Podcasts on neuroscience and/or human evolution

August 2, 2015 7:30 PM

I'm fascinated by these two subjects that I know very little about. Looking for podcasts that don't shy away from science or talk down, but still keep the jargon and dry details to a minimum.
posted by redlines to Technology (6 answers total)

I listened to Invisibilia for awhile, which is more psychology than neuroscience, but they've mentioned evolutionary basis for things a few times. I found it compelling and engaging to listen to, but a few times they got a little hand wavy popsci and set off my bullshit filter. It's definitely worth giving it a shot, though.
posted by AaRdVarK at 7:51 PM on August 2, 2015 [2 favorites]

Invisibilia is great.

I have also enjoyed Transistor. I particularly like the "Totally Cerebral" segments that are about neuroscience, but some of the other ones are great too.
posted by radioamy at 8:36 PM on August 2, 2015

You Are Not So Smart is a podcast that centers on the topic of human self-delusion, hosted by David McRaney, who wrote a blog which became a book, both of the same name. The podcast is generally an interview or two with a researcher who has released a study or book surrounding a specific concept which relates to self-delusion. Sometimes it's a scientist you've never heard of, other times it's a popular author in the same vein, such as Jon Ronson (re his recent book about public shaming), but the focus is practically always the science focus. It's pretty much psychology, but often with rinse of evolutionary psychology. It's fascinating, if sometimes a little disheartening when you start to realize how much you unknowingly lie to yourself.

Also the episodes end with a cookie-related segment. The podcast has a couple of adbreaks read by McRaney, but they are well designated with bumper music, so they're easily skipped if that's your desire.
posted by Sunburnt at 9:22 PM on August 2, 2015

Look at rue relevant podcasts from In Our Time on BBC4. It's amazing.
posted by persona au gratin at 2:03 AM on August 3, 2015

Big Picture Science covers a lot of territory, but they do quite a bit of neuroscience and evolutionary biology.
posted by BrashTech at 6:01 AM on August 3, 2015

Not podcasts, but Robert Sapolsky's lectures are available on youtube and elsewhere. So far, I have learned from everything he's written or lectured on.
posted by theora55 at 10:46 AM on August 3, 2015