Listen "#32: Brainwaves"
Episode Synopsis
This week, Anthony Brandt and David Eagleman talk about the science (and practice) of creating new things. We share a lot with the other sentient beings on this planet—love, hunger, death, joy, family, jealousy, rage. There's one thing, though, we do that other species, for whatever reason, do not: we innovate. We create. And we do so in a symbiotic way with other humans, building and improving on one another's ideas until suddenly we've all got a supercomputer in our back pockets. So what's at the heart of human creativity? Where does it come from, how does it work, and how can we get better at harnessing our own ingenuity?Visit the episode page for a slideshow of images from the book demonstrating bending, breaking, and blending.Go beyond the episode:The Runaway Species by Anthony Brandt and David EaglemanWant to learn more about your gray matter? Watch David Eagleman’s PBS series The BrainListen to Maternity, an oratorio for soprano and orchestra, the authors’ first collaborationTune in every two weeks to catch interviews with the liveliest voices from literature, the arts, sciences, history, and public affairs; reports on cutting-edge works in progress; long-form narratives; and compelling excerpts from new books. Hosted by Stephanie Bastek. • Subscribe: iTunes • Feedburner • Stitcher • Google Play • Acast • Have suggestions for projects you’d like us to catch up on, or writers you want to hear from? Send us a note: podcast [at] theamericanscholar [dot] org. And rate us on iTunes! • Our theme music was composed by Nathan Prillaman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More episodes of the podcast Smarty Pants
For the Love of Foraging
17/10/2025
From Sofia to Chicago
03/10/2025
Why the Bronx Burned
12/09/2025
What Lies Beneath the Levee Camp Holler
29/08/2025
The Art of *Doing* Politics
15/08/2025
The Linguistics of Brain Rot
25/07/2025
Michael Douglas Explains It All
11/07/2025
Once in a Lifetime
27/06/2025
Family Values
13/06/2025
Lingua Obscura
23/05/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.