The word “psychopath" can be thrown around rather flippantly— but what does it really mean to be a psychopath? Psychopathy expert Dr. Arielle Baskin-Sommers of Yale University joins us to explain this anti-social trait a little more clearly. And answers some caller questions, including one from Nora who calls in to ask, “Can psychopaths have real relationships?” Plus, Arielle gets “dorky” science on us with a deep dive into the role of empathy in psychopathy. 

You can listen to ad-free new episodes of Science Rules! only on Stitcher Premium. For a free month of Stitcher Premium, go to stitcherpremium.com and use promo code ‘SCIENCE.'







This episode is sponsored by American Dental Association (www.ADA.org/sciencerules), Invitae (www.invitae.com), Quality Logo Products (www.qualitylogo.com code: SCIENCERULES), KiwiCo (www.kiwico.com/SCIENCERULES), and DoorDash (code: SCIENCERULES).

What's a Psychopath?

Bill Nye is on a mission to change the world — one voicemail at a time. Bill and science writer Corey S. Powell take your burning questions and put them to the world's leading experts on just about every topic in the universe. Should you stop eating cheeseburgers to combat climate change? Could alien life be swimming inside the moons of Jupiter and Saturn? Does your pet parakeet learn to sing the way that you learned to speak? Bill, Corey, and their special guests will answer those questions and convince you that... science rules!

Science

LeVar Burton presents SOUND DETECTIVES – a funny, engaging, and thought-provoking podcast that invites elementary school-aged kids to explore the magic and mystery of sound.


Breaking News – Across the globe, sounds are mysteriously going missing! Waves aren’t crashing, crickets aren’t chirping, and the familiar jingle of the ice cream truck is a distant memory. Follow Detective Hunch (Vinny Thomas) and his new sidekick Audie the Ear (Jess McKenna) as they solve sound mysteries and track down the nefarious Sound Swindler … all with a little help from LeVar Burton himself!


Equal parts fun and informative, SOUND DETECTIVES encourages listeners to engage with the sound mysteries that surround us, while unlocking the door to people and cultures around the globe. Join the team on this semi-improvised comedy caper and help return the mystery sounds before the world falls silent!


Listen to SOUND DETECTIVES on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Introducing Sound Detectives from LeVar Burton

Greetings, Science Rules! listeners! Have you ever wondered about the future of lab grown meat? Or what the deal is with GMOs? What about the science behind salting your pasta water? Today, we are sharing a special episode of the food podcast The Sporkful where Bill Nye and Corey S. Powell tackle your food science questions, and talk about their own food quirks. It turns out that Bill is very particular about his Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich, and there’s one thing he won’t tolerate in PB&J preparation. 

If you want to check out more episodes of The Sporkful, follow us on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify.

Bill Nye, The FOOD Science Guy!

More on where this show is going — and when it will come back!

An Update From Bill and Corey

Science Rules! Presents is a series of science-focused episodes from some of our favorite shows. This week we’re featuring Planetary Radio from the Planetary Society.

The Planetary Society has awarded more than 60 Shoemaker near-Earth object grants to astronomers around the world, enabling them to discover, track, and characterize thousands of asteroids. We’ll hear from two of these dedicated observers. The Society’s Rae Paoletta takes us to Venus where three new spacecraft will help answer big questions. Senior space policy adviser Casey Dreier helps us think about UFO claims. Chief scientist Bruce Betts offers a new What’s Up space trivia contest. Discover more at https://www.planetary.org/planetary-radio/shoemaker-neo-awardees-venus missions

Planetary Radio: Amateur Astronomers Saving the World

The author of Moneyball, The Blind Side, and The Big Short explains why a country with so many experts was so unprepared for this pandemic.

(This interview was recorded May 24.)

What's a Psychopath?

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