Where Did Human Intelligence Come From?

Looking back 300 years on, it’s easy to overgeneralize why the Salem Villagers decided to persecute (and execute) their neighbors. But as much as this story has become an American history chestnut, we still don’t understand why Salem lost its mind. Listen to this classic episode ...  Show more

Get yourself ready to freak out with this year’s extra-freak Halloween freak-fest, starring the voice acting talents of Chuck and Josh. This year we feature stories from WW Jacobs and WF Harvey, both of whom, if they were alive, would love this episode.See omnystudio.com/listener ...  Show more

From the time we are schoolchildren, we are ranked and sorted based on how smart we are. But what if our assumptions about intelligence limit our potential? This week, psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman proposes a more expansive notion of what it means to be "smart."

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Daniel and Kelly answer listener questions about how we measure and define intelligence, hypotheses for why it arises, and why flies are so dumb. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

If you've ever wondered why the smartest people in the room can do the dumbest things (and especially if you think you might be one of those people :-), this week's episode explores the double-edged sword of the intellect and how to wield it wisely in the world!