Adam Mastroianni on the Brain, the Ears, and How We Learn...

What this episode covers

Psychologist and writer Adam Mastroianni says our minds are like the keep of a castle protecting our deepest held values and beliefs from even the most skilled attacks. The only problem with this design for self-preservation is that it also can keep out wisdom that might be both useful and true. Mastroianni's summary of the problem is "you can't reach the brain through the ears." Listen as Mastroianni talks with EconTalk's Russ Roberts about the implication of this view of mind for teaching, learning, and our daily interactions with the people around us.

Share this episode

Similar Episodes

Ranked #1 of all time: O'Donohoe on Potato Chips and Salty Snacks

Nov 30, 2020 ·89m

Ranked #2 of all time: Rachel Laudan on the History of Food and Cuisine

Nov 29, 2020 ·66m

Ranked #3 of all time: Hitchens on Orwell

Nov 28, 2020 ·69m

Ranked #4 of all time: Weingast on Violence, Power and a Theory of Nearly Everything

Nov 27, 2020 ·65m

Ranked #5 of all time: Bent Flyvbjerg on Megaprojects

Nov 26, 2020 ·64m

Ranked #6 of all time: Philip Tetlock on Superforecasting

Nov 25, 2020 ·59m

Similar Podcasts

Michael Munger on EconTalk EconTalk: Mike Munger and Russ Roberts Michael C. Munger, Director of the interdisciplinary Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program at Duke University, appears regularly as a guest on EconTalk, the award-winning economics podcast hosted by Russ Roberts of Stanford University's Hoover Institution. Podcast episodes featuring Mike Munger are listed here. EconTalk has been taking the Monday out of Mondays since 2006. All 750+ episodes are available in the archive. Go to EconTalk.org for transcripts, related resources, and comments. EconTalk Archives, 2006 EconTalk: Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty EconTalk is an award-winning weekly talk show about economics in daily life. Featured guests include renowned economics professors, Nobel Prize winners, and exciting speakers on all kinds of topical matters related to economic thought. Topics include health care, free trade, economic growth, education, finance, politics, sports, book reviews, parenting, and the curiosities of everyday decision-making. Russ Roberts, of the Library of Economics and Liberty (econlib.org) and George Mason U., draws you in with lively guests and creative repartee. Look for related readings and the complete archive of previous shows at EconTalk.org, where you can also comment on the podcasts and ask questions. Rob Wiblin's top recommended EconTalk episodes v0.2 Feb 2020 EconTalk: Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty Rob Wiblin's favourite 100 episodes of EconTalk — the award-winning weekly talk show about economics in daily life: http://econtalk.orgA selection of the 'top 11' have modified release dates so they show up at the top when you choose to show the most recent first. The rest are then listed by release date.Learn more about this list and the episodes: https://tinyurl.com/rob-top-econtalkRob Wiblin's personal website: http://robwiblin.com EconTalk at GMU EconTalk: Russ Roberts, Library of Economics and Liberty EconTalk is an award-winning weekly talk show about economics in daily life. Featured guests include renowned economics professors, Nobel Prize winners, and exciting speakers on all kinds of topical matters related to economic thought. Topics include health care, business cycles, economic growth, free trade, education, finance, politics, sports, book reviews, parenting, and the curiosities of everyday decision-making. Russ Roberts, of the Library of Economics and Liberty (econlib.org) and George Mason U., draws you in with lively guests and creative repartee. Look for related readings and the complete archive of previous shows at EconTalk.org, where you can also comment on the podcasts and ask questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of EconTalk?

This episode is 1 hour and 5 minutes long.

When was this EconTalk episode published?

This episode was published on August 14, 2023.

What is this episode about?

Psychologist and writer Adam Mastroianni says our minds are like the keep of a castle protecting our deepest held values and beliefs from even the most skilled attacks. The only problem with this design for self-preservation is that it also can keep...

Can I download this EconTalk episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.