Converging Dialogues

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Annie Wertz about her research on infant cognition and the interactions with plants. They discuss her background and how she came to study infant cognition and plants. They discuss infant development and cognition including object permanence, theory of mind, and various cognitive domains. They also talk about different types of plants such as toxic vs. non-toxic plants. They discuss the co-evolution of plants with humans and how infants can discriminate between edible and non-edible plants. They also discuss her PLANT experiment and the cross-cultural differences with infant cognition with plants.Annie Wertz is a research psychologist who researches infant cognition and infants’ interactions with plants. She has her bachelor’s in psychology from Boston University and PhD in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She completed her postdoc research at Yale University and is currently a lead researcher in the MPRG Naturalistic Social Cognition Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin. You can find her work here.      Twitter: @anniewertz Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jack Ashby about the wonderful mammals of Australia. They talk about the distinctions between monotremes, marsupials, and placentals and where they are located around the world. They mention the ways in which the rest of the world discusses Australian mammals. They describe the features of the platypus, along with their mating and reproduction characteristics. They also talk about the features of the echidna including the males four-headed penis. They talk about the features of marsupials and some of the reproductive features of Tasmanian Devils. They mention the extinct Australian animals and the recent discussion of some trying to "resurrect" the thylacine. They talk about working in tandem with various Indigenous people groups in Australia and how to best understand Australian mammals. Jack Ashby is a scientist and author. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. He has his PhD in Zoology from the University of Cambridge and was previously the museum manager at the Grant Museum of Zoology at University College London. He is a trustee of the Natural Sciences Collections Association, an Honorary Research Fellow in UCL Science and Technology Studies, and sits on the Council of the Society for the History of Natural History. He is the author of the latest book, Platypus Matters: The Extraordinary Story of Australian Mammals. You can find his work here. Twitter: @jackdashby Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Simon Morden about the natural history of Mars. They talk about the current data concerning Mars, origins of the universe and how Mars formed. They talk about the importance of the great dichotomy, features of Mars during the pre-Noachian period, and the 2 moons of Mars. They discuss the Noachian period and how water was on Mars. They talk about the change of climate and atmosphere in the Hesperian period, rust and how Mars became red, the Amazonian period, the difficulty of getting humans to Mars and many more topics.Simon Morden is a scientist and author. He has a bachelor’s in Geology and his PhD in Geophysics. He has spent much of his career writing science-fiction novels and has written over 10 novels and novellas. He has won the Philip K. Dick Award and been a judge for the Arthur C. Clarke Awards. He has returned to writing about the sciences with his latest book, The Red Planet: A Natural History of Mars. You can find him at his website.       Twitter: @comrademorden Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Vanessa Bohns about her research on influence. They define influence and how it has a reciprocal nature. They discuss who we are influenced by and what are the social norms for influence. They talk about why it is hard to make requests and hard to say no. They mention the negative aspects of influence, influence in dating and romantic relationships, the role of power with influence, and many other topics.Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. She has an undergraduate degree from Brown University and PhD in Psychology from Columbia University. She has previously taught at New York University’s Stern School of Business and University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Her work as been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. She is the author of her first book, You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters. You can find her work at her website. Twitter: @profbohns Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robert W. Merry about the life and presidency of William McKinley. They discuss the character and temperament of McKinley, his Ohio upbringing, impact of the Civil War, and why tariffs were a huge part of his policies. They talk about the brilliance of the 1896 election and his vision for his 1st term focusing on economic prosperity. They discuss the annexation of Hawaii, the Spanish-American war, and how he managed the Philippines acquisition. They also talk about why he ran for a 2nd term, impact of Theodore Roosevelt, trade reciprocity, assassination, and the unfinished legacy of McKinley.Robert W. Merry has an extensive background as a reporter, newsroom manager, and publishing CEO. He has both his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Journalism. Currently, he is the author of numerous books on American history and foreign policy. His book, President McKinley: Architect of the American Century is now available everywhere. You can find his work at his website. Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with William Deresiewicz about wokeness, academia, generational shifts, and the state of our culture. They talk about where one should place their energy and attention to events in society. They talk about how serious wokeness is and the misadventures of the extreme left in academia. They mention how society should progress towards balance, reforming/creating institutions, and the role of the internet and social media. They also talk about the various generational shifts and many more topics.William Deresiewicz is a writer, cultural critic, and speaker. He has published over 300 essays and reviews in places such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Harper’s. He has previously taught at English Yale University and Columbia University and is now a full-time writer. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, The End of Solitude: Selected Essays on Culture and Society. Find him at his website.                          Twitter: @wderesiewicz Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Troy Senik about the life and presidency of Grover Cleveland. They discuss how one defines a successful president and why this is important to consider when evaluating a presidential legacy. They talk about the philosophy and worldview in which Grover Cleveland governed, his temperament and contextual background, his absence from the civil war, and his time as mayor of Buffalo and governor of New York. They spend time discussing the case of Maria Halpin, his first term as president, his relationship with Frances Folsom, and his 2nd term as president along with what his legacy is as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Troy Senik is an author and former White House speechwriter. He has worked at various think tanks and has published many pieces in mainstream publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times. He is the co-founder of the digital media company, Kite & Key. He is the author of the book, A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland. Twitter: @troy_senik Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Geoffrey Cohen about the science around the concept of belonging. They discuss Kurt Lewin's work on social psychology, specifically on his idea of situation building and the importance of the environment. They talk about the individual vs. collective dichotomy, five vital resources, belonging uncertainty, and belonging with identity. They also discuss us vs. them, interpersonal dynamics and perception, the negative side of belonging and fundamental attribution error. They talk about stereotypes and biases and how to foster belonging in schools, workforce, and in society. Geoffrey Cohen is a social psychologist and James G. Marsh Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. He has a bachelors in psychology from Cornell University and PhD from Stanford University. His main research areas are the psychology of the self and belonging. He is the author of the new book, Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides. Visit his website here. Twitter: @geoffcohen Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Douglas Kenrick and David Lundberg-Kenrick about the evolutionary adaptations of the human body and brain. They discuss their pyramid of needs being rooted in evolution and juxtaposing it with Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They talk about evolution mismatches and tradeoffs and the values of behaviorism for adaptive change. They discuss tribalism, friendships, prestige/dominance, romantic relationships, family, and many other topics. Douglas Kenrick is a social psychologist and professor of psychology Arizona State University. His interests are evolutionary biology and cognitive science to understand social interactions, decision-making, and creativity. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent book, Solving Modern Problems with A Stone-Aged Brain. You can find his work here. Twitter: @douglastkenrickDavid Lundberg-Kenrick is the media outreach program manager at Arizona State University. He attended film school in New York and has an extensive background in multimedia education and working on various documentaries. He is the co-author of Solving Modern Problems with A stone-Aged Brain. Twitter: @lundbergkenrick Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Ed Hagen about evolution, mental disorders such as depression,  and suicidality. They begin talking about the power of evolution, providing a defense of evolutionary psychology and the evolutionary history of humans. They discuss the evolutionary model for mental health disorders, the clinical taxonomy of the DSM-5, and defining depression. They provide some criticism of the new prolonged grief disorder, discuss the epidemiological data on depression, and explain the evolutionary model for understanding postpartum depression. They also discuss suicidality and some of the cross-cultural elements of mental disorders. Ed Hagen is an anthropologist who specializes in conducting research on evolutionary medicine. He has his Bachelors in mathematics from UC Berkeley and his PhD in anthropology from UC Santa Barbara. His research takes an evolutionary approach to understanding non-infectious diseases, specifically mental health. He has researched depression, postpartum depression, suicide, and self-harm. You can find his research here.     Twitter: @ed_hagen Get full access to Converging Dialogues at convergingdialogues.substack.com/subscribe