Adventurous Minds

"Beauty and the Brain" Neuroaesthetics with Dr. Anjan Chatterjee

Have you ever thought about what viewing a beautiful piece of art, natural landscape or face does to your brain? It turns out, aesthetic experiences actually impact the chemistry in your brain, and can be used to help ease anxiety and stress. What are the evolutionary reasons behind this appeal for beauty? How does "beauty" vs imperfection embed itself into our biases? And how can beauty be used in the practical world to influence our brains? Dr. Anjan Chatterjee Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture at UPenn and the Director at the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics joins the podcast to discuss. Follow us on instagram or leave a review: https://www.instagram.com/adventurousmindspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/adventurousmindspodcast/]

"What Language Came Before Latin?" Historical Linguistics with Professor Michael Weiss

Did you think Latin is an ancient language? Well what about the languages that came before that? Tocharian is a language pre-dating Latin and a branch to the ancestor of the Latin language. Michael Weiss, professor of historical linguistics at Cornell University, joins the podcast to discuss how languages have evolved through history, decoding ancient extinct languages and more. Follow us on instagram or leave us a review: https://www.instagram.com/adventurousmindspodcast/ [https://www.instagram.com/adventurousmindspodcast/]

"Secrets of the Amazon: Ethnobotany, Shamanism and More" with Dr. Glenn Shepard

The Amazon rainforest is one of the most magical places on Earth. Once thought to be too wild for human civilization to flourish, advancements in technology have revealed signs of ancient cities once thriving in the rainforest. Our guest, Dr. Glenn Shepard, has spent over 20 years in the Amazon as an ethnobotanist, studying the intersection of Amazonian cultures and the plants they use. Listen as he recounts embedding with Amazonian tribes, encountering uncontacted tribes, ayahuasca, shamanism, plant intelligence and the connection these cultures have to the Amazon and its plants. Follow us on instagram @adventurousmindspodcast

"Effective Altruism & Giving What We Can" with Luke Freeman

Effective altruism is the philosophy and social movement that uses evidence and reasoning to determine the most effective ways to benefit others. Luke Freeman is Executive Director of Giving What We Can [https://streaklinks.com/B7wNK2CwsH5db54nPQmxBI-F/https%3A%2F%2Fwww.givingwhatwecan.org%2F], a global community dedicated to giving effectively. We discuss how to stay connected to charitable giving when the world seems full of despair, human psychology, optimism and what he's learned about humanity in his position at Giving What We Can. Follow us on instagram @adventurousmindspodcast

"How Food Shaped Humanity" with Tom Standage

Food plays a big role in your every day life. It turns out, food has played an even big role in shaping the world as we know it. From the American Revolution, to the conditions that have led us to a 40-hour work week, food (and drink) has played a pivotal role in the evolution of humanity for thousands of years. Hear legends of man-eating birds protecting rare spices, the truth about classic regional dishes and why beer might be the reason we progressed from hunter gatherers in the first place. Today's guest is Tom Standage - Deputy Editor of The Economist, and author of numerous books including New York Times Bestsellers “An Edible History of Humanity” & “A History of the World in 6 Glasses”. Follow us on instagram @adventurousmindspodcast