Converging Dialogues (Converging Dialogues)

In this dialogue, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Antone Martinho-Truswell about parrots and some of their striking similarities with humans. They discuss the importance of the phylogenetic tree, ways in which birds are connected with humans, and the specifics of bird brains. They discuss animal intelligence, corvids' use of tools, and various bird categories. They mention songbirds, parrots, and hummingbirds and how birds communicate. The also talk about the features of parrots and their parallel with humans and many other topics. 

Antone Martinho-Truswell is the Dean and Head of Graduate House at St. Paul's College at the University of Sydney. He is also a Research Associate in the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford. His research focuses on learning and cognition in birds and is interested in animal minds and animal cognition. He is the author of his latest book, The Parrot in the Mirror: How Evolving to be like birds made us human. You can find his research here and here. Twitter: @antonemartinho

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with William Dalrymple about the origins of the East India Company (EIC). They start by discussing his quartet of books on the EIC and his motivations for writing this history. They talk about the origins of the EIC, what was traded, and the large influence the company had in India. They discuss how the EIC went from trading to overthrowing the Mughal empire and ruling India. They also discuss how the EIC dealt with famine and became semi-nationalized, the demise of the EIC, and many other topics.

William Dalrymple is a Historian, Journalist, and Broadcaster. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Asiatic Society and the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and has held visiting fellowships at Princeton, Brown and Oxford. In 2018, he was the recipient of the prestigious President’s Medal by the British Academy for his outstanding literary achievement. He is the author of numerous award-winning books, including his most recent, The Anarchy: The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire. You can find his work at his website. Twitter: @dalrymplewill

In this special episode, Xavier Bonilla moderates a dialogue between Bo Winegard and Nicholas Wolfinger about the similarities and differences between conservatism and liberalism. They discuss immigration and the varying narratives on mass migrations along with conservative nationalism's perspective on immigration. They discuss the current conservative party and whether they can or cannot distance themselves from insurrection and sedition. They talk about the focus on criticizing some groups and not others. They also engage on the importance of studying differences in human variation. They discuss where to draw lines and distinctions on some political issues and how each party can combat extremism from within each party. 

Both Bo and Nick discuss the current state of academia and how certain topics are taboo within academia. They engage about the need for viewpoint diversity within academia and how to resist double standards. Finally, they end the conversation giving some different perspectives on major court decisions. 

Bo Winegard is a former Assistant Professor of Psychology. He holds a Ph.D. in social psychology with an emphasis on Evolutionary psychology. Currently, he writes on conservatism, human nature, group behavior, and socially conservative thought in society. His articles can be found here and here. Twitter: @epoe187 

Nicholas Wolfinger has a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA and is professor of family and consumer studies as well as sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of four books on marriage, family, and divorce. Currently, he is writing a new book on single motherhood. He is widely published and cited within academia and has written for The Atlantic, National Review, Huffington Post, and other outlets. You can find all links to his articles and books at his website. Twitter: @nickwolfinger

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Amity Shlaes about the 30th President of the United States, Calvin Coolidge. They discuss Coolidge’s background and environment raised to be frugal and fiscally conservative. They talk about his path to the presidency and his state vs national views on progressivism. They focus on how Coolidge’s emphasis as president was on a balanced budget and reducing the debt. They talk about his handling of the Mississippi floods and why he did not involve the national government for aid. They also discuss Coolidge’s weakness on foreign affairs and his overall legacy as president.

Amity Shlaes is the chairwoman of the board of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation. She has written four New York Times bestsellers, including Coolidge. She is the winner of the Hayek Prize and has served on the Council on Foreign Relations and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. She is the Presidential Scholar at King’s College and has previously taught at New York University’s Stern School of business. You can find all of her work at her website. Twitter: @Amityshlaes

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jaimie Arona Krems about her research on friendship. They discuss the basic features and sex differences between how males and females have relationships. They talk about the different levels and dimensions of friendships and some of the stereotypes of friendships. They define friendship and talk about the dynamics of friends and family. They discuss jealousy and how it appears in friendships, status and trust, and opposite sex friendships. They talk about female competition in the workforce, attractiveness privilege, female cooperation, and many more topics.

Jaimie Arona Krems is a Social Psychologist with a degree in Classical and Near Eastern Archeology, Masters of Liberal Arts in physiology, Masters in Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, and a PhD in Social Psychology. Currently, she runs the Krems Social and Evolutionary Psychology Lab at The Oklahoma Center for Evolutionary Analysis (OCEAN) at Oklahoma State University. The research in her lab focuses on female cooperation and competition, friendship, stereotyping and prejudice, religion, reputation, ecological variable. Twitter: @jaimiekrems

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jack Ashby about the wonderful mammals of Australia. They talk about the distinctions between monotremes, marsupials, and placentals and where they are located around the world. They mention the ways in which the rest of the world discusses Australian mammals. They describe the features of the platypus, along with their mating and reproduction characteristics. They also talk about the features of the echidna including the males four-headed penis. They talk about the features of marsupials and some of the reproductive features of Tasmanian Devils. They mention the extinct Australian animals and the recent discussion of some trying to "resurrect" the thylacine. They talk about working in tandem with various Indigenous people groups in Australia and how to best understand Australian mammals. 

Jack Ashby is a scientist and author. Currently, he is the Assistant Director of the University Museum of Zoology at the University of Cambridge. He has his PhD in Zoology from the University of Cambridge and was previously the museum manager at the Grant Museum of Zoology at University College London. He is a trustee of the Natural Sciences Collections Association, an Honorary Research Fellow in UCL Science and Technology Studies, and sits on the Council of the Society for the History of Natural History. He is the author of the latest book, Platypus Matters: The Extraordinary Story of Australian Mammals. You can find his work here. Twitter: @jackdashby

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mel Cosentino about whales, their behavior and their communication. They give an overview of the taxonomy of whales, interactions between porpoises and orcas, and how whales communicate. They talk about memory and executive functioning in whales, how humans can understand how they communicate, and the environment in which they reside. They also talk about the impact of climate change, science communication, and many other topics. 

Mel Cosentino has degrees in biology and ecology. She obtained her PhD in electronic and electrical engineering. Her main interests are on porpoises and whale at large. She also has interests in conservation. She is the lead scientist at Breathing Andenes, which is located in Norway. You can find her work here. Twitter: @melanthropics

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicole Barbaro about evolutionary psychology, attachment theory, and challenges with higher education. They give an overview of evolutionary psychology and some of the changes over the years. They also talk about how evolutionary psychology has become more integrated and multidisciplinary. They discuss sexual selection and, specifically, about mate selection and pair bonding. An overview of attachment theory and the 3 sub-categories are presented. They discuss the problems with attachment theory and how forging a new model with some behavioral genetics shows promise. 

A discussion of higher education and the innumerable challenges are presented. They engage about the challenges of college degrees being less valued in the workforce due to the degree arms race. They also touch on the impact that these challenges have for certain groups and how improved qualitative teaching is one major factor to ameliorate this problem. They also discuss asynchronous vs. synchronous teaching and many other topics. 

Nicole Barbaro holds a PhD in psychology with an emphasis on evolution and human development. She is currently a research scientist at WGU labs and continues to publish in academia on attachment. You can find all of her publications at her website. Subscribe to her substack to have weekly content on current trends within higher education. Twitter: @Nicolebarbaro 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David McPherson about the virtues of limits. They discuss the six limiting virtues and 4 limits. They discuss the origins of virtues and the two stances of these virtues. They talk about the difference between virtues and values and the importance of worldviews. They also discuss various opinions about Nietzsche's ideas on values and engage about authenticity, political and economic limits, healthy nationalism, and many other topics.

David McPherson is a philosopher and Associate Professor at Creighton University. His main interest are in ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of religion. He is the author of two books, including the most recent, The Virtues of Limits. You can find his research publications here. Twitter: @davidlmcpherson

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paul Grant and Ellen Inverso about Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R) . They provide an overview of Aaron Beck’s cognitive model both theoretically and in clinical practice. They discuss the power of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as an Evidence-Based Treatment (EBT) and why that’s important. They talk about whether one can use CBT techniques without conceptualizing. They discuss what CT-R is and how it has had an emphasis on treating the negative symptoms of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. They explain why they started with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and how the theoretical model integrates many aspects of humanism. They talk about the differences between CT-R and CBT-Psychosis (CBT-P). They also mentioned the empirical evidence and support for CT-R and how they continue to move forward in exploring other aspects of CT-R’s application.

Dr. Paul M. Grant is a clinical psychologist and Co-Director of the Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy (CT-R). For the past 20 years, Dr. Grant, along with Aaron T. Beck, MD, originated and advanced CT-R, which is a revolutionary evidence-based approach to treating severe mental health conditions. He has extensively researched and studied the theoretical basis and application of CT-R to individuals given a diagnosis of schizophrenia.  

Ellen Inverso, PsyD, is Director of Clinical Training and Implementation at Beck Institute Center for Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy. She has a national reputation for advocacy and dissemination of CT-R. A co-developer of CT-R, she has created transformative CT-R programming for psychiatric inpatient units, programmatic residences, schools, and community teams, with special focus on adolescents and young adults, individuals engaging in extreme forms of self-injury, individuals considering transitions into the community following extended periods of institutionalization, and families. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Inverso supervises early career professionals in CT-R, guides her seasoned colleagues to add the approach to their armamentarium, and has co-authored curricula for training peer specialists and expert trainers in CT-R. Along with Dr. Aaron T. Beck and colleagues, she is co-author of the new book, Recovery-Oriented Cognitive Therapy for Serious Mental Health Conditions, out through Guilford Press.

You can find all of the info on CT-R here.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Gabriel Gottlieb about German idealism and the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and Johann Gottlieb Fichte. They define German idealism and where this period sits within the history of philosophy. They discuss the interaction between subject and object and how intersubjectivity plays a role. They mention the impact of Hume on German idealism and define Kant's terms of Apriori and Aposteriori. They talk about how one could understand experience from reason and why Kant was hyperfocused on the rational functions of humans. They also mention Kant's arguments for the existence of god and how German idealism evolved after Kant. 

A background of Fichte is provided and what his beliefs were about the self as activity. They discuss Fichte's moral system and how that lends towards a moral psychology. They mention Fichte's ideas about drives and how his ideas are juxtaposed with Freud's ideas concerning drives. They mention Fichte's nationalism and Fichte's complications with Judaism. They also talk about the philosophy of Schelling and the impact of German idealism on 20th Century philosophy. 

Gabriel Gottlieb is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Xavier University. His primary interests are on German idealism, specifically the philosophy of Fichte. He is the editor of Fichte's Foundations of Natural Right: A Critical Guide. You can find some of his writing here. Twitter: @xgabegottliebx

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli on game theory and how this can be used to understand human behavior. They define game theory, discuss how primary and secondary rewards can be used, and explain Nash equilibrium and hawk-dove theory. They discuss the importance of signals and the costly signaling model, signals with different audiences, and how evidence and persuasion are spun differently. They also discuss the prisoners dilemma, altruism, cooperation, punishment, and may other topics. 

Moshe Hoffman is a research scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Behavior, research fellow at MIT's Sloan School of Management and lecturer in Harvard's Economics department. His work focuses on game theory used with topics on human motivation, learning and evolution, and preferences. You can find his work here. Twitter: @moshe_hoffman

Erez Yoeli is a research scientist at MIT's Sloan School of Management and Director of MIT's Applied Cooperation Team (ACT), and also a lecturer in Harvard's Economics department. His work focuses on altruism, and how using game theory can help in working with governments and products. Purchase Hidden Games. You can find his work here. Twitter: @erezyoeli

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Sanjana Rajagopal about her experience in philosophy, the ideas of Martin Heidegger and Hannah Arendt, and philosophy in general. Sanjana talks about what led her into studying philosophy as a woman and as a Hindu and the roles they play in her life and studying philosophy. They discuss the general differences between continental and analytic philosophy. There is a discussion around the major tenets of Heidegger's concepts, namely: death and idle talk, Dasein and being, thrownness and worldhood, spatiality- de-severance and directionality.

They also discuss Hannah Arendt and her ideas on labor, work, and action, the vita activa and vita contemplative, along with her work on Kant's judgment and her political theory. They also discuss Arendt's idea of the banality of evil and her complicated relationship with Heidegger. 

Sanjana Rajagopal is a PhD student in philosophy and has been primarily studying the work of Hannah Arendt along with Martin Heidegger.  She also writes poetry. You can find her work here. Twitter: @sanjanawrites

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Charles Love about education, Black history, and current political challenges. The talk about his background and work in education. They talk about the challenges with the current Critical Race Theory (CRT) rhetoric that dominates conversation in education. They discuss how to have a balanced approach in teaching and learning Black history in education. They explain how learning about all aspects of Black history is very important. They review the 1619 project and some of its challenges. They also talk about heterodox thinkers and politics of today and many other topics.

Charles Love is the Executive Director of Seeking Educational Excellence, a non-profit organization aimed to empower disadvantage students to excel in many domains. He is the host of The Charles Love Show on AM560 and is the co-host of the Cut the Bull podcast. He is a scholar at 1776Unites and is a contributing writer at City Journal. His new book, Race Crazy is available here. Find his website here. Twitter: @cdouglaslove3

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nichola Raihani about our social instinct for cooperation. They begin by discussing the first part of her book which details the genetic aspects of making one's body function and how cooperation is within each individual. They discuss the second part of the book on cooperation within the family unit. They talk about the power of kin selection and cooperative breeding. They dialogue about menopause, the grandmother hypothesis, and why cooperative breeding is important. They continue by discussing the third part of the book on cooperation with other humans and why reciprocity and interdependence are important for prosocial interactions. They talk about inclusive fitness and some of the differences between biological altruism and psychological altruism. They discuss the fourth and final part of the book where Nichola details punishment and the threat of punishment as being important for cooperation. They mention the value of reputation and social status and some of the darker elements of cooperation. 

Nichola Raihani is a researcher at her lab of social evolution and behavior and professor of evolution and behavior within the field of experimental psychology at University College London. She is a royal society university research fellow and fellow of the royal society of biology. Her primary research topic is on the evolution of cooperation in nature. Nichola's new book, The social instinct: How cooperation shaped the world, is available here and here. You can find her research here. Twitter: @nicholaraihani

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicholas Wolfinger about marriage, divorce, and single motherhood. They start the conversation with an overview of sociology today and some of the differences between quantitative and qualitative methods. They discuss the history of marriage in American Society in the 20th century and some of the societal norms and changes in the 1960's. Nicholas provides an overview of the current data on marriage and the family unit along with data on divorce, both historically and currently. They discuss the positive impact of religion on marriage and some of the reasons for divorce. They also dialogue about the legal aspects of divorce and the data on remarriage. Nicholas also discusses the data on single motherhood and many other topics. 

Nicholas Wolfinger has a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA and is professor of family and consumer studies as well as sociology at the University of Utah. He is the author of four books on marriage, family, and divorce. Currently, he is writing a new book on single motherhood. He is widely published and cited within academia and has written for The Atlantic, National Review, Huffington Post, and other outlets. You can find all links to his articles and books at his website. Twitter: @nickwolfinger

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Iona Italia about her personal memoirs, mixed-race identity, and current social issues. Iona discusses her various experiences around the world and how they have shaped her identity. Specifically, she mentions her time in Argentina, India, and Great Britain. She also discusses her background in English literature and the impact that had on her development. They talk about race and ethnicity and some of the distinctions for individuals who are mixed races. They also discuss the differences between individualism and group identity and many other topics. 

Iona Italia is a writer, editor, translator, and podcaster. She has a PhD in English from Cambridge University and currently serves as the copy editor at Areo Magazine. She is fluent in four languages and also enjoys Tango dancing. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @ionaitalia 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mark Solms about consciousness, emotions, and how we understand the human psyche. They begin by discussing how Mark become involved in neuropsychology and psychoanalysis and how he combines these two worlds. They also discuss how he became involved with the late great Jaak Panksepp and their work on brainstem arousal and affect. They discuss Panksepp's seven affective states and make a distinction between drives, instincts, affect, emotions, and feelings. They talked about Mark's own work in understanding emotions in humans and locating some of the origins of consciousness in the reticular activating system and the periaqueductal gray (PAG). They discuss how consciousness could be in other animals and give some discussion on free will. They talk about the importance of bodily homeostasis and how it's a key feature for consciousness. They also provide some analysis and critique of the work done on emotions by Lisa Feldman-Barrett and also talk about some of the overemphasis on cognitive science. 

Mark Solms is a neuropsychologist and psychoanalyst. He holds the chair of neuropsychology at the University of Cape Town in South Africa and is also the research chair for the International Psychoanalytic Association. He has written eight books with his most recent, The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness, which can be found here. You can find a list of his scholarly publications here. Twitter: @mark_solms

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Arvid Ågren about the genetic implications of evolution. The discuss his background and reasons for writing his book. They explain the gene's-eye view of natural selection and how one can still understand evolution without genetics. They also discuss how genes are "immortal"  and "selfish" and still cooperate together. They talk about adaptation and this concept's history along with the challenges of creationism and intelligent design. They also provide some ideas about group selection and its merits. 

Genes, chromosomes, DNA, and proteins are introduced and discussed. They engage about "types" and "tokens" along with "replicators" and "vehicles." They talk about "memes" and how they impact cultural evolution. They spend time discussing the five difficulties of the selfish gene, Hamilton's rule, and inclusive fitness. They also mention the interaction of Hamilton's rule with cooperation, kin selection, and interdependence and many other topics.

Arvid Ågren is an Evolutionary Biologist who studies the causes and consequences of genomic conflicts. He has a Bachelors in Biology from the University of Edinburgh and his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Toronto. He completed his Postdoc in Andy Clark's lab for Molecular Biology and Genetics at Cornell University. He also did a fellowship at the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University hosted by David Haig. Currently, he conducts research at the Evolutionary Biology Centre at Uppsala University in Sweden. His new book, The Gene's-Eye View of Evolution can be purchased here. You can find his research at his website. Twitter: @arvidagren

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jessica Tracy about the self-conscious emotion of pride. They begin the discussion by defining emotions and describing their evolutionary function. They talk about the basic emotions and the self-conscious emotions and describe the differences between affect, feelings, and emotions. They explain the challenges with the positive vs. negative emotions framework and how social emotions present in other mammals. 

They provide a definition of pride and how it works towards social status and rank. They talk about the two types of pride, authentic and hubristic pride, and how one could view pride as an internal system. They discuss what the self is and how pride works with an understanding of the self. They talk about pride in non-WEIRD populations and how one can recognize pride expression. They engage about the the different models of explaining pride for social dominance, hierarchy, and status along with explaining the positive and negative aspects of both types of pride. They talk about how shame and pride interact and some of the measures used to assess for shame and pride. They also discuss Jessica's research on developing a more accurate taxonomy for distinct positive emotions. 

Jessica Tracy is a Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and a Sauder Distinguished Scholar. She runs the emotion and self lab at UBC where she studies emotion, moral thinking, nonverbal expression, self-conscious emotions (e.g., pride, shame), narcissism, status and hierarchy, and trends in psychological science. She is also the Associate Editor for the journal, Affective Science. She is the author of the book, Pride: The secret of success which you can find here. You can also find all of her scientific articles at her website. Twitter: @profjesstracy 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Allie Choate about the statistical aspects of measuring personality. They start the conversation by giving a general definition of psychopathology and p-factor. They discuss some internalizing and externalizing factors of p-factor and how it operates laterally with the g-factor of intelligence. They talk about which disorders the p-factor correlates most and how it is implicated. They provide a larger discussion around personality disorders along with the co-morbidity of personality disorders with other clinical disorders. Allie shares findings from her research with borderline personality disorder and psychopathy and the surrounding literature on these topics. They discuss the bifactor model/factor analyses that are used to understanding psychopathology research and many other topics. 

Allie Choate is a PhD candidate in clinical psychology with her research focused on personality pathology and quantitative methods to understand psychological phenomena. Twitter: @alliemchoate

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lee Jussim about stereotypes, bias, and the current state of the social sciences. They talk about the scientific data on stereotypes, good and bad stereotypes, and how one understands stereotypes. They discuss some of the history of studies in social psychology and how that has changed currently. They discuss social perception and bias and give a detail description on how there is no general or universal definition of implicit bias. They talk about the Implicit Association Test (IAT) and some of the implications of this test. They also discuss some of the research on self-fulfilling prophecies along with Lee's current work in advocating for healthy viewpoint diversity within academia. 

Lee Jussim is a social psychologist and the Chair of Psychology at Rutgers University.  He continues to run the Social Perception lab at Rutgers and is extremely well published over the past 30 years on social perception, stereotypes, and bias. You can find many of his scholarly papers here. You can also find his popular writing here. Twitter: @psychrabble

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Angel Eduardo about the need to focus on ideas and also about viewpoint diversity with the Latino community.  They discuss the distinctions between words and ideas and the value of intentions along with context. They also talk about revisionist history with society and how individuals should be patient and more sanguine in their reactions.

They also discuss Latino diversity by starting with some background from their own Latin roots. They parse out the differences between the terms Hispanic, Latino, and Spanish. They discuss the complex nuances within the Caribbean and the regional differences within the United States for Latinos. They discuss the underlying and encompassing themes of Latin culture and how these themes disperse with acculturation among Latinos in the United States. 

Angel Eduardo is a writer, musician, photographer, and designer based in New York City. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from CUNY and is a staff writer at Idealist. You can find his piece on ideas here and his more recent piece on selfishness here. Find him at his website and on twitter: @strangeledweird  

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Daniel Lieberman about the evolutionary history of exercise. They discuss why evolution and adaptation are important to understand the human body, use of energy, myths of sitting, and how much sleep do we really need. They talk about why speed and endurance are important for humans, aggression, walking and running, the active grandparent hypothesis, and many other topics. 

Daniel Lieberman is a paleoanthropologist and is a Professor in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, and the Edwin M. Lerner II Professor of Biological Sciences at Harvard University. He is also a member of Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology. He has spent his career researching the evolutionary history of the human body, walking and running, and the evolution of the human head. His most recent book, Exercised: Why Something We Never evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding, can be found here. You can find his research here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kat Rosenfield about women, men, feminism, metoo, cancel culture, and free speech issues. They begin the conversation by discussing why Kat writes about cultural issues and the current state of feminism. They explore why dissent from other women is not always accepted within many women's rights groups. They discuss women in the workplace, the patriarchy, metoo, and women in film. They talk about whether one can separate the art from the artist and if it is possible to forgive and rehabilitate people for wrong acts they do. They also talk about cancel culture and free speech and many other topics.

Kat Rosenfield is a freelance pop culture writer. She is a former reporter for MTV News and has written articles for Entertainment Weekly, Unherd, Vulture, Wired, and many other places. She is the author of many books including Alliances: A Trick of Light with Stan Lee. Her newest novel is No One Will Miss Her and can be purchased here. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @katrosenfield

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kathryn Gordon about the challenging topic of suicide. They discuss the current data and statistics on suicide in the United States. They talk about the connection between suicide and mental illness and how to spot warning signs for suicide. They discuss the appropriate ways to ask if someone is suicidal along with the differences between passive and active suicidal ideations. They distinguish what is different between a safety contract and a safety plan. They also mention the role of self-injurious behaviors and their various differences from suicidal gestures. They also talk about the dangers of discussion suicide on social media and many other topics. 

Kathryn Gordon is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who is a clinician and researcher. As a clinician, she specializes in conducting Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with a variety of clients. She also conducts active research on Eating Disorders. She was also an Associate Professor of Psychology at North Dakota State University. You can find her published research here. She is the author of The Suicidal Thoughts Workbook which can be purchased here. She is the co-host of the podcast, Psychodrama and write a blog for Psychology Today. Twitter: @drkathryngordon

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Vanessa Bohns about her research on influence. They define influence and how it has a reciprocal nature. They discuss who we are influenced by and what are the social norms for influence. They talk about why it is hard to make requests and hard to say no. They mention the negative aspects of influence, influence in dating and romantic relationships, the role of power with influence, and many other topics.

Vanessa Bohns is a social psychologist and professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University. She has an undergraduate degree from Brown University and PhD in Psychology from Columbia University. She has previously taught at New York University’s Stern School of Business and University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. Her work as been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic. She is the author of her first book, You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters. You can find her work at her website. Twitter: @profbohns

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Richard Prum about aesthetics, birds, and the evolution of beauty. They provide an overview of sexual selection and the aspects of sexual ornamentation and mate choice. They discuss Fisher’s two-factor model of evolution and use the example of the great Argus pheasant to describe Richard’s idea that beauty happens. They discuss the co-evolution of beauty and how sexual selection is not only about adaptation. They mention the subjective experience of animals and theory of mind. They also discuss aesthetic radiation, phylogeny of birds, and the sound production in the wings of Manakins. They briefly discuss the colorful feathers of dinosaurs, duck sex, and aesthetic remodeling. Richard provides some of his critiques of evolutionary psychology and makes the distinction between beauty happening and pleasure happening.

Richard Prum is an Evolutionary Ornithologist at Yale University. His research interests are avian biology, behavioral evolution, sexual selection, and mate choice. He has been a main contributor to the theropod dinosaur origins of birds and the evolution of avian plumage coloration. He is the Curator of Ornithology and Head Curator of Vertebrate Zoology at the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History. Previously, he was the Chair of the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale. He is the author of, The Evolution of Beauty: How Darwin’s Forgotten Theory of mate Choice Shapes the Animal World—and Us, which can be purchased here. You can find his scholarly publications here.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jon Alexander about a citizens story for humanity. They begin by talking about the consumer's story, how reciprocity and interdependence work in a citizens story, and how one sees the subject, consumer, and citizen story in a our present society. They talk about Taiwan as a case study of the citizen model and where populism fits into the citizen story. They discuss whether institutional reform is possible, practical features, and many other topics. 

Jon Alexander is the Co-Founder of the New Citizenship project, a company design to shift individuals and companies from a consumer model to citizen model. He has an extensive background in advertising and three Masters degrees. He is also the former Chair of the Food Ethics Council. You can find his book, Citizens, and the project here. Twitter: @jonjalex

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Marcelo Sanchez-Villagra about animal domestication. They define domestication and how it is a process. They talk about niche construction and the three pathways of domestication. They mention the impact of agriculture, wild and semi-domestication, hybridization and adaptive radiation, as well as the impact of globalization and urbanization. They discuss the ethics of domestication, evolutionary developmental biology, morphological variation and feralization. They also talk about fish and insect domestication, cultural evolution, and many other topics. 

Marcelo Sanchez-Villagra is a professor of paleobiology and is the director of the palaeontological Institute and Museum at the University of Zurich. He is well published in his field and is the author of many books. His most recent book, The Process of Animal Domestication, can be found here. You can find his published papers here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Robin Hanson about hidden motives, norms, and the sacred. They discuss how one understands motives and why they are hidden. They also talk about bias and not violating norms, free will, status and signaling and why dominance and prestige are important. They also talk about some aspects of cancel culture, large and small norms, and self-deception. They spend some time discussing the sacred, futarchy, and many other topics. 

Robin Hanson is an Associate Professor of Economics at George Mason University. He has degrees in physics and a PhD in social sciences from Caltech. His interests include economics, philosophy, political theory, healthy policy, and regulation. He has many articles published in various scientific journals and is the author of many books, including the most recent (co-authored with Kevin Simler), The Elephant In The Brain. He is also the co-host (with Agnes Callard) of the podcast, Minds Almost Meeting. You can find his work at his personal website. Twitter: @robinhanson

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Stuart Shanker about the neuroscience and philosophical underpinnings of self-regulation. They discuss his clinical and research background in working with children and why he emphasizes a just society with self-reg. They discuss the 5-step method of self-reg and why stress management is important. They talk about infant development and the "4th trimester." They expound upon the evolutionary development of the triune brain and the current critiques of this concept. They talk about the complexities of the cortical and subcortical systems of the limbic system and prefrontal cortex in brain development. They discuss the interbrain and the importance of Allan Schore's work on attachment and the developing brain. They engage about Wittgenstein's concepts around aspects shifts and first person psychological utterances and how we understand temperament and personality in development. They mention the vagus nerve and his ideas about virtue.

Stuart Shanker is the Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Psychology at York University. He is also the CEO of MEHRIT Centre, Ltd. He is the author of many books including, Reframed: Self-Reg for a Just Society. You can purchase his books here. You can find his work, research, and resources at his website. Twitter: @stuartshanker

In this special episode, Xavier Bonilla has an extended and wide ranging discussion about emotions, current state of psychology, and sexuality. They discuss emotions and their function, expression of emotions, fear as a spectrum and instinctual vs. learned fear. They discuss the history of substance abuse and challenges with the American Psychological Association (APA) such as their reduction in scientific rigor and focus on activism. They discuss APA's recent guidelines and their shift to social justice work, their problems with supporting psychology students, along with fads and self-help in psychology. They also talk about the history of the LGBTQ+ population, bisexuality, culture wars, and many more topics. 

Patrick Lockwood is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in California. He works at a premier addiction clinic for LGBTQ+ population in Los Angeles. He has over 15 years of experience in clinical practice, mainly with individuals that have substance abuse challenges. He is the author of The Fear Problem and has his own youtube channel. Twitter: @psychplockwood

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Quammen about the origins and treatments for SARS-CoV-2. They discuss the lack of preparedness and missed warnings of SARS 2003. They talk about the two main schools of though on the origins of SARS-CoV-2, the 2 lineages, variants, and future variants. They also talk about herd immunity, drug therapies, and vaccines. They mention gain-of-function research, preparedness for future pandemics, and many other topics. 

David Quammen is a well-renowned science writer and has received a Rhodes Scholarship, Guggenheim Fellowship, and numerous awards for his writing. He is the author of sixteen books including, The Song of the Dodo, Spillover, The Tangled Tree, and his latest, Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat A Deadly Virus. You can find his work here. Twitter: @davidquammen

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Douglas Kenrick and David Lundberg-Kenrick about the evolutionary adaptations of the human body and brain. They discuss their pyramid of needs being rooted in evolution and juxtaposing it with Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They talk about evolution mismatches and tradeoffs and the values of behaviorism for adaptive change. They discuss tribalism, friendships, prestige/dominance, romantic relationships, family, and many other topics. 

Douglas Kenrick is a social psychologist and professor of psychology Arizona State University. His interests are evolutionary biology and cognitive science to understand social interactions, decision-making, and creativity. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent book, Solving Modern Problems with A Stone-Aged Brain. You can find his work here. Twitter: @douglastkenrick

David Lundberg-Kenrick is the media outreach program manager at Arizona State University. He attended film school in New York and has an extensive background in multimedia education and working on various documentaries. He is the co-author of Solving Modern Problems with A stone-Aged Brain. Twitter: @lundbergkenrick

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Talia Welsh about the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty. Talia provides her background in philosophy and with Merleau-Ponty specifically. She also discusses her work in gender and feminine studies. They discuss the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty and how one understands the experience of their own being. They provide an overview of phenomenology and Merleau-Ponty's contribution to this branch of philosophy. They also talk about how his philosophy can be applied and the juxtaposition that it has with psychology. They also talk about feminism and gender studies generally along with other topics.

Talia Welsh has a PhD in philosophy and is currently a UC Foundation professor of Philosophy and Women, Gender, and Sexuality studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She spends most of her research with Merleau-Ponty and has translated his lectures given at Sorbonne in the volume, Child Psychology & Pedagogy: The Sorbonne Lectures 1949-1952. You can find her work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Paul Bloom concerning suffering, pleasure, and meaning. They discuss the reasoning for Paul writing his new book on the darker side of pleasure and make the distinction between chosen and unchosen suffering. They question whether one should always finding meaning in suffering and talk about some of the illusions of reality. They talk about the notion of contrast and discuss the importance of aversive fictions and the role of imagination. They define meaning and how people aim to seek meaning and value from different types of suffering. They also discuss Paul's previous book on empathy and provide distinctions between cognitive empathy, emotional empathy, and compassion. They talk about how one can view empathy in different aspects of clinical therapeutic practice. They also discuss having more balanced ways of seeing the complexities of humanity and many other topics. 

Paul Bloom is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale University. Paul's interests are on morality, pleasure, and development. He is the past president of the Society for Philosophy and Psychology and co-editor of Behavioral and Brain Sciences. He has written for The New York Times, The Guardian, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic. He is the author of numerous books such as Against Empathy and his latest book, The Sweet Spot, which you can purchase here. You can find much of his research and writing at his website. Twitter: @paulbloomatyale

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Batya Ungar-Sargon about journalism and the working class. They begin by discussing the history of journalism and the past emphasis of the working class being the main audience. They discuss why mass media has become highly polarized and the evolution of media being for elites. They talk about some of the incentives of media and speculate about some of the potential psychological explanations for the polarization in society. They discuss the impact of social media on media overall along with some of the differences in conservative and liberal media. They also talk about individual journalism and if institutions can be saved and many other topics.

Batya Ungar-Sargon is the Deputy Opinion Editor of Newsweek. She holds a PhD  from the University of California, Berkeley. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times. You can purchase her book here. Twitter: @bungarsargon

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alex Schnell about cognition, intelligence, and consciousness in cephalopods. They briefly discuss comparative psychology and its use alongside other fields. They discuss the evolutionary basics of cephalopods and some of the similarities and differences between the various species. They talk about the mating strategies of cuttlefish such as male fighting and female receptivity and the implications of the behaviors of cuttlefish on intelligence and cognition. They discuss her recent paper on cuttlefish passing a version of the marshmallow test and the importance of understanding self-gratification and self-control in cuttlefish. They also talk about consciousness in animal minds (specifically cephalopods) and implications of studying intelligence and cognition in other animals and many other topics. 

Alex Schnell holds a PhD in Behavioral Ecology and currently conducts research for the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. She has research experience in comparative psychology, marine biology, and evolutionary biology. Most of her research on various cephalopods can be found here and here. Twitter: @dr_alexschnell

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with John Russon about the major thinkers in phenomenology and how their ideas can be applied in everyday life. They begin the conversation with an overview of Hegel's philosophy and discuss sexual intimacy as an example of Hegel's ideas on recognition. They also discuss the impact of Hegel's philosophy on Marxism and some of the lessons from the French revolution. They question whether it is individuals or institutions that can be oppressive and malevolent. They discuss Heidegger's main concepts of Dasein and worldhood. They talk about the authenticity and inauthenticity of Dasein and the four different types of world. They also dialogue about the philosophy of Merleau-Ponty and his major concepts on perception and embodiment and the phenomenology of space. 

John Russon is a philosopher and professor of philosophy at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. He is the author of three books on G.W.F. Hegel and has written four books of his own that deal with personal identity and the structures of everyday life. He has many recorded talks on philosophy at his youtube page. He also can be found at his website. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Benjamin Lipscomb about four women philosophers in the early 20th century who revolutionized ethical studies. They discuss how he came to write this book and how these four women came to know each other and discuss ethics. They talk about how facts and values are different and the towering presence of Aristotle's philosophy. They describe the environment of Oxford in the 1920s and how much misogyny and sexism played a part in academia during this period. They discuss the life and philosophy of Iris Murdoch, Anscombe's philosophy and the impact of Wittgenstein, the philosophy of Philippa Foot, and contributions of Mary Midgley to philosophy and other fields of study. They also mention whether these women saw themselves as feminists and their legacy within philosophy. 

Benjamin Lipscomb is a professor of philosophy and Director of the Honors Program at Houghton College where he specializes in ethical theory and history of philosophy. He has his PhD from the University of Notre Dame and is active in his religious community. His book, The women are up to something: How Elizabeth Anscombe, Philippa Foot, Mary Midgley, and Iris Murdoch Revolutionize Ethics can be found here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Haig about evolution, causes, and the meaning of life. They discuss how bits of matter can help us understand purpose and value. They talk about the four causes of Aristotle, adaptation, group selection vs. cooperation, and the three types of genes. They discuss replicators and vehicles, types and tokens, memes, and the extended phenotype. They mention the gene selection network, instinct, using biology for understanding meaning, various interpretations, and many other topics. 

David Haig is the George Putnam Professor of biology at Harvard University. He has multiple degrees in biology including his PhD in biology from MacQuarie University. He was a Royal Society fellow at St. John's College at Oxford University. He is an independent researcher, professor, and author of numerous books. His most recent, From Darwin to Derrida: Selfish genes, Social Selves, and the Meanings of Life, can be found here. You can also find much of his research at his website. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with June Tangney about shame and the various components of this emotion. They provide a definition of shame and how it is a distinct emotion from guilt. They discuss how the same event can be implicated with different emotional reactions. They talk about how to understand negative shame and hubristic pride along with the differences between public and private shame. They discuss the adaptive aspects of shame and how shame may present in other cultures. They talk about shame with trauma and some of the clinical interventions that could be used in therapy for shame. They discuss how shame manifests in various medical diagnoses and how shame presents in popular culture and mainstream media. 

June Tangney is a Clinical Psychologist and University Professor at George Mason University. She has served as Associate Editor for Self and Identity, Consulting Editor for Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, Psychological Assessment, Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, and Journal of Personality, and is currently Associate Editor of American Psychologist. She has done extensive research on the moral emotions (e.g., shame, guilt, empathy) and has done work researching moral emotions with incarcerated offenders. You can find her books here. You can also find her peer-reviewed research here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Alentina Vardanyan about the organizational behavior and ethics of artificial intelligence (AI). They discuss her transition from psychology to behavioral approaches within AI. They define intelligence and the different forms of artificial intelligence. A brief history of AI is discussed and they dialogue about the various ethical challenges with AI. They talk about the ethics of various applications and the larger theme of reality vs. simulation. They also discuss the ethics of automation and whether technology is moving too fast. They talk about how AI is presented in science fiction and what we can expect from AI in the near future and many other topics. 

Alentina Vardanyan is a PhD candidate at the Cambridge Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. She studies organizational behavior, artificial intelligence, and the future of work. Her work mostly focuses on the intersection of organization behavior with AI. Follow her on youtube. Twitter: @alentina

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Richard Polt about the philosophy of Martin Heidegger. They define and discuss Dasein, 3 forms of Dasein, and how it is different from other types of being. They talk about authenticity and inauthenticity, being as metaphysics, and the role of Aristotle's philosophy on Heidegger's thought. They discuss Heidegger's "turn" in the 1930s, being-in-the-world, 4 senses of the world, and what a shared world means. They also talk about environment, present-at-hand, and ready-to-hand. They engage on Heidegger's concepts of care, thrownness, and anxiety. They also mention Heidegger's thoughts on language and technology, along with his involvement in the Nazi party, and many other topics. 

Richard Polt is Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of philosophy at Xavier University. He has a Bachelors in philosophy from the University of California, Berkeley and a PhD from the Committee on Social Thought from the University of Chicago. His major interests are in Greek and German philosophy and he has translated and written over seven books, mostly on German philosophy, namely Heidegger's philosophical thought. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Rick Perlstein about conservatism, politics in the United States, and past and present social-cultural issues. They discuss his motivations for writing his four books on modern Conservatism in the United States. They discuss the rise of Barry Goldwater and the splintering of the New Deal coalition. They also discuss the shifting cultural voting bloc from the middle class to elites and how Nixon’s rise worked with these shifting social and cultural changes. They talked about how suburbanization influenced a push towards Goldwater and Nixon and the new brand of Conservatism. They discuss the ever-present role of Reagan always in the background and some of the biographical aspects of the image he created for himself. They talk about the conservative shift from economic to social-cultural elements, the Reagan Democrats, and building of the modern Conservative coalition. They also talk about the Conservative party over the past 40 years leading up to the current platform and the potential future directions.

Rick Perlstein is a writer, journalist, and historian who has written four books on the social and political Conservative waves during the 1960s and 1970s. He is the author of Before The Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus, Nixonland: The Rise of A President and the Fracturing of America, The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and The Rise of Reagan, and Reaganland: America’s Right Turn 1976-1980. You can find all of the links to his books, essays, and other publications at his website. Twitter: @rickperlstein

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff about a canine future without humans. They talk about how dogs could potentially survive and evolve in a post-human world. They mention the difference between breeds vs. individualized dogs, generations of dogs post-human, and how dogs have evolved with humans thus far. They also talk about features of dogs in a post-human world, skull morphology, ethics, and how people can treat dogs better in the present. 

Jessica Pierce is a bioethicist and serves on the faculty at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center. She has her PhD from the University of Virginia. Her main interests are on ethical issues in biomedical sciences, human-animal relationships, and animal welfare. She is the author of numerous books, including the most recent with Marc Bekoff, A Dog's World: Imagining the Lives of Dogs In A World Without Humans. You can find her at her blog and her website. 

Marc Bekoff is a biologist and is professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is a fellow of the Animal Behavior Society and past Guggenheim Fellow. His main interests are animal behavior, cognitive ethology, and behavioral ecology. He is well-published in the scientific literature and is the author of numerous books, including his most recent with Jessica Pierce. You can find all of his work at his website. Twitter: @marcbekoff

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Carole Hooven about the hormone Testosterone and its impact on men and within society. They discuss her new book and reasons for writing the book. They talk about sex hormones and the sexual reproductive system as well as the impact of sexual selection on both. They provide definitions of male and female within a biological framework including discussions on the genetics, hormones, and gametes. They talk about the impact of culture and environment on gender expression and biological sex. The talk about how hormones are distributed throughout the body and the importance of secondary sex characteristics. They talk about the Mullerian and Wolffian ducts and also give different examples of how hormones interact with the environment. They discuss the complexities of discussing biology and environment in current society and many other topics. 

Carole Hooven is a Lecturer and Co-Director of the undergraduate program in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University. She has a Bachelors in Psychology from Antioch College and a PhD from Harvard University. Her main research areas are sex differences, testosterone, and hormones interaction with behaviors. She is the author of T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us which you can purchase here. You can find her at her website. Twitter: @hoovlet

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Nicholas Christakis about cooperation, social networks, and tribalism. They discuss how humans are more cooperative and have a propensity for good than many people emphasize. They talk about the social suite and examples of unintentional, intentional, and artificial communities. They discuss positive and negative aspects of cooperation, punishment, and social networks. They discuss friendship, in-group tribalism, social learning, teaching, and culture. They also provide a brief update on where COVID-19 is at the moment and what we can expect in the next few years. 

Nicholas Christakis is a physician and sociologist who conducts research at his Human Nature Lab at Yale University on social networks. Currently, he is the Sterling Professor of Social and Natural Science, Internal Medicine, & Biomedical Engineering at Yale University.  He has his MPH and MD from Harvard University along with his PhD in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania. In 2009, he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is the author of Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of A Good Society, and Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live. You can find his lab here. Twitter: @nachristakis

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Mark Atwood Lawrence about the foreign policy of the United States in the 1960s. They discuss why his book focuses on other foreign policy elements outside of Vietnam during the 1960s. They mention the political opinions of communism, how lower officials managed day-to-day foreign affairs, and why he used the term “third world.” They talk about the transition from Eisenhower to Kennedy and the style of governance that Kennedy used for foreign affairs.  They dialogue about the four strands of thinking on American foreign policy and how Johnson used the “Johnson treatment” to manage foreign affairs diplomacy. They discuss the five case studies in Brazil, India, Iran, Indonesia, and Southern Africa, and how Nixon’s foreign affairs was different.

Mark Atwood Lawrence is Associate professor of History, Distinguished Fellow at the Robert S. Strauss Center for International Security and Law, and Director of Graduate Studies at the Clements Center for National Security at The University of Texas, Austin. He has his PhD in history from Yale where he also taught before joining UT Austin in 2000. He is the author of several book including his most recent, The End of Ambition: The United States and the Third World in the Vietnam Era. You can find his work here.

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Massimo Pigliucci about the nature of virtues and character. They define virtue and why people seek virtue. They describe the differences between virtues and morals and discuss moral relativism. They talk about daemons and how they are important for moral character. They also talk about Plato's five ways of governing, trusting institutions, aspects of character, and many more topics.

Massimo Pigliucci is the K.D. Irani Professor of Philosophy at City College of New York. He has a PhD in biology, a PhD in philosophy, and a doctorate in genetics. His main interests are philosophy of science, nature of pseudoscience, and stoicism. He is widely published in scientific journals and in mainstream outlets. He is the author of 16 books including his most recent book, The Quest for Character: What the Story of Socrates and Alcibiades Teaches Us About Our Search for Good Leaders. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lori Marino about the ethics of eating animals and whether they have conscious states. They define intelligence in non-human animals and discuss the brains of whales and how they communicate. They discuss consciousness in animals and how humans can ethically cohabitate with animals. They talk about how domesticated animals, including farmed animals, have sentience, personality, and consciousness. They also talk about the ethics of eating animals and artificial meat, and many more topics.

Lori Marino is a neuroscientist and expert in studying animal intelligence and behavior. She has her PhD in biopsychology and has done extensive research on whale and dolphin intelligence. She is well-published in the scientific literature on animal minds. She is the President of The Whale Sanctuary Project and is also the founder and Executive Director of The Kimmela Center for Animal Advocacy. You can read her essay mentioned in this episode here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jonathan Losos about convergent evolution. They begin by defining convergent evolution and what the role of the environment is for convergent evolution. They discuss the importance of phenotypes and behaviors, speciation, and adaptive radiation. They mention how evolution can work fast using examples from nature. They also talk about evolution in the lab, the LTEE, and E. Coli. They also discuss the future of evolution, life on other planets, and many other topics. 

Jonathan Losos is an evolutionary ecologist who studies rapid evolution, ecology, and phylogenetics. He has his PhD from the University of California and taught at Harvard University for over 10 years. Currently, he is a professor at Washington University (St. Louis) and is the founder of the Living Earth Collaborative. He is the recipient of the Daniel Giraud Elliot Medal, the Theodosius Dobzhansky Prize, the Edward O. Wilson Naturalist Award, and the David Starr Jordan Prize. His book, Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution, can be found here. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bret Alderman concerning postmodernism, phenomenology, and lived experiences. They provide an overview of postmodernism and deconstructionism along with explaining why language is central for this perspective. They talk about Saussure's structuralism of language as juxtaposed with a postmodern view of language. They discuss the problems with postmodernism/deconstructionism and talk about the concepts of the other, power, and oppression. They provide a detailed analysis of lived experiences and the original intent of Husserl's thinking behind coining this term. They also discuss some of Merleau-Ponty's phenomenology and many other topics. 

Bret Alderman has a PhD in depth psychology and is also a life coach. Outside of his clinical work and life coach capacity, he has taught courses in human behavior, neuroscience, biopsychology, and intercultural communication. He is the author of Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language: A Jungian Interpretation of the Linguistic Turn. You can find his work at his website.          Twitter: @drbretalderman

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jennifer Raff about the genetic history of the Americas. They discuss why respect and care for the histories and cultures of indigenous groups should be respected when doing research. They talk about the Clovis peoples, diversification of early people groups, and coastal migration. They outline the earliest evidence of humans in the Americas, Indigenous groups in Latin America, and past and present Inuit peoples. They discuss the ethics of genetics for studying various people groups and the future of population groups. 

Jennifer Raff is an anthropological geneticist and assistant professor in the anthropology department at the University of Kansas. Her interests are concerned with North American pre-history and the peopling of the Americas. Her first book, Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas, can be found here. You can find her work here and here. Twitter: @jenniferRaff

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Annie Wertz about her research on infant cognition and the interactions with plants. They discuss her background and how she came to study infant cognition and plants. They discuss infant development and cognition including object permanence, theory of mind, and various cognitive domains. They also talk about different types of plants such as toxic vs. non-toxic plants. They discuss the co-evolution of plants with humans and how infants can discriminate between edible and non-edible plants. They also discuss her PLANT experiment and the cross-cultural differences with infant cognition with plants.

Annie Wertz is a research psychologist who researches infant cognition and infants’ interactions with plants. She has her bachelor’s in psychology from Boston University and PhD in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She completed her postdoc research at Yale University and is currently a lead researcher in the MPRG Naturalistic Social Cognition Lab at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin. You can find her work here.      Twitter: @anniewertz

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Skye Cleary on authenticity and the feminism of Simone de Beauvoir. They define authenticity, discuss existence before essence, and dialogue on the "other" and subjectivity. They talk about de Beauvoir's mystifications and how to define what is a woman? They discuss roles, progress for women, and women's health. They also discuss de Beauvoir on friendship, love and marriage, motherhood, narcissism, and why rebellion is necessary. 

Skye Cleary is a philosopher who teaches at Columbia University and City University of New York. She was the editor-in-chief of the American Philosophical Association's blog and certified fellow with the American Philosophical Practitioners Association. She is the author of three books including her latest, How to be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment. You can find her work here. Twitter: @skye_cleary

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Laura Wallace about source bias, trustworthiness, attitudes, and persuasion. They discuss what sources are and how bias is defined. They talk about perceived bias and its importance along with the spillover effect into other areas for a person. They mention the difference between biases and opinions. They discuss trustworthiness and some of the differences between perceived bias and perceived trustworthiness. They discuss the key component of perception as implicated in these concepts. They also talk about attitudes and attitude strength. They engage about attitudes being synonymous with opinions and how they impact certainty and persuasion along with many other topics. 

Laura Wallace has her PhD in Social Psychology from Ohio State University and is currently conducting research on source bias and persuasion at George Mason University. Her main research questions are how people change their minds, motivations for change, how people act on their beliefs, and how institutions promote progress. You can find her various scientific publications and other resources at her website. Twitter: @lauraewallace

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with W. Keith Campbell about the research on narcissism. They define narcissism and explain the three types: grandiose, vulnerable, and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD). They talk about state vs. traits vs. disorder and the three theoretical models of narcissism along with the 4 major models of narcissism. They discuss general personality traits such as the big-5 and some of the personality measures. They discuss NPD, dark triad, light triad, and energetic triad, and how narcissism can present in relationships, dating, leadership, and on social media. They also talk about the adaptive aspects of narcissism, managing narcissism, and many other topics. 

W. Keith Campbell is a professor of psychology at the University of Georgia and is a leading expert on narcissism. He is widely published in scientific journals and has appeared in many major outlets. He is the author of The New Science of Narcissism. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Geoffrey West about scale and sustainability. They begin by discussing scale and how it is typically defined. They give an overview of the major relevant scaling laws including the logarithmic scale. They discuss the importance of metabolic rate and the magic number four. They talk about growth and scale and how these concepts are applied with aging along with the role of temperature on metabolism. They discuss fractals and how they work with scale in cities. They talk about the social connectedness of cities, rural areas, and a grand unified theory of sustainability. 

Geoffrey West is the Shannan Distinguished Professor and past President at the Santa Fe Institute. He is a theoretical physicist and has done extensive research in elementary particles and general scaling phenomena. He is Fellow of the American Physical Society and was one of their Centenary Speakers in 2003. He has won the Mercer Award from the Ecological Society of America, the Weldon Memorial Prize (2005), and the APS Szilard Award (2013). He was named Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World" in 2006 and is the author of several books. His most recent book, Scale: The Universal Laws of Growth, Innovation, Sustainability, and the Pace of Life IN Organisms, Cities, Economies, and Companies, can be found here. You can also find his work at his website. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Thomas R. Verny about his work on the embodied mind. They discuss Thomas' background and motivation for writing his most recent book and how the embodied mind is an extended mind. They discuss the importance of the gut microbiome and the enteric nervous system. They talk about the vagus nerve, epigenetics, and stem cells and CRISPR. They also provided details on regeneration, hibernation, and metamorphosis using the example of the Planarian flatworm. They also talk about consciousness, the self, and many other topics. 

Thomas R. Verny is a psychiatrist and author. He has taught at many academic institutions such as Harvard, University of Toronto, and York University, Toronto. He founded the Pre- and Perinatal Psychology Association of North America (PPPANA, renamed APPPAH—Association for Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health – in 1995), and served as its president for eight years. He also launched the APPPAH Journal – the Journal of Pre- and Perinatal Psychology and Health (JAPPAH) (Human Sciences Press, New York), which he edited from its inception until 1990. He is a member of the Ontario Review Board (ORB) and Associate Editor of the Journal of the Association for Pre- and Peri-natal Psychology and Health (JAPPPAH). He has almost 50 papers in the scientific journals and is the author of numerous books, including the most recent, The Embodied Mind: Understanding the Mysteries of Cellular Memory, Consciousness, and Our Bodies. You can find his work at his website. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Dominic Packer about group identities. They start the conversation by discussing his partnership with Jay Van Bavel and their reasons for writing the book. The define identity and why it is an important construct. They discuss the delineation between self and personality and discuss in-group vs. out-group constructs. They mention the concept of cooperation with group identities and mention some of the classic social psychology experiments. They talk about group identity with political polarization, optimal distinctiveness, and the importance of dissent. They also talk about the need for healthy group identities and many other topics. 

Dominic Packer is a Social Psychologist, Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in Arts and Sciences at Lehigh University. His main focus areas are on dissent, cooperation, and group identities. His book, with co-author Jay Van Bavel, is The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony, which can be purchased here. Their book also has a website. Twitter: @dominicpacker_

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Spencer Case about extremism and morality. They discuss his background, how he got into philosophy, and leaving Mormonism. They define moral extremism and discuss it as a vice and detriment of character. They discuss the role of moral emotions with extremism and the differences between absolute and relative morals. They engage on character and intention as important to moral extremism and provide examples from the prohibition era and from past historical figures. They also stress the need for compassion in correcting moral extremism and many other topics. 

Spencer Case holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Currently, he is an international research fellow at Wuhan University in Wuhan, China. His main research interesting are in meta ethics, normative theory, and moral realism. You can find links to his published papers and popular articles at his website. Twitter: @spencerjaycase

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jeremy DeSilva about the importance of bipedalism. They discuss the evolutionary history of hominoids, hominins, and hominids. They talk about the earliest evolution of bipedalism in other species. They also discuss the importance of Lucy and Ardi and the differences and similarities between these two early Australopithecus. They talk about where Homo Erectus fits into the timeline and whether bipedalism was essential for human evolution. They engage about the elements of gait for different human species and the relevance for modern humans. They also talk about bipedalism and the aspects of birth, socialization, and many other topics. 

Jeremy DeSilva is a paleoanthropologist and Associate Professor of anthropology at Dartmouth College. He specializes in the locomotion of the first apes and early human ancestors. Specifically, he studies fossils of human ankles and feet to understand the evolution of bipedalism. His book, First Steps: How Upright Walking Made Us Human is available here. You find him at his website and also on Twitter: @desilva_jerry

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bruce Carruthers about credit, trust, and the American economic system. They discuss the point of emphasis on promise and trust when discussing credit and finances in the United States. They talk about why people willingly go into debt to be part of an American economic system. They spend time talking about the history and current use of the credit rating scale and its expanding evolution for society. They also talk about the national bank of the United States, student loans, and many other topics. 

Bruce Carruthers is a sociologist and John D. MacArthur Professor of Sociology at Northwestern University. His research focuses on the history of credit in the United States. He is the author of five books including the most recent book, The Economy of Promises: Trust, Power, and Credit in America. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Isaac Butler about the history of method acting in the 20th century. They discuss who was Stanislavski and how he started his theater studio and system. They discuss the impact of Tolstoy and Chekhov on Stanislavksi. They explain the expansion of the method globally and how Lee Strasberg and Stella Adler became involved with the method. They talk about the differences between the system and the method and what is composed of the Method. They discuss how Marlon Brando was a genius and legend, origins of the actors legend, and some of the current modern actors that use the actors studio. They talk about current-day method acting and many more topics. 

Isaac Butler is a cultural critic, historian, theater director, and podcaster. He is the co-author of The World Only Spins Forward (with Dan Kois) and of his most recent book, The Method: How the Twentieth Century Learned to Act. He is the host of the Slate's podcast, Working. Twitter: @parabasis

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Lucy Foulkes around mental illness and some of the facts and messaging regarding this topic. They define mental illness and discuss the differences between acute and chronic symptoms. They talk about how to understand the conceptualization of mental disorders along with the distinctions between pathological and non-pathological symptoms. They spend time discussing de-stigmatization and how this works for athletes and public figures. They also engage about how de-stigmatization works with social media for many people. They also discuss treatment for individuals with mental illness and many other topics. 

Lucy Foulkes is a Psychologist and Honorary Lecturer in Psychology at University College, London. Her research primarily focuses on mental health and social cognition in adolescence. Her latest book, Losing Our Minds: What Mental Illness Really is and What it isn't is available here. You can find her research here. Twitter: @lfoulkesy

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Peter Russell about Sovereignty. They discuss a definition of sovereignty and the historical arc on the claim of sovereignty. They discuss the idea of a deity giving sovereignty and the importance of Westphalia shifting from deity to state. They talk about what perfecting sovereignty is and the importance of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau on Sovereignty. They discuss popular sovereignty with the American and French revolutions along with the tragic history of sovereignty with indigenous peoples. They talk about federalism and the future of sovereignty. 

Peter Russell is a Canadian Political Scientist and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, where he taught political science from 1958-1997. a Rhodes Scholar and Officer of the Order of Canada, he has served as the Director of Research for the McDonald Commission on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. He was also a member of the Federal Task Force on Comprehensive Land Claims, President of the Canadian Political Science Association, and Chair of the Research Advisory Committee for the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent, Sovereignty: The Biography of A Claim, which can be purchased here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Andrew Knoll about the geological history of the earth. They discuss how light, gravity, dark energy, and dark matter explain the early origins of the universe and earth. They also talk about the various layers of the earth, zircons, tectonic plates, and how one defines life. They also talk about how geology can assist in telling the time of earth, why the geologic timescale is important, and the early Ediacaran and Cambrian periods. They also talk about the impact of climate change, human involvement, and many other topics. 

Andrew Knoll is the Fisher Professor of Natural History at Harvard University. He has a BA and PhD in Geology. He has been an Associate Professor of Biology at Harvard University since 1982. For the past decade, he has served on the science team for NASA’s MER mission to Mars. He is the author of the most recent book, A Brief History of Earth. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Monica Guzman about journalism, culture, and Latinos in the United States. They discuss how she became involved in journalism and how the current state of journalism is at both the national and local levels. They discussed how she co-founded the Seattle digital newsletter, The Evergrey, and how people within cities create culture. They also discussed her work with Braver Angels and some of the dynamics of race and multiculturalism. They discussed her upcoming book and some of the main concepts such as curiosity. They also talked about Latinos in the United States and some of the political, social, and cultural themes along with many other topics. 

Monica Guzman is a Seattle-based journalist and writer who co-founded the digital newsletter, The Evergrey and is currently the senior media advisor for the Braver Angels organization. She is on track to release her book, I Never Thought of it That Way, in 2022. Join her newsletter here. Twitter: @moniguzman

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jonah Paquette about the emotion of awe. They talk about the positive and negative aspects of awe. They discuss the taxonomy of awe and subsequent emotions. They talk about moving awe from a state to a trait. They also discuss the current state of positive psychology, the role of political involvement for psychologists and clinicians, and many other topics.

Jonah Paquette is a clinical psychologist, clinical trainer, and author of three books. His first book, Real Happiness, is a self-help book detailing seven ways to have improved well-being. His second book, The Happiness Toolbox, is a more interactive book for tangible solutions towards building better well-being. His third and most recent book, Awestruck, describes the science and pragmatic applications of awe. You can follow Jonah and his work at his website. Twitter: @doctorpaquette 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Michael McCullough on cooperation and kindness with humans. They discuss his professional background and why he wrote his most recent book along with how one can understand kindness and cooperation. They discuss the four instincts of care, reciprocity, judgments, intentions, and character evaluation. They also discuss a taxonomy of emotions, compassion, empathy, and other emotions. They talk about the axial age and development of the golden rule. They also mention humanitarianism in the modern age, effective altruism and the future of compassion. 

Michael McCullough is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Evolution and Human Behavior Laboratory at the University of California, San Diego. He is an experimental psychologist whose work has been on forgiveness, revenge, empathy, and prosocial behavior. He has over 150 scientific papers to have appeared in publication such as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Journal of Experimental Psychology, and Psychological Bulletin. He is the author of numerous books including his most recent, The Kindness of Strangers: How a Selfish Ape Invented A New Moral Code, which can be found here. You can also find his work at his website. Twitter: @me_mccullough

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Richard Reeves about the current issues for boys and men. They discuss how to talk about men's issues next to women's issues. They talk about the structural issues against men such as in education and in the workforce. They mention the gender pay gap, challenges for Black and Latino men, and failures of the political right and political left to provide answers for men's issues. They also talk about HEAL and some of the solutions for men's issues and many other topics. 

Richard Reeves is senior fellow and theJohn C. and Nancy D. Whitehead Chair for economic studies at Brookings. He is the Director of the Future of the Middle Class Initiative. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He is the author of several books including the most recent, Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It. You can find his work here. Twitter: @richardvreeves

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Zoe Chance about the power of influence. They discuss what influence is and why it is important for humans. They discuss some of the misconceptions of influence, her reframing of Daniel Kahneman's system 1 and system 1, and the necessity of saying no. They talk about the elements of negotiation, how to spot red flags, and many other topics. 

Zoe Chance is researcher and teacher with her main interests being in influence. She has her PhD from Harvard University and is currently a professor at the Yale School of Management. She is the author of Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen. Twitter: @zoebchance

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Luis Lopez-Portillo about behavioral and cultural change for self-improvement. They begin the dialogue with an overview of Luis' personal and professional background. They talk about his background and training in journalism and communications and his switch to public relations. They talk about his time as Press Secretary for one of the former Presidents of El Salvador. They discuss his post-government work with his consulting company dealing with crisis management within companies. They also talk about his work with organizational and cultural change with various businesses.

The other half of the conversation focuses on Luis' restart method for personal change and the inspiration for writing his most recent book. They discuss the major themes within the restart method and the ways it can be implemented. They talk about the pragmatic uses for his restart method and what his ultimate aim is for readers of the book. 

Luis Lopez-Portillo is a journalist, author, life coach, and leadership trainer. He has a Bachelors in Communications and completed a fellowship at the University of Maryland in Journalism. He was a major editor at one of the largest newspapers in El Salvador, La Prensa Grafica. He was the Press Secretary for one of the former Presidents of El Salvador for five years and is currently the CEO of his company Retheos which is a consulting company for training businesses on crisis management and organizational change. He is the author of Evolve and Restart which can be found here. Twitter: @llopezportillo

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Inger Burnett-Ziegler about the emotional lives of Black women and how Black women can have authenticity and empowerment. They discuss Inger's background and her reasoning for writing her book. They discuss the origins of the norm that Black women must be strong and not expressive with vulnerabilities. They talk about the current internal and external barriers for Black women being able to express their positive and negative experiences. They also talk about how empowerment and authentic expressions of self are received by Black women. They describe some of the features of intergenerational trauma and how colorism impacts Black women. They end by discussing the stigma of Black women seeking mental health treatment. 

Inger Burnett-Zeigler is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She has over 15 years of clinical experience providing Psychological interventions to various patients. Her research focuses on mental health disparities within the Black community. Her first book, Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen: The Emotional Lives of Black Women is available now. You can also find all relevant links to her research and appearances at her website. Twitter: @ibzpsychphd

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Susana Monsó about animal minds. They talk about how animal minds are defined and why there is an emphasis on cognition. They also talk about a minimal concept of death and why this is important to understand animal minds. They talk about whether consciousness is essential for understanding animal minds and some of the arguments for and against moral individualism. They also talk about the ethics of eating farmed animals, how to treat domesticated animals, and many other topics. 

Susana Monsó is a philosopher who has a Bachelors in philosophy, Masters in ethics and human Values and a PhD in philosophy. She is also the co-founder of the Philosophy of Animal Minds and Behavior Association. Her main interest areas are on animal minds and animal ethics. You can find all of her published research at her website. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Razib Khan about genetics, how to understand populations and racial categories through genetics, and some of the social implications. They start by discussing the basics of genetics, the differences between DNA and genes, and how genes work over time. They talk about the different groups of humans as a species and understanding humans as a type of "super species." They discuss modern-day humans and how they spread around the world. They dialogue about the origins of Western Hemisphere Indigenous tribes and some of the genetic significance of Genghis Khan. They also mention some of the population structures of India. They also discuss how to understand genetics with race and some of the differences between race and ethnicity.

Razib Khan is a geneticist, writer, and podcaster. He has written for many scholarly journals on genetics. He has also written many pieces for mainstream outlets such as The New York Times, The Guardian, and National Review. You can find all of his work, including his substack page here. Twitter: @razibkhan

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Douglas Futuyma about the evolution of birds. They discuss how evolutionary biology can be a very helpful lens to understand birds. They talk about the importance of the phylogenetic tree for birds, their genetics, and why variation in birds is so important. They explain the three important questions for evolution, speciation, developmental life cycles, social lives of birds, and many more topics.

Douglas Futuyma is Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Stonybrook University. He has a PhD in Zoology from the University of Michigan, Ann Harbor and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Guggenheim Fellow, and Fulbright Fellow. He is the author of numerous books including the most recent, How Birds Evolve: What Science Reveals About Their Origin, Lives, and Diversity. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a discussion with John Macready about many figures and concepts in continental philosophy. They begin the conversation by talking about the two camps of analytic and continental philosophy. They talk about Plato and his conception of reality, allegory of the cave, and the logos. They discuss Descartes' methodology, cogito, and free will. They mention Hume and his epistemology, sentiments, free will, and racial naturalism. They discuss Kant and his concepts of apriori, aposteriori knowledge. They talk about Nietzsche as a philosopher of difference, his ideas around self-knowledge and self-education, culture, and many challenges to culture. They also dialogue about Hannah Arendt and her ideas about the political life as authentic living, plurality, intersubjectivity, human dignity ,and human rights. 

John Macready is a professor of philosophy at Collin College. His main interests are in ethics, logic, social, and political philosophy. He has heavily researched Hannah Arendt and writes on ethics and  political theory. He is the author of two books, Hannah Arendt and the the Fragility of Human Dignity and A Continental Guide to Philosophy. You can find his website here. Twitter: @jdmacready

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Bo Winegard about Conservatism and some of its implications for today's society. They talk about Bo's past academic history, academic integrity, and intellectual honesty. They discuss Trump, the 2020 US Presidential election, and wokeism. They also touch on immigration and some of the implications immigration has on national identity. 

Bo Winegard is a former Assistant Professor of Psychology. He holds a Ph.D. in social psychology with an emphasis on Evolutionary psychology. Currently, he writes on conservatism, human nature, group behavior, and socially conservative thought in society. His articles can be found here and here. Twitter: @epoe187 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Will Beischel about the most recent research on gender. They discuss their background for studying sex and gender and then provide an exhaustive analysis of the sex configuration theory. This theory includes understanding sexual orientation and its broader horizon along with three aspects including gender, sex, and gender/sex. They talk about how the social environment interacts with testosterone and power, interactions with others and some of the connections between biology and sociality for gender/sex. They talk about the traditional view of biological sex and understanding brain development in utero along with genetics to understand the variances with gender. They also talk about the roles of masculinity and femininity and how to adjust these ideas in the 21st century. 

Will Beischel has a PhD from the University of Michigan. They have a degree in biology and neuroscience and their main interest is in sexual and gender identities, with a focus on sexual and gender minorities. You can find their work here. Twitter: @willbeischel

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Buss about evolutionary psychology and his new book on sexual deception, harassment, and assault. They discuss his background and how he founded and developed the field of evolutionary psychology. They have a broad discussion of sexual selection, sexual differences, and different mating strategies. They talk about his new book, When Men Behave Badly, and why there is mating conflict. They explore why men are responsible for darker, predatory behaviors and some of the variance among men. They discuss the dark triad of personality and the overall dark side of human nature. They also talk about the application and future directions of evolutionary psychology. 

David Buss is a psychologist and one of the founders of evolutionary psychology. He is a full professor of psychology at the University of Texas and is the head of the Individual Differences and Evolutionary Psychology area. He runs a lab researching human mating strategies which includes mate selection, mate retention, and mating emotions. He is the author of numerous books which include the main textbook for evolutionary psychology, Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind and his popular science book, The Evolution of Desire. His newest book, When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault, explores the themes discussed in this episode. You can find his scientific publications at his website. Twitter: @profdavidbuss

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kevin Mitchell on genetics, neuroscience, and variation in development. They discuss why developmental variation is important to understanding genes and environment through the trajectory of the lifespan. They talk about how a person responds to the environment and why this is a key essential feature for gene and environment interaction. They talk about the genome as a system or program that can interact with other "noise" in the system. They make the distinctions between traits and genes and how neuropsychiatric disorders are implicated by genetic variation. The provide an example of heritability using Autism and the various genes involved in the development of Autism. They talk about how much genetic programming is set before birth and also provide a definition of environment. They use intelligence as an example to explain the differences in the nature vs. nurture debate. They talk about the importance of twin studies, use of polygenic scores, epigenetics, neuroplasticity, and many other topics.

Kevin Mitchell is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Neuroscience at Trinity College Dublin. He has his BA in Genetics from Trinity College Dublin and his PhD in Neurobiology from the University of California at Berkeley. His current research focuses on genetics and wiring of the brain specifically as it relates to neuropsychiatric disorders. He is the author of Innate: How the wiring of our brains shapes who we are which you can purchase here. He also has his own blog. Twitter: @wiringthebrain

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Geoffrey Cohen about the science around the concept of belonging. They discuss Kurt Lewin's work on social psychology, specifically on his idea of situation building and the importance of the environment. They talk about the individual vs. collective dichotomy, five vital resources, belonging uncertainty, and belonging with identity. They also discuss us vs. them, interpersonal dynamics and perception, the negative side of belonging and fundamental attribution error. They talk about stereotypes and biases and how to foster belonging in schools, workforce, and in society. 

Geoffrey Cohen is a social psychologist and James G. Marsh Professor of Organizational Studies in Education and Business, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. He has a bachelors in psychology from Cornell University and PhD from Stanford University. His main research areas are the psychology of the self and belonging. He is the author of the new book, Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides. Visit his website here. Twitter: @geoffcohen

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Camilo Ortiz about evidence-based treatments and elimination disorders within clinical psychology. They discuss the differences in degrees and programs between PhD's and PsyD's in clinical psychology. They talk about the three waves of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) along with the efficacy and effectiveness of CBT for many disorders. They mention the importance of theoretical case conceptualization over just techniques alone. They discuss disruptive behaviors and the importance of training parents with good behavioral parenting skills. They also discuss elimination disorders and the importance of encouraging children to have independence and many other topics.

Camilo Ortiz is a clinical psychologist and an associate professor of clinical psychology. He is trained in CBT and focuses his research and work with children and their parents. He specializes in treating elimination disorders. You can find his work here. Twitter: @drcamiloOrtiz

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with John Wood Jr. about race, ethnicity, and conservatism. They discuss John's background both publicly and personally and the Braver Angels Organization. They dialogue about how biracial/multiracial people view race differently from people that are not biracial. They talk about the individual as a starting line for understanding people and then moving outward towards their group identity. They also talked about conservatism and how he identifies with black conservatism. They also talk about how he reconciles Burkean conservatism with modern-day conservatism and many other topics. 

John Wood Jr. is a writer, speaker, and National leader for Braver Angels. He is a former nominee for congress, former Vice-Chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. He is also a musical artist. You can find his page with his articles here. Twitter: @johnrwoodjr

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Samantha Rose Hill about the life and philosophy of Hannah Arendt. They begin by mapping out some of Arendt's early childhood and life experiences, specifically the death of her father. They discuss her various romantic relationships including the very complicated relationship with Martin Heidegger. They explore the differences between loneliness and isolation and talk about Arendt's work on totalitarianism. They also discuss Arendt's work on private and public realms, the banality of evil, race, feminism, and many other topics. 

Samantha Rose Hill is a senior fellow at the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities and associate faculty at the Brooklyn Institute for Social Research. Her writing has been in Aeon, The Los Angeles Review of Books, Public Seminar, among other places. She is the author of Hannah Arendt and is currently working on Hannah Arendt's Poems, a book on loneliness, and a memoir. You can find her writing and much of work at her website. Twitter: @samantharhill

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Troy Senik about the life and presidency of Grover Cleveland. They discuss how one defines a successful president and why this is important to consider when evaluating a presidential legacy. They talk about the philosophy and worldview in which Grover Cleveland governed, his temperament and contextual background, his absence from the civil war, and his time as mayor of Buffalo and governor of New York. They spend time discussing the case of Maria Halpin, his first term as president, his relationship with Frances Folsom, and his 2nd term as president along with what his legacy is as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. 

Troy Senik is an author and former White House speechwriter. He has worked at various think tanks and has published many pieces in mainstream publications such as The Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times. He is the co-founder of the digital media company, Kite & Key. He is the author of the book, A Man of Iron: The Turbulent Life and Improbable Presidency of Grover Cleveland. Twitter: @troy_senik

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with David Peña-Guzmán on dreams in animals. They discuss how we know animals dream, history of studying dreams, and how the sleep cycle works in animals. They talk about how animal dreaming is phenomenological and not necessarily computational, whether animals have consciousness, and the various models of consciousness. They discuss lucid dreaming, imagination, moral entitlements, and many more topics. 

David Peña Guzmán is an Associate Professor at San Francisco State University. He teaches on history and the philosophy of science, animal studies, and social theory. He has his PhD in Philosophy from Emory University and his work has appeared in many journals. His newest book, When Animals Dream: The Hidden World of Animal Consciousness is now available. You can find his work here. Twitter: @drpenaguzman1

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Simona Efanov about the neurophysiology of stress, clinical psychology, and the dangers of self-help psychology. They discuss the various definitions of stress and talk about the aspects of positive stressors. They provide a review of neuroanatomy and discuss the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis and the cycle of stress. They define emotions in general and then explain the impact of chronic stress. There is also a discussion on the differences between chronic stress and trauma and how trauma can impact development and attachment. 

In the second half of this dialogue, there is a broad discussion of what clinical psychology is and some of its functions and efficacy. Specifically, there is a description of the development and creation of statistical methods and psychological assessment. They discuss the differences between PhD's and PsyD's along with talking about some of the current challenges in the field of Psychology. They talk about the importance of explaining psychological science and research concretely to the general public. They offer a critique of self-help and pop psychology with a specific case example and critique of Brene Brown along with other topics. 

Simona Efanov is a licensed clinical psychologist who has done research on stress and currently does clinical work in a private practice. She also is involved with clinical training and is a professor of neuropsychology and other clinical courses. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Richard Lane about the neuroscience of psychotherapy and enduring change. They give an overview of how the neuroscience of psychotherapy can impact enduring change. They provide an overview of memory and the integrated memory model. They mention experiences outside of memory and the three types of unconscious memory along with the cognitive map model. They discuss emotion focused therapy, defining emotion, the social constructivist model, and many other topics. 

Richard D. Lane is a Professor of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at the University of Arizona. He is a clinical psychiatrist, psychoanalyst, and holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology. He is a renowned expert on emotion research and is the author of over 190 papers and book chapters. He was President of the American Psychosomatic Society in 2005-2006, elected member of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and elected Honorary Fellow of the American College of Psychoanalysts. He is the co-editor of the new book, Neuroscience of Enduring Change: Implications for Psychotherapy. You can find his work here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla had a dialogue with Elizabeth Popp Berman about the economic style and how it has permeated American economics over the 20th Century. They start the conversation by giving an example of the economic style limiting the Obama Administration. They define and explain what the economic style is and how it will emphasize efficiency. They discuss the history of the economic style, how it became institutionalized, along with an overview of Macro and Micro economics. They also talk about the shift to public policy and how we got things like the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). They discuss how the economic style was used in the Reagan and Clinton administrations and what are other alternatives besides the economic style. 

Elizabeth Popp Berman is a sociologist and Associate Professor of Organizational Studies at the University of Michigan. She has her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley and studies economic sociology and the sociology of science and knowledge. She is the author of the most recent book, Thinking Like An Economist. You can find her work here and here. Twitter: @epopppp

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Peter Coleman regarding toxic polarization in society. They define toxic polarization and what makes the current moment unique from other moments in social history. They talk about in-group/out-group dynamics and why dialogue is essential. They discuss attractors and the importance of Kurt Lewin's field theory. Peter explains his five-factor model of the way out (reset, bolster, complexity, movement, and adaptation) and how we can use complexities to have dialogue with others. They discuss how people can fix polarization at the individual level and possibly at higher scales. 

Peter Coleman is Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University at Teachers College and The Earth Institute. Peter directs the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution (MD-ICCCR), is founding director of the Institute for Psychological Science and Practice (IPSP), and is co-executive director of Columbia University’s Advanced Consortium on Cooperation, Conflict, and Complexity (AC4).  He is the first recipient of the Early Career Award from the American Psychological Association (APA), Division 48: Society for the Study of Peace, Conflict, and Violence, and has also been awarded the Morton Deutsch Conflict Resolution Award by APA and a Marie Curie Fellowship from The European Union. In 2018, Dr. Coleman was awarded the Peace Award from Meaningful World, in celebration of their 30th anniversary and the UN’s International Day of Peace. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent book, The Way Out: How to Overcome Toxic Polarization which can be purchased here. You can find many of his published work here and here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Kai Bird about Jimmy Carter. They discuss the context and environment of rural Georgia in the 1920s in which Carter was born. They talk about the impact of racism in his upbringing, importance of his Christian faith, and steady bond with his wife Rosalynn. They discuss his presidency and inflation and unemployment, Panama Canal, Camp David accords, and the Iran hostage situation. They also discuss why he did not get re-elected in 1980 and his enduring legacy. 

Kai Bird is a historian, journalist, and writer. He is executive director and distinguished lecturer at CUNY Graduate Center's Leon Levy Center for Biography in New York City. He is the author of numerous books and is the recipient (along with co-author Michael J. Sherwin) of the 2005 National Book Critics Circle Award, the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, and the 2008 Duff Cooper Prize for American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. He is also the author of The Outlier: The Unfinished Presidency of Jimmy Carter. You can find his work here. Twitter: @kaibird123

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Rod Graham about sex work, Critical Race Theory (CRT), and the social sciences in general. They discuss Rod's research on cyber security and criminology. They talk about his research in sex work, particularly online sex work. They discuss the stigma and pushback received about sex work.

The definition, origins, and criticisms of Critical Race Theory are also discussed in this episode. Some of the differences between scholarly and popularized elements of CRT along with the goals and underlying assumptions of CRT. There is some discussion about the popularity of the anti-racist model espoused by Ibram X. Kendi. 

Lastly, there is a discussion about Rod's idea of scientific fascism, along with a discussion on the qualitative and quantitative aspects of statistical research methods and the applied benefit. They also talk about the state of the social sciences and many other topics. 

Rod Graham is a Sociologist and Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Old Dominion University. He runs the University's Undergraduate Cyber criminology program and conducts his research on sex work. You can find his aforementioned piece here. He has a channel on youtube and is on Twitter @roderickgraham  

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Allen Buchanan about the origins of tribalism and morality. They discuss his reasons for writing about tribalism and ideology along with providing a definition of tribalism and how it manifests in society. Allen provides his critiques of the evolutionary models for morality and how he finds cooperation incomplete. They discuss the current evolutionary and psychological theories about cooperation and how they interact with his criticisms. They discuss the impact of culture and his pragmatic answers to tribalism and poor ideology and many other topics.

Allen Buchanan is a philosopher and was the James B Duke Professor of Philosophy at Duke University. He was also a professor of Philosophy of International Law at the Dickson Poon School of Law at King's College, London. Currently, he teaches and conducts research at the University of Arizona. He is the author of numerous books, including his most recent, Our Moral Fate: Evolution and the Escape From Tribalism. Find him here. 

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Daryl Davis about his career as a musician and his encounters with extreme hate groups. They discuss his background in music and how he came to be a professional musician. They talk about writing and performing music, the music industry, and his exposure of living abroad. They discuss his first encounter with a member of the KKK, his first interview with a KKK member, and subsequent meetings. They also talk about how race functions differently around the world, how people can be involved in combating extreme hate, and many other topics. 

Daryl Davis is a musician, actor, writer, author, and lecturer. As a musician and actor, he has performed with The Legendary Blues Band and Chuck Berry. He has also appeared in shows such as HBO's The Wire. As a race relations lecturer and speaker, he has appeared in many major outlets such as CNN, NBC, and The Washington Post. He is the author of Klan-Destine Relationships and the documentary Accidental Courtesy. You can find his work here. Twitter: @realdaryldavis

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla has a dialogue with Jessica Koehler about education, school choice, and school psychology. Jessica discusses her background and how she became involved with school psychology and how it led to her current work. They discuss the 5 different sub-domains of psychology and how school psychology fits within psychology. They talk about the heavy emphasis on diagnosing within a reactionary way for much of school psychology. They discuss the elements of school psychology and pressures to care for children. They also lay out the need and focus for preventive measures within schools as opposed to reactionary measures. They talk about the element of school choice and various alternative forms of learning. They also discuss homeschooling and some of the criticism it has received in previous years along with explaining psychology to the general public.

Jessica Koehler holds a PhD in school psychology from the University of Maryland. She has research experience with school-based prevention, school teams, and teacher efficacy. She has been a school psychologist at various public school in various states. Currently, she has a variety of projects aimed at training and educating a wide-range of students of various ages. She is the founder of Koehler Academy and has a very active youtube channel that promotes continuing education. She also is a writer for Psychology Today. Twitter: @drjessica17

In this episode, Xavier Bonilla had a dialogue with Jonathan Marks about liberal education and how educational institutions need reform. They discuss his main thesis of the book and why he decided to write the book. They define and discuss the origins of liberal education. They define the terms “liberal” and “conservative” and why it’s important to defend a liberal arts education. They talk about rationality and why that’s important for educational institutions. They mention the impact that rationality has on the pragmatic aspects of life. They discuss the need for a robust and integrative curriculum for students and where the future of educational institutions are headed.

Jonathan Marks is chair and professor of politics at Ursinus College where he teaches political philosophy. He holds a Bachelors, Masters, and PhD from The University of Chicago. He has published articles in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of American Political Science. His articles for a wider audience can be found in Commentary Magazine and the Chronicle of Higher Education. His new book, Let’s be Reasonable: A Conservative Case for Liberal Education can be found here. Twitter: @marksjo1