Figuring It Out

A listener asks: do some people really have a photographic memory, or is something else going on? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science behind extraordinary memory, from artist Stephen Wiltshire’s ability to recreate incredibly detailed cityscapes to the rare phenomenon that allows some people to recall almost every day of their lives in remarkable d...

Why do some people have vivid memories from early childhood while others have almost none, and does that mean they have a better memory? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates get into how memory actually works, the 108-year-old neuroscientist behind one of the most important discoveries in memory research, and the landmark car crash experiment that showed how changing a...

Social media claims your brain is wired to help you manifest. Gratitude journals and positive mindsets are often presented as the science-backed alternative to vision boards, but is any of it actually the same thing? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates separate myth from fact as they explore the neuroscience behind manifestation, the difference between a positive mind...

If you think you're going to fail, are you more likely to? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of self-fulfilling prophecies, what the evidence actually shows, why the effects are weaker than many self-help books claim, and what a study of six-year-olds reveals about the surprising power of other people's expectations. Plus, Alex and Kathryn reflec...

Dua Lipa says headlining Glastonbury was on her dream board and even believes she manifested her husband. Millions of videos on TikTok are about manifestation, but does any of it actually work? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the psychology of manifestation, why a Cambridge professor calls it pseudoscience, and what the evidence on goal setting actually sh...

Does your life really flash before your eyes when you die? Are humans the only species that know they're going to die? And could we ever live forever? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates separate Myth, Fact and It's Complicated as they explore the science behind some of the biggest questions about death and dying, consciousness, immortality and what it means to be hum...

How do you find acceptance in grief and come to terms with the idea of your own death? Will we be able to live forever? In Part 2, Dr Alex George reflects on losing his brother to suicide and what finding acceptance has looked like for him. Alongside research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates, they explore the psychology of grief, bereavement, mortality and why thinking about death could actually change...

What happens in the brain when you die? Does your life really flash before your eyes? Do we get to relive our best experiences? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of near-death experiences, consciousness and the life review - from the tunnel of light to the latest research on brain activity in the moments after the heart stops. Together, they unpa...

Is social media really ruining our attention spans? In Part 3 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put some of the biggest claims about focus and distraction to the test in Myth, Fact or It's Complicated. Can you train yourself to focus? Is social media really to blame? And what does the evidence actually say? No lectures. No easy answers. Just two...

Why is it so much easier to focus on random things or a new hobby than an important deadline? In Part 2 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates answer a listener's dilemma about why our brains are drawn to distractions, what's really happening when we struggle to focus, and what the science says we can actually do about it. No lectures. No easy answer...

Do you feel like you can't concentrate the way you used to? In Part 1 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of attention, whether our attention spans have actually got shorter, and why modern life makes it feel harder than ever to concentrate. They also unpack one of the internet's biggest myths about attention and reveal what th...

Welcome to the Figuring It Out podcast with Dr Alex George and Dr Kathryn Bates. After four incredible years of The Stompcast , Dr Alex George is putting down his stomping boots to figure out life's biggest questions. Joining him is Dr Kathryn Bates, a research scientist at King's College London specialising in development and mental health. Together, they combine medicine and the latest research...

Where there's a will, there's a way. Therapy can change your personality. Dr Alex George and Dr Kathryn Bates put these common claims to the test in Part 3 of Myth, Fact or It's Complicated. No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.  We're not here to give medical advice, we’re just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If yo...

How do we know we’re making the right choice? Do we have free will over our choices or is it all predetermined? In Part 2, Alex and Kathryn work through a listener's dilemma about moving away for a new job and reflect on some of the biggest choices and failures in their own lives. No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.  We're not here to give medical...

How much of who we are is actually our choice? Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of how we come to be: are we a product of our experiences? Is our personality set in stone or does it change? No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.  Alex and Kathryn also reveal their personality test results. You can take the sa...

Are we only using 10% of our brains? Does déjà vu mean something is wrong with our brains? Can dreams predict the future? Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates figure out whether these common statements about the brain are Myth, Fact or It’s Complicated in Part 3.  No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.  We're not here to give m...

Is it intuition, anxiety or something else? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore why our brains sometimes convince us that something bad is about to happen. No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.  We're not here to give medical advice, we’re just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If...

Have you ever been somewhere new and felt completely certain you've been there before? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of déjà vu, why it feels so real and what our brains are actually doing when it happens. No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.  We're not here to give medical advice, we’re just...

Does heartbreak make you stronger? Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates work through Myth, Fact or It's Complicated on whether time heals all wounds, getting back on the dating scene, and whether you can actually be addicted to a person. We're not here to give medical advice, we’re just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns abo...

Why can't I stop thinking about my ex? Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates answer a listener's dilemma about still thinking about an ex more than a year after a breakup. They explore why our brains struggle to let go, whether it's normal to still miss someone, and what can actually help you move forward. We're not here to give medical advice, we’re just two friends exploring the...

Can heartbreak actually break your heart? Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of heartbreak, rejection and emotional pain. They explain why the brain processes heartbreak in similar ways to physical pain, what heartbreak does to your body, and what research says about recovering after a breakup. We're not here to give medical advice, we’re just two friends ex...

In the final part of Toddla's stomp with Alex, they discuss the habits, routines and mindset shifts that have helped Toddla build a healthier, happier life. He reflects on what changed after his ADHD diagnosis, his relationship with his wife Annie MacManus and their two children, and what true contentment looks like today. Order Alex’s latest book Am I Normal? - out now! Order Happy Habits - out n...

In part 2, Toddla T opens up to Dr Alex about how ADHD is his superpower and how during one of the most successful parts of his career, he was going through the darkest part of his life. After a lifetime of not understanding where his lack of focus was coming from, Toddla was diagnosed with ADHD in adulthood. You’ll hear T speak about his general anxiety disorder, known as GAD, the ADHD symptoms h...

Last week we shared the final ever episode of The Stompcast. Before we introduce what's coming next, we're revisiting one of the most important conversations Dr Alex has ever had. Looking back, this episode with Toddla T became a genuine turning point. It inspired Alex to seek an ADHD assessment, stop drinking alcohol, and ultimately changed the direction of his life. In part one, Toddla reflects...

TW: This episode contains reference to suicide and mental illness. In part three, Dr Alex George and his mother Jane explore how their family has learned to have open and honest conversations about mental health. They discuss the pressures of perfectionism, the importance of being vulnerable, and how to recognise the signs that someone may be struggling. Plus, Jane shares why learning to fail well...