The Arik Korman Show

Dr. Keon West, a social psychologist at the University of London, discusses which scientific studies demonstrate the effects of racism in society, what the science says are effective ways to respond to racism, and how we should talk about racism with our kids. Professor West's new book is The Science of Racism: Everything You Need to Know but Probably Don’t – Yet.

Betsy Wills, co-founder of YouScience, a national online psychometric-assessment service, and Alex Ellison, founder of Throughline Guidance, a college and career counseling practice, discuss next steps after discovering your superpowers, how to maximize career wellness, and what the difference is between burnout and boredom. Betsy and Alex's new book is Your Hidden Genius: The Science-Backed Strategy to Uncovering and Harnessing Your Innate Talents.

John Kaag, a professor of philosophy at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, discusses whether the Blood family members, who play a prominent role in American history, are people to emulate or a cautionary tale, where the Bloods are now, and how their story relates to today's polarization in America. John's latest book is American Bloods: The Untamed Dynasty That Shaped a Nation.

Linguist and psychologist Julie Sedivy discusses how she developed her love of languages, how language imprints upon us in utero, and how language can bring our country together. Julie's new book is Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love.

Charles Bock, a creative writing professor at New York University, discusses what happened after his daughter Lilly read his memoir, why he never imagined himself having kids while he was growing up, and how he ended up bonding with Lilly. Charles' new book is I Will Do Better: A Father’s Memoir of Heartbreak, Parenting, and Love.

Writer, journalist, and academic Ellen Ruppel Shell discusses why baby eels are worth $2,500 a pound, how we can disrupt the baby eel black market, and what we're really eating when we order unagi at a Japanese restaurant. Ellen's new book is Slippery Beast: A True Crime Natural History, with Eels.

University of Sydney professor Peter Godfrey-Smith, author of the bestselling Other Minds: The Octopus, the Sea, and the Deep Origins of Consciousness, discusses how life on Earth has changed our planet, whether there might be life on other planets, and what the future of humanity could look like. Professor Godfrey-Smith's new book is Living on Earth: Forests, Corals, Consciousness, and the Making of the World.

Yale professor Ebony Reed, a seasoned journalist who is also the Chief Strategy Officer at the Marshall Project, a news outlet focused on the justice system, discusses the intersection of race and money, how the current Black/white wealth gap compares to the gap after the Civil War, and how we should talk to our kids about wealth. Ebony’s new book, co-authored with Louise Story, is Fifteen Cents on the Dollar: How Americans Made the Black-White Wealth Gap.

Luke Raley, outfielder and first baseman for the Seattle Mariners, discusses how he manages stress when he walks up to the plate, how he stays grounded in reality as a major league baseball player, and what advice he has for young people who want to become professional athletes.

Daniela Rus, Director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, discusses how smart robots actually are, what the differences are between robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, and why Iron Man is her favorite superhero. Dr. Rus' new book is The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots.