Best Universityofchicago Podcasts (2025)

1
Do Animals Understand Death?, with Susana Monsó 31:58

4d ago31:58

31:58

What does it mean to understand death? For centuries, philosophers have argued that only humans can truly comprehend mortality. But what if they’re wrong? In this episode, we speak with philosopher Susana Monsó, author of Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death, to explore whether animals can grasp their own mortality. From grieving elephants …

1
How Do Political Outsiders Build Loyalty With New Administrations? 49:35

11d ago49:35

49:35

What happens when a political outsider takes power and shakes up the system? In this episode, we look at a fascinating case study that reveals how leaders outside the establishment build loyalty, push their agendas, and change the political landscape. Political scientist Renard Sexton discusses his paper “Deadly Populism: How Local Political Outsid…

1
Why Measles Is Resurging—And The Rise Of Vaccine Hesitancy, with Adam Ratner 35:03

18d ago35:03

35:03

In 2000, the United States declared that measles had been eliminated. But just 15 years later, the disease made a comeback—and it hasn’t gone away since. In this episode, Dr. Adam Ratner, director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at NYU and author of Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children's…

1
What Can Political Science Learn from Crypto Governance? 47:10

25d ago47:10

47:10

There’s a real-world experiment in governance happening that you’ve probably not heard about. It involves decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs). These online collectives are trying to run billion-dollar enterprises using direct democracy and a controversial mechanism known as “liquid democracy”—where you can delegate your vote to anyone, at…

1
The Little-Known Secrets To A Good Life, with Shigehiro Oishi 33:18

1M ago33:18

33:18

What makes a good life? For decades, psychologists have debated whether true fulfillment comes from happiness—a life of comfort and joy—or meaning—a life of purpose and impact. But what if there's a third way? University of Chicago psychology professor Shigehiro Oishi has spent his career studying happiness, meaning, and what truly brings people de…

1
Is The "Strong Economy Equals Incumbent Victory" Theory Wrong? 45:24

1M ago45:24

45:24

Conventional wisdom says that a strong economy helps incumbents, while a weak economy hurts them. But new research from University of Chicago economist Lubos Pastor titled “Political Cycles and Stock Returns” challenges this idea, suggesting that economic downturns actually push voters toward Democrats, while economic booms favor Republicans. If tr…

1
How Bioelectronics Could Heal Our Bodies And Minds, with Bozhi Tian 29:17

2M ago29:17

29:17

Imagine a future in which Band-Aids talk to your cells, pacemakers are powered by light and your gut microbiome gets a tune-up—all thanks to tiny bioelectric devices. Sounds like sci-fi, right? Think again. Prof. Bozhi Tian of the University of Chicago is on the frontier of bioelectronics, building living machines that can heal, enhance and maybe e…

1
What Are The Forces Shaping Polarization in Congress? 47:37

2M ago47:37

47:37

Why does Congress feel more divided than ever? Are politicians genuinely becoming more extreme, or is something else at play? In this episode, we take on the polarization debate with a twist. Anthony Fowler sits down with University of Chicago political scientist Daniel Moskowitz to uncover new data that challenges conventional wisdom in his paper …

1
Could A Fungal Pandemic Be “The Last of Us?", with Arturo Casadevall 26:53

2M ago26:53

26:53

Five years after COVID became a global pandemic, could another health crisis be on our horizon? According to scientists who study diseases, the possibility of a fungal pandemic—the subject of science fiction TV shows like “The Last of Us,” could be more of a reality, thanks to climate change and our warming planet. As fungi are adapting to warmer c…

1
The "Magic Words" That Turn Resolutions Into Reality 32:20

2M ago32:20

32:20

As we step into 2025, many of us are thinking about how to turn our New Year's resolutions into lasting changes. But what if the secret to success lies not in willpower but in the words we use every day? To kick off the year, we’re sharing our past episode with Jonah Berger, a professor at The Wharton School and author of Magic Words: What to Say t…

1
Do Voters Elect Politicians Just Based On Looks? 44:19

2M ago44:19

44:19

On our last episode we had a discussion about what voters care about when electing politicians…and we mentioned a prior episode where we discussed if something as seemingly arbitrary as looks factor into voter choice. Do more attractive politicians do better? We all know you’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but if we’re being honest we…

1
What’s The Truth About Alcohol’s Benefits And Risks? with Tim Stockwell 32:37

3M ago32:37

32:37

We have long heard the claims that a glass of red wine is good for your heart, but it turns out that the research that fueled this wisdom was actually skewed. Some studies made it appear like moderate drinkers were healthier than people who didn't drink at all, leading the public to believe that alcohol was healthier than it is. While drinking alco…

1
What Do Politicians Think Motivates Voters? 55:20

3M ago55:20

55:20

Do politicians really understand what drives voters—or are they relying on flawed assumptions that could shape democracy in troubling ways? A groundbreaking new study by University of Calgary political scientist Jack Lucas, “Politicians’ Theories of Voting Behavior,” reveals striking gaps between how politicians perceive voters and how voters see t…

1
What Happens When We Die? with Sam Parnia 30:29

3M ago30:29

30:29

For centuries, death has been seen as a final, inescapable line—a moment when the heart stops and the brain ceases to function. But revolutionary research asks: What if everything we thought we knew about death was wrong? Sam Parnia, an associate professor of medicine at NYU Langone, is the author of Lucid Dying: The New Science Revolutionizing How…

1
Are Politicians or The Public More Committed to Democracy? 51:54

3M ago51:54

51:54

When it comes to defending democracy, are politicians or the public more committed to its principles—or are both equally willing to bend the rules for political gain? In his forthcoming book, Elitism vs. Populism, University of Texas at Dallas Political Scientist Curtis Bram challenges the idea that elites are the ultimate defenders of democracy. T…

1
The Illusion of Moral Decline 32:02

4M ago32:02

32:02

This year’s election might have been the most contentious in modern memory. It's not just that politics have changed, but it seems that people have too. You’ve probably heard this phrase: “People aren’t as kind as they used to be”. Maybe you’ve experienced the feeling that people are acting meaner to each other, year after year. But is it true? Are…

1
Is Bad Government Driving The Rise of Populism? 52:29

4M ago52:29

52:29

Hello Not Another Politics Podcast Listeners. We took some time off in preparation for the Thanksgiving Holiday but given the incredible political events of the month we wanted to re-share an episode that we think is even more relevant today than when we recorded it. Why is populism on the rise across the globe? One story says this movement is driv…

1
Can We Predict The Unpredictable? with J. Doyne Farmer 33:14

4M ago33:14

33:14

What if we could predict the economy the way we predict the weather? What if governments could run simulations to forecast the effects of new policies—before they happen? And what if the key to all of this lies in the same chaotic systems that explain spinning roulette wheels and rolling dice? J. Doyne Farmer is a University of Oxford professor, co…

1
Why Did Trump Win Again in 2024? 48:56

4M ago48:56

48:56

Trump’s back in the White House—how did it happen? This week, we break down what the political science literature has to tell us about why voters swung his way, what Kamala Harris’s loss tells us about populism and political discontent, and what’s next for American democracy. Plus, co-host Will Howell makes a big announcement!…

1
Unlocking The Secrets Of ‘SuperAgers’, with Emily Rogalski 22:33

4M ago22:33

22:33

https://haarc.center.uchicago.edu/We used to think aging inevitably led to memory loss, but a small group of people—known as SuperAgers—are defying the odds. These individuals, all over 80, have the memory performance of someone in the 50s. The question is: how? One of the leading experts studying SuperAgers is University of Chicago neurologist Emi…

1
Do Democrats and Republicans Agree on What (and Who) to Censor? 46:07

5M ago46:07

46:07

When it comes to online discourse, do Americans really value free speech—or are they more comfortable with censorship than expected? A surprising new paper from University of Rochester Political Scientist Jamie Druckman, “Illusory Interparty Disagreement: Partisans Agree On What Hate Speech To Censor But Do Not Know It” reveals a surprising alignme…

1
2024 Nobel Laureate Explains What Makes Countries Fail Or Succeed, with James A. Robinson 29:13

5M ago29:13

29:13

On Big Brains, we get to speak to a lot of groundbreaking scholars and experts, but some conversations we walk away knowing we’ve just heard from someone who is really changing the world. We certainly felt that way years ago after talking to University of Chicago scholar James Robinson, and it turns out…the Nobel Prize committee agreed in 2024 when…

1
Do Fraud Claims About The 2020 Presidential Election Stand Up To Scrutiny? 49:35

5M ago49:35

49:35

In the wake of the 2020 U.S. presidential election, claims of widespread voter fraud have fueled political controversies and public distrust. But how credible are these claims? In this episode, we sit down with political scientist Justin Grimmer to discuss his new paper “An Evaluation of Fraud Claims from the 2020 Trump Election Contests” which sys…

1
Why Can’t Scientists Agree On The Age Of The Universe? with Wendy Freedman 24:28

5M ago24:28

24:28

How old is the universe—and how fast is it expanding? These are part of one of the biggest—and most contested—questions in science, and the answers could change our understanding of physics. In this episode, we talk with renowned UChicago astronomer Wendy Freedman, who’s spent decades trying to solve these very questions. There are two ways to meas…

1
What's Behind The Educational Realignment In Voting? 56:43

6M ago56:43

56:43

Ever thought about how your college degree might sway your political leanings? Voters with and without college degrees drifting apart, especially on issues like economics, social values, and foreign policy, but what's driving this shift, and how are party positions influencing voters across different education levels? A new paper from University of…

1
What Are We Getting Wrong About Young Voters?, with Cathy Cohen 28:45

6M ago28:45

28:45

One of the biggest questions of every election is: What’s going on with young voters? There is endless speculation on the news about what young people care about, but very little good research examining their views on the candidates and the issues that matter most to them. The first-of-its-kind GenForward Survey changed that when it was created in …

1
Why Are More Women Saying No To Having Kids? With Peggy O'Donnell Heffington 32:04

6M ago32:04

32:04

More and more women in the United States are saying no to motherhood. Alarmingly, in 2023, the U.S. fertility rate reached the lowest number on record. But the idea of non-motherhood is actually not a new phenomenon, nor did it come out of the modern feminist movement. For centuries, women have made choices about limiting births and whether or not …

1
Does Election Timing Matter For Turnout And Policy Outcomes? 42:33

6M ago42:33

42:33

We talk about it every election cycle…how can we get higher voter turnout? As part of the Center for Effective Government’s primer series focusing on the scholarship covering the pros and cons of different government reforms, University of Chicago Policy Professor Christopher Berry examined whether changing the timing of elections can result in hig…

1
How Homeownership Shaped Race In America, with Adrienne Brown 27:23

7M ago27:23

27:23

Race has played a huge role in the creation of mass homeownership in the United States. Discriminatory housing practices including redlining, exclusionary zoning and whitewashing led to great disparities in home ownership among White and Black homeowners. Despite the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, the damage had been done to communities o…

1
Do Committees Lead To Better-Informed Legislative Voting? 37:46

7M ago37:46

37:46

In a recent paper by Washington University political scientist Michael Olson, he documents a very strange phenomenon. It seems that when legislators join committees, they’re voting record becomes less aligned with their constituents’ political preferences. The question is…why? Could it be that being on a committee means they’re just better informed…

1
Fighting Back Against AI Piracy, with Ben Zhao and Heather Zheng 28:31

7M ago28:31

28:31

If you’ve spent any time playing with modern AI image generators, it can seem like an almost magical experience; but the truth is these programs are more like a magic trick than magic. Without the human-generated art of hundreds of thousands of people, these programs wouldn’t work. But those artists are not getting compensated, in fact many of them…

1
The Bioelectric Future of Regenerative Medicine 28:23

8M ago28:23

28:23

In the near future, birth defects, traumatic injuries, limb loss and perhaps even cancer could be cured through bioelectricity—electrical signals that communicate to our cells how to rebuild themselves. This innovative idea has been tested on flatworms and frogs by biologist Michael Levin, whose research investigates how bioelectricity provides the…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Universityofchicago Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

1
Big Brains

University of Chicago Podcast Network

1
Not Another Politics Podcast

University of Chicago Podcast Network

1
Do Animals Understand Death?, with Susana Monsó 31:58

1
How Do Political Outsiders Build Loyalty With New Administrations? 49:35

1
Why Measles Is Resurging—And The Rise Of Vaccine Hesitancy, with Adam Ratner 35:03

1
What Can Political Science Learn from Crypto Governance? 47:10

1
The Little-Known Secrets To A Good Life, with Shigehiro Oishi 33:18

1
Is The "Strong Economy Equals Incumbent Victory" Theory Wrong? 45:24

1
How Bioelectronics Could Heal Our Bodies And Minds, with Bozhi Tian 29:17

1
What Are The Forces Shaping Polarization in Congress? 47:37

1
Could A Fungal Pandemic Be “The Last of Us?", with Arturo Casadevall 26:53

1
The "Magic Words" That Turn Resolutions Into Reality 32:20

1
Do Voters Elect Politicians Just Based On Looks? 44:19

1
What’s The Truth About Alcohol’s Benefits And Risks? with Tim Stockwell 32:37

1
What Do Politicians Think Motivates Voters? 55:20

1
What Happens When We Die? with Sam Parnia 30:29

1
Are Politicians or The Public More Committed to Democracy? 51:54

1
The Illusion of Moral Decline 32:02

1
Is Bad Government Driving The Rise of Populism? 52:29

1
Can We Predict The Unpredictable? with J. Doyne Farmer 33:14

1
Why Did Trump Win Again in 2024? 48:56

1
Unlocking The Secrets Of ‘SuperAgers’, with Emily Rogalski 22:33

1
Do Democrats and Republicans Agree on What (and Who) to Censor? 46:07

1
2024 Nobel Laureate Explains What Makes Countries Fail Or Succeed, with James A. Robinson 29:13

1
Do Fraud Claims About The 2020 Presidential Election Stand Up To Scrutiny? 49:35

1
Why Can’t Scientists Agree On The Age Of The Universe? with Wendy Freedman 24:28

1
What's Behind The Educational Realignment In Voting? 56:43

1
What Are We Getting Wrong About Young Voters?, with Cathy Cohen 28:45

1
Why Are More Women Saying No To Having Kids? With Peggy O'Donnell Heffington 32:04

1
Does Election Timing Matter For Turnout And Policy Outcomes? 42:33

1
How Homeownership Shaped Race In America, with Adrienne Brown 27:23

1
Do Committees Lead To Better-Informed Legislative Voting? 37:46

1
Fighting Back Against AI Piracy, with Ben Zhao and Heather Zheng 28:31

1
The Bioelectric Future of Regenerative Medicine 28:23

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