Slim Radio

Getting lost in bittersweet memories of the past might not seem like the most productive use of your time. But research shows nostalgia can actually be a great coping strategy to deal with negative emotions. ​

So, should you plunge yourself into long and languid daydreams about your glory days? Not necessarily. This week Beth, Noah and Ava explore what triggers nostalgia, the contents of these kinds of memories, and how individual differences influence the effects of nostalgia on the brain and mind.

Reference and further reading:

https://www.mindsmatterpodcast.com/ep-3-your-mind-on-nostalgia

This week Comedy Undergradz bring you c-c-cawmedy talk. Benedetto, Lara, and Diederik work through their latest bits since getting back on stage. Diederik tells us pollen is semen and it’s in your face, right now prolly. Benedetto keeps talking about his singing teacher. Lara tells us she shaved her leg hair for Charlie Starr who used to be crosseyed. Then we foreshadow tons of Slam poetry.

The number one rated US politics podcast on Dutch student radio is back baby. Party Roulette with Felix Faillace. The stateside protests have reinvigorated a fire in the hearts of the oppressed and the disaffected across the globe, with a discourse focused on racism coming to the forefront. Our friend Logan Price, a veteran political activist, with experience on the Bernie Campaign, Occupy Wall Street and the Chelsea Manning Support Network, joins us on the show to discuss the history and future of this movement of progressive solidarity, as well as the cheeky details which allowed Bernie to win big in the Las Vegas casinos.

We always got the positive vibes going at the livesessions, for this one we are taking you on an emotional journey. Pyke shared wonderful music with us and also the lovestory that fueled his creativity for these heartfelt songs. Listen to the stories and the songs, and feel what Pyke felt during this time.

Submerged within the brainwashing mechanisms of what religion constitutes as right and wrong, women are always being prohibited the freedom of sexuality. Only accepted as either a virgin, a mother or a whore, female sexuality always gets the short end of the stick. This week, we invite multimedia artist Uvglov to analyze her fascination with religious imagery and the importance of their re-appropriation.

It’s all about being happy right? Doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from or what you think the world should look like, we can all agree on trying to be happy. Well, maybe not. We talked to professor Ashley Frawley, a sociology professor at Swansea University, on the perils of our constant pursuit of happiness. Dr. Frawley lectures on the sociology of happiness and mental health and has been critical of the ‘self-help’ movement. We discussed how we should conceptualize happiness, why we should be critical of positive psychology, and how we can explain the rising prevalence of happiness as a subject of public policy.

Take a hike! We mean that in a nice way, seriously. This week we’re talking about the effect of the great outdoors on our brains. Research has shown that being in nature helps us de-stress, makes us exercise, and even helps broaden and focus our attention. But can we isolate what exactly about nature makes it so good for us?

Beth, our resident Australian country girl, Ava, a city girl who almost never went outside, and Noah, who grew up somewhere in the middle, discuss the research & our own experiences with Mother Earth.

References & Further reading:

https://www.mindsmatterpodcast.com/ep-2-your-mind-on-nature

Beyond covid-19, the only pandemic that is on everyone's lips right now is that of white supremacy. It was about time we start addressing the elephant in the room and slowly deconstruct such a notion.All minorities are oppressed through an element of fear that is normalized and constitutional. This time, hear me solo, spell the abc's of neo-liberal precariousness and ultimately, who gets to be treated as human.

This week Comedy Undergradz don't bring you news jokes, but they do talk news. They discuss the BLM, the way to reasonably handle difficult topics on stage, and their post-corona return to live comedy shows. That's a-happening. Plus Diederik and Lara teach Benny a lil somethin about virtual sex. They act it out. It's a beautiful thing. Make sure you're sitting down.

Life is pretty weird when you really think about it. Why do we get sad? Why are there differences between people? What is everything even for, and how do we fit into the larger picture? Frans de Waal knows a lot about apes, and we all know a lot about ourselves, so how can we reconcile the two? Are there a lot of truths that we can discover about ourselves when we look at our more attractive cousins: Bonobos, Chimpanzees, and Rhesus? In one hour, we hope to talk about the meaning of life, morality, nature vs nurture, free will, and all the good stuff with Frans de Waal.