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Big Brains: Daily Summaries Delivered
by University of Chicago Podcast Network
Big Brains explores the groundbreaking research and discoveries that are changing our world. In each episode, we talk to leading experts and unpack their work in straightforward terms. Interesting conversations that cover a gamut of topics from how music affects our brains to what happens after we die.
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- 1 weeks ago34 min
How to Use Nature to Restore Your Focus, with Marc Berman
What if the secret to restoring your focus, improving your mental health, and even reducing crime rates wasn’t found in an app or a pill, but in a tree? In this episode, we speak with University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman, whose research on “soft fascination” and nature’s cognitive effects is reshaping how we think about everything from urban planning to depression treatment. From groundbreaking hospital studies to surprising results with plastic plants, Berman’s work uncovers the deep—and often invisible—power that natural environments hold over our minds and bodies. Whether you're a city planner, a parent, or just someone feeling mentally fatigued, this conversation may just change the way you think about a walk in the park. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- 3 weeks ago33 min
How to Raise Kids in the Age of AI, with Dana Suskind
As AI rapidly changes how we work, learn, and communicate, it also raises an urgent question: What does it mean to grow up in a world dominated by smart technology? From smart-baby monitors to stuffed animals embedded with LLMs, kids and parents are increasingly bombarded with AI everywhere they turn. According to Prof. Dana Suskind, a renowned surgeon and pediatrician at the University of Chicago, AI might be able to mimic language, logic, and creativity, but it cannot replace the deeply relational, responsive human interactions that are crucial to a child’s development. In her latest book, Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI, Suskind argues that the earliest years of life are more critical than ever—and that parents and caregivers cannot be replaced or outsourced in building a child's brain. Suskind explains how we can build a society that genuinely supports parents in raising the next generation, so that human connection does not become a “luxury good." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Jun 25, 202636 min
What Our Trash Problem Says About Our Culture, with Sarah Newman
Every day, we throw things away, only to be forgotten forever. But society didn’t always work in the same way. In this episode, we speak with University of Chicago scholar and anthropologist Sarah Newman to discuss her book, Unmaking Waste: New Histories of Old Things. An archaeologist by training, Newman discusses the history of trash across time—from the ancient Mayan civilization through today’s disposable culture. She argues that other societies valued objects much more deeply, reusing and recycling items in innovative ways. But will we ever return to this kind of zero-waste mentality? Newman argues that true sustainability requires a radical, systemic overhaul of how products are designed, valued and dismantled. She challenges us to look beyond the recycling bin and imagine a world where waste isn't just managed, but systematically unmade if we are to genuinely rethink our relationship with garbage and reshape our future. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Jun 11, 202637 min
How Websites Trick You Using ‘Dark Patterns’
Why does it seem so difficult to cancel an online subscription, delete an account, or opt out of data tracking? You might think it’s just bad luck or a confusing online interface, but more often than not, it’s by design. In this episode of Big Brains, we speak with Marshini Chetty, Professor in the University of Chicago’s Department of Computer Science. As a leading expert in human-computer interaction, Chetty reveals the science behind "dark patterns” online—the subtle, manipulative design choices woven into the apps and websites we use every day. We explore how these deceptive interfaces weaponize human psychology to keep us clicking, spending and sharing our data. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- May 28, 202639 min
Quantum Technology, Explained: A Big Brains Live Event
Quantum technology is at a pivotal moment. No longer the faraway dream of scientists, the field is rapidly developing across the world, fueled by major investments from governments, industry, and universities racing to lead its promising future. But what exactly is quantum technology? And how will it affect our lives today—and in the coming decades? A recent event at the University of Chicago, hosted by Big Brains in partnership with 1440, sought to demystify quantum, separate the hype from reality and explore how it could transform our daily lives. Three renowned scientists—Prof. David Awschalom, Fred Chong and Nadya Mason—discussed how UChicago was leading innovative research, in partnership with its affiliated labs Argonne and Fermilab, as well as other universities across the Midwest. They explained how quantum has the potential to revolutionize our world—from creating unhackable communications to supercharging quantum computers to detecting disease at the cellular level. They discussed the challenges as well as the opportunities, especially for the next generation of quantum engineers and scientists needed to make these dreams a reality. Follow Big Brains: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/big-brains-podcast/ X: https://x.com/BigBrainsUC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- May 14, 202638 min
Our Untapped Superpower: Connecting With Others, with Nicholas Epley
Follow Big Brains: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/big-brains-podcast/ X: https://x.com/BigBrainsUC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Apr 30, 202637 min
Why the Fed Matters Now More Than Ever, with Douglas Diamond
From setting interest rates to keeping inflation in check, the Federal Reserve sits at the center of some of the most important economic decisions shaping our daily lives. As the Fed prepares for new leadership, following the tenure of Jerome Powell, many are wondering: What’s next for the Fed, especially when it comes to their financial decisions and their independence? We spoke with Prof. Douglas Diamond, the Nobel Prize-winning economist of the University of Chicago, in order to explain the Fed’s crucial role in our financial system—and why it matters so much for our future. Renowned as one of the founders of modern banking theory, Diamond has conducted groundbreaking research on banking, particularly during financial crises. He described the lessons we can learn from past bank runs, including the 2023 collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and warns that we must remain on guard to help prevent the next financial crisis from happening. Follow Big Brains: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/big-brains-podcast/ X: https://x.com/BigBrainsUC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
- Apr 16, 202636 min
Anxious? Avoidant? How to Build More Secure Relationships
What if the way you relate to others isn’t fixed—but fundamentally changeable? In this episode, we speak with psychiatrist and neuroscientist Amir Levine, who is an Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center. He's the author of the best-selling book Attached, which examined how people’s attachment styles—from secure to anxious to avoidant. In his new book, Secure: The Revolutionary Guide to Creating a Secure Life, Levine argues that attachment styles aren’t lifelong labels but actually patterns the brain can relearn. He explores the emerging science of “earned security”—how relationships reshape our neural wiring, why some people feel safe under pressure while others spiral, and what it takes to move from insecurity to stability. Follow Big Brains: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/big-brains-podcast/ X: https://x.com/BigBrainsUC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
About Big Brains
Big Brains explores the groundbreaking research and discoveries that are changing our world. In each episode, we talk to leading experts and unpack their work in straightforward terms. Interesting conversations that cover a gamut of topics from how music affects our brains to what happens after we die.
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