Know What You See with Brian Lowery

Sometimes healing doesn't mean trying to erase the past, but honoring it — cracks and all. In this episode, artist Naoko Fukumaru shares her deeply personal story of transformation through kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery or ceramics with lacquer and gold or silver powder to highlight the fractures and seams. She and host Brian Lowery explore what it means to mend — not just objects, but spirit — and why the most broken parts of us may be the most beautiful.For more on Naoko Fukumaru visit naokofukumaru.com, and for more on Brian Lowery and the show, check out knowwhatyousee.com.

What do medieval troubadours and modern rappers have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, Stanford professor of French and Italian, Marisa Galvez joins Brian Lowery to explore how poetry—whether in 12th-century love songs or hip-hop lyrics—has long been a way to express love, power, or identity. Together they discuss how lyrical traditions from the past continue to shape music and culture today. For more on Brian and his guests, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

Host Brian Lowery talks with journalist Jennifer Sullivan about the parallels between beauty and birding. As someone who has spent years writing about appearance and self-perception, Jenn discovered that watching birds offered a different kind of reflection—one that quiets the mind and expands our sense of place in the world. She and Brian discuss how stepping into nature can shift the way we see ourselves, and what happens when we stop looking in the mirror and start looking up.For more on the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

National Geographic photographer and conservationist Jaime Rojo has spent decades capturing the beauty and fragility of the monarch butterfly. Their epic migration is one of nature's most breathtaking spectacles, but their survival is under threat. In this episode, Jaime shares how his passion for photography and conservation led him to document the monarchs' journey. He and host Brian Lowery discuss the deeper story behind his award-winning images, one about resilience, connection, and the urgent need to protect our natural world.See Jaime's story on the monarch butterflies at his website: rojovisuals.com, and follow Brian Lowery at knowwhatyousee.com.

In this episode, comedian and tea enthusiast Jesse Appell of Jesse's Teahouse takes us on a journey from studying Chinese comedy to building an online tea business. He shares how navigating different cultures shaped his perspective on laughter, authenticity, and community. From mastering traditional Chinese cross-talk comedy to reinventing himself after a life-changing move, Jesse and host Brian Lowery discuss adaptation and the unexpected paths that bring meaning to our lives.For more on Jesse, visit jessesteahouse.com and for more on Brian and the podcast go to brianloweryphd.com.

In this episode of Know What You See, Brian Lowery talks with DJ Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy, an acclaimed broadcaster, DJ, and founder of Classic Album Sundays. Colleen shares her journey from a high school radio station to becoming a global curator of transformative musical experiences. Whether it's finding community through the airwaves, or the shared euphoria of the dance floor, or the relaxed vibe of group listening events, Brian and Colleen reflect on the healing and uniting power of music.For more about DJ Cosmo visit colleencosmomurphy.com, and for more on Brian check out his website at brianloweryphd.com.

Here's another podcast we think you'll like. It's called "Wisdom and Practice" and it's hosted by one of Brian Lowry's guests this season, Simran Jeet Singh. Wisdom & Practice uncovers what insights we can gain from our ancient and modern traditions. Simran explores the different means of practice his guests have taken to discover new awareness of themselves, and how we can all cultivate more meaning, purpose and growth in our everyday lives.This episode of Wisdom and Practice features Katherine May, author of "Enchantment" and host of "How We Live Now". She and Simran discuss the loss of our sense of play, the power of attention, and how we can reconnect with a sense of wonder. You can find out more about "Wisdom and Practice" at Simran's website - simranjeetsingh.org - and subscribe to the show on all your favorite podcast platforms. Hope you enjoy!

Wine and chocolate may seem like simple pleasures, but for people like master sommelier Chris Gaither and Dandelion Chocolates co-founder Todd Masonis, they're so much more. Chris sees wine as a way to bring people together to share stories and get in touch with the land and culture. Todd's approach to chocolate focuses on traditional origins and fostering relationships with small farms. In Brian's conversations with both, we dive into how these everyday indulgences can connect us to people, places, history, and even ourselves.

In this episode of Know What You See, Brian Lowery talks with with Simran Jeet Singh, professor, author, and host of the podcast, Wisdom and Practice, to explore the intersection of faith, purpose, and daily life. Simran shares how his Sikh faith guides his journey toward self-improvement, happiness, and meaningful community connections. Together, he and Brian discuss the role of religion as a practice—not just a belief system—and its potential to transform individuals and societies.For more on the show, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

On a recent episode of Know What You See, Brian had a conversation with master storyteller, Dr. Ray Christian. Ray's stories have appeared on The Moth, RISK!, and Snap Judgment but he's not just a storyteller. Ray is also a historian, father, and combat veteran from the rural South, who finds himself floating between life in academia, public speaking, parenting, and tending to the goats in his backyard. To give you a better sense of his stories, I'm excited to share with you an episode of Ray's podcast, What's Ray Saying?, and you can find more about him at drraychristian.com. Hope you enjoy!

What do the stories we tell say about who we are? In this episode of Know What You See, host Brian Lowery sits down with Dr. Ray Christian—storyteller, educator, ten-time Moth Story Slam champion, and host of the award-winning podcast What's Ray Saying? —to explore how the narratives we share, and the ones we leave out, shape our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.Join Brian and Ray for a thought-provoking conversation about how our stories might be the key to answering life's biggest question: what's the point?

On Know What You See, host Brian Lowery dives into a single, sweeping question: "What's the point?" Why do people dedicate so much of themselves to pursuits like music, wine, comedy, or storytelling? Through engaging conversations with enthusiasts from diverse fields, this season explores the reasons behind our passions and what they reveal about us. Tune in for new episodes starting November 26.

In this Know What You See short, Brian probes the real reasons for having kids and why biological family is so important to us.

In this Know What You See short, Brian reflects on how the strategy of selection determines our sense of self worth .

In this Know What You See short, Brian considers why being thoughtful about travel can help us get the most out of it.Why do you travel? Leave a message with your thoughts at brianloweryphd.com/contact. Stay tuned for new episodes of Know What You See coming this fall and follow @knowwhatyouseepod on Instagram.

We've been looking at the forces in our lives that shape who we are and who we can be: our relationships, our social identities, our ability to choose. But all of this exists in the shadow of the knowledge that we will all die. This is so terrifying that most of us try to avoid thinking or talking about it. But what would change if we were better prepared for death and dying? How would it transform our lives right now? Guest: Adriana Prosser, Death Doula For more about Brian Lowery go to knowwhatyousee.com.

In the day-to-day of our lives, how often do we feel truly moved? Many of us think we have to get away from our daily reality to experience awe--the feeling that something is so wondrous and mysterious it's a little scary. It can feel like only extraordinary encounters with say art or majestic experiences of nature evoke awe, and we are left with too little of it. But maybe we can learn to cultivate awe and by doing so bring greater meaning to our lives. Guest: Dacher Keltner, Professor of Psychology at UC Berkeley, founder and director of the Greater Good Science Center, and host of the podcast The Science of Happiness.

We like to believe that we are masters of our own fate, that we are the cause of our choices and actions. But what if that's not true? Imagine that all of our choices and actions are simply the product of history—whether that goes back one minute or 1000 years—and biological and environmental forces that we often don't even understand. In this episode we're exploring the question of whether free will exists and whether we should even want it to. Brian's guest is Robert Sapolsky: Professor of Biology, Neurology, Neurological Sciences, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University and author of Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will.

Race and gender are thought by many to be immutable features of our biology. In some places and spaces, we see significant challenges to this way of thinking about gender, but the biological view of race has proved more durable. How do we understand racial identity from individual and community perspectives? What's changing about how we define race and how that shapes our interactions with the world around us? Our guest: Rebecca Tuvel: Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Rhodes College.

For many of us, gender is an important part of how we understand ourselves. It affects everything, from the way we present ourselves physically, to how we make sense of others' interactions with us. But what determines our gender? The answer to this question is more complicated than we might think. The way we understand gender can reveal a lot about who we are and who we can be. Our guests: Schuyler Bailer: author, educator, American swimmer and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. Rebecca Tuvel: Associate Professor and Chair of Philosophy at Rhodes College.

With so many of us now working at home or on a hybrid schedule, the line between our employment and our personal lives has been blurring. What does work/life balance mean when the boundaries keep shifting? What does our nostalgia for pre-pandemic workplace comedies like The Office say about who we are and who we used to be? And is the dystopian drama series Severance a warning, or a kind of wish fulfillment? Guests: Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, Fielding Graduate University Katie Glasser, production intern For more about host Brian Lowery, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

What goes into making a home? For many, it means a physical space, that's true, and the useful objects we collect within. But it's also a repository for our memories and aspirations. How we build or decorate our homes signals who we are, our tastes and values, and the signs of our success. It's where we feel safe and connected, and where we welcome others we trust. But does a home need to be a fixed place to be a stable one?   Guests: Le'Shaun Williams - Rapper, designer, photographer and YouTube content creator, current ex-pat Noami Grevemberg - Author of "Living The Vanlife" and Founder of Diversify Vanlife. For more on Brian Lowery, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

A spouse, a soul-mate, a life partner - however you define “the one”, the search for that person is often confusing and fraught with challenges and doubt. And in a world with so much choice, is it better to enlist the opinions of those who know you best, like your family and friends? Or can more “objective” support like matchmakers and algorithms narrow down the field and yield true love? Guests: Barry Schwartz, Professor Emeritus in Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore Radha Patel, founder of Single to Shaadi For more about host Brian Lowery and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

This season Brian explores some of the topics from his book “Selfless: The Social Construction of You”. Specifically, how we see ourselves, and how our relationships and social interactions shape the way we live. Even before the pandemic, there was evidence our social lives were fraying. Engagement in social clubs, civic organizations, churches have been in decline and the traditional ways of meeting new people has lost ground to apps and smartphones. So what does this mean for modern day friendships, and what we all need from these connections? Guests: Danielle Bayard Jackson, Friendship Coach and Educator Anita Gupta, Associate Dean for Student Affairs at Tisch School of the Arts, NYU Riley and Kenji Enright - Friendship “Board Meetings” For more about Brian and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

Here's another podcast to add to your queue. Matt Abrahams is a Lecturer in Organizational Behavior here at Stanford, and in his podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart. he speaks with experts about the real world challenges of communicating effectively. From emails, to giving presentations or speaking at family functions, how can we best get our point across in business and in life? Brian Lowery was a guest on a recent episode, and he talked about his new book, Selfless: The Social Creation of "You". Be sure to check out more episodes of Think Fast Talk Smart, wherever you get your podcasts. Stay tuned for new episodes of Know What You See coming this summer!

Cara Santa Maria is the science correspondent on National Geographic's popular television series Brain Games and she hosts the weekly science podcast Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria. In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara invited me to talk about my new book, "Selfless: The Social Creation of "You." Hope you enjoy our conversation and be sure to check out the other episodes of Talk Nerdy, wherever you get your podcasts.

Whether it's the economic after effects of the pandemic, the disruption of work/life balance, or the increasing use of new technology - many of us are feeling the pressure of change at our jobs. In this episode, Brian talks with Brigid Schulte, director of the Better Life Lab at New America and host of the podcast, American Karoshi. We delve into her research into work stress, the impact on our health and well-being, and the challenge of combining work and care to build a more equitable future. For more about the show and Brian Lowery, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

Today, it's still a fact that many employers require job applicants to have a traditional four year degree, and that finding work is often a combination of academic achievement, internships, and networking. But this isn't the only formula for making a successful living. How can we change these mindsets to allow more workers to build satisfying careers and create a more diverse labor market? There are always opportunities to grow and opportunities to advance. Learning the necessary skills and finding the best place to apply them is the trick. In this episode, Brian Lowery talks first to Raquel Garnett, a healthcare worker looking to upgrade her skills and move into the tech industry. Then, Pathstream CEO Eleanor Cooper discusses how the company's platform helps employers identify and nurture talent from within their own organizations. For more on Brian visit knowwhatyousee.com.

This week on Know What You See, we explore the growing category of remote workers known as “digital nomads”, people who not only work remote, they work from constantly changing locations. With more people transitioning from their jobs, reconsidering their work life balances and leaving urban areas, digital nomads working in the knowledge sector are searching for more freedom and flexibility. On this episode, Brian speaks with Margaret Lilani of Upwork, a platform for talent acquisition, and Trendel Lightburn who has been working remotely while moving from city to city. For more about Brian Lowery go to knowwhatyousee.com

The height of the pandemic lockdown caused widespread job losses, followed by a rise in the number of people quitting work, a sharp uptick the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. On this episode, Brian Lowery talks to Rakesh Kochhar and Julianna Horowitz of the Pew Research Center who conducted a study of what's been called The Great Resignation. Then, we hear from Julia Pollack, Chief Economist at Zip Recruiter who discusses another work trend that's making headlines. Is "quiet quitting" a bad idea for your career or just another way to address work/life balance? For more on Brian and his work, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

This week, a special bonus episode from Know What You See: What is the self? What are we talking about when we say we know ourselves? Scientists believe the brain defines who we are, but Brian Lowery suggests that the self goes beyond our physical being, rooted in our relationships and interactions with other people. Brian Lowery is The Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior and senior associate dean for academic affairs at the Graduate School of Business. This talk was recorded at Stanford Reunion 2021.

In recent years, our idea of traditional office culture has been turned on its head by the pandemic, the rise of remote work, the explosion of the gig economy, real estate fluctuations and much more. Today's offices are a mix of work locations, communication styles and types of employment. Employees are at different stages of their lives and careers, and that diversity amplifies the complexity of our workforce. To delve into today's multi-generational office culture and how managers and employees are navigating it, host Brian Lowery speaks with former HR director Edwin Ochoa, who supported a multi-generational staff during a company merger as well as the pandemic and the switch to remote work. We also meet Craig Hughes, a political consultant managing the different expectations and approaches of older candidates and younger campaign workers. And we'll hear from Amy Chyan, a producer on this show who's been working out how to shift from having a boss earlier in her career, to being her own boss in this new age of work. For more on Brian and the show, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

In recent years, we've seen an explosion in the number of workers supplementing or replacing traditional 9 to 5 jobs with gig work of some kind. People like Joel Lantigua, whose gig work as a courier helps him maintain a certain work/life balance, and the flexibility to pursue other interests. But as more people flock to these types of jobs, what are the implications for workers and the economy? In this episode, Brian Lowery talks with Justin Wolfers, professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, about the future of task-based work. For more about Brian, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

The pandemic caused many companies to shut down and go remote, which affected many small businesses who cater to corporate office workers. On this episode, we'll hear from Kelly Fitzpatrick, owner of Blue Park Kitchen, whose main clientele practically disappeared in the shift to working from home. Then we'll talk to Stanford professor Nick Bloom to get a bigger picture of the economic issues surrounding remote work from, from questions about commuting or real estate, to challenges around equity and productivity. For more about host Brian Lowery, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

From teachers to baristas, warehouse workers to nurses, the media has been filled with stories of strikes, walkouts and union votes. The National Labor Relations Board says that petitions for union representation are up more than 50 per cent from this time last year. What's behind this surge in labor organizing? On this episode, Brian talks to Rebecca Givan, Associate Professor in the School of Management and Labor at Rutgers University. They discuss the relationships between workers and management, how the pandemic exposed the inequities of the labor system, and how a new generation of employees is using technology to advocate for their rights. Then, Brian revisits his conversation with Mary Kay Henry, International President of the 2 million-member Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and Roy Bahat, head of Bloomberg Beta, a venture firm investing in the future of work. For more about Brian Lowery, visit knowwhatyousee.com

Today, some workers are asking their companies for more than safe working conditions and fair pay—they are pushing for values-based behavior and decision-making. Employees are making their voices heard on issues like companies' customers, hiring practices, and content creation. What role should employees play in such decisions? What staff input will companies need to allow to attract the best talent? On this episode, Brian talks with Terra Field, a systems engineer who co-organized the Netflix employee walkout over Dave Chappelle's comedy special, The Closer. We'll hear about what led to the decision to take a stand against the streamer's release of that program, and why, ultimately, Field chose to leave the company. For more about Brian and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

The people and institutions around us influence each aspect of life. In workplaces, at home with family, or even walking down the street, there are social forces that affect every part of ourselves. Join Brian Lowery for Season 2 of "Know What You See," a podcast where we uncover these hidden social forces.This season, Brian talks with a range of guests about the shifting world of work, who and what shapes these changes, and what they mean for you. For more visit knowwhatyousee.com.

What's the cost of “just being yourself” when you don't look like the majority of workers or the powerful people in your organization? When society is rife with negative stereotypes about minorities, when power imbalances plague workplaces, trust can be eroded and people churn through emotions like doubt and fear. That costs us all. Brian's guests on this episode are Josh Grant, a community manager who went public with his experiences of discrimination at his former employer, and social psychologist Claude Steel, who discusses how stereotypes can upend work culture and what to do to change that. For more on Brian and the show, go to knowwhatyousee.com.

The early 1980s saw the sound of a new generation emerge from the loft parties and underground clubs of Chicago: House music. In spaces like the Warehouse and the Music Box, DJ's began to innovate around disco's four-on-the-floor beat, adding drum machines, deeper bass lines, and synths. At the time, Chicago had its first Black mayor, Harold Washington Jr., and there was optimism and energy in the air, a feeling of progress. After the racist and homophobic cultural attack symbolized by Disco Demolition night at Comiskey Park, for people of color and the queer community, house music was a safe haven. In this episode, Brian talks to Micah Salkind, author of Do You Remember House?: Chicago's Queer of Color Undergrounds; and pioneering House DJs and producers Jesse Saunders, Wayne Williams, and Marshall Jefferson.

Our voices are powerful tools. We can speak loudly or softly, with urgency or calm. We can make requests or issue commands. Whenever and however we speak, we reveal the way we see the world. But, it's not just the words we use that people interpret, it's the way we sound.  Our accents, our cadence tells people something about where we're from in terms of location and group memberships. But how we speak and the way we are heard says a lot about race and power. This time on Know What You See, Brian's two guests have thought a lot about how language and accents affect society as well as their own personal lives: Kelly E. Wright, a sociolinguist specializing in linguistic discrimination and its institutional outcomes, plus comedian Bernice Ye, a comedian, writer, and dancer originally from China who tells of her experiences as an immigrant in her standup. For more about Brian and his work, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

Selling food that represents who you are and where you've been can be a tricky business. What does it mean to serve “authentic” food, and why should it matter? In this episode, we explore how ethnicity affects the experience of creating a food business. Brian Lowery talks to Toronto-based chef Eva Chin about how she is reclaiming her family history and cultural identity through her dishes. Then Brian visits Nong Poonsukwattana, owner of Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, Oregon, to hear how she built a mini-empire on one simple Thai dish. For more about Brian Lowery and his work visit knowwhatyousee.com.

What does it mean for food to be authentic? Who owns this or that recipe, ingredient, or flavor? Why do we care? This week Brian Lowery speaks with documentarian, writer, and professor of food studies, Von Diaz. She discusses the fusion of island culinary traditions with Southern-style cooking, and what she's been studying about food and authenticity. Plus, Brian looks back on a conversation with Tunde Wey, a Nigerian artist, writer, and cook who uses food to investigate issues of racism, colonialism, and wealth inequality. For more on Brian Lowery and his work, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

Design is about more than just what looks good. From what we choose to wear to what we bring into our homes, design tells us what matters and sometimes who matters. And, as is true for all of us, a designer's identity and experiences affect their ideas in both subtle and not so subtle ways. This week on the podcast, Brian Lowery talks with two artists about how issues of identity and power inform their work: Bryce Wong, footwear designer at Nike SB, and Jomo Tariku, furniture designer and creator of the Nyala chair. To find out more about Brian and his work, visit knowwhatyousee.com.

This week, host Brian Lowery delves into the world of BLACK with the comic's co-creator Kwanza Osajyefo. The series raises the question: What if only Black people could have superpowers? How would they use these abilities, and at what cost? The conversation explores issues of representation in the themes, artwork, and characters in BLACK and comics today, as well as how the story of superheroes is changing in publishing and onscreen. For more about Brian and his guests, visit knowwhatyousee.com. *As part of a historical discussion on race in America, words are used that some may find harmful. Listener discretion is advised.

After a year and a half of the pandemic, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings', Marvel's first blockbuster film to feature an Asian American superhero did big numbers at the box office. This is from the same country where politicians were calling the COVID-19 virus the "China Flu", and we had a spate of violent crimes targeting Asian-Americans. In this episode of Know What You See, Brian Lowery talks to Jeff Yang and Phil Yu, co-hosts of the podcast "They Call Us Bruce" about how negative stereotypes and the deep lack of representation in the culture can lead to active change.

What does it cost to achieve the traditional measures of success? What if your racial identity, your cultural heritage, or your family history was an obstacle to getting ahead? In this episode, two highly accomplished people talk about what success required of them. We move beyond the obvious necessities of hard work, talent, and perseverance and explore what people sometimes hide or give up, to exceed societal expectations.

Many of us grew up playing in our neighborhood parks, using those shared spaces for family picnics, going for a run or a game of softball. Over the last year or so of the pandemic, we've found a new appreciation for the value of these outdoor community areas. But with a number of racially charged incidents in places like New York's Central Park and Oakland, CA, we're also learning anew how race is deeply embedded in who feels safe and welcome in these environmnents. Join Brian Lowery as he explores how we create, claim and share space.

Whether we think about it or not, race is an ever present aspect of our lives. From our workplace, to our schools, as we walk down the street, race is embedded in our everyday experience. But what's really happening, what's my role, and what does it mean for me? Those are questions Brian Lowery's been asking for “Know What You See”, a podcast about the hidden social forces shaping our lives. Brian is a social psychologist and a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. In this season of the show, he talks with guests from a wide range of backgrounds to get their perspectives on race and power. “Know What You See” launches August 26th wherever you get your podcasts!