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Why do we do things the way we do them? We take on customs from our ancestors, then teach them to the next generation, often without thinking. But when we take a step back, they can seem bizarre, arbi... more
FAQs about Strange Customs with Sasha Sagan:How many episodes does Strange Customs with Sasha Sagan have?The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.
May 23, 2023Dario Robleto—The SpecialThe season 1 finale of Strange Customs brings Sasha Sagan to an extraordinary Chicago exhibition for a conversation with the artist, Dario Robleto. Situated at the intersection of art and science, the show also has its inspiration and roots in Sasha's own family.We'll also hear from Harvard art historian Dr. Jennifer Roberts about the ways art and science share a mission to extend our vision beyond the horizon....more1h 8minPlay
May 16, 2023Kiley Reid—The CareHost Sasha Sagan talks to NYT best-selling novelist KILEY REID (Such a Fun Age) about a tradition that has evolved out of necessity from family and community participation to an economic arrangement with strangers.We'll also hear from sociologist DR. TAMARA MOSE about the roots of the tradition that still echo in unfair practices today....more53minPlay
April 25, 2023Lily Rabe—The ExchangeSasha Sagan talks with actor-director LILY RABE about a supposedly heartwarming tradition that strikes terror and shame in both their hearts.We'll also hear from DR. ANDREA VOYER, a sociologist and historian of social norms at Stockholm University, about her research using etiquette as a lens on changing societies....more55minPlay
April 18, 2023Bill Nye—The RhythmSasha is joined by science communicator BILL NYE and historian of technology DAVID ROONEY to discuss a concept that measures, slices, defines, and controls our lives more than any other.Bill Nye photo by Neil Grabowsky / Montclair Film under CC-BY 2.0...more59minPlay
April 04, 2023Greg Epstein—The TransformationSasha Sagan talks with humanist rabbi GREG EPSTEIN about an ancient tradition they both participate in each year, with themes and messages they find both inspiring and abhorrent. How can a thoughtful person engage a tradition shot through with such contradictions?We'll also hear from historian of religion DR. CAROLE CUSACK about how this tradition and others like it connect with the deep cycles of the earth and its creatures....more58minPlay
March 28, 2023Kirsten Dunst—The TrickActor KIRSTEN DUNST tells Sasha about the big lie she told her husband, the constant lies that bond her to her son—and why it's all good.We'll also hear from folklorist DR. JEANA JORGENSEN about the cross-cultural history of messing with each other....more45minPlay
March 14, 2023Sarafina El-Badry Nance—The GraspSasha Sagan talks to astrophysicist SARAFINA EL-BADRY NANCE about the way we bring the world into our awareness and keep it there.We'll also hear from USC neuroscience researcher MARY HELEN IMMORDINO-YANG about the unexpected ways we achieve this everyday process....more58minPlay
March 07, 2023Troian Bellisario—The PortalSasha Sagan talks to actor TROIAN BELLISARIO (Pretty Little Liars, Life on Mars) about a tradition older than our species, and the unusual (and slightly terrifying) way Troian once experienced it.We'll also hear from professor and author RANDI HUTTER EPSTEIN (Get Me Out: A History of Childbirth from the Garden of Eden to the Sperm Bank) about the often strange and disturbing history of the tradition....more1hPlay
February 28, 2023Amanda Montell—The CodeSasha Sagan talks to author and linguist AMANDA MONTELL about our strange habit of communicating with patterns of vibrations emanating from our faces.We’ll also hear from linguist DR. SONJA LANEHART about how these patterns vary, spread, and change—and how they help define who and what we are....more54minPlay
February 14, 2023Katie Lowes and Adam Shapiro—The RockSasha Sagan sits down with actors KATIE LOWES and ADAM SHAPIRO to explore a common custom that seems rooted in antiquity but is younger than Cher.We’ll also hear from author RACHAEL LENNON about the surprising origins of the custom and how we might coax it away from its problematic features and into the 21st century....more52minPlay
FAQs about Strange Customs with Sasha Sagan:How many episodes does Strange Customs with Sasha Sagan have?The podcast currently has 15 episodes available.