Why We Like the Foods We Like (SOP86)

We've all felt a pang of envy watching a friend's success or a colleague's promotion. But does this much-maligned emotion deserve its negative reputation? Psychologist Jens Lange, PhD, and philosopher Sara Protasi, PhD, discuss the difference between envy and jealousy; why we're ...  Show more

Burnout gets all the attention, but some employees struggle with a different problem: chronic boredom on the job, sometimes called "boreout." Lotta Harju, PhD, of EM Lyon Business School, and Sharon K. Parker, PhD, of Curtin University, discuss how boreout differs from burnout, h ...  Show more

The squish of bananas, the squeak of mushrooms, the pop of a grape: for some people, these textures are a delight—but for others, they’re a total nightmare. Texture plays a huge role in how we experience food, and yet it’s kind of a scientific conundrum. Why do people—and entire ...  Show more

How do we taste? What evolutionary benefit is there to tasting bitter and sour? And why should you think about wearing noise-cancelling headphones on planes if you want to enjoy your food?      In this Focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham as she unc ...  Show more

Why do you like the taste of things that your friend doesn't? Why do kids not like coffee but adults do? What does any of this have to do with smelling people’s armpits, whether women really synchronize their menstruation, whether your culture eats a lot of spicy foods, and how a ...  Show more

Can you picture your favorite comfort food? Whether it’s a steaming bowl of your grandmother’s homemade soup or a chewy chocolate candy bar from your childhood, food evokes all sorts of emotions. But the way we experience food also depends on lots of different factors like smell, ...  Show more