FULL EPISODE: Sounds You Feel, But Can't Hear - June 9, 2026

Professor of psychology Rodney Schmaltz explains how low frequency sounds you can't hear can spike your cortisol levels, offering a biological reason for sudden creepy feelings. Marketing researcher Michael Thomas outlines the power of puffery on consumer behavior. AI researcher Sofia Hafner discusses how training AI chatbots to be warm and empathetic makes them less factually accurate. Psychology professor Jennifer Vonk shares details of her study linking parental indulgence to psychopathic and narcissistic traits in adulthood. Anatomy professor Dr. Benedicta Quaye Mensah discusses how the skin condition vitiligo remains misunderstood, despite affecting around 1 in 100 people worldwide. Bioethics professor Kerry Bowman weighs in on whether it's morally wrong to use AI to communicate without disclosing it. Human sexuality researcher Aki Gormezano reports that fantasizing about someone else during sex is common and doesn't necessarily signal relationship trouble. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:16) Rodney Schmaltz (10:00) Michael Thomas (20:00) Sofia Hafner (30:00) Jennifer Vonk (39:50) Dr. Benedicta Quaye Mensah (49:50) Kerry Bowman (59:50) Aki Gormezano pt. 1 (1:09:50) Aki Gormezano pt. 2 (1:19:03) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices