FULL EPISODE: The Awkward Art of Friendship - April 8, 2026

Environmental chemist and professor Miriam Diamond warns that overusing the antibacterial chemicals in everyday cleaning products may be helping dangerous, drug-resistant bacteria evolve. Jack Jedwab from the Association for Canadian Studies outlines how the data shows more Americans aren't heading to Canada, it's the other way around. For Therapy Thursdays on a Wednesday, social worker and therapist Gary Direnfeld talks about loneliness and friend-making as an adult. Psychology professor ⁠⁠Dr. Sarah Schnitker⁠⁠ explains ⁠⁠the importance of patience, and why it can be transformative⁠⁠. Human-computer interaction researcher ⁠Steve Rathje⁠ reveals how ⁠sycophantic AI chatbots can inflate your perceptions that you're better than average⁠. Psychology professor Lawrence Locker and criminology professor Joshua Williams describe how vulnerable narcissism is linked to intense celebrity worship via parasocial relationships. Biology professor Kyung-An Han shares details of her study showing the surprising effect of drinking coffee at night. Segments: (00:00) Introduction (01:17) Miriam Diamond (10:00) Jack Jedwab (20:00) Gary Direnfeld pt. 1 (30:00) Gary Direnfeld pt. 2 (39:50) Dr. Sarah Schnitker (49:50) Steve Rathje (59:50) Joshua L. Williams & Lawrence Locker (1:09:50) Kyung-An Han (1:19:22) Sign-off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices