Preconceived

When one thinks of birth control, it might be natural one might think of women before thinking of men. Aside from condoms and vasectomies, medical forms of birth control have really been directed towards women, with 'the pill' and intrauterine devices. But perhaps things are changing. Research has been underway to investigate the possibility of an on-demand male birth control. Dr. Lonney Levin and Dr. Melanie Balbach from the Levin/Buck Laboratory at Weill Cornell Medical College join the podcast.

https://levbucklab.weill.cornell.edu

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Do you ever feel like you can’t simply sit down and do one task uninterrupted? When you sit down to do some work on your laptop, how soon before you check your email unnecessarily, or grab your phone and scroll down Instagram? Or even more basic – when you are doing something for pure pleasure – like reading a book or watching a movie – how long is it before you put the book down or start ignoring the movie in pursuit of some other trivial task? In short, how ‘good’ is your attention span? Dr. Gloria Mark joins the podcast.

Dr. Gloria Mark - https://gloriamark.com

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Few would admit to regretting their decision to become parents. But that doesn't mean there are not people who do indeed regret the choice to have kids. Is it possible to still love your children while regretting the choice to have had them? Is the admission of regret necessarily a bad thing? Orna Donath, author of Regretting Motherhood, joins the podcast.

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The history of humankind has been contemplated for millennia. How did we come to be the dominant life form on the planet? Many stories have been told over the course of civilization to try and explain our presence on Earth, and in the process, many myths of our ancient past have come to dominate popular thinking. So what remains myth, and what do we actually know about the origins of humankind? And for all of their inaccuracies, why have the myths and stories of our past been so important for human civilization over the years? Science journalist Evan Hadingham joins the podcast.

Evan Hadingham's Book - https://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Us-Discoveries-Origins-1968-2018/dp/1560852771

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There are certain things that are just ‘knowns’ in the world, preconceptions in the sense that we take particular facts for granted. One such ‘knowns’ in the world is that The Beatles is perhaps the greatest band of all time. But as great as The Beatles were, there have been tons of incredible bands since the 1960s. What differentiates The Beatles? Was their music truly so special to warrant the place they have in our cultural history? Is it possible that The Beatles are overrated? Or do they really live up to the hype? Beatles expert Dr. Holly Tessler joins the podcast.

Dr. Holly Tessler - https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/music/staff/holly-s-tessler/

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When you think of some of the most brutal 20th century dictators, your mind likely conjures up images of ruthlessness, mass death, and anything associated with evil. And while there is no doubt that these dictators committed evil atrocities that are tough to comprehend, it’s reasonable to wonder, ‘how did such people come to be?’. Is it enough to just say they were inherently evil, or as with most things, is there a larger story to be told? Is there way to understand the actions of these dictators in, dare I say, an empathetic way? Is there a way to try and understand what led them to their tyranny while not excusing their actions? Brandon Gauthier, author of 'Before Evil', joins the podcast.

https://beforeevil.com

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One of the paradoxes of sex is that while it is so common, it’s something we often feel uncomfortable talking about. Especially when it comes to sexual experimentation, there is a certain stigma that exists. But to an extent, that is changing, as new initiatives are being undertaken to reimagine sex’s place in society. The New Society for Wellness (NSFW), a Sex Club in New York City, seeks to change the way we view sex. NSFW CEO and co-founder Daniel Saynt joins the podcast.

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For decades, there has been substantial stigma associated with psychedelic drugs. After psychedelics’ association with counterculture in the 1960s, much of the medical research into the therapeutic effects of psychedelics was terminated. But over the last 10-20 years, much of the research into the healing powers of psychedelics has resumed. Stemming from this research, many psychedelics companies have emerged and clinics have opened that offer patients the opportunity to experience the powers of such psychedelics. In this episode, we will shift our focus specifically to mushrooms, and its active ingredient psilocybin, as we try to dissect some of our preconceptions regarding its growing use alongside other psychedelics. Matt Zemon joins the podcast.

Matt Zemon - https://www.mattzemon.com

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We learn from an early age that it’s not acceptable to harm others. Many would say it’s something we don’t even need to really learn – that it’s a natural human instinct to not want to cause harm. With that perspective, it’s natural that it would be extremely challenging for people to understand why someone would harm themselves. Why would some voluntarily elect to hurt themselves? Non-suicidal self injury refers to this practice, encompassing the terms self-harm, cutting, and other harmful practices. Dr. Chris Simpson, author of 'Cutting and Self Harm', joins the podcast.

Check out Chris's book, 'Cutting and Self Harm', at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cutting-and-self-harm-chris-simpson-phd/1121005370

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The Aztec Empire famously fell following the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century. Much of what we know about the Aztecs – including their rise, the nature of the empire, and its eventual fall, comes strictly from European accounts. But what did the Aztecs themselves think? The narrative has almost solely been shaped by the European perspective – but how did the Aztecs view the Europeans who eventually conquered them? Professor Camilla Townsend joins the podcast.

Camilla's Book - Fifth Sun
https://www.amazon.ca/Fifth-Sun-New-History-Aztecs/dp/0190673060/ref=asc_df_0190673060/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=411041496657&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2406240501790207548&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9000956&hvtargid=pla-715823711027&psc=1

This episode is sponsored by Discover More Podcast - https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/discover-more-benoit-kim-w1KlycAfQGB/

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