As spooky season draws to a close, we’re looking at why we enjoyed being freaked out so much. We’re discussing what determines what we’re afraid of (with reference to a very morally dubious experiment from the 1920s), how being scared can contribute to social bonding and whether the general social mood has an impact on our appetite for horror. We’re also finding out whether there’s any difference in how easily men and women experience fear and we’re hearing about an experiment Rick’s affectionately called ‘the pussy mice experiment’.

Special thanks to Professor Steven Schlossman.

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