Life Examined

Economist Russ Roberts discusses the challenges of using rationality when facing big life decisions. Entrepreneur Susannah Furr discusses navigating and thriving with uncertainty. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Jonathan Bastian talks with cultural psychologist Batja Gomes de Mesquita , author of “ Between Us: How Culture Creates Emotions ” who makes the case that emotions are not innate but are rather shaped but our surroundings and cultures, made as we live our lives together. Later, Rosalind Picard , founder and director of the Affective Computing research group at the MIT Media Lab , explains how adva...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Daniel Bergner, contributing writer for the New York Times, about his brother’s struggle with bipolar disorder and how the search for a better understanding inspired his latest book, “ The Mind and the Moon: My Brother’s Story, the Science of Our Brains, and the Search for Our Psyches .” “The propulsion of the book is just acknowledging and dealing with that family fear...

Ed Yong explores the hidden realms and senses of the animal kingdom. David Peña-Guzmán discusses the dream world of animals and what goes on when they sleep. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

In the wake of the pandemic, there is much to be done to restore human connectivity, but loneliness is hardly a new phenomena. Long periods of isolated living in an increasingly virtual world is taking a toll on our health.  Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Jonathan Bastian talks with philosopher Kieran Setiya , author of “Midlife: A Philosophical Guide”   about the meaning and feeling of hitting midlife and how philosophy helped provide answers to Setiya’s own anxieties and perceived failures. Later, Geoff Dyer, author of “The Last Days of Roger Federer And Other Endings” examines what it means to give up something you love and why last works and be...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Sam Knight , staff writer for the new Yorker, about his latest book, “ The Premonitions Bureau: A True Account of Death Foretold. ” Knight tells the true story of British psychiatrist John Barker, who after learning that several people had predicted the 1966 Aberfan disaster in Wales, became convinced that premonitions and the ability to see into the future were real. “...

On this week’s Life Examined, we’re teaming up with KCRW’s Bodies podcast . In “ Do Less Harm ,” the second episode of the new season, producer Hannah Harris Green travels to West Virginia, where despite government push back, activists are handing out clean needles and the opioid overdose medication Narcan. Host Jonathan Bastian talks with Green and Bodies creator and host Allison Behringer about...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Robert Macfarlane , fellow at Emmanuel College at Cambridge University , about his love of the mountains and his latest fascination with the subterranean world, which is the subject of his latest book, “ Underland: A Deep Time Journey .”  “I'm fascinated by where matter meets metaphor,” Macfarlane says. “The underworld is … this unbiddable, scarcely known, deep ground t...

Cathy O’Neil talks about the increase and profiteering in public shaming. Siva Vaidhyanathan asks whether shame is an effective tool against racism and to promote social justice. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Primatologist Frans de Waal examines the significance of biology and culture on gendered behavior, and neuroscientist Lise Eliot debunks the theory that the male and female brains are different. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Jonathan Bastian talks with Clive Wynne , psychologist and founder of the Canine Science Collaboratory at Arizona State University , about the science behind studying dogs and what makes them so unique. Wynne, also the author of “ Dog is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You ,” says that, “dogs, like ourselves, have a capacity, drive, and desire to have strong emotional bonds with members of other...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Tracy Dennis-Tiwary , professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Emotion Regulation Lab at Hunter College , about the anxiety epidemic and her book “ Future Tense; Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) .” “Anxiety is a feature of being human,” Dennis-Tiwary says. “It’s not a bug, it's not a malfunction. We can learn and work through it...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Steve Leder, the senior Rabbi of Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles about tragedy, grief, and the loss of a child in the aftermath of the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. Rabbi Leder also discusses his new book “ For You When I Am Gone: Twelve Essential Questions to Tell a Life Story ,” the legacy we leave behind when we die, and the writing of an “ethical will.” Delve...

For hundreds of years, doctors and scientists have grappled with  understanding schizophrenia. It’s a mysterious mental illness characterized by delusions, hallucinations, paranoia, and disorganized speech. Understanding what caused the condition remained rudimentary, and there was a period when therapists blamed parents, and especially mothers, for contributing to the condition. KCRW hears the he...

Jonathan Bastian talks with writer, lecturer, and author Susan Cain about the sweet joy of sadness. Cain, author of “ Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole ,” reflects on the touch of sweetness that comes from sadness and despair and shares how a greater acceptance of these emotions can be beneficial and even therapeutic. Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by j...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Florence Williams , science writer and author of “ Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey ,” about the pain that comes with a breakup and why it’s so hard to move on. Later, Sandra Langeslag , associate professor of psychological sciences at the University of Missouri-St. Louis and Aimee Lutkin , writer, performer, and the author of “ The Lonely Hunter: How Our S...

Jonathan Bastian talks with writer Johann Hari about our diminishing ability to focus. Hari, author of “ Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention — and How to Think Deeply Again ,” shares how our modern lifestyle, from phones and food to sleep and technology, is impacting our levels of concentration, with research showing that juggling from one task to another comes at a cost. Get full access to...

Psychedelic drugs can induce profound spiritual and mystical connections. We explore how these experiences positively impact mental health and the therapeutic value of ketamine. Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

History is full of examples of mortals unintentionally mistaken for gods. So why do we see godliness in others, and what if we had a divine counterpart within ourselves?  Get full access to Life Examined at lifeexamined.substack.com/subscribe

Jonathan Bastian talks with Meghan O’Rourke , writer, poet, and author of “ The Invisible Kingdom: Reimagining Chronic Illness ,” about her 11-year search to find out what was wrong with her. Later, David Agus , professor of medicine and CEO of the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine at the University of Southern California, explains autoimmune disease, long COVID, and what t...

KCRW’s Jonathan Bastian talks with behavioral scientist Leidy Klotz about his new book ‘ Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less .’ Klotz explains why we need to re-examine our human desire for more, more, more, and why it often prevents us from seeing the easier and more effective solutions. We also hear from Vanessa Patrick, professor of marketing at the University of Houston, on the art and lang...

Delve deeper into life, philosophy, and what makes us human by joining the Life Examined discussion group on Facebook . Jonathan Bastian talks with Laurie Santos , cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Yale University and host of “ The Happiness Lab ” podcast about her research into the science of happiness. Later, Will Davies , professor of political economy at Goldsmiths University...

Jonathan Bastian talks with George Makari , historian and author of “ Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia ,” about the origins of xenophobia and why people get gratification from hate. Later, Alexis Okeowo , staff writer at The New Yorker and author of “ A Moonless, Starless Sky ,” and Danish documentary filmmaker Simon Lereng Wilmont discuss the reality of refugee camps and children st...

Jonathan Bastian talks with Margaret MacMillan , historian and author of “ War: How Conflict Shaped Us ,” about how war has defined our lives and our culture. Later, Edward Tick , psychotherapist, poet and author of “ Warrior's Return: Restoring the Soul After War ,” and Rabbi Steve Leder speak about the invisible wounds of war, the feeling of helplessness in the presence of evil, and building res...