On this week’s episode of The Waves, Slate senior editor Shannon Palus is joined by author Emily Willingham. Emily’s new book The Tailored Brain: Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter is all about how our brains work and whether gender plays a role in brain enhancement. They talk about how to be more empathetic and the ways empathy can boost your brain, the importance of using a feminist lens in brain science, and the old theory that brains are made of sperm. 

In the Slate Plus segment, Emily and Shannon talk about Emily’s other book, Phallacy: Life Lessons From the Animal Penis and explore why the duck vagina is like a gated community.

Recommendations:

Shannon: Wearing perfume to turn your mood around. 

Emily: Lightly meditating by beholding a tree. 

Podcast production by Cheyna Roth with editorial oversight by Shannon Palus, Susan Matthews and June Thomas. 

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