Robert Sapolsky | Father-Offspring Interviews
Robert Sapolsky
133 episodes
Dr. Robert Sapolsky and his Offspring answer your questions, with topics ranging from his books to his time doing field work in Kenya, current research to current events, and lots more.
Episodes page 1 of 3
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Karl Deisseroth’s Nobel; Selfish Wealth | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 133 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses the work of Stanford’s Karl Deisseroth that earned him his recent Nobel Prize, as well as a deep dive into the research on whether wealthier people…
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Sperm Racing; Hemispherectomies | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 132 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include what hemispherectomies teach us about neuroplasticity, and the strange new “sport” that is sperm racing. Social & Websites Question…
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Cornell; Laughing Diseases; Hookworms | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 131 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of laughing diseases and similar “epidemics,” and the role that hookworms play in our immune systems, as well as touching on the case at…
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The Mystery of the Bladder; Falling Fertility Rates | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 130 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the worldwide falling fertility rates, and whether this is a concern for humankind, as well as the theories as to why we have this mysterious…
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Why We Yawn; Effects of Birth Order | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 129 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include how birth order actually influences personality, sexual orientation, and IQ (among other traits), and the leading theories on why we and other…
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How We Measure Time; Baboon Operas | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 128 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include how our brains measure time, and when they fail to, and the Shakespearean opera all about baboons. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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The Lindsay Clancy Case | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 127 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode focuses on the Lindsay Clancy trial, discussing both the scientific and legal aspects of it and their interaction, and how this could be a landmark case for…
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Gut Microbiome; Shame vs Guilt; Your Comments | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 126 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include if the gut microbiome can affect the brain, especially when it comes to psychiatric disorders, and the difference between shame and guilt-based…
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Giraffe Math; Introversion/Extroversion Neuroscience | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 125 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of some of the supposed neurobiological differences between introversion and extroversion and why they may be inaccurate, and the recent…
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Pseudoscience and Conspiracy Theories; No Mosquitos | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 124 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the world of pseudoscience and conspiracy theories and how to talk to someone who believes them, and what would happen if we got rid of…
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Male Eradications; Autoimmune Contradictions | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 123 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the relationship between the immune system, stress, and glucocorticoids, and why men keep coming close to being wiped out. Social & Websites…
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Ape Laughter; Mirror Cells | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 122 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the potential danger that is mirror cells, and whether other apes laugh like we do. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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The Truth About Peptides; Spelling Bees & Demographics | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 121 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses the recent craze that is peptides and whether they really help strength and muscle growth, and how one trains their brain for a Spelling Bee, along…
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Biracial Identities; Intersectionality; Eye Floaters | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 120 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include how the amygdala processes “us” and “them” in biracial individuals, as well as in other cases of intersectional identities, and what the…
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Bad Boy Appeal; Human Speciation; “Shared” Genes | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 119 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of whether humans will evolve into different subspecies, inter- versus intra- genetic similarities of species, and why so many people are so…
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Armenian Genocide; Snake and Fish Cooperations | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 118 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include moral scrupulosity OCD and whether it may be rooted in intergenerational trauma, with the the Armenian Genocide as an example lens, and the…
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Plant Intelligence | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 117 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode focuses on work around plant intelligence and the amazing – though often oversold – things plants do. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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Handshakes; Marchetti’s Constant of Commuting | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 116 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of Marchetti’s constant of human commuting, as well as why we humans shake hands and how other species do the same. Social & Websites…
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Bird Language; Stress Eaters | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 115 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include why some people eat more and others eat less under stress, and groundbreaking work that has shown the complex language skills of birds. Social…
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Chimp Civil War; Bipolar II | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 114 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode focuses on the difference between Bipolar I and II, and the chimp civil war that has recently made Scientific headlines. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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Sexual Reproduction; Acquired Savants; Human Dominance | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 113 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include Acquired Savant Syndrome, how humans evolved to be dominant as generalists, and why organisms began to do sexual reproduction. Social &…
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Chimps & Crystals; Gendered Colors; COVID fetuses | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 112 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses why women perceive more colors than men, the impact of long-term COVID on fetuses, and our closest relatives’ interest in crystals. Social & Websites…
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Fart Jokes, Handedness, SuperAgers | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 111 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include why we developed handedness and if we’re the only species, what work on “SuperAgers” can teach us about cognitive longevity, and why we find…
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Sex Changing Fish, Sleepwalking, Gays’ Parents | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 110 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of whether parenting styles can influence sexual orientation, what sleepwalking is and how other animals “sleepwalk,” and the many other…
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Call of the Void, Animals Adopting, Robert Trivers | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 109 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the work of the late Robert Trivers, the intrusive thoughts that are the Call of the Void, and when animals adopt their own and other species.…
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Hurricane Births, Black Plague, Too Much PFC | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 108 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include why the Bubonic (Black) Plague went away, how hurricanes induce labor, and when the prefrontal cortex is too effective. Social & Websites…
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Hobbits and Hallucinations | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 107 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of how one mushroom causes a very specific hallucination, and the real-life hobbits who once existed. Social & Websites Question…
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Punch the Monkey, White Replacement, Glymphatic System | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Episode 106 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses if there’s any validity to the White/Great Replacement Theory, the details of the glymphatic system, and the global phenomenon of Punch the Monkey.…
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The Price of Atheism, Mania, Shock Bracelets | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #105
Episode 105 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include Rachel’s shock bracelets, the price of atheism, how to discuss banned topics, and the pathological “happiness” of mania. Social & Websites…
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Cranial Deformation, Spontaneous Monogamy | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #104
Episode 104 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses how the Default Mode Network fails in depression, why cultures do cranial deformation, and the evolutionary journey of monogamy. Social & Websites…
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The Woman Who Smells Parkinson’s, Flagellation | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #103
Episode 103 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the woman who is able to smell Parkinson’s, the ratio of brain to body mass, and the role of ritualistic physical harm in religion. NOTE this…
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Food Comas, Weasel War Dances, Tortoise Updates | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #102
Episode 102 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses the status of the reintroduced Galápagos tortoise species, why we get food comas, and the mysterious world of weasel war dances. Social & Websites…
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How We Lost Our Tails, Getting Taller, Senescence | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #101
Episode 101 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include if and why humans are getting taller overall, what caused us to evolve without tails, and the pros and cons of senescence. Social & Websites…
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Why This Podcast, Gorillas & Gibbons, The Occult | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #100
Episode 100 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes how this podcast came to be, SSRI’s versus SNRI’s, gorillas and gibbons in Sapolsky's life, and the allure (and neuroscience) of the occult. Social &…
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Age of Consent, Cavemen Myths | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #99
Episode 99 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses whether cavemen actually existed and in what form, why we can feel weather in our limbs, and whether the age of consent should be raised to match brain…
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Neural Implants, Smell Loss, Exercise | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #98
Episode 98 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of why blood pressure increase in exercise is a good thing, how loss of smell foreshadows Parkinson’s, and whether neural implants could be…
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Musical Emotions, Primate Healthcare | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #97
Episode 97 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include whether emotional associations with musical patterns are universal, if single genes can ever cause a psychiatric disorder, and how other…
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Buddhism, Out-of-Africa, Talking Dogs | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #96
Episode 96 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of the impacts of Buddhist practices on the brain, why out-of-Africa humans are less genetically diverse, and the truth about the viral…
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Midlife Crisis, Foreign Accent Syndrome, Twins | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #95
Episode 95 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the impacts of having an opposite sex twin, Foreign Accent Syndrome, and whether the mid-life crisis is legitimate. Social & Websites Question…
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Microplastics, Astrology, Trypophobia | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #94
Episode 94 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses why microplastics are harmful, whether there’s legitimacy behind astrology, and the disorder trypophobia. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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Testosterone, Why We Cry, Shame | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #93
Episode 93 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include why we cry for various reasons, the reason for shame, and the truth about testosterone in the context of the MAGA era. Access the referenced…
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Alice in Wonderland, Psychiatrists’ Mental Health | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #92
Episode 92 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes Alice in Wonderland syndrome, the “Red Queen” arms races between humans and COVID, and, in light of a recent tragedy, the mental health of those who work…
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Naked Mole Rats, Aspartame, Restless Leg Syndrome | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #91
Episode 91 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses the link between aspartame and cognitive decline, causal mechanisms of Restless Leg Syndrome, and why naked mole rats don’t get cancer. Social &…
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Hormones All The Way Down | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #90
Episode 90 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the relationship between hormones and the brain and how creativity exists without free will. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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Male Rejection, Pandemic Effects, Night Primates | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #89
Episode 89 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses male-on-female violence in other primates, what primates do at night, and what impact pandemics have on societies long-term. NOTE: this episode…
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Vegans, Near-Death Experiences, Fertility Figures | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #88
Episode 88 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include what humans’ natural diet should be, the history of fertility figures, and what the heck is up with near-death experiences. Social & Websites…
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Heroism, Fainting, Autoimmune Schizophrenia | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #87
Episode 87 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses the potential relationship between autoimmunity and psychoses, why the heck humans faint, especially at the sight of blood, and what makes some of us…
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Multiple Sclerosis, Anti-Breeders, Before Turtles | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #86
Episode 86 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses why some have no desire to reproduce from an evolutionary perspective, what comes before the turtles, and the factors behind Multiple Sclerosis. Social…
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Obesity, Deja Vu, History of ASD | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #85
Episode 85 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the history of ASD, whether there is healthy obesity, and what deja vu is about. Social & Websites Question Submission:…
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mRNA Vaccines, Reckless Youth, Teeth | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #84
Episode 84 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This topic discusses why youth are so reckless, how stress impacts tooth decay, and whether mRNA vaccines have any long-term risks. Captions available soon for translation.…
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