We all know how indisputably good exercise is for you. Yet a lot of folks still find it a struggle to engage in much physical activity. To understand the reason that this conflict and tension exists and how to overcome it, it helps to understand the lives of our human ancestors. Though, not the way the popular culture understands them, but the way someone who's actually studied them understands them.

My guest is such an expert guide. His name is Daniel Lieberman, and he's a Harvard professor of human evolutionary biology and the author of Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding. Today on the show, Daniel shares what we can really learn from our ancestors as to our modern relationship with exercise, while debunking some of the popular myths about our hunter-gatherer history. We begin by talking about how very recent, and actually quite weird, the whole concept of exercise is. We then discuss the fact that our ancestors were not the natural super athletes we typically imagine, what their state of physicality was really like, and how understanding their lifestyle can help us understand the competing interests going on in our own minds and bodies that can leave us feeling ambivalent about getting up and moving around. We then discuss if, as it's been said, "sitting is the new smoking," and the less and more healthy ways to sit. Daniel unpacks whether we're evolved for running, how our ancestors' strength compares to our own, and whether or not exercise helps us lose weight. We end our conversation with how this background on the past can help us in the present, by showing us the two factors that are critical in helping us moderns make exercise a habit.

Get the show notes aom.is/exercised.

#691: What You Can (Really) Learn About Exercise from Your Human Ancestors

Personal responsibility, the ability to own up to one's mistakes, is a foundational element of character. It's also the only way we can grow and get better. But as anyone with any experience being human well understands, dang, it sure can be hard to do.

My guest today explains why, and how you can yet rise to meet this important challenge. His name is Elliot Aronson, and he's a social psychologist and the co-author of Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts. Elliot first explains how and why we engage in self-justification to avoid facing our mistakes, and how this process is driven by the phenomenon of cognitive dissonance. We then discuss how once you make a decision in a certain direction, good or bad, you become more entrenched in your attitude about it and more likely to continue down that same path, and how this phenomenon represents what Elliot calls "the pyramid of choice." We end our conversation with how we can learn to approach the mistakes of others with more generosity, and our own mistakes with more honesty.

Get the show notes at aom.is/mistakes.

#693: Why Is It So Hard to Admit You Were Wrong?

Romanticism, not in terms of courtship and bouquets of roses, but as a philosophical approach to life which blossomed in the 19th century, embodies many tenets, including a nostalgia for the past, a heroic view of the world, a firm sense of right and wrong, and the idea that an individual can shape his own destiny, as well as have an outsized impact on the world.

It is through this lens of Romanticism, my guest says, that we can best understand one of the most memorable, influential, and legendary figures in American history: Theodore Roosevelt. His name is H. W. Brands, and he's a professor of history and the author of numerous books and biographies, including T.R.: The Last Romantic. Today on the show, Bill explains how Teddy Roosevelt was one of the last bearers of the Romantic spirit, where his Romanticism came from, how that spirit motivated him to push and challenge himself from boyhood 'til death, led him both to egoistic excesses and worthy, epic deeds, and influenced everything from his familial relationships to his time as president to his second and third acts in life. 

Get the show notes at aom.is/rooseveltromantic.

#696: Theodore Roosevelt, The Last Romantic

We tend to throw the word "genius" around pretty casually, saying so-and-so has a genius for a particular skill, or sarcastically pointing out someone's failure by saying, "Nice work, genius!"

But what makes an actual genius, a genius?

My guest today has spent over two decades exploring that question by studying the world's most iconic and original thinkers and creators, both past and present. His name is Craig Wright, he's a professor emeritus of music at Yale who continues to teach a course there called "Exploring the Nature of Genius," and he's the author of The Hidden Habits of Genius: Beyond Talent, IQ, and Grit—Unlocking the Secrets of Greatness. Today on the show Craig reveals the characteristics and patterns of behavior of true geniuses, and begins by answering the questions of whether there's a connection between genius and intelligence, and whether genius is hereditary. We talk about several drivers of genius, including situational advantages, a childlike ability to play with possibilities, a keen curiosity, a strong memory, broad interests and vision, the ability to toggle between intense concentration and loose relaxation, and keeping a daily routine. We then discuss whether there's a connection between genius and mental health issues, and what effect being a genius tends to have on someone's personal life. Along the way, Craig illustrates his points with examples from the lives of Mozart, da Vinci, Steve Jobs, and more.

Get the show notes at aom.is/genius.

#703: The Hidden Qualities of Genius

Zombie wildfires are forest fires that ignite in the summer and pop back up during the spring.

Science Friday

Zombie Wildfires Can Rage On For Months

The Páramo mountain environment is a rather quiet place. Still, when you really listen closely, there are many interesting detailed sounds to be heard.

Páramo is a very important alpine tundra ecosystem, located only in the Andes mountains range between the treeline and glaciers (average altitude 3500 - 4000m). It is one of the rarest ecosystems on Earth. Colombia is one of only three countries in the world to be home to paramo and more than 60% of these moorlands are found here. The vegetation is composed mainly of giant rosette plants, shrubs and grasses. The most famous and important plant is the Frailejon. The Páramos are capturing water from low-hanging clouds and releasing it back into the soil, ensuring Colombian cities have a continuous water supply.

Recorded with:
Sound Devices MixPre-3 + Audio-Technica AT4022

Dusk at the Mountain Lagoon - Páramos

Background and poem text: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/05/16/wait-galway-kinnell/

POEM TEXT

Galway Kinnell reads "Wait"

ERIE THUNDERSTORM: Distant thunder along boardwalk at Erie National Wildlife Refuge. Recorded 5:30am, 2 June 2016, near Cambridge Springs in northwestern Pennsylvania. © Lang Elliott. Note: the low rumble of the distant thunder can only be fully appreciated by listening with headphones or speakers having good low frequency response.

Microphone: quasi-binaural SASS (Stereo Ambient Sampling System), modified for use with Sennheiser MKH20 microphones.

IN EARLY JUNE, at the end of my rather frenetic recording expedition, I visited a friend in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania, not far from Erie. I spent one night there, sleeping on my friend’s porch and enjoying periods of heavy rain. As usual, I rose early. The rain had stopped, so I headed to a boardwalk trail in nearby Erie National Wildlife Refuge, hoping to record birds singing against a backdrop of drip from the trees.

Arriving on location at the break of dawn, I headed down the boardwalk but was surprised by a loud thunderclap followed by a major downpour. I ran full-speed back to my car. After about fifteen minutes, the heavy rain subsided, so I donned my rain jacket and ventured back on to the boardwalk, walking until I found shelter under a large hemlock tree that would protect my microphone from the drizzling rain.

Closing my eyes, I was struck by the simple beauty of the soundscape … the pitter-patter of the rain, subtle bird songs (including Scarlet Tanager and Wood Thrush), and distant thunder. I recorded for nearly twenty minutes, all the while completely absorbed by the sounds. I would have gone longer, but another downpour ensued that was so violent that it sent me once again running back to my car, with my rain jacket wrapped tightly around my recorder and microphone.

This was the last recording of my journey. That day, I drove back to Ithaca (my hometown), mostly in the rain, quite happy that my last capture was such a relaxing and immersive soundscape.

Erie Thunderstorm

score for video
commissioned by Kathaharu
for WWF Nepal

Nagara : Bks Bazra
Dhimay : Robis Shrestha
Percussions : Merit Maharjan

Photo : Merit Maharjan
follow his work
https://instagram.com/the_postwriter?igshid=ia1nb23y1pa1

Dolpo

Magic mushrooms have hit the headlines, with people saying that shrooms cured their depression and anxiety. But is this for real? How can taking a trip on psychedelics fix your brain? Today, magic mushrooms ditch their tie dye for a lab coat as we go on a magical journey into the science. We talk to clinical psychologists Dr. Alan Davis and Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, and neuropsychologist Dr. Katrin Preller.

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/37Th8QX

This episode does deal with depression. Here are some crisis hotlines: 
- United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755) (Online chat available) http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/;
- US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741: https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/
- Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available): https://www.lifeline.org.au/
- Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention(See link for phone numbers listed by province): https://suicideprevention.ca/Need-Help
- United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI): http://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help-you/contact-us
- Full list of international hotlines here: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines 

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang with help from Wendy Zukerman, Nick DelRose, Rose Rimler and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Prof. David Nichols, Dr. James Rucker, Prof. Bryan Roth, Dr. Erika Dyck, Dr. Daniel Wacker, Mary Cosimano, Dr. Fred Barrett, Dr. Natalie Gukasyan, Dr. Jeff Guss, Dr. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy, Prof. Harriet de Wit, Dr. Nadia Hutten, Dr. Vince Polito, Dr. Kim Kuypers and Dr. Matt Kasson. Thanks to all the clinical trial participants and ‘psychonauts’ who spoke to us. And special thanks to Lexi Krupp, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs

Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science

When you were a kid, you not only went to school, where you did academics, art, and PE, but you probably also took extracurricular lessons in music or sports, and likely even taught yourself things like how to do magic tricks.

Now that you're an adult, can you think of the last new skill you learned?

My guest today explains why there's a good chance that you'll struggle to answer that question, and how that's a tragedy you ought to do something about. His name is Tom Vanderbilt, and he's the author of several books, including his latest, Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning. Tom and I discuss why his daughter's desire to learn chess inspired him to spend a year learning the game himself, as well as to take on a project of learning other new skills. Tom explains the reasons adults give up learning, and why, while it is harder for adults to learn new things than it is for children, it's still worth becoming a novice all over again. We then explore how to harness the beginner's mind, using Tom's experiences in learning how to sing, surf, juggle, and draw as examples. We end our conversation with Tom's takeaways from his experiment, and how becoming a lifelong learner is really all about pushing through the mental barriers that hold us back from the many possibilities for growth that remain in adulthood.

Get the show notes at aom.is/lifelonglearning.

#693: Why Is It So Hard to Admit You Were Wrong?

The Art of Manliness