Today we welcome Dr. Antonio Damasio. He is an internationally recognized neuroscientist whose extensive research has shaped the understanding of neural systems and consciousness. With over a hundred journal articles and book chapters, he has earned many prestigious awards throughout his career. Currently, he serves as University Professor, the David Dornsife Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Philosophy, and director of the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California. His books Descartes’ Error, Looking for Spinoza, Self Comes to Mind, The Strange Order of Things, and Feeling & Knowing, have been published in translation and are taught in universities throughout the world. In this episode, I talk to Antonio Damasio about consciousness. People often think that the mind and consciousness are the same thing, but Dr. Damasio disputes this notion. He argues that it’s the complex relationship of both our brains and bodies that makes sentient thought possible. Homeostatic feelings like hunger and pain developed before emotions; and along with it came consciousness. We also touch on the topics of perception, mental illness, evolution, panpsychism, AI and machine learning.
The Psychology Podcast
Best of Series: On Human Nature and Human Progress || Noam Chomsky
Today it’s great to have the legendary Noam Chomsky on the podcast. Noam is a public intellectual, linguist, and political activist. He’s the author of many influential books, including Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, and his latest book with Robert Pollin called Climate Crisis and The Green New Deal: The Political Economy of Saving The Planet. Chomsky is also known for helping to initiate and sustain the cognitive revolution. He’s the Laureate Professor of Linguistics at The University of Arizona and Institute Professor Emeritus at MIT.
Best of Series: Where Does Greatness Come From? || David Epstein
Today we welcome David Epstein, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the bestseller The Sports Gene, both of which have been translated in more than 20 languages. His TED Talks on performance science have been viewed more than 11 million times. He has master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. In this episode, I talked to David Epstein about greatness. If there’s one thing we know for sure about greatness, it’s that there is no linear path to it. David and I discuss the complex relationship of talent and hard work in specific domains. Although there is no formula, we can both agree that persistent effort and fierce determination are necessary ingredients—but so is talent. We have a nuanced discussion of the dance between nature and nurture on the path to talent. It’s a very delicate dance. We also touch on the topics of self-actualization, creativity, fulfillment and moral greatness.
Best of Series: The New Science of Resilience || George Bonnano
This episode is part of The Psychology Podcast’s “Best of Series”, where we highlight some of the most exciting, enthralling, and enlightening episodes from our archives. Dr. George Bonanno is professor of psychology, chair of the department of counseling in clinical psychology, and director of the Loss, Trauma, and Emotion Lab at Teachers College Columbia […]
Best of Series: The Power of Passion and Perseverance || Angela Duckworth
Angela Duckworth, PhD, is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow and professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She has advised the White House, the World Bank, NBA and NFL teams, and Fortune 500 CEOs. More recently, she founded the Character Lab, a nonprofit whose mission is to advance the science and practice of character development […]
Best of Series: A Remarkable Life, Fast and Slow || Daniel Kahneman
This episode is part of The Psychology Podcast’s “Best of Series”, where we highlight some of the most exciting, enthralling, and enlightening episodes from our archives. Today it’s great to chat with Daniel Kahneman, one of the most influential psychologists of all time. Kahneman is known for his work on the psychology of judgment and […]
Best of Series: Surprising Truths about the Human Brain || Lisa Feldman Barrett
This episode is part of The Psychology Podcast’s “Best of Series”, where we highlight some of the most exciting, enthralling, and enlightening episodes from our archives. Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett is among the top one percent most cited scientists in the world for her revolutionary research in psychology and neuroscience. She is a University Distinguished […]
The Secret to a Happy Life || Robert Waldinger
Today we welcome Robert Waldinger to the podcast. Robert is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and Zen priest. He is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development. His TEDx talk on this subject has received nearly 44 million views, and is the 9th most […]
The New Science of Flow || Orin Davis
Today we welcome Orin Davis to the podcast. Orin Davis earned the first doctorate in positive psychology, and is a self-actualization engineer who enables people to do and be their best. As the Principal Investigator of the Quality of Life Laboratory, he conducts research on flow, creativity, hypnosis, and mentoring. Dr. Davis consults for companies […]
The Psychology of Secrets || Michael Slepian
Today we welcome Michael Slepian to the podcast. Michael is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia University. A recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, he is the leading expert on the psychology of secrets. He’s authored more than fifty articles on […]
The Power of Wonder || Monica Parker
Today we welcome Monica Parker to the podcast. Monica is the founder of global human analytics and change consultancy HATCH, whose clients include blue-chip companies such as LinkedIn, Google, Prudential, and LEGO. Her career has been nothing short of colorful, having been an opera singer, a museum exhibition designer, a policy director, a Chamber of […]
Life Without Free Will || Robert Sapolsky
Today we welcome Robert Sapolsky to the podcast. Robert is professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya. His research has been featured in the National Geographic documentary “Stress: Portrait of a Killer”. At age 30, Robert received the […]