Ever found yourself yelling at someone you love and thinking: hang on, what are we even fighting about? Or embroiled in a blood-pressure-raising ding-dong with a climate denier, which only succeeds in making you both hate each other even more than you did to start with? 

Conflict: some of us find it easy, and some of us (like Dave) very difficult.  It has its own momentum and its own rules. What is for sure is there's good and bad ways of doing it. So what is the best way to ensure human brains meet each other for an amicable cuppa, not a plate-smashing flare-up?   And is it even worth arguing with someone who thinks climate change is a made up plot? (spoiler: yes)

Joining Dave this week is author, podcast host and writer Ian Leslie. Ian's the author of the brilliant book Conflicted (amongst others) which digs into the psychology of conflict, and how to learn to do it wisely and productively.  You can follow him on Twitter @mrianleslie.

No bonus owl noises in this one!

Your Brain on Climate is a podcast about human psychology vs the climate crisis: what we think, why we think it, and how it all adds up to a planet-sized emergency.  Contact the show:  @brainclimate on Twitter, or [email protected].

The show is hosted by Dave Powell, who you can find @powellds on Twitter.  All music throughout the show and audio production is by Dave, because he's far too much of a control freak to let anyone else loose on it.

Show logo by Arthur Stovell at www.designbymondial.com.