Michael Gazzaniga is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Director of the SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind. His latest book is The Consciousness Instinct: Unraveling the Mystery of How the Brain Makes the Mind.

Lauren Slater is a psychologist and author of Prozac Dreams, Opening Skinner’s Box, and, most recently, Blue Dreams: The Science and the Story of the Drugs That Changed Our Minds. We talk about the history of psychotropic drugs as well as the future of psychedelics for therapeutic use. Stay in touch at http://www.derekberes.com.

Will Storr is an award-winning journalist and novelist. His work has appeared in Esquire, The New Yorker, The Sunday Times, and The Guardian. His latest book is Selfie: How We Became So Self-Obsessed and What It’s Doing to Us.

Kris Ex is a writer, thinker, and friend. He’s written many hip-hop articles you’ve read over the last few decades. We talk about what everyone is talking about right now: Marvel’s Black Panther. Stay in touch at http://www.derekberes.com.

We often call emotions “reactions,” but new research suggests they are actually constructions. This knowledge helps us understand better ways of dealing with anxiety. This is the third episode of my new audio program, Clarity: Anxiety Reduction for Optimal Health, which can be found at derekberes.com.

Britt Wray is completing a PhD in Science Communication (with a focus on synthetic biology) at the University of Copenhagen in the Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, co-host of the BBC podcast Tomorrow’s World, and author of Rise of the Necrofauna: The Science, Ethics, and Risks of De-Extinction. Stay in touch at http://www.derekberes.com.

Kurt Andersen is a best-selling author and co-creator of the Peabody Award winning weekly radio show, Studio 360, which is also available in podcast form. He co-wrote a parody book on Donald Trump with Alec Baldwin, You Can’t Spell America Without Me. He’s been a columnist for the New Yorker, New York, NY Times, and Time. He is also known as the co-founder of Spy... Read More

Dax returns to catch up on what’s happening in 2018. We start with the state of politics, move into technology, AI, social relationships, social media, and the art of being a human being. Stay in touch at http://www.derekberes.com.

Matt Lombardo joins me to discuss green man milk, mythology, archetypes, and even a little yoga as we contemplate the legacy embodied in The Last Jedi. Stay in touch: http://www.derekberes.com.

Sameer Gadhia is the singer of California-based band Young the Giant. In this episode we discuss growing up Indian in America, what it was like watching Michigan go “red” in the 2016 election, Kafka, yoga, and, of course, music. Stay in touch at www.derekberes.com.