Inquiring Minds

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Social Brain with Dr. Bruce Miller

01 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this powerful episode of Inquiring Minds, host Indre Viskontas reconnects with her longtime mentor, Dr. Bruce L. Miller—one of the world’s fore...

Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's with Charles Piller

04 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Inquiring Minds, host Indre Viskontas speaks with investigative journalist Charles Piller about his explosive new book, Doctored: F...

Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground with Kurt Gray

21 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Inquiring Minds, host Indre Viskontas speaks with Kurt Gray, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of North ...

The Purpose Code: How To Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, and Leave A Lasting Legacy with Jordan Grumet

15 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the wake of the devastating fires in Los Angeles where people have lost their homes and all their worldly possessions and when many are questioning...

Journey to 2125: One Century, One Family, Rising to Challenges with Gary F. Bengier

17 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Inquiring Minds, host Adam Bristol sits down with Silicon Valley tech expert, philosopher, and acclaimed science fiction author Gar...

Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future with Vince Beiser

26 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Inquiring Minds,  Indre Viskontas sits down with award-winning journalist and author Vince Beiser to delve into the environmental,...

Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI with Ravi Bapna

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Indre sits to chat with co-author of "Thrive: Maximizing Well-Being in the Age of AI" and chair of business analytics at the University of Minnesota, ...

Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World with Peter Godfrey-Smith

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of Inquiring Minds, Indre Viskontas sits down with Peter Godfrey-Smith, Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the Universi...

Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves with Nicola Twilley

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that many apples sold in stores are nearly a year old by the time you get to buy them?Indre sits down once again to talk with science jou...

The Most Delicious Poison with Noah Whiteman

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Indre welcomes evolutionary biologist and UC Berkeley professor, Noah Whiteman unto the Inquiring Minds Show to delve into the world of nature’s tox...

Revealing the Secrets of Supercommunicators with Charles Duhigg

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this intriguing episode, Indre chats with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and renowned author of The Power of Habit and Smarter, Better, Faster, ...

“The Good Stuff” about Quanta and Fields with Sean Carroll

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Indre welcomes Sean Carroll, Homewood Professor of Natural Philosophy at Johns Hopkins University and host of the Mindscape podcast, back to Inquiring...

Understanding and Expanding Consciousness with Dr. Christof Koch

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In yet another thoroughly intriguing episode, Indre engages with renowned neuroscientist Christof Koch this week to explore the complexities of consci...

Are Flukes Actually the Norm?

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Indre examines the realm of randomness and its undeniable sway over our lives and the fabric of society, as she welcomes global politics luminary, Bri...

Capitalizing on The Neurodiversity Edge with Maureen Dunne

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Globally recognized neurodiversity expert, thought leader, and public policy professional and champion, Maureen Dunne, joins Indre today to discuss th...

Making the Mundane Magic with Dan Winters

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this latest installment of Inquiring Minds, Indre explores the intricate world of photography with the renowned Dan Winters, whose career spans the...

Why We Die with Venki Ramakrishnan

12 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Among his many achievements, the esteemed Venki Ramakrishnan has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth, served as the President of the Royal Society, and s...

“X”-amining the Battle for the Bird with Kurt Wagner

04 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Join Indre and guest Kurt Wagner, renowned business and technology journalist and author of Battle for the Bird: Jack Dorsey, Elon Musk, and the $44 B...

Revealing Why We Remember with Charan Ranganath

20 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome back to Inquiring Minds, where, after a brief hiatus, host Indre Viskontas returns withyet another memorable episode, this time featuring Char...

Don’t Panic, but Robert Sapolsky Says There’s No Free Will

18 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to Robert Sapolsky—MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery at Stanford—about his new...

The Science of Allergies and Why We Have Them

12 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to medical anthropologist and science writer Theresa MacPhail about her new book Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World....

Why It’s Important to Know What’s Actually in Your Clothes

26 Sep 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to journalist and sustainable fashion expert Alden Wicker about her book To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick—and How W...

How You Could Have Survived History’s Disasters

10 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to writer Cody Cassidy about his new book How to Survive History: How to Outrun a Tyrannosaurus, Escape Pompeii, Get Off the Titanic...

How to Stop Your Brain from Falling for Lies

21 Jul 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to psychologists Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris about their new book Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do Ab...

How Society Created “You”

22 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to social psychologist and Stanford professor Brian Lowery about his new book Selfless: The Social Creation of “You”. In it, he ...

The Science of Silo with Hugh Howey

02 Jun 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to Hugh Howey, author of the bestselling Silo series of books and executive producer of the new Apple TV+ series of the same name. ...

Improbable Experiments That Changed the World

18 May 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to accelerator physicist Suzie Sheehy about her most recent book The Matter of Everything: How Curiosity, Physics, and Improbable Ex...

The Perilous Combination of Brain Wave Data and Generative AI

18 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week we talk to Nita A. Farahany, distinguished professor of law and philosophy at Duke University and the founding director of the D...

Everything you need to know about that fusion breakthrough

04 Apr 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Last December, a team of scientists made history by creating a fusion reaction that—for the first time ever—gave off more energy that it took to s...

Art can make you live longer

22 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to pioneering art & science researcher Susan Magsamen along with vice president of design for hardware products at Google, Ivy Ross,...

Plants have been listening to us this whole time

10 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week, with guest co-host Majel Connery, we talk to author and researcher Karen Bakker about her new book The Sounds of Life: How Digital Technolo...

How is it possible that we can’t yet explain consciousness?

02 Mar 2023

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to neuroscientist and author Patrick House about his new book Nineteen Ways of Looking at Consciousness. The book explores the compl...

The Science of Why You Fall in Love With Music

24 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to cognitive neuroscientist and multi-platinum record producer Susan Rogers about her new book This Is What It Sounds Like: What the...

The Powerful Ways Secrets Shape Your Life

09 Dec 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to behavioral scientist Michael Slepian about secrets: keeping them, telling them, and the powerful ways in which they influence our...

The Psychology of Getting Conned

25 Nov 2022

Contributed by Lukas

The show this week features an interview with science writer Maria Konnikova about her book The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It . . . Every Time. ...

Understanding the Biggest Ideas in the Universe Without Being a Physicist

31 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome back theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll to talk about how his most recent book, The Biggest Ideas in the Universe...

The Overlooked Gifts of Visual Thinkers with Temple Grandin

19 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re joined by returning guest, animal behavior scientist, and autism rights advocate Temple Grandin to talk about her latest book Visual...

Up to Date | Nanoparticle toothbrushes and a promising Alzheimer's drug

10 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week: new research into using nanoparticles and programmable magnets to clean your teeth; a potentially breakthrough study on a drug for Alzheime...

These Numbers Explain the Nature of Reality

03 Oct 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to theoretical physicist and cosmologist Antonio Padilla about his new book Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest...

The Science of How Your Dog’s Brain Works

27 Sep 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to Alexandra Horowitz from the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College about her new book The Year of the Puppy: How Dogs Become Themse...

The Neuroscience of What Makes You You

10 Aug 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to cognitive neuroscientist Chantel Prat about her new book The Neuroscience of You: How Every Brain is Different and How to Underst...

What do animals dream about?

17 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we talk to philosopher and animal ethicist David Peña-Guzmán about his new book When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousne...

The Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion

05 Jul 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re joined by podcaster, journalist, and author David McRaney to discuss his latest book How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Bel...

The language of food, science, and critical thinking with J. Kenji López-Alt

29 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome back James Beard award winning food science writer J. Kenji López-Alt. He talks about growing up around science, studying archi...

Derek Gow Is Turning His Farm Into an Ark for Lost Species

01 Jun 2022

Contributed by Lukas

You might not be aware of it, but the UK is experiencing a wildlife crisis. Ecologist Derek Gow joins us this week to talk about what we ought to do a...

Wild but Delicate: What Hawks Can Teach Us About Nature, Life, and Love

24 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week we’re joined by naturalist, author, and returning guest Sy Montgomery. Throughout her career, Montgomery has repeatedly shown ...

Can Fish Count? What Animals Reveal About Our Uniquely Mathematical Minds

17 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week we’re joined by Brian Butterworth, emeritus professor of cognitive neuropsychology and author of the new book Can Fish Count? ...

The Science of Creativity and How It Can Help You

03 May 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you feel fear and be creative anyway? How is letting your mind wander key to coming up with, and following through on, creative ideas? Returnin...

The Misunderstood Nature of Pain with Haider Warraich

19 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How do you define how painful something is? On the show this week we welcome back physician, writer, and clinical researcher Haider Warraich to talk a...

The Untold Story of the Neuron with Benjamin Ehrlich

04 Apr 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week we’re joined by Benjamin Ehrlich, author of The Brain in Search of Itself: Santiago Ramón y Cajal and the Story of the Neuron. It’s a b...

Up to Date | Cell Adaptation, Creativity Measurement, and Visual Perception

17 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we examine a recent discovery that certain types of cancer cells may allow us to better understand how cells adapt to the intracellular env...

How to Make Use of Our Limited Time in This Tiny Part of Space with Sean Carroll

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

During the pandemic, one thing we’ve had a little more of--at least sometimes--is time. Time to panic and stress and worry, but also time to think a...

Why You Can’t Know What It’s Like for a Bat to Be a Bat with Jackie Higgins

25 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

We can never know what it’s like for a bat to be a bat. Or even if there is something that it is like for a bat to be a bat. But if there is somethi...

Exploring the Extended Mind with Annie Murphy Paul

17 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

One of the fascinating things about neuroscience is that it gives us something tangible to study in the biology of the brain that can tell us somethin...

Space Rocks, Star Stuff, and Tom Selleck's Mustache with Greg Brennecka

10 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

More than a hundred million people watched the Netflix movie Don’t Look Up, which focused on our fear that something could crash into our planet fro...

Defining and Treating Addiction with Carl Erik Fisher

28 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode, Indre revisits a topic that has been covered a couple of times on the podcast: addiction. This time, she’s joined by addic...

2021 Wrap-Up

28 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this last episode of 2021, Adam Bristol joins Indre to talk about the major highlights of 2021, one being the journey through COVID. They map out ...

The Evolution of Life and the ‘Dead Species Walking’ with Henry Gee

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The holidays are a time for storytelling, and what better story to re-experience than the greatest one of all: the history of the universe and life on...

Sizing Up the Notion of Tailoring Your Brain with Emily Willingham

13 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, Emily Willingham joins Indre to talk about tailoring the brain, a subject on which she’s an expert and about which she writes exten...

Updates from the Past and the Future

25 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In today's up to date episode, Adam Bristol is back to highlight three scientific papers that have caught his eye lately. The first two are about our ...

Inside the Race to the Coronavirus Vaccine with Brendan Borrell

15 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In early 2020, experts predicted the development of the COVID-19 vaccine would take 12 to 18 months. Fast forward to today and there are at least five...

Moving Your Way Through Cancer with Dr. Kathryn Schmitz

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The topic of cancer is one that has been addressed more than once before on Inquiring Minds, and today Indre visits it once again, this time looking a...

Making Sense of Self with Anil Seth

27 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Indre continues to pursue her fascination with the neural basis of consciousness in this week’s episode. In her never ending quest to understand how...

Up to Date | From the Microscopic to the Astronomic

21 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week, Adam Bristol introduces Florida’s controversial genetically modified mosquito pilot program, and then delves into the details...

A Matter of Life, Death, or Maybe Somewhere in Between with John and Lois Crowe

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We think of consistent water consumption as a necessary component for life… but then there are tardigrades. Adorable and tiny, tardigrades can survi...

The Sound Mind with Nina Kraus

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Nina Kraus, Ph.D., is a neuroscientist who has done groundbreaking research on sound and hearing for more than three decades. She's the Hugh Knowles P...

Managing Our Criminal Nature with Mary Roach

15 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Who among us hasn’t, at some point, wondered just what exactly a bear manager or a danger tree feller blaster does? Well, Mary Roach, America’s fu...

Unwrapping the Gifts of Good Anxiety with Wendy Suzuki

06 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Anxiety has become a staple of modern life, particularly over the past year and a half. It can be debilitating, but it is at its core a necessary comp...

Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science with Sam Kean

01 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we welcome back Sam Kean, the New York Times bestselling author whose previous books include The Bastard Brigade, Caesar's Last Breath, and ...

Investigating The Memory Thief with Lauren Aguirre

23 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Of all the side effects of opioid use that exist, one that is only recently starting to get the attention it deserves is that of becoming amnestic. Th...

How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes with Melinda Wenner Moyer

16 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

One side effect of the pandemic is that a lot of parents have spent more time than they were expecting to with their kids, and were sometimes left que...

Up to Date | Social Parrots; Empathetic Rodents; Microbiome Analyses

09 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we delve into a study with a citizen science element regarding the evolution of a social behavior in parrots, followed by a collaborative st...

Opening Up the World of Quarantine with Nicola Twilley

26 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the summer of 2019—before Covid-19 had emerged—author, researcher, and ‘Gastropod’ co-host Nicola Tilley and her husband and co-author Geof...

Building Up Your Mental Health Immunity with Andy Norman

19 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Among COVID-19’s many side effects are two that seem to be in direct conflict – on the one hand we’ve all become armchair epidemiologists, and o...

Generating the Element of Harmonic Surprise with David Rosen

12 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Over the years, music producers have tried to predict what audiences want to hear while at the same time advances in science and technology have taugh...

Thinking about Thinking about Yourself with Iris Berent

05 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What are your thoughts regarding the relationship between the mind and the brain? For that matter, what are your thoughts? Iris Berent has definitely ...

The Hidden Geometry of Information and Everything Else with Jordan Ellenberg

21 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

When was the last time you thought about geometry? Unless you're an architect or a kindergarten teacher, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinki...

‘The Untapped Science of Less’ with Leidy Klotz

14 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Joining Indre on the podcast today is University of Virginia Professor, Leidy Klotz. A former professional soccer player, Leidy has gone on to pursue ...

Mom Genes: Abigail Tucker on the Science of Motherhood

07 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We all know how babies are made, but science is only now exploring how mothers are. Abigail Tucker discusses her latest book, exploring the factors th...

Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Andy Weir, science fiction writer and author of The Martian, joins us to talk about his new book Project Hail Mary: A Novel.Support the show: https://...

The future artificial intelligence may lead to

14 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to writer and technologist Gary Bengier about AI and his new science fiction novel Unfettered Journey.Support the show: https://www.patreon.co...

What is the future of human work?

26 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to president and CEO of Lumina Foundation Jamie Merisotis about his new book Human Work in the Age of Smart Machines.Support the show: https:/...

A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to neuroscientist and computer pioneer Jeff Hawkins about his new book A Thousand Brains: A New Theory of Intelligence.Support the show: https...

Where did artificial intelligence come from?

08 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to New York Times reporter and author Cade Metz about his new book Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the Wo...

Up To Date | Aliens didn’t make Oumuamua, aphantasia, and baseball beer research

31 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: New research on the first known interstellar object in our solar system, A/2017 U1—or Oumuamua—suggesting it’s probably a chunk of a ...

What does it mean to be alive?

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to acclaimed science writer and return guest Carl Zimmer about his new book Life's Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive.Support the ...

Literature may be the most powerful technology we’ve invented

17 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week we talk to professor of story science Angus Fletcher about his new book Wonderworks: The 25 Most Powerful Inventions in the Hist...

Why almost everything we’ve been told about food is wrong

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the show this week we talk to professor of genetic epidemiology Tim Spector about his new book Spoon-Fed: Why almost everything we’ve been told a...

Up To Date | Paleogenetics, naps, and shocking your brain into remembering better

27 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week: We look at new paleogenetic research on mammoth molars; delve into the biological drive for napping; and talk about a surprising new study ...

A behavioral scientist explains dating

10 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to behavioral scientist and former lead researcher at Google's behavioral economics unit Logan Ury about her new book How to Not Die Alone: Th...

The science behind your voice

31 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Your voice is much more than just the medium by which your thoughts can be heard—it's as fundamental to who you are as your face or your fingerprint...

We need to rethink toilets

21 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to Jay Bhagwan from the International Water Association about his work reinventing how we think about sanitation.Support the show: https://www...

Up To Date | A look back at 2020, and what’s next for the podcast

07 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take a look back at some of our favorite episodes from 2020 and talk about what’s next for the podcast.Support the show: https://www.pa...

Five ways the universe might die

29 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to cosmologist and writer Katie Mack about her new book The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking).Support the show: https://www.patreo...

The Surprising Story of Medieval Science

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to historian of medieval science Seb Falk about his new book The Light Ages: The Surprising Story of Medieval Science.Support the show: https:...

The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton

03 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to journalist Kermit Pattison about his new book Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind.Support the show: ...

You’re full of bones. How do they work?

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to orthopedic surgeon Roy A. Meals about his new book Bones: Inside and Out.Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/inquiringminds Hosted by...

Thinking isn’t your brain’s most important job

19 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We talk to neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett about why the idea that you have a lizard brain and a rational brain is completely wrong, how you can f...

Up To Date | Moon water implications and new research on why you understand words

11 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week we explore the implications of there being much more water on the moon than we previously thought; a new study that looked at the possibilit...

Feed Drop: Cadence S3E1: The Music of Politics

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A special drop of the first episode of the new season of Indre’s other podcast, Cadence—which is about what music can tell us about our minds. Thi...