Psychological Mysteries

Remember the feeling of being hopelessly lost in love with someone? Love is the perfect recipe of mixing up different parts of the brain so that ridiculous notions like "my favorite color is you" make sense and make us feel giddy with joy. In this episode, brothers Rom and Ori talk about silly songs, old crushes, and more as they try to solve the mystery of true love. 

The psychological key to longevity is one of the most important lessons we can derive from research. And purpose of life is a major ingredient. Rom and Ori talk purpose and meaning in Part II of The Useful Elder. 

You know what to do to live to a ripe old age from a physical perspective: Exercise, eat well, don't abuse your body. But what about what to do for yourself psychologically? In Part I of a series on longevity, Rom and Ori discuss the personality traits and beliefs that can add years to your life. 

If a movie is 75 years old, do we still have to call "Spoiler Alert"? In this episode, Rom and Ori dive into anxious and avoidant behavior patterns exemplified by the famous love triangle between Ilsa, Laszlo, and Rick in the 1942 film, Casablanca. What can this tell us about the less-evolved parts of the brain?

Anybody can be kind to a stranger, and that counts as altruism! But what makes some people over-the-top altruistic? Rom and Ori look into the research and learn just how much some people would give up for a complete stranger. Then they ask themselves, "is that even healthy?"