Alzheimer’s disease is often diagnosed only after significant neural damage has occurred. But what if we could detect the earliest warning signs decades in advance, not by looking for memory loss, but by analyzing how we move through space? Nikolai Axmacher discusses how the brain’s "grid cell" system is compromised in young genetic risk carriers—and the fascinating ways the brain compensates to hide the deficit.

Standard economic models assume we are rational agents trying to maximize wealth. But what if our cognitive biases—like overestimating the likelihood of rare events—are actually optimal solutions for a noisy biological brain? Keno Juechems joins the podcast to explore the friction between economic theory and biological reality, asking a fundamental question: where does value actually come from?

Can you map an abstract idea the same way you map a room? Jacob Bellmund discusses the grid cell system, how cognitive maps help us organize knowledge , and whether humans can navigate more than three dimensions.

Was Alexander von Humboldt actually a scientist, or just a glorified travel blogger? Cody Kommers and I conclude our three-part discussion of Andrea Wulf's The Invention of Nature, debating the difference between "stamp collecting" and theory building , the birth of modern environmentalism, and why we might be entering a new age of Romantic science.

Does it count as climate change activism if you're a Prussian aristocrat in 1800? Cody Kommers and I continue our discussion of Andrea Wulf's The Invention of Nature, exploring Alexander von Humboldt's return to Europe, his influence on a young Charles Darwin , and why meeting your heroes is (almost) always a disappointment.

Why would a German aristocrat trade a Berlin palace for mosquito-infested South American swamps? We begin our discussion of Andrea Wulf's The Invention of Nature, dissecting the origins of Alexander von Humboldt's restless ambition , his unlikely friendship with Goethe, and why he might be the first true environmentalist.

Why would farmers willingly give up their water supply to prevent a crisis? Bryan Bruns discusses how Consultant Sociologists solve real-world "Tragedy of the Commons" problems, why the 2x2 game "Concord" is more interesting than the Prisoner's Dilemma, and how local communities create win-win solutions that governments often miss.

Would you take a pill that made you instantly happy, forever? We discuss Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, the psychology of escapism, and why Huxley might have been a better thinker than he was a novelist.

Does the scientific establishment really care about the truth? Stuart Ritchie discusses the replication crisis, his own attempt to replicate a psychic phenomenon study , and his "bug bounty" program that pays readers to find errors in his own book Science Fictions.

Why is it illegal to export $40 million in crisp dollar bills? We conclude our discussion of Lee Child’s Killing Floor, tackling the explosive warehouse finale, the limits of Jack Reacher's vigilantism, and why sometimes the best way to end a story is just to blow everything up.

Can you measure the value of a single human life? Anna Riedl discusses the philosophy of Effective Altruism, the "great rationality debate" in cognitive science, and why you don't need a PhD to be an expert science communicator.

What's the best way to launder a million dollars in $1 bills? Koen Frolichs and I continue our journey through Lee Child’s Killing Floor, debating the logistics of counterfeit money, the morality of Jack Reacher's vigilantism, and why small-town Georgia might be the most dangerous place in America.

Why do we punish cheaters—and is it always for the greater good? Nichola Raihani discusses the evolution of punishment, what humans can learn from "cleaner fish" , and why the "proximate" reasons we give for our behavior might hide the "ultimate" evolutionary causes.

We begin our discussion of Lee Child's debut novel Killing Floor, dissecting the character of Jack Reacher, the surprisingly complex plot of a small-town conspiracy, and why Tom Cruise was (maybe) the wrong casting choice.

Why would a hungry parrot give away its food? Desiree Brucks discusses animal altruism, inequity aversion in dogs, and her viral study showing that African Grey parrots voluntarily help others get food—even when there’s no reward for themselves.

Do people really change, or do they just get caught? We conclude our discussion of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, tackling the final confession, the fate of Raskolnikov in Siberia, and whether the epilogue offers redemption or just an unconvincing happy ending.

Are our "cognitive biases" actually errors, or are they smart adaptations to a complex world? Pete Trimmer discusses ecological rationality, the importance of Tinbergen’s Four Questions , and why "stupid" models are often the most useful tool for understanding human behavior.

Does love redeem a murderer, or just make him easier to catch? We continue our deep dive into Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, debating Raskolnikov's confession, the unexpected suicide of Svidrigailov, and whether Sonya represents divine grace or just naive optimism.

Why is it so hard to combine results from 1,000 different psychology experiments? Giuliana Spadaro discusses the Cooperation Databank (CoDa) , a machine-readable history of cooperation research. We cover how to standardize experimental data, the future of automated meta-analyses, and why researchers should stop "reinventing the wheel."

Why doesn't Raskolnikov feel guilty for the second murder? We continue our dissection of Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment, exploring the psychological unraveling of the protagonist, the role of hallucinations in his guilt, and why the detective Porfiry Petrovich might be the ultimate prankster.