American Scientist Podcast

The FIFA World Cup kicks off today in North America, as qualifying teams compete for the sport's most coveted prize: The World Cup trophy.

Not to be over looked, the commemorative ball is more than eye-catching visual design. Their surfaces can comprise different numbers of panels, new textural elements, and seams that vary in depth, width, and length. 

In this extended interview of cover story "⁠Balls in the Air⁠," associate e...

Today, we’re joined by Dr. Cecilie S. Traberg.

The transcript for this episode will be available the day following the original airdate.

Links/Sources mentioned:

• Dr. Traberg’s website: https://www.cecilietraberg.com/ 

• Solomon’s Secret, a digital murder mystery game designed to explore the psychology of misinformation and social influence 

• Dr. Traberg’s research:

• Traberg, C. S., Roozenbeek, J., &a...

Today, we’ll hear from Dr. Dan Willingham, a Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He’s taught there since 1992, and until about 2000, studied the neural basis of learning and memory. But today, all of his research concerns the application of cognitive psychology to K-16 education.

He’s the author of several books, including the best-selling Why Don't Students Like School?, and most recently, Outs...

In this episode, we're talking about how we consume, process, and share information—and how all of this is changing as our relationships with technology evolve. 

Jason Lodge is the Director of the Learning, Instruction, and Technology Lab and Professor of Educational Psychology in the School of Education at The University of Queensland, in Australia. He explores the cognitive, metacognitive, and emotional aspects of learn...

Emma Levine and Shereen Chaudhry join this episode of Wired for This.

Transcript

Links/Sources mentioned:

• HOPE LAB, led by Dr. Levine and Dr. Chaudhry with Dr. Erika Kirgios and Dr. Jane Risen

• Some relevant HOPE LAB research from Dr. Shereen Chaudhry: 

• Chaudhry, S.J. & Loewenstein, G. (2019) “Thanking, apologizing, bragging, and blaming: Responsibility exchange theory and the currency of communication.” Psyc...

What does it take to change a mind?

In episode two of Wired for This, we’ll hear from Dr. Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and host of the behavioral economics podcast Choiceology. She cofounded the Behavior Change for Good Initiative and has advised organizations such as Google, the White House, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Her research on behavior...

Welcome to Wired for This—a deep dive into how we think, believe, change, and connect. In this limited series, we’ll explore the psychology of human behavior and neuroscience—what drives us forward, what holds us back, and how we navigate a world bursting with noise, contradiction, and complexity.

Dr. Paul A. O’Keefe is a social psychologist and professor of organisational behaviour at the University of Exete...

The American Scientist Podcast presents a new audio series, Wired for This, premiering on September 10, 2025. Wired for This offers an in-depth look at how we think, believe, change, and connect.

In this bi-weekly limited series, we’ll examine the psychology of human behavior and neuroscience—what drives us forward, what holds us back, and how we navigate a world bursting with noise, contradiction, and complexity.

Chris Pickard is a materials scientist who employs what are called first principles methods—modeling techniques that work out material properties using fundamental rules such as quantum mechanics and Newton’s laws. Trained as a condensed matter physicist, he refocused on materials science just as interest in the field was exploding amid advancements in computation. Switching between empirical and theoretical scienc...