Do animals hold grudges? Can crows really remember someone who wronged them for 17 years? And does time heal all wounds?

In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put common claims about revenge and forgiveness to the test in Myth, Fact and It’s Complicated. They explore revenge-like behaviour across the animal kingdom, including the remarkable ability of crows to recognise and remember human faces. They also ask whether time naturally leads to forgiveness, how rumination can keep old hurt alive and what it really takes to let go. Plus, they end with a quick-fire round on the science of kindness.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is it so hard to forgive someone, especially when you believe they meant to hurt you? Why can we accept damage caused by a storm more easily than harm caused by another person?

In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates work through a listener dilemma inspired by Oliver Sacks. They explore how our brains interpret intention, betrayal and broken trust, why these can make interpersonal harm so difficult to process, and what forgiveness really means. They also examine why forgiving is an active process rather than simply forgetting, and what research suggests about its impact on our mental and physical health.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is revenge ever good for you? Why does the idea of getting even feel so satisfying, and what happens after we act on it?

In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the evolutionary and psychological roots of revenge, from anger, shame and humiliation to the brain’s reward response. They examine why the anticipation of revenge can feel better than the reality, and how resentment, rumination and holding a grudge can affect our relationships, sleep, mental health and physical wellbeing.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can a weekend lie-in really help you catch up on lost sleep, or is repaying your sleep debt more complicated than that?

In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put common sleep myths to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated. They explore catch-up sleep, power naps and whether napping deserves its lazy reputation. Plus, do you really need morning sunlight within the first 10 minutes of waking, and does sleeping in a cold room help you sleep better?

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Enjoying Figuring It Out? Follow the podcast and leave us a review to help more people find the show.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting 8 hours of sleep but still waking up exhausted? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates tackle a listener's dilemma: should you stick to an early wake-up time or make sure you get a full night's sleep?

They explore sleep quality, deep sleep and the relationship between your sleep schedule and body clock, asking whether the eight-hour rule works for everyone. Plus, what can the history of biphasic sleep, or sleeping in two shifts, tell us about the way we sleep today?

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Enjoying Figuring It Out? Follow the podcast and leave us a review to help more people find the show.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Could your 5am morning routine be working against your body clock? And if you struggle to wake up early, does that really mean you lack discipline?

In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the 5am Club, chronotypes and why some people are morning people while others are night owls. They get into circadian rhythms, social jetlag and the pressure to be productive, asking whether forcing an early start is actually good for you.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Enjoying Figuring It Out? Follow the podcast and leave us a review to help more people find the show.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do autistic girls present differently to autistic boys? Is it true that autistic people lack empathy? And where does sensory overload actually come from? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put the most common claims about autism to the test in Myth, Fact or It's Complicated.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we all a bit autistic? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates work through a listener's dilemma about where differences in traits ends and autism begins, and why the spectrum is not a line from a little bit autistic to very autistic.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to be autistic? In Part 1, Dr Alex George shares his own experience of understanding  autism, alongside research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates as they discuss different levels of support, why we must validate the spectrum of experience, and why there's no single biological cause. Plus, some alarming findings about the amount of neuroscience research focusing on women’s health. 

For more information on why paracetamol does not cause autism, go to the Unbiased Science Pod: https://www.instagram.com/p/DO4qNwdjQyH/?img_index=1 

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected]. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is female intuition actually real? And does sleeping on a decision genuinely make it better? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put some of the most common claims about intuition to the test in Myth, Fact and It’s Complicated, including whether anxiety is simply your gut telling you something is wrong.

No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.

We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.

Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.

Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at [email protected].

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.