from Florida State University, under the tutelage of Roy Baumeister. He was a professor at a small college in the midwest. Now, he am an independent scholar. He is interested in human evolution, human variation, the rise of political order, and political conservatism. He also loves literature, film, sports, and mediocre detective fiction.  He hasve many peer-reviewed publications on motley topics and often writes for Quillette. He is currently working on the first of several books on human nature and political ideology.

“In this raw coming-of-age memoir, in the vein of The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace, The Other Wes Moore, and Someone Has Led This Child to Believe, Rob Henderson vividly recounts growing up in foster care, enlisting in the US Air Force, attending elite universities, and pioneering the concept of “luxury beliefs”—ideas and opinions that confer status on the upper class while inflicting costs on the less fortunate.Rob Henderson was born to a drug-addicted mother and a father he never met, ultimately shuttling between ten different foster homes in California. When he was adopted into a loving family, he hoped that life would finally be stable and safe. Divorce, tragedy, poverty, and violence marked his adolescent and teen years, propelling Henderson to join the military upon completing high school.An unflinching portrait of shattered families, desperation, and determination, Troubled recounts Henderson’s expectation-defying young life and juxtaposes his story with those of his friends who wound up incarcerated or killed. He retreads the steps and missteps he took to escape the drama and disorder of his youth. As he navigates the peaks and valleys of social class, Henderson finds that he remains on the outside looking in. His greatest achievements—a military career, an undergraduate education from Yale, a PhD from Cambridge—feel like hollow measures of success. He argues that stability at home is more important than external accomplishments, and he illustrates the ways the most privileged among us benefit from a set of social standards that actively harm the most vulnerable.”

Cecilie Traberg is a Psychology PhD Candidate at University of Cambridge in the Social Decision-Making Lab and a Storytelling Fellow at University Arts London studying how social influence, identity and interaction impacts our judgements, beliefs and behaviors. She currently focuses on how these social processes influence misinformation susceptibility and how we can increase resistance to persuasion. Her research is supported by the Harding Distinguished Postgraduate Scholarship and the Economic and Social Research Council. She uses a combination of methods (experimental, RCTs, behavioral games and interventions) and is particularly interested in methods that allow for measuring real social interaction between people in real time. She is currently a Visiting Scholar at Princeton University in the Collectives in Cognition Lab and will subsequently be a Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School with Prof. Amit Goldenberg. She is also a mum of two boys, Theodore and Atlas, who were born during her PhD and a violinist in a symphony orchestra.

Welcome attorney Karin Lang back to the show on episode 417, bringing back the in-person discussion after a year of her travels from 2022 to 2023. On this talk, we spoke about the countries that she explored in South America, some elements of dating and relationships that are impactful, her legal work defending victims of childhood sexual assault, and current and past happenings in the Middle East of worldwide importance. In her travels in South America, Karin experienced a variety of life, as she went through 11 countries in the recent trip. Going through these lands involved meeting a variety of people, having plans go out of order or change very rapidly, reaching difficulty to make things work or get places smoothly, and learning more of the local language along the way. We talk about some of the growth qualities that come from such a travel, and how she is different before and after the fact. We also spoke on some important elements of how a relationship can flourish, including a description of Karin’s parents’ story, which gives a good example of growing together from early on in life. This was followed up with discussion on her legal work, and then a discussion on recent happenings in the Middle East.

Imagination is commonly thought to be the special province of youth—the natural companion of free play and the unrestrained vistas of childhood. Then come the deadening routines and stifling regimentation of the adult world, dulling our imaginative powers. In fact, Andrew Shtulman argues, the opposite is true. Imagination is not something we inherit at birth, nor does it diminish with age. Instead, imagination grows as we do, through education and reflection. The science of cognitive development shows that young children are wired to be imitators. When confronted with novel challenges, they struggle to think outside the box, and their creativity is rigidly constrained by what they deem probable, typical, or normal. Of course, children love to “play pretend,” but they are far more likely to simulate real life than to invent fantasy worlds of their own. And they generally prefer the mundane and the tried-and-true to the fanciful or the whimsical. Children’s imaginations are not yet fully formed because they necessarily lack knowledge, and it is precisely knowledge of what is real that provides a foundation for contemplating what might be possible. The more we know, the farther our imaginations can roam. As Learning to Imagine demonstrates, the key to expanding the imagination is not forgetting what you know but learning something new. By building upon the examples of creative minds across diverse fields, from mathematics to religion, we can consciously develop our capacities for innovation and imagination at any age. Andrew Shtulman is an associate professor of psychology and cognitive science at Occidental, where he directs the Thinking Lab. His work has been featured in Scientific American, CBS News, and the New Yorker. He lives in Pasadena, California.