The Nature & Nurture Podcast

Dr. Nicholas Christakis is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science at Yale University, where he directs the Human Nature Lab. Dr. Christakis is an MD-PhD physician and sociologist known for applying social network analysis to the study of public health and the evolutionary psychology of cooperation. He is the author of several books including Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society. In this episode Dr. Christakis and I discuss the methods of social network analysis, similarities and differences to game theory and population simulation research, and how cooperation and friendship co-evolved with social cognition. We discuss evolutionary explanations of modern day public health dilemmas including disease spread, obesity, loneliness, and internalizing disorders, as well as their development across the lifespan and cross-culturally. 

Dr. Mark Solms is a neuropsychologist, Professor at the University of Cape Town, and author of The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness.  In this episode, we discuss The Hidden Spring - core areas within the brainstem which are the root of all feeling and consciousness in all vertebrates - and pioneering discoveries from affective, cognitive, and computational neuroscience that bridge together to build this theory. We discuss connections to philosophy of mind, active inference and predictive processing theories of consciousness, the (im)plausibility of panpsychism, whether memory is necessary for consciousness, the difference between metacognition and consciousness, how brain damage influences consciousness, feeling, and decision-making, whether invertebrates or even single cellular life can learn and possess consciousness, and where cognitive neuroscience has gone astray in being overly reductionist and dismissive of the complexity of animal subjective experience. We also talk about core differences between basic emotion theory, which states that we evolved with core brain systems dedicated to innate qualitatively distinct emotions, and constructed emotion theory, which argues that all emotions are cognitive contextual interpretations of affective valence and arousal. Finally, we discuss Dr. Solms’ early research on dreams, the connection between dreams, memory consolidation, imagination, and problem-solving, and the history and legacy of psychoanalysis in shaping modern neuropsychology.

Dr. Jorge Morales is an Assistant Professor of Psychology and Philosophy at Northeastern University, where he directs the Subjectivity Lab. In this episode, we discuss Jorge’s research on the neuropsychology and philosophy of visual perception, introspection, and theory of mind as lenses through which to study consciousness. We discuss the neural and computational building blocks of perception, the evolution of self-awareness, consciousness in simple organisms, and the plausibility of panpsychism and other theories of consciousness. We also discuss brain damage and psychiatric illnesses, such as blindsight agnosia and schizophrenia hallucinations as windows into how our brain constructs or misconstructs the reality in front of us. Lastly, we discuss philosophical questions of ontology and epistemology: do objects really exist in the way that our mind perceives them?

Dr. Beatriz Luna is a Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, where she directs the Laboratory of Neurocognitive Development. Dr. Luna is an expert in adolescent brain development and the neurodevelopment of the dopamine reward system, and its interactions with inhibitory control to produce developmental changes in sensation seeking and risk-taking.  In this episode, we discuss Dr. Luna’s Driven Dual-Systems Model of adolescent-risk taking, adolescence as a sensitive period for neurocognitive development, and how the dopamine reward system changes with age and puberty. We discuss the role of hormones explaining sex differences in brain development, sensation seeking, and risk-taking, and their evolutionary origins and comparisons in other mammals. Lastly, we discuss translational implications of Dr. Luna’s work for understanding mental health, and findings from clinical endocrinology populations informing theories of how hormones influence brain development prenatally and during puberty. 

Dr. Robert Chavez is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Oregon, where he directs the Computational Social Neuroscience Lab. https://csnl.uoregon.edu/ In this episode, Rob and I discuss our shared background in cognitive science and statistics, our mutual interests in neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, social cognition, personality, behavioral genetics, artificial intelligence, and philosophy, and the divergence in research. Where my interests turned more developmental, Rob’s turned computational. We discuss Rob’s research using a variety of advanced neuroimaging analysis and machine learning techniques in order to understand individual differences in social cognitive traits, how to interpret diffusion MRI, white matter structure, and connectivity. We also discuss how evolutionary theory and animal research informs our understanding of social cognition, introspection, and consciousness, and speculate about these traits in artificially intelligent systems. 

Dr. Adriene Beltz is an Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan, where she directs the Methods, Sex Differences, and Development Lab.

Dr. Larry Young is the William P. Timmie Professor of Psychiatry at Emory School of Medicine, where he directs the Center for Translational Social Neuroscience and the Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition at Emory University. He is the author of The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction explores the latest discoveries of how brain chemistry influences all aspects of our relationships with others. Dr. Young’s research focuses on the role of oxytocin and vasopressin in mediating social bonding and sexual behavior across a wide range of species, with emphasis on understanding the evolution and neural circuit mechanisms underlying love, attachment, and social bonding in humans. 00:27 A Childhood Fascination with Animal Behavior 01:11 From Biochemistry to Behavioral Biology: A Scientist's Journey 02:14 Exploring the Sexual Behavior of Lizards 05:25 The Red Queen Hypothesis and Evolutionary Biology 08:02 Diving into Human Hormones and Brain Development 08:58 The Complex World of Gender and Sexuality in Nature 15:14 Unraveling the Mysteries of Love and Bonding in Voles 18:42 Oxytocin: The Hormone of Birth, Bonding, and Beyond 22:06 The Science of Touch and Social Connection 26:59 Understanding Love as a Form of Addiction 30:08 The Impact of Losing a Partner on Prairie Voles 31:56 Exploring Love and Addiction Through Oxytocin Studies 32:27 Debating Love: Chemical Reaction or More? 34:09 The Science of Attraction: Oxytocin's Role 37:01 Understanding Love and Bonding Across Species 41:28 The Intricacies of Sexual Behavior and Attraction 47:42 The Evolutionary Mechanisms of Mating and Bonding 59:41 Utilizing Science to Strengthen Relationships

Steve Rathjay is a Psychologist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Social Identity and Morality Lab of New York University. He is an expert in the psychology of social media use and one of the leaders of the Global Social Media Experiment, an international collaboration examining the causal impact of social media usage in 76 countries around the world. Dr. Rathje received his PhD from the University of Cambridge as a Gates Cambridge Scholar, and completed his undergraduate education in Psychology and Symbolic Systems at Stanford University. He has received numerous grants and awards for his research, and runs the science communication channel @stevepsychology with more than 1 million followers on TikTok. 00:07 Exploring Social Media's Impact on Political Polarization 02:15 The Paradox of Virality: Why Negative Content Spreads 10:17 Evolutionary Perspectives on Social Media Behavior 14:50 The Creator's Dilemma: Navigating Virality and Authenticity on TikTok 36:07 The Science of Clickbait: Understanding What Captivates Us 40:41 The Power of Podcasts: Fostering Connection in the Digital Age 42:39 Exploring Parasocial Relationships and Social Media Dynamics 46:06 The Impact of Negativity Bias and Climate Doomerism 51:46 Social Media's Role in Global Connectivity and Cultural Evolution 01:14:11 The Power of Inoculation Theory Against Misinformation 01:22:13 Navigating the Complex Landscape of Social Media Regulation 01:28:50 Concluding Thoughts on Social Media's Societal Impact

Dr. Rob Henderson is a Psychologist, Air Force Veteran, and author of Troubled: A Memoir of Foster Care, Family, and Social Class. Expanding on our past episode, in which we discuss luxury beliefs, social status, and classism at length, this time our discussion is much more personal. In this episode, Rob and I discuss formative experiences written in his memoir, the impacts of childhood poverty on health and future success, the importance of self-discipline, the politics of diversity and inclusion in academia, trickle-down meritocracy, and much more. 

Dr. Sergio Pellis is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge and one of the world’s leading experts in the neurobiology of play.  In this episode, we discuss how play behavior across mammals relies on the same neural reward circuitry, the evolutionary origins and benefits of play, and how hormones contribute to sex differences in aggression, sexual, and play behavior. We also discuss connections between play across species and empathy, its impact on the development of social skills in children, and the impacts of social isolation on brain and cognitive development.  00:15 The Neuroscience of Play: A Historical Perspective 04:01 The Evolutionary Purpose of Play 06:37 The Role of Reward Systems in Play 15:36 The Developmental Stages of Play in Animals 27:20 The Social Functions of Play 34:29 The Neurobiology of Play and Its Impact on Brain Development 35:54 The Impact of Play on Brain Development 36:41 Exploring Sex Differences in Play 37:49 The Role of Hormones in Play Behavior 39:20 The Influence of Rearing Environment on Play 39:40 The Shift in Play Tactics at Puberty 41:23 The Complexity of Sex Differences in Play 45:14 The Impact of Social Isolation on Brain Development 46:26 The Importance of Play for Both Sexes 50:11 The Influence of Play on Executive Functions 01:00:30 The Role of Pheromones in Social Interactions 01:08:15 The Impact of Play Deprivation on Brain Development 01:10:05 The Psychological Training Aspect of Play 01:11:08 The Empathy Developed Through Animal Research