The Monkey Mind Lab

In an age defined by artificial intelligence, rapid technological change, and growing global interconnectedness, some of the most fundamental questions about learning are being asked anew. What is the purpose of a college education? Can education still shape the future of a society? What forms of intelligence matter most? In this episode of The Monkey Mind Lab, Dr Ian Baucom, President of Middlebury College, explores why education is about far more than degrees, why human judgment still matters in the age of AI, and how the most transformative learning often happens through conversations, communities, and encounters with people different from ourselves. From foxes and hedgehogs to democracy, global citizenship, and the purpose of college itself, this episode asks not only what education is, but what kind of people it is meant to help us become?

When does death really occur? What happens after we die, and who gets to decide? Is death simply an end, or has it always been something far more political? In this episode of The Monkey Mind Lab, archaeologist Dr James Fitzsimmons takes us deep into the ancient Maya world, where death was not an end, but a tool used to legitimise power, construct identity, and anchor entire political systems. We explore how burial practices, ancestor worship, and ritual memory blur the line between the sacred and the strategic, all the while asking: is remembering ever neutral? And if the past is constantly being reshaped, what does that mean for how we understand ourselves?

What does it mean to “decolonise” culture? Is it about removing statues, burning books and rewriting history, or something deeper - like changing how we think, speak, and see ourselves? Colonialism didn’t just shape borders, it shaped minds, identities, and entire cultures. But when we actively dismantle colonial frameworks from our thinking, what happens to the culture that was formed within them? Can we truly reclaim traditions, languages, and identities, or have they been permanently transformed? In the Season 1 finale, Dr Prakash brings listeners into the intellectual and emotional struggle to reclaim culture after empire, asking what’s possible, what’s performative, and what truly liberates.

Can storytelling, poetry, and performance challenge power and spark change? When words fail, can art speak louder? In this episode, award-winning author Gloria Estela González Zenteno explores how the arts, whether through storytelling, performance, or visual expression, can become a powerful voice against oppression. Focusing on Latin America’s rich tradition of creative activism, we discuss how artists use their craft not only to reflect reality but to challenge and transform it.

In a time when the value of a liberal arts education is constantly questioned, could the ancient art of oratory be its saving grace? Playwright and educator Dana Yeaton joins us to explore how speaking—and listening—might just be the most essential skills for our modern moment. From the power and psychological impacts of presenting in front of an audience to the evolutionary need for stories, and practical applications of storytelling in modern education and societal contexts, we ask: what does it really mean to have a voice? Tune in to discover why mastering the art of speech might be more crucial now than ever before!

Dating apps, wedding industries, and the ever-elusive “happily ever after”—has love become just another product we’re sold? In this episode of The Monkey Mind Lab, Dr Laurie Essig takes us on a sharp and thought-provoking journey through the economics of desire. From Tinder to tradition, we explore how capitalism has shaped our expectations of romance—and whether love can still be real in an age of algorithms and aspiration.

Is being religious seen as unfeminist? Are Hindu rituals regressive, empowering or neither? What is the ethical value of stridharma in the modern world? Can tradition and feminism coexist? In this episode, Dr Jennifer Ortegren unpacks the complex roles women occupy in Hinduism—through rituals, scriptures, and lived experience. From Karva Chauth to questions of agency and devotion, this episode explores how gender, religion, and modernity intersect in surprising (and sometimes conflicting) ways.

What does it really mean to be educated? In this episode, Dr Nadia Rabesahala Horning breaks down the subtle but significant difference between international and global education—one that goes beyond travel and curriculum into questions of power, perspective, and purpose. Tune in as we unpack how education can shape (and challenge) our place in the world!

In this short introductory episode, host Abhir shares the story behind the podcast’s quirky name and what you can expect from future episodes!