221. Why Are We So Pessimistic?

Are there downsides to “personality plagiarism”? Why did no one buy the Crayola Crayon Carver? And should Stephen feel bad for copying Angela’s email signature? This episode originally aired on May 15th, 2022. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for info ...  Show more

From group chats to video calls, technology should make social connection easier than ever. So, why is everyone so lonely? In this episode, Sabrina sets out to investigate the "loneliness epidemic" that is sweeping the globe and impacting her friends and cohosts. She interviews P ...  Show more

Dr Jamil Zaki is a psychologist, professor at Stanford University, and an author. In a world filled with fake news, bad news and doom, it’s easy to become cynical. But what does science say about whether cynicism helps or harm us? Why is it so seductive, and how can we all learn ...  Show more

Young people have been reporting a sharp rise in anxiety and depression. This maps neatly onto the global rise of the smartphone. Some researchers are convinced that one is causing the other. But how strong is the evidence?

Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good. Would the Covid-19 crisis be an opportune time to reverse this tendency?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co ...