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Episode 2: What Is Travel Psychology?
Is “travel psychology” a real thing? How have our definitions of where we’re from changed over history? What do highways, our passports, and the lines and lounges in an airport reveal about travel and movement in the modern world? And what happens when we shift from viewing humans as
Episode 1: Where Did We Come From? Where Are We Going?
Why did we choose this strange, fragmented novel for the summer book club? What do we know about its author, Olga Tokarczuk? And what are some “reading maps” we can use to start finding our way in this very different kind of story? Find out in Episode 1:
Trailer: Behavioral Scientist Reads ‘Flights’
The podcast trailer is officially here! Introducing Behavioral Scientist Reads, the podcast that explores what it means to be human through conversations at the intersection of science and culture, and books that illuminate who we are and who we can become. You can find Behavioral Scientist Reads wherever you get
We Have Liftoff
“Whenever I set off on any sort of journey I fall off the radar. No one knows where I am. At the point I departed from? Or at the point I’m headed to” — Olga Tokarczuk, “Everywhere and Nowhere,” Flights * * * Welcome to this summer’s book and podcast featuring Flights
Get to Know Olga Tokarczuk and ‘Flights’ Through These Six Quotes
Who is the author we’ll be spending time with this summer, Olga Tokarczuk? And what do we know about this strange, fragmented novel Flights that we’re about to begin? I’ve selected six quotes from Tokarczuk to help us get to know her and Flights. They span her
Announcing Our 2026 Summer Book Club and Podcast
Each summer, we read a novel and explore its themes through conversations with leading thinkers at the intersection of science and culture...
George Orwell Past and Present: A Conversation with Biographer D.J. Taylor
George Orwell's Surprising Stance on Hypocrisy
George Orwell was deeply concerned about hypocrisy—but in the opposite way you might expect. That’s what struck me about halfway through writing my new book The Hypocrisy Trap. Orwell spent his career hacking away at humbug and falsehoods and famously warned how language gets corrupted by “a gap
Event Recording — The Hidden Logic of Common Knowledge with Steven Pinker
Event Recording — The Age of Surveillance Capitalism with Shoshana Zuboff
Tomorrow's Group Discussions: Links & Info
Tomorrow, we look forward to seeing you for our group discussions. We'll host two, one hour discussions, with Eastern and Western Hemisphere options. You'll find the Zoom links to join below, along with some of the questions we'll consider during the discussion.
Ghosts from the Future
Labor Day: Orwell and Work
“Twenty million people are underfed but literally everyone in England has access to a radio. What we have lost in food we have gained in electricity. Whole sections of the working class who have been plundered of all they really need are being compensated, in part, by cheap luxuries which
Ghosts from the Future
Summer Book Club Schedule: Group Discussions & Expert Conversations
The Summer Book Club’s event schedule is here. We have an exciting mix of group discussions and expert conversations, so be sure to add the events to your calendar. In future posts, I will share more about our expert guests, the themes for our conversations, and what we’ll
Ghosts from the Future
The ‘1984’ Spark File: Add Your Ideas, Questions, and Connections
The Spark File is favorite tool of writers and readers alike. It's incredibly simple. It's a document of running bullet points containing ideas, questions, and connections. New idea? Add a bullet point. New question that might be worth thinking about later? Add a bullet point. (I
Ghosts from the Future
What Is Science?
Ghosts from the Future
4 Myths Worth Busting About George Orwell and '1984'
Ghosts from the Future
8 Facts Worth Knowing About '1984'
Ghosts from the Future
19 Facts Worth Knowing About George Orwell
And we’re off! As we start this summer’s book club, I want to explore the life of George Orwell and the context in which he wrote 1984. To begin, I’ll share a three-part series covering some of the facts and myths about Orwell and 1984. As
Ghosts from the Future
4 Reasons I'm Excited to Read 1984 with You this Summer
Here are four reasons I'm excited read 1984 with you this summer: 1. We'll read a great book Nineteen Eighty-Four appears on many of the “best books” lists, 119 by one count. It’s been called everything from “the definitive book of the twentieth century”
Ghosts from the Future
Welcome to the Summer Book Club
Thank you for joining Behavioral Scientist’s Summer Book Club! Below is everything you need to get started. Website and communications We have a website dedicate to our book events: bookclub.behavioralscientist.org. It will be the hub for the Summer Book Club and how you receive email updates and
Ghosts from the Future
Announcing Behavioral Scientist’s 2025 Summer Book Club
I am excited to invite you to our 2025 Summer Book Club. We’ll read George Orwell’s 1984—a classic novel about a future society overcome by a totalitarian regime and the citizens trying to break free. Join the Summer Book Club today 1984 needs no introduction. You’ve
Living the Imperfect Life
Event Recording: Living the Imperfect Life
Thank you to everyone who attended our conversation with Oliver Burkeman. Below, you'll find a link to today's recording if you weren't able to attend live, as well as some addition links and resources you might want to check out.
Living the Imperfect Life