Here We Are

This episode comes from a conversation with the Director of Life Sciences here at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. His research focuses on hibernation! Why do animals do it? What's the difference between say... torpor and taking a nap? Could humans ever hibernate? Plus, we get to dive into some other fascinating research about fish species, specifically, the very cute pupfish, which somehow live in the desert! Learn more about Frank's work: https://www.unlv.edu/news/expert/frank-van-breukelen https://www.shanemauss.com/⁠ Thank you for watching and for being an inquisitive being.

Today, I sit down with Andrew Kerr, head of the Dale Etheridge Planetarium in Las Vegas!  Andrew is an astronomer and physicist who received his PhD for his work on the Gravito-Electromagnetic Effect and the Cosmological Constant. In this episode, we talk about the state of planetariums, seek to understand the utility of constellations and star classifications, try to grasp the milestones and timescales that make up our universe, and project into the future of our solar system! Learn more: https://www.csn.edu/student-life/discover-csn/planetarium  https://www.shanemauss.com/ Thank you for watching and for being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville speaking with Kimberly Sheldon all about dung beetles! Kim studies the patterns and processes that determine the distribution of species and use this information to predict impacts of anthropogenic change on species and ecological communities. Learn more about Kim's work: http://www.biogeographyresearch.org/ https://eeb.utk.edu/people/kimberly-sheldon/ To find out how you can learn more, be involved, and maybe even help, head to http://www.nimbios.org/

Today I'm learning about virtual education and how technology is helping teach students about otherwise complex topics. Shalaunda Reeves holds a PhD in curriculum and instruction and her research interests focus on how people learn in virtual environments. Learn more: https://tpte.utk.edu/people/shalaunda-reeves-phd/ https://www.shanemauss.com/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Henry Gee is the author of ‘A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth' - winner Royal Society Science Book Award 2022 and more notably, one of Shane's favorite books :) Henry is a paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and editor at Nature. He is also a hilarious, charming, wonderful guy who articulates the story of our existence in a poetic and accessible way. Learn more about him, his books, and his other writings here https://occamstypewriter.org/cromercrox/about-henry-gee/ The paperback version of this book is available for preorder now Listen to Henry's first appearance on the show here: https://www.herewearepodcast.com/episodes/episode-360-46-billion-years-in-2-hours-henry-gee

Birds, animal communication, evolution, environmental pressures, and human impacts. This conversation was very much in the Here We Are wheelhouse which made for a loose, funny, and fascinating episode! It was such a treat to talk with Associate Professor Elizabeth Derryberry in person at The University of Tennessee Knoxville https://eeb.utk.edu/people/elizabeth-derryberry/ . Her work on animal communication integrates behavioral and evolutionary ecology. We talked about how changes in city noise impact bird communication and what life in our modern world will mean for future migrations. Professor Derryberry also works with the National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis which has been working with our show to present more of their scholars and give listeners insights into what transdisciplinary approaches in mathematics and biology can mean for making a global impact. Check out their website to learn more http://www.nimbios.org/ Support the show on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/shanemauss where you can join game nights and other meetups. There you can join the community on discord and be the first to know about all things related to Shane's many projects. Shane has some very special announcements next week regarding live shows! Make sure to tune in for Henry Gee's second appearance as we discuss what roles mass extinctions, the Triassic period, and the evolution of the anus had in shaping life as we know it.

I've got some major life updates including a residency in Vegas at https://area15.com/ Sundays starting April 23. Tickets and details should be available by the end of the month. Stay tuned for more soon! This week Rebecca Tiffany Trout Fryxell talks about the La Crosse Virus. What is it? What does it do? How is it treated or prevented? Humans, animals, plants, and the environment are inextricably linked, with the health of one affecting the health of all. The One Health Initiative is Uniting disciplines to protect and promote the health of all life on Earth. To find out how you can learn more, be involved, and maybe even help, head to https://onehealth.tennessee.edu/ https://www.megabitess.org/

Today I'm at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville speaking with Dr. Paul Armsworth. Paul examines how conservation investment strategies and natural resource management policies can be made more effective by integrating ecological and socioeconomic models and data. Learn more about Paul's lab: https://www.armsworthlab.com/ Learn more about Paul's research: https://eeb.utk.edu/people/paul-armsworth/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm speaking with David and Douglas Kenrick about their new book "Solving Modern Problems With a Stone-Age Brain: Human Evolution and the Seven Fundamental Motives". Douglas Kenrick is a professor of psychology at Arizona State University. His research and writing integrate three scientific syntheses of the last few decades: evolutionary psychology, cognitive science, and dynamical systems theory. He is the author of over 170 scientific articles, books, and book chapters, the majority applying evolutionary ideas to human cognition and behavior. David Lundberg-Kenrick is the Media Outreach Program Manager at Arizona State University. He creates multimedia supplements for psychology textbooks, produced and edited videos for use in psychology experiments, and worked on documentaries about evolutionary psychology, including the BBC's “The Science of Seduction” and his current project “The Caveman Goes to Hollywood.” Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville speaking with Dr. Derrick Stowell, who is the Education and Horticultural Therapy Program Administrator for the UT Gardens. Derrick is responsible for directing education programs and horticultural therapy programs for the UT Gardens, Knoxville location. https://onehealth.tennessee.edu/ https://utgardens.tennessee.edu/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Nina Fefferman is back! Today, I'm at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. We talk about beauty and utility of math and how to get young learners excited about mathematic reasoning. We also discuss the incredible collaborative work being done at NIMBioS, which is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Synthesis Center supported through NSF's Biological Sciences Directorate via a Cooperative Agreement with the University of Tennessee. Learn more: http://www.nimbios.org/ Dr. Fefferman is a professor in the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Tennessee. Her research focuses on the mathematics of epidemiology, evolutionary and behavioral ecology, and self-organizing behaviors, especially of systems described by networks. Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm speaking with evolutionary behavioural scientist, Tamas David Barrett. His work focuses on how the structure of social networks change during falling fertility, urbanisation, and migration; as well as, how social networks vary over the human life-course. Tamás's current projects include the origins of inequality regulation; why the behavioural rules between women and men vary so much across cultures; and the evolutionary foundations of sharing behaviour. Tamás teaches Trinity College, University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, and is affiliated with the Population Studies Research Institute in Helsinki, Finland. He is a fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute.

This week I went Arizona State University to talk with Athena Aktipis about the potential of apocalyptic events, both natural and human-caused, and how we can prepare, respond, and prevent the end of the world. Athena is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Cooperation Science Network and The Human Generosity Project. This episode is a part of a new series we're working on where we present ideas from scientists in a more structured format. We're still fine-tuning the way this will work, so make sure and join the brainstorm over on my Discord. Help support this show and everything I do: https://www.patreon.com/shanemauss Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm hanging out with Dr. Keith Markman! Keith was one of the scientists that gave a talk at this year's Mind Under Matter Campout Festival. Keith's research focuses on “counterfactual thinking”, or how people imagine alternative realities, develop conspiracy theories, and connect coincidental dots dreamt up by the hyper-active human brain. Learn more about Dr. Markman's work: https://www.ohio.edu/cas/markman

Today I'm speaking with Daniele Cybulskie, who is a historian, writer, and podcaster. Daniele has written several books about medieval history, which you can find here: http://www.danielecybulskie.com/books She is also the host of The Medieval Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-medieval-podcast/id1448142533 DISCLAIMER: We are not responsible for any potential trebuchet-related incidents this episode may inspire. ZAMM2022: http://www.zombiemed.org/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

This week I'm talking with Athena Aktipis about the gradients of apocalyptic events and how humans cope with the end times. Athena is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Arizona State University and co-Director of The Cooperation Science Network and The Human Generosity Project. This episode is a part of a new series we're working on where we present ideas from scientists in a more structured format. We're still fine-tuning the way this will work, so make sure and join the brainstorm over on my Discord. Athena's Twitter: https://twitter.com/athenaaktipis Athena's podcast :https://www.zombified.org/ Athena's website: http://www.athenaaktipis.org/ Help support this show and everything I do: https://www.patreon.com/shanemauss Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today we're talking phosphorus, from exploding stars to urine. Dr. Jim Elser is a limnologist, Director of Flathead Lake Biological Station at Yellow Bay, Bierman Professor of Ecology at the University of Montana, and the Director of Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance. Phosphorus is as essential as water, carbon, or oxygen for agriculture and all life on earth. It's also a non-renewable resource with a natural cycle, which is rapidly accelerating due to human activity. But there are promising innovations in the works that can help offset our influence and solve our phosphorus inefficiencies. Learn more from Jim's new book, "Phosphorus: Past and Future" You can also purchase the book on Amazon here. Jim's Twitter Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

This episode of the Here We Are podcast was recorded live at the Mind Under Matter Campout Festival in Raleigh, NC at the beautiful Lakeside Retreats. I decided to invite one of my favorite guests and good friend, Herman Pontzer, to talk about some of the evolutionary underpinnings of why we come together and celebrate at festivals. Herman is an Associate Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology at Duke University, and author of the book, "Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy", which you can check out here. If you're ever in the Raleigh, NC area and in need of a peaceful getaway, swing by our friends at Lakeside Retreats and enjoy yurt rentals, glamping, fishing, paddle boarding, live music, disc golf, biking or walking, and more! Huge thanks to Chris Buhler from Hygge Production House and Honey Bear, DoubleSaltSteve for filming! Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm speaking with Daryl R. Van Tongeren, who is an associate professor of psychology at Hope College. We discuss some of the topics he writes about in his new book, "Humble: Free Yourself From the Traps of a Narcissistic World." Learn more about Daryl's work here: https://www.darylvantongeren.com/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm speaking with Tara Behrend, who is an Assoc of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Purdue University. We discuss productivity and efficiency in the work place, our cultural perception of time, the surprising and counterintuitive findings about employee privacy research, and online education and more! https://www.purdue.edu/hhs/psy/directory/faculty/Behrend,%20Tara.html Come meet Tara at the Mind Under Matter Campout Festival at Lakeside Retreats in Raleigh Sep 9-11! https://mindunderpod.com/pages/campout

Today I'm speaking with Cassie Holmes, professor at UCLA's Anderson School of Management. We talk about her new book "Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most" How can we use our time more wisely and accomplish the tasks we care about most? What's the difference between pickleball and tennis? Why is it easier to brainstorm in the shower or while driving across the country? Is multitasking a myth? Check out Cassie's book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Happier-Hour/Cassie-Holmes/9781982148805

Today I am speaking with Anne McLaughlin, who is a psychology professor at North Carolina State University. We discuss her book "All Too Human", which takes a look at applied Human Factors. Human Factors may be a lesser known field within psychology but its implications become obvious once realized. Huge thanks to Chris of Hygge Production House for filming this episode. Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm speaking with Hillary Anger Elfenbein, who is a professor at the Olin School of Washington University. We discuss the parallels between stand up comedy and teaching at a university, cross cultural analysis of emotional intelligence, being overly self-aware, and much more! Come and see the physical manifestation of Mind Under Matter and hang out with The WBBC™, the team, and all the other MUMies September 9 thru 11: https://mindunderpod.com/pages/campout

Today I'm hanging out with my good friend, Cole Marta. Cole is the Co-founder, Medical Director, and Clinician at California Center for Psychedelic Therapy. We do a little catching up and discuss Cole's personal journey into psychedelic research and therapy as well as touch on ways you can get involved yourself. Visit California Center for Psychedelic Therapy: https://psychedelictherapyca.com/ https://mindunderpod.com/pages/campout Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

In this episode, I catch up with my good friend, Michael Garfield. Michael is the host of the Future Fossils podcast and the Complexity podcast. In his 4th appearance on Here We Are, we discuss topics like fatherhood, lifestyle changes, and the ever-changing world we live in.

Today I'm speaking with one of my very first guests on the Here We Are podcast, Marlene Zuk. Marlene is a Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at the University of Minnesota. We talk about common misconceptions about evolution and comparing humans to other animals. Check out Marlene's upcoming book, "Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test: How Behavior Evolves and Why It Matters" here: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324007227 And check out some of her other books here: https://cbs.umn.edu/zuk-lab/books Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Today I'm speaking with Martie Haselton and Jaimie Krems. Martie is the world's leading researcher on how ovulatory cycles influence women's sexuality. She is a professor of psychology at UCLA and the Institute for Society and Genetics, and a really great friend of mine. Jaimie is a professor of Social psychology focusing on female friendship, conflict, stereotypes, and prejudice. We discuss the influence large social institutions, like religion, has on one's perspective of the sanctity of life, in and out group bias, the scientific reaction to the recent Supreme Court ruling, and much more! Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

In this first ever in-person video episode of Here We Are I talk with human paleontologist, Steven E. Churchill in his lab at Duke University. We talk about the lingering Neanderthal DNA in modern humans, genetic diversity, the recent discovery of Homo naledi, and the Rising Star Expedition which is a part of the Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site in South Africa. Learn more about Steven's work: https://scholars.duke.edu/person/churchy Steven will also be coming to the MUM Campout so come meet him and check out some cool fossils! https://mindunderpod.com/pages/campout

Today I'm talking with my very close friend, Peter McGraw. We talk about the pros and cons of being single vs being in a relationship, traveling as a single person, living with another person, and the strange, negative view society has on singlehood. Get tickets to the Mind Under Matter Campout Festival here: https://mindunderpod.com/pages/campout Check out Peter's podcast "Solo: The Single Person's Guide To A Remarkable Life" here: https://petermcgraw.org/podcasts/solo/ Check out Peter's books on his site here: https://petermcgraw.org/books/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

I have a couple special announcements and updates to share with you in this short solo episode. Check out the latest Mind Under Matter episode to hear Ramin and I share all the details about our campout/festival: https://youtu.be/z1gkwbUX2rg Get tickets before they run out: https://mindunderpod.com/pages/campout Stay tuned! Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:50 Campout Festival 05:19 Campout Location 06:37 Campout Events 21:36 Check out the latest MUM episode to learn more 24:01 Here We Are updates and improvements! Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

Helena Miton is a cognitive anthropologist and complexity postdoctoral fellow at the Santa Fe Institute. She investigates how culture is maintained through time and what determines the shapes traditions take. She holds her Ph.D. in cognitive science from Central European University and previously was a member of the Minds & Traditions research group at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History. Follow her on Twitter @HelenaMiton. Helena and I discuss cultural evolution, the balance between biological and societal influences on culture, and how history and ideas embellish across time, similar to a game of telephone. Enroll in Helena's Introductory course to Open Science here: https://www.complexityexplorer.org/courses/125-open-science-tutorial

Today I'm speaking with Dr. Christopher Kavanagh, who is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Cognitive & Evolutionary Anthropology. Chris is also the cohost of the Decoding the Gurus Podcast. We talk about the effect that internet gurus and thought leaders have on public perception of science and politics. Chris' research focuses broadly on collective rituals and their impact on social identity and group orientated behaviors, using a combination of field and lab based experiments, online surveys, and traditional ethnographic methods. Check out the Decoding the Gurus podcast: https://decoding-the-gurus.captivate.fm/ Follow Chris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/c_kavanagh Learn more about Chris' work: https://www.anthro.ox.ac.uk/people/dr-chris-kavanagh

Today I am speaking with Cecilea Mun, who is a Visiting Assistant Professor of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics program, with the Department of Philosophy, at the University of Louisville, KY, and the founding director of the Society for Philosophy of Emotion, and the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Philosophy of Emotion. We talk about how money shifts the way we think about our ethical principles, Realism emotional theory and Instrumentalism emotional theory, how people on the autism spectrum process emotions, and much more! Check out Ceclia's book "Interdisciplinary Foundations for the Science of Emotion" here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-71194-8 Also check out her website here: https://sites.google.com/site/muncecilea Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

This week I'm talking with Dave Ader, an interdisciplinary scholar in the fields of sustainable agriculture and rural development. He currently works as the Assistant Director and Research Assistant Professor in the Smith Center for International Sustainable Agriculture at the University of Tennessee. Joining me as a part of the One Health Initiative, we discuss how agricultural issues in one area can end up affecting communities on the other side of the globe and how very niche scientific research can be used to solve much larger issues. https://onehealth.tennessee.edu/

This week I am talking with Itai Yanai, Director of the Institute for Computational Medicine and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology at NYU. We discuss Richard Dawkin's book: The Selfish Gene, Darwin's work with Evolution and Itai's Podcast: The Night Science Podcast. Throughout the conversation we dive into extended phenotypes, spandrels in genetics, and evolution of things like facial hair and tails. Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. https://night-science.org/ https://mindunderpod.com/pages/festival

This week I'm talking all about science communication with Susanna L Harris. Susanna earned her PhD in microbiology at UNC-Chapel Hill and is now working to build better communication in Biotech. We chat about how to more effectively communicate scientific information by guiding conversations, getting other people's individual contexts, and the best way to present new information. We also explore ideas like celebrating being wrong, enjoying boredom and how covid has affected scientific thinking. Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being.

My biggest hero Robert Sapolsky returns to the show for an exceptionally important conversation about stress during a time where many of us have experienced the most in our life. This is an important conversation about how lack of predictability and control can lead to learned helplessness. This recipient of the MacArthur Foundation genius grant is a Professor at Stanford University holding joint appointments in several departments, including Biological Sciences, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, and Neurosurgery. In addition to everything else, he spent summers in Kenya study baboons which you can read about in his amazing book ‘A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist's Unconventional Life Among the Baboons' As someone who has spent years interviewing scientists, taking classes, watching talks, and reading science books, I believe Robert Sapolsky is the greatest science communicator alive. I hope you enjoy this episode. His Human Behavioral Biology class changed my life and is probably the most useful and interesting 25 hours of my life. It's free online and I hope you have a chance to watch it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNnIGh9g6fA His books are amazing: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers  The Trouble with Testosterone: And Other Essays on the Biology of the Human Predicament Monkeyluv: And Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst Here is a link to the first time I was on my show: https://www.herewearepodcast.com/episodes/578adw5viwkc1bdqqv1uz0iv40usxg?rq=sapolsky And here is a really fun episode of my comedy/philosophy podcast Mind Under Matter where we dug into some of his work: https://mindunderpod.com/blogs/episodes/episode-42-behaviors-past If you want to support this show and my mission to build appreciation for science and scientists in a fun and casual way, please consider joining my lovely little Patreon community https://www.patreon.com/shanemauss Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am talking with Sophia Rokhlin, co-author of the book “When Plants Dream”. Sophia Rokhlin is an author, speaker and nonprofit organizer dedicated to supporting the conservation of Indigenous wisdom and territories. She currently serves as Technical Secretariat of the Amazon Emergency Fund We discuss ayahuasca, work in the amazon rainforest, and the role of indigenous peoples in our environmental future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm talking with Matthew Gray, associate director of the University of Tennessee Knoxville, Center for Wildlife Health about amphibians. He is also a part of the One Health Initiative. Dr. Gray specializes in disease ecology. His interests include transmission dynamics of emerging infectious disease and identifying management strategies that can thwart or eradicate outbreaks. We discuss the amphibian trade, reproductive strategies across the species and the spread of disease. Matt also tells me about unique evolutionary traits like warning colorations, producing chemicals, and regenerating limbs. Pharmaceutical attributes of amphibian skin:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S037887411632373X?via%3Dihub  Video on limb regeneration: https://youtu.be/byLDgtSMI0w Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Shane is talking with Graham Walker, an Emergency Room Physician in San Francisco, CA. They discuss how Covid has effected hospitals and staff over the last 2 years. Graham runs down hospital checklists, decision making in the ER setting, and what he's seen while working. They also go into the spread of misinformation through the media, and what could possibly be done in the future. References https://twitter.com/grahamwalker/status/1489429245520580608 https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02741-x Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm speaking with Matthew Browne, who is a Professor of Psychology researching gambling in Australia. Matthew also cohosts the podcast "Decoding the Gurus" which examines alternative hot takes on science and politics. We discuss academic politics, the psychology behind conspiratorial reasoning, alternative medicine, and much more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I'm talking with Melanie Martin, a biological anthropologist investigating evolutionary and ecological influences on growth and development, and the implications of those relationships for public health. Her research, conducted with two indigenous populations—the Tsimane of Bolivia and the Qom of Argentina—combines field research with laboratory analysis of non-invasive biomarkers and mixed-modeling approaches. We discuss child rearing in remote villages and breast feeding practices across cultures. We also get into the Hygiene Hypothesis and Immune System Functions and Auto Immune Disorders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Shane chats with Hollie Raynor, Professor in the Department of Nutrition at The University of Tennessee Knoxville.  Hollie is the Director of the Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory. She has training in the fields of nutrition and clinical psychology. Her research focuses on dietary factors, such as portion size, variety, and energy-density, which influence food consumption. In this full episode we talk about how nutritional information changes over time, the challenges and benefits to modern eating, and how to engineer your environment for better choices. https://cehhs.utk.edu/people/hollie-raynor/ Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Support the show at: Patreon.com/ShaneMauss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I'm hanging out with returning guest, Herman Pontzer. Herman is the author of "Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy". He investigates the physiology of humans and apes to understand how ecology, lifestyle, diet, and evolutionary history affect metabolism and health. You can find Herman on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/hermanpontzer Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I talk with Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior at The University of Minnesota, Emilie Snell-Rood. Emilie's lab takes both a basic and applied approach to understanding insect responses to environmental change. Currently, a number of her projects consider roadsides as habitat for insect pollinators, studying interactions between nutrients and roadside stressors in the development of butterflies and bees. We talk about diversity in butterflies, the process of metamorphosis, and how butterflies learn. Further into the episode we get into how modern life drives evolution including agriculture, cities, and toxins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jessica Brinkworth returns to Here We Are for her 4th time to give us an update on COVID! We talk about the spread of misinformation, vaccine hesitancy, booster shots, the neurological and cardiac side effects of COVID, the danger in over-exercising while infected with COVID, the new Omicron variant, the naïve guidance from the CDC, and a whole lot more! Jessica is an assistant professor in the department of anthropology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research addresses the physiological consequences of the human experience and evolutionary past, particularly those that affect innate immune system function. Jessica's current projects focus on the functional divergence and diversification of primate immune systems, how past epidemics affect present day immune function diversity and how life experience affects the innate immune response.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talk to returning guest, Emily J Willingham, about her book "The The Tailored Brain: From Ketamine, to Keto, to Companionship, A User's Guide to Feeling Better and Thinking Smarter". We talk about the neuroscience behind resilience, exercise, mindfulness practice, social interactions, breathing, the uprising in popularity of the wellness community and supplements, and the future of neurotropic research. Check out Emily's work at: http://www.emilywillinghamphd.com/ Don't forget, you can help support this ad free show at https://www.patreon.com/shanemauss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On a very special episode of Here We Are, I talk with wonderful friend and fellow comedian, Duncan Trussell. Check out Duncan's Podcast, The Duncan Trussell Family Hour and his psychedelic animated series, The Midnight Gospel on Netflix. We chat about science and mysticism, tradition and rituals, meditation and development over a lifespan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week I am speaking with Douglas Noll, author of the book *De-Escalate: How to Calm an Angry Person in 90 Seconds or Less* which was the winner of the Book Excellence Award for 2017. Douglas E. Noll. is a full time peacemaker and mediator, specializing in difficult, complex, and intractable conflicts. He has a Masters Degree in Peacemaking and Conflict Studies. Doug tells me all about the Prison of Peace Project which aims to help inmates develop peacemaking skills to reduce violence and promote peace within their prison community. We also dive into anger, emotional validation, and reading emotional data fields. More resources from Doug https://dougnoll.co/hereweare Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Shane is talking with Dr. Zlatan Križan, Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University, and Barrett Klein, Professor of Biology at UW-La Crosse who are meeting for the first time to film this incredible episode that crosses both their fields of research. Dr. Križan directs the Sleep, Self, and Personality Laboratory (SSPeL) that examines how sleep and personality intersect with social behavior and self-regulation. Barrett Klein is the head of The PUPATING LAB is where he studies insect behavior, sleep biology, and explore the ways in which insects have affected humans throughout history. In the full episode they quantify sleeping, dreaming, and their causes. They discuss sleep across different species, as well as how much sleep humans need, and how we can get the most out it! Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here We Are turns 8 years old! To celebrate, I decided to do record a solo episode talking about how I got into science and comedy, feeling out of place throughout my childhood/early adulthood, and why I started the Here We Are Podcast.   Thank you for watching and being an inquisitive being. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices