Replicability is the hallmark of science. Science values replication so much that as long a study is sufficiently replicated, the claims it makes are considered valid even if they conflict with accepted theories. We trust scientific findings because experiments repeated under the same conditions produce the same results. Or do they?   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:    Bausell, R. B. (2021). The problem with science the reproducibility crisis and what to do...

We’ve all heard about ambition, but who can definitively say they know what it is? Some philosophers have seen ambition as virtuous, some have seen it as pernicious. Does ambition merely produce outward success with only little personal fulfillment or are there are positive outcomes of ambition? This episode discusses scientific research on the causes and consequences of ambition.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:    Judge, T. A., & Kammeyer-Mueller, J....

If emotions are universal, morality would be objective since everyone would feel a similar way about what is good and bad. Beauty, also, would no longer be in the eye of the beholder, since beautiful things would elicit similar reactions universally. If, conversely, human emotions are purely dependent on one’s cultural group, then ethics and aesthetics are relative and subjective. This episode discusses what is so often the direct output of emotions: facial expressions. What has science...

If emotions are universal, morality would be objective since everyone would feel a similar way about what is good and bad. Beauty, also, would no longer be in the eye of the beholder, since beautiful things would elicit similar reactions universally. If, conversely, human emotions are purely dependent on one’s cultural group, then ethics and aesthetics are relative and subjective. This episode discusses what is so often the direct output of emotions: facial expressions. Where did research...

In the early to mid 1900s, behaviorism dominated psychology in the United States. Seeking to make psychology more scientific and objective, behaviorists sought to study only observable behaviors, completely ignoring the mind’s role in generating these behaviors. However, with the dawn of the cognitive revolution in the 1950s, it soon became clear that the mind not only can, but must, be considered in the study of...

Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister of Nazi Germany, once said, “With sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the people concerned, it would not be impossible to prove that a square is, in fact, a circle." Noam Chomsky argues that propaganda like this is, by no means, unique to Nazi Germany. This episode discusses Chomsky’s perspective on the use of propaganda in the U.S. media.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:    Barsamian, D.,...

We often hear talk about the “Dark Ages.” However, it is a misconception that a thousand-year period of stagnation and obscurity ever existed. Where did the term originate and how did it come to infiltrate the global vernacular?   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:    Captivating History (2019). The Misconception of the Dark Ages. In The Dark Ages: A Captivating Guide to the Period Between the Fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.   Falk, S. (2020)....

It is difficult to understand how other species perceive the world since we humans see the world in our own way. Though we may never fully grasp how other species perceive the world, we can gain insights from scientific research. What does research tell us about how dolphins "see" things?   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:    Kremers, D., Célérier, A., Schaal, B., Campagna, S., Trabalon, M., Böye, M., . . . Lemasson, A. (2016). Sensory Perception in...

In 1896, the two most influential thinkers in the field of developmental psychology were born. Seeking to understand the development of the human mind, both Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky revolutionized the field despite their opposing views surrounding a key question: To what extent do social factors play a role in the development of the mind?   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:    Burner, J. (1997). Celebrating Divergence: Piaget and Vygotsky. Human Development, 40(2),...

Progressivism, a belief in new ideas, modern methods and change, arises in educational contexts when there is a discrepancy between the existing educational system and the perceived needs of the system. At this point, ideas begin to emerge to move education forward. What are these ides, who had them, and how have they been applied to educational practices? https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/ References: Darling, J., Nordenbo, S. E. (2010). Progressivism. In N. Blake, P. Smeyers, R....

Anatomically, humans have been the same for hundreds of thousands of years. Recent advances, then, are not due to biological changes in our species, but rather to cultural changes. The introduction of schooling is one of the cultural changes that played a role in these advances. For the first time, we were able to learn systematically and to facilitate transmission of knowledge to future generations of learners.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:   Thomas, G. (2021)....

Humans have been experimenting with organisms since the agricultural revolution. Now, for the first time ever, we have created biological machines. These organisms, known as “xenobots,” are brand-new life forms: The world’s first programmable living organisms.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:   Coghlan, S., & Leins, K. (2020). “Living Robots”: Ethical Questions About Xenobots. The American Journal of Bioethics, 20(5).   Kriegman, S., Blackiston, D., Levin, M.,...

In 1791, Haiti had was one of the most ruthless slave societies in the New World. By 1793, the slave system on the island was destroyed, and the black population were free. How did this happen?   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:   Popkin, Jeremy (2012). Concise History of the Haitian Revolution. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Discussions on the origins of the French Revolution often mention the role of the Enlightenment. The French Revolution was centered around Enlightenment principles, but can a direct causal link from the Enlightenment to the French Revolution be drawn? Maybe not.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   References:   Andress, D. (Ed.). (2015). The Oxford handbook of the French Revolution. New York: Oxford University Press.   Censer, J. R. (2018). Intellectual history and the causes of the...

For all of human history before 1800, there was no upward trend in income per person. The Industrial Revolution created sustained economic growth for the first time, birthing the modern world. This episode discusses why the Industrial Revolution happened, why it happened in Britain and how it spread throughout the world.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/   Related Reading:   Allen, R. C. (2020). The Industrial Revolution. In Global economic history a very short introduction (pp....

The Agricultural Revolution   Until around 12,000 years ago, humans lived as hunter-gatherers. With the domestication of plants and animals, however, new dimensions for cultural evolution suddenly became possible. But why did our ancestors take up farming after thousands of years of successful hunting and gathering? This episode discusses the causes and effects of the agricultural revolution.   Related Reading:   Barker, G. (2009). The agricultural revolution in prehistory: Why did foragers...

Napoleon once said, "China is a sleeping giant. Let her lie and sleep, for when she awakens she will astonish the world." A couple hundred years later, the giant is finally awake. This episode discusses China's failing economy under Mao prior to 1979 and the factors contributing to the country's rise in the last four decades.   Related reading: Morrison, W. M. (2019). China’s economic rise: History, trends, challenges, and implications for the United States; Hu, Z., & Khan, M. S. (1997)....

Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But is this really the case? This episode discusses the difficulties in proving that power corrupts, the scientific studies and philosophical examinations of the issue, and indicators for corruption by power.   Related reading: Blaug, R. (2010). How power corrupts: Cognition and democracy in institutions. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/

A thematic analysis of Greta Gerwig's 2019 film, "Little Women." This film illustrates the challenges women face while navigating a society that  makes them feel "little." Since, for the 19th century woman, marriage is deemed more important than committing to talents and interests, it becomes difficult for women not to allow societal expectations and stereotypes to limit their dreams. Women are sometimes forced to live despite their nature to survive in a world where they are not meant to...

A thematic analysis of Greta Gerwig's 2019 film, "Little Women." This film illustrates the challenges women face while navigating a society that  makes them feel "little." Since, for the 19th century woman, marriage is deemed more important than committing to talents and interests, it becomes difficult for women not to allow societal expectations and stereotypes to limit their dreams. Women are sometimes forced to live despite their nature to survive in a world where they are not meant to...

Arguably the most well-known and most controversial political organization of the 1960s, the Black Panther Party's legacy remains due its philosophies and practices that were just as influential as they were radical. This episode discusses the tactics, structure, decline, and legacy of the Black Panther Party. Part 2 of a 2-part series.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/

Arguably the most well-known and most controversial political organization of the 1960s, the Black Panther Party's legacy remains due its philosophies and practices that were just as influential as they were radical. This episode discusses the events leading up to the origin of the Black Panther Party and the philosophy of the party. Part 1 of a 2-part series.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/

Through the arts, the Harlem Renaissance, the blossoming of African-American culture in the 1920s and early 1930s, brought to light the previously overlooked African American experience, redefining how others saw African Americans and how they saw themselves.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/

Neither underground nor a railroad, the Underground Railroad was an intricate network of abolitionists, philanthropists, and church leaders who led tens of thousands of slaves to freedom in the early to mid 19th century.   https://www.insightfulthinkersmedia.com/