This season of the Brain Blown Podcast has been duly named "The Neuroscience of Human Connection." And in our final episode of the season, we decided to take a closer look at one of the biggest threats to that connection (for Americans, at least...) Politics. As it turns out, even our political standings can be traced back to our brains and how we use them. In this episode, Laine presents some fascinating research around  in-group and out-group thinking how things like emotion, memory, and discomfort can sway a vote and the truth behind one of the most confusing questions in politics:  ... how republicans manage to convince a poorer audience to vote in favor of the rich, and why liberals can't seem to convince anybody to do anything. Our hope is that you'll leave this episode with a better understanding of the opposing side (whatever side that may be for you), and learn a little more about why that side thinks, acts, and believes what they do.  Who knows, maybe it'll lead to some healthy conversation in the future. ___ After this episode, we'll be taking a short, seasonal break to regroup and prepare for season 2! So if you have any topics you'd be interested in learning more about, please feel free to send us an email at [email protected]!! We'd love to hear from you. Timestamps: 0:55 Intro 6:38 What is Politics? 12:11 Politics & The Brain 12:36 Emotion 15:01 Anxiety & Enthusiasm 16:15 Anger 17:12 In-group vs Out-group 24:24 Memory 29:44 Pain & Discomfort 30:23 Intelligence 32:26 Interactive Complexity 38:34 Morality 43:38 The truth behind Politic's most confusing questions 47:18 Politics through a Neuroscience lens 53:41 Why we're talking about this 58:57 Why do we care + What do we do about it References: Behave by Robert Sapolsky Matthew D. Lieberman and Darren Schreiber Matthew D. Lieberman and Darren Schreiber - "Is Political Cognition Like Riding a Bicycle? How Cognitive Neuroscience Can Inform Research on Political Thinking" Published by Cambridge University - Rt Hon Lord Owen CH FRCP Book Review Leonie Huddy - "Chapter 9: On the Distinct Political Effects of Anxiety and Anger" (From the book The Affect Effect: Dynamics of Emotion in Political Thinking and Behavior) Jan Slaby - "Neuroscience and Politics: Do Not Hold your Breath" D. Schreiber - "Social Attribution: Implications of recent cognitive neuroscience research for race, law, and politics" Toward a Neuroscience of Politics by  David B. Arciniegas, M.D., C. Alan Anderson, M.D. M. Holmes - "International Politics at the Brain's Edge: Social Neuroscience and a New 'Via Media'" MF Mendez - "A Neurology of the Conservative-Liberal Dimension of Political Ideology" S Krastev - "Do Political and Economic Choices Rely on Common Neural Substrates? A Systematic Review of the Emerging Neuropolitics Literature"