The Curious Introvert

Meredith Hackwith Edwards
  • 4.8 (183)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Weekly

A weekly podcast covering societal taboos & cultural blind spots. Join host Meredith Hackwith Edwards as she deep dives with curiosity & nuance into philosophy, society & culture with expert guests. Episodes frequently feature philosophers, researchers, historians & journalists.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    Ep. 357: Nutritional Psychiatry? Stopping Symptoms Through Eating! [REMASTERED]

    What if your "chemical imbalance" was never actually in your brain — but on your plate?   Dr. Georgia Ede is a Harvard trained psychiatrist who began to experience a host of mystery symptoms in her 40s, including fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, and IBS.    When she got relief after experimenting with her diet, she began her path of nutritional studies & later became a nutritional psychiatrist. In this episode, she covers questionnaire collecting vs research, a warning about experimenting on yourself, chemical imbalances vs inflammation & 3 tests you can do at home.   This episode originally aired on July 8, 2024.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 251: FOOD ADDICTION: CHARACTER FLAW OR REAL DEPENDENCE? [REMASTERED]  Guest: https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/ https://twitter.com/GeorgiaEdeMD https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaEdeMd https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd/   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    1:31 Skeptical Psychiatrist's Turning Point 3:11 Why Nutrition Studies Lie 5:38 Rethinking Chemical Imbalances 7:10 Metabolic vs Nutritional Psychiatry 8:52 Two Diets, Two Goals 11:12 Testing Diets in Prisons? 12:04 How Fast Results Come 14:05 Special Forces Eat Keto 15:00 Is Inflammation to Blame? 18:14 Try 30 Carbs a Day 21:02 Self-Experimenting Without a Doctor 24:25 Test Your Insulin at Home 28:58 Does Red Dye Cause ADHD? 31:06 The Chocolate Craving Mystery 34:00 Inside Food Addiction Research 39:32 Escape the Glucose Rollercoaster 42:11 Her 90-Year-Old Mom's Keto Win 46:08 Hope Is on the Menu Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  2. Aug 10 ·  Video

    Ep. 356 If Aliens are Real, Why Does No One Care? [REMASTERED]

    What happened to ontological shock?   Michael Glawson, PhD, is a philosopher of science and technology with a background in theology. He’s also the host of the podcast Anomalous Review & the UAP Studies Podcast. In this video, we cover the public’s love affair with cryptids, why new information is unlikely to smash our world view, ancient aliens, data vs entertainment & how the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies collects data.   This episode originally aired on April 14, 2025.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 276: ARE ALIENS HUMANS FROM THE FUTURE? [REMASTERED] Guest: https://www.explorescu.org/podcast https://www.instagram.com/michaelglawson/ michaelglawson@me.com   https://www.facebook.com/michaelglawson  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmglawson/  https://x.com/MichaelGlawson   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:14 UFOs as "the cryptid we're bored with" 3:24 The double-talk that primed us 5:56 Diana Pasulka and denominations of belief 8:00 The "aliens are demons" camp 9:19 The Alien Resistance Christian group 10:28 Why nothing smashes a worldview 12:24 Michael's personal crisis moment 13:57 Inside the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies 15:16 MUFON, NUFORC, and the data problem 16:53 300 best cases and emerging patterns 19:44 The missing taxonomy for non-human intelligence 21:09 The career risk of studying this openly 23:04 Defending the "petty" reputation concern 25:38 Philosophy vs. data as competing lenses 28:12 Why doesn't the public care? 28:40 Could disclosure hurt our "galactic reputation"? 29:22 The nuclear weapons parallel 30:39 The game theory of disclosure 33:48 UAP apathy vs. religious apathy 35:27 Kahneman's fast and slow thinking 36:23 Economic survival crowds out big questions 37:35 Why the NJ drones felt different 38:23 Michael's anatomy of the NJ drone panic 40:33 The Iran mothership claim debunked 41:07 The germanium-68 "missing nuclear material" myth 42:45 Thousands of unexplained military incursions ignored 44:35 If you could interview an alien Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  3. Aug 3 ·  Video

    Ep. 355: Should We be Protected from Uninformed Voters? [REMASTERED]

    Should voters have to prove their competence? How do balance ethics & efficacy in the world of politics?   Dr. Jason Brennan is a Flanigan Family professor at Georgetown Business School who agrees that democracies outperform most historical alternatives, but suggests that some form of Epistocracy (meaning the rule of the knowledgeable) could be worth experimenting with. In other words, the more of an informed voter you are, the more weight your vote carries.    He covers why democracy may not be as bullet proof as we believe, what the practical applications of epistocracy could look like, education’s disappointing impact on informed voting & the right and wrong way to become a more informed voter.   This episode originally aired on April 15, 2024   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 136: VIRTUE SIGNALING. CAN WE MAKE IT STOP? NACHOS & NARCISSISM  Guest: https://a.co/d/3INKj7z   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    3:05 What is epistocracy? 7:25 Is a "statistically informed" vote really informed? 8:52 When IQ tests get weaponized 11:00 Let citizens write the test 12:52 Why civic education backfires 13:37 The forgetting curve of civics class 15:47 Voting as a collective action problem 19:38 Do you have a duty to vote? 22:05 Reproductive rights and the bottle-in-the-ocean problem 23:45 Lottocracy: voting by lottery 25:50 Should we vote on issues, not parties? 26:41 Politics as tribal signaling 28:55 Your brain on politics 29:41 More parties, less tribalism 30:50 Duverger's Law and the two-party trap 34:28 How the electoral college shapes campaigns 36:09 Finding trustworthy information Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  4. Jul 27 ·  Video

    Ep. 354: Is Your Cortisol Lying to You? Burnout, “Normal” Labs & Vagus Nerve

    What if the villain isn't high cortisol, but low? Does the idea of relaxing make you cringe?   Erin Kinney, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in helping type A patients use cortisol as a currency to generate energy, handle stress, heal, & perform. She is also the author of The Cortisol Cure: The Secret to Resetting Your Stress Response, Boosting Energy & Feeling Better Than Ever.   In this episode, she describes two patients with wacked out cortisol (is this YOU?), the relationship of burnout & cortisol, how to understand your HRV, if your fasting & exercise could be making your stress worse, when stress is GOOD, free tips to rebalance your stress hormones & how to find the right doctor to work with you   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 61: REDUCING STRESS THROUGH BREATHING: HACKS FOR THE NON-HIPPY  Guest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-kinney-show/id1547023817  https://a.co/d/06TmZ6hw  https://www.thekinneyclinic.com/about-dr-erin-kinney  https://www.instagram.com/TheKinneyClinic https://www.facebook.com/TheKinneyClinic   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    4:20 What your labs should say 6:58 The cortisol bank account 9:06 The real ideal numbers 11:34 Introvert vs extrovert stress 14:28 CGM spikes as a clue 16:10 What HRV is really telling you 23:51 Two muscles: stress and rest 25:21 Mold, trauma, and fight or flight 27:14 The 90/10 rule 31:15 Is burnout just low cortisol? 31:51 The top 3 culprits 37:29 Meditation and the off switch 39:31 The compressed vagus nerve 43:30 Why exercise isn't relaxing 44:30 Are you overtraining? 45:17 Fasting: his vs hers 47:22 Alcohol, weed, and your bank account 48:57 Free tips you can use today 53:24 Finding the right doctor Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  5. Jul 20 ·  Video

    Ep. 353: Recycling: Have We been SCAMMED?!

    Who convinced us that the fate of the world rests on our personal recycling habits? Does it even make a difference?   Melissa Valliant serves as the communications director at Beyond Plastics, a nationwide environmental advocacy group.   In this episode, Melissa shares how recycling isn't just imperfect, but a decades-old PR strategy engineered by the same fossil fuel, petrochemical, and consumer goods giants that profit from plastic production. You’ll hear the war origins of the plastics boom, who quietly bankrolled the Keep America Beautiful campaign & the logistical reasons that only 5-6% of everything you carefully sort actually makes it to recycling. She also covers the real bottom line on what will move the needle as well as how to keep your family healthy from the chemicals leaching from plastic.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 140: CAN HAIR SAVE THE WORLD? OIL, OTTERS & HAIR MATS  Guest: https://www.beyondplastics.org/act  https://a.co/d/00KBkQjw  https://www.instagram.com/beyondplastics/ https://www.facebook.com/beyondplasticsaction    Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:17 – Plastic's Wartime Origins 6:56 – Keep America Beautiful's Secret Founders 8:35 – Only 6% Actually Gets Recycled 11:48 – The Chasing Arrows Con 12:48 – The Gar-Barge That Woke Us Up 14:29 – Deconstructing a Recycling Religion 17:39 – Are Bottle Caps Recyclable 19:01 – Wish-Cycling and Corporate Gaslighting 21:11 – California's Plastic Bag Loophole 23:02 – When Companies Fake Caring 26:55 – Busting Starbucks' Recycling Claims 29:07 – Advanced Recycling Isn't Advanced 31:06 – Proving Environmental Racism 33:06 – Exxon Sued Over Recycling Lies 34:38 – Would Banning Plastic Backfire 38:18 – Industry-Funded Studies Exposed 42:56 – The Human Health Turn 45:24 – Kicking Plastic Out of Schools 46:37 – The Secret Fourth R 47:55 – Rotisserie Chickens and Leaching Heat 50:34 – Real Swaps for Your Kitchen 53:57 – How to Deprogram Yourself Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  6. Jul 13 ·  Video

    Ep. 352: Is Ambition Anti-Happiness? Former Facebook Employee Shares [REMASTERED]

    Paul Ollinger was one of Facebook’s first 250 employees. At age 42, he walked out with a pocket full of cash in what most would consider an ideal situation, but what he found instead left him wondering what’s next while he explored the relationship between money, happiness, work, and meaning.     In this episode, we discuss how wealth changes us, leaves us the same and why it even matters for the average middle class American as we explore the question.     This episode originally aired January 20, 2025.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 330: IS YOUR HAPPINESS BEING POLITICIZED [REMASTERED]?  Guest: https://words.paulollinger.com/  https://www.paulollinger.com/ https://www.paulollinger.com/podcast https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/ https://www.facebook.com/pmo https://x.com/Paul_ollinger   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:12 Walking away from silly money 4:17 Was it burnout or something deeper 5:44 Does ambition kill happiness 9:34 Why the top 1% work the longest hours 10:36 The Meritocracy Trap explained 16:26 The one question you get to answer 19:06 Everyone has a Facebook story 21:17 The Saturn SL2 and narcotic gratitude 24:37 Why it's hard to remember life is good 27:38 Still a grumpy f**k half the time 28:22 Why we count steps instead of love 29:26 Flow state and podcasting addiction 32:38 Vast wealth as an unnatural state 34:09 The 80% who can't cover a $1,000 bill 36:22 Does pursuing wealth also isolate you 39:44 Finding work you're curious about early 40:05 Mind time traveling to define happy 41:27 Six years of podcasting, honestly assessed 43:39 Final question: are you reasonably happy Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  7. Jul 6 ·  Video

    Ep. 351: Corruption in Healthcare: Industry Insider Exposes Commercial Incentives [REMASTERED]

    Why are Americans paying MORE for healthcare with WORSE results?   Dr. John Abramson was a family physician for 20 years who left his practice in 2002 to devote himself to researching the commercial takeover of medical knowledge. He has since served as an expert in medical litigation, served as a consultant to the FBI & US Dept of Justice & authored two books – Overdosed America & Sickening.    In this episode, he shares how the power of public conversation could be the key to sustainable change in the American medical system. He also explores why your doctor is a captured agent, answers the question, are Americans too lazy for healthy lifestyle changes?, the drug that that killed more Americans than the Vietnam War & the specific wording you’ll need at your next doctor’s appointment to help your doctor help you.   This episode originally aired June 3, 2024.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 204: ARE LOW FAT DIETS HEALTHY? HEART HEALTH & HECKLERS [REMASTERED]    Guest:  https://a.co/d/9cgu9Ci   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:56 A 9/11 every day: 1 million excess American deaths a year 6:42 The good news: 80-90% of your health is in your control 9:53 96% of medical research is about drugs, not health 11:53 The "Americans are just lazy" myth, debunked 13:42 A landmark study: lifestyle beat metformin at preventing diabetes 15:47 Why doctors default to the pill 16:09 Statins cut heart disease risk 20%. Lifestyle cuts it 80% 18:44 How to get real answers out of your doctor 21:14 Your doctor might know less about nutrition than you think 21:47 "A captured agent": why doctors trust bad information 23:42 The peer review system doesn't work like you think 25:45 Is medical research being ghostwritten? 27:01 The Vioxx case: 60,000 dead, nobody arrested 28:15 Inside Merck's cover-up email 36:07 Why the FDA won't stop the ad blitz 38:20 How to actually negotiate with your doctor 39:32 The real math behind whether you need a statin 41:24 What if being an informed patient gets you fired by your doctor? 45:31 Where to find Abramson's books, Overdosed America and Sickening Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

  8. Jun 29 ·  Video

    Ep. 350: Are We Rehabilitating Criminals … or Just Recycling Them?

    Does “tough on crime” actually work? Could Ban the Box policies backfire?   Jen Doleac, PhD, is Executive Vice President of Criminal Justice at Arnold Ventures, a philanthropy maximizing evidence based policy & minimizing injustice. She is an economist & the author of The Science of Second Chances who prefers the reliable lens of data over personal values & has a particular interest in how measurable data can give rise to positive societal change. In this episode, she breaks down when prison actually works versus when it just creates more prisoners & walks through how the minefield of rules in probation may not prevent new crime in the way we think. You’ll also hear the re-entry policies that worked vs flopped & the real life results from policies developed through data.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 195: ROUNDING UP SUSPICIOUS WOMEN? THE AMERICAN PLAN Guest: Book: https://a.co/d/0aZzqCMt  https://x.com/jenniferdoleac  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdoleac/  https://jenniferdoleac.com https://www.probablecausation.com/  Newsletter https://probablecausation.substack.com/ arnoldventures.org   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:44 Homicide is basically a coin flip 4:36 Probability vs. severity of punishment 5:56 The evidence against harsh sentencing 8:15 Are we confusing retribution with safety? 9:03 Digital crimes and the Undress Me app case 12:10 Policymakers blocking unfavorable research 14:47 "Tough on crime" politics vs. data 24:11 DNA profiles vs. 23andMe: what's actually stored 35:04 DUIs: breathalyzers and officer discretion 37:56 South Dakota's 24/7 Sobriety program 40:43 Re-entry: Ban the Box backfires 42:51 Hiring bias and insurance as a fix 45:06 Rehabilitation certificates work 47:24 Housing barriers and halfway house surprises 49:16 Mental health gaps post-release 50:14 Medicaid's inmate exclusion 52:14 Reentry waivers and continuity of care 54:43 Head Start, prevention, and crime 58:15 Lead poisoning and the serial-killer hypothesis 1:04:08 The four reasons we punish people 1:06:10 Book, podcast, and what's next for Jen Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  meredith@meredithforreal.com https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

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4.8
out of 5
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About

A weekly podcast covering societal taboos & cultural blind spots. Join host Meredith Hackwith Edwards as she deep dives with curiosity & nuance into philosophy, society & culture with expert guests. Episodes frequently feature philosophers, researchers, historians & journalists.

Information

  • Creator
    Meredith Hackwith Edwards
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    358
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Curious Introvert
  • Show Website
    The Curious Introvert

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