20 episodes
The Life Of The Mind by Steven Pinker This Is 42
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- Science
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4.8 • 20 Ratings
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Delve deep into the labyrinth of the human mind with Professor Steven Pinker as he demystifies the complexities of the human condition using the tools offered by cognitive psychology. Steven is a world-renowned Cognitive Psychologist, Linguist and Professor who has taught at Harvard, MIT & Stanford Universities, and has made it to Time Magazines’ 100 Most Influential People in the World Today. Calling Professor Pinker a Titan in his field would definitely be an understatement!
In this 20 chapter Videobook series, watch Professor Pinker hand you the key that will open your mind to the inner workings of the human psyche. Buckle up for a mind-bending journey into evolutionary psychology, the language of the brain and more..
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Enlightenment Now
In his latest and last episode of the series, Steven Pinker discusses his magisterial book, Enlightenment Now.
According to Steven, humanism, reason, and science—the three pillars of enlightenment, has historically fueled enormous advancement in virtually every facet of life and are our best hope for sustaining it in the future.
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The History of Violence: From the Stone Age to the Present Day
On the latest episode of ‘The Life Of The Mind’, Steven walks you through the evolution of violence and how its trajectory has changed over the past two millennia.
Steven also delves into good and bad aspects of human nature while also looking at how civil and societal progress have impacted the prevalence of violence.
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Why Do We Deny The Existence of Human Nature?
On the latest episode of ‘The Life Of The Mind’, Steven discusses his most controversial book, The Blank Slate, the fabric of which is human nature's moral, political and emotional colorings.
He also touches on the numerous aspects of human nature including fear, morality, and finding meaning in life.
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Nature Vs. Nurture: What’s more impactful
Since the Ancient Greeks discussed the origins of personality traits, the great debate of Nature vs. Nurture has been at the forefront of psychological debate.
In this episode, Steven discusses how genetics influences a person's personality and make-up as he debunks the fallacy that nurture has a greater influence on how we act.
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What Makes Music So Universal?
Steven Pinker explains the incredible role of music in cultures around the world in his latest episode, providing substantial evidence to say that music is the labyrinth that connects us all.
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What Evolution Reveals About Human Behavior
Needless to say that evolution is responsible for all of our physical and psychological characteristics.
In this episode, Steven delves into evolutionary psychology, the study of behavior, thought, and emotion viewed through the lens of evolutionary biology.
He talks about our own adaptabilities throughout evolution as well as how human behaviors are influenced by physical and psychological predispositions that helped human ancestors survive and reproduce.
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Customer Reviews
Tim Baca
I cannot say enough about Steven’s work.
I love all of it, and i think that his is one of the most important minds and voices to hear,
especially in times like these.
I will not recommend this podcast
along with all of his research.
I will INSIST that you listen 🙂
Love you Steven!
Keep this coming
Nice Introduction To Dr. Pinkers Work
I’ve read most of Dr. Pinker’s books and have enjoyed them. I’ve found that he takes the complexity of the human mind and describes its functions in a very layman way to think about it. This series takes snippets of his work and he provides concepts and examples that are easy to digest.
Great Info but…
Dr. Pinker,
I love you, your analysis, and your books (seriously all of them) but I have to say you are damaging your spotless brand with such poorly-executed monetization on this podcast. The money you make from them can’t possibly be worth the financial damage to your reputation.
Unsolicited advice: Record and release these simple podcasts mini-episodes commercial-FREE and use this as a promotional tool for your personal brand. You will make up the cost in added book sales and personal appearance fees. I promise.
Imagine a world where Charles Darwin permitted his publisher to put snake oil ads on every 10th page of reprints of The Origin of Species. That is the type of damage you are doing here.
This is intended as constructive criticism since I care deeply about your intellectual reputation.
Other than the embarrassing ads, I really enjoy the informal tone of this podcast. The content is wonderful.