Robert Sapolsky | Father-Offspring Interviews

Latest Episodes:

Tylenol, Uncanny Chatbots, Animal Tummies | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #83 Oct 23, 2025

Show notes

Episode 83 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the uncanny valley feeling chatbots trigger, why animals have white tummies, and the truth about Tylenol and autism.

Captions available for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:00:41 Question 1 (Uncanny valley chatbots)

00:12:43 Question 2 (Animals’ white tummies)

00:17:50 Question 3 (Tylenol and autism)

Trauma Release, Weather-Based Emotions | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #82 Oct 16, 2025

Show notes

Episode 82 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses updates on the Park Avenue shooter, trauma release exercises (TRE) and their effectiveness, and how extreme weather impacts our behavior.

Captions available soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro / CTE update

00:01:30 Question 1 (Trauma release exercises)

00:10:54 Question 2 (Extreme weather and emotions)

Jane Goodall | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #81 Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

Episode 81 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode focuses on the late great Jane Goodall and her contributions to primatology and conservation.

Captions available soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:24 Part 1: Goodall’s Background

00:05:08 Part 2: Conservation Work

00:07:52 Part 3: Chimp Research

00:15:16 Part 4: Criticisms

00:20:25 Part 5: Controversies

00:26:16 Part 6: Sapolsky and Goodall (Hoarding)

CTE, All-Time Experiments, Hoarding | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #80 Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

Episode 80 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the psychology of hoarding, and Sapolsky’s all-time favorite experiments.

Captions soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:14 Question 1 (Chronic traumatic encephalopathy)

00:17:59 Question 2 (All-time experimental designs)

00:30:16 Question 3 (Hoarding)

Cheating, Fat Inflammation, Animals Lies | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #79 Sep 25, 2025

Show notes

Episode 79 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include which other species cheat on their partners, what visceral fat is, and whether other animals lie like humans.

Captions available soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:15 Question 1 (Cheating species)

00:11:47 Question 2 (Visceral fat)

00:25:59 Question 3 (How animals lie)

Consciousness, Pet Parents, Galápagos Tortoises | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #78 Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

Episode 78 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses whether pet parenting makes you attractive to mates, the role of consciousness with no free will, and how a Galápagos tortoise is coming back from extinction.

Captions available soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:01:34 Question 1 (Pet ownership and attraction)

00:10:22 Question 2 (Consciousness with no free will)

00:17:50 Question 3 (Galápagos Tortoises)

Hunter-Gatherer Kids, Ranked Stress, Dementia Diet | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #77 Sep 11, 2025

Show notes

Episode 77 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode focuses on the differences between hunter-gatherer and WEIRD childhoods, how stress and social ranking really interact, and the role metabolic health plays in Alzheimer’s.

Captions available soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:14 Question 1 (Hunter-Gatherer parenting)

00:15:49 Question 2 (Stress and ranking)

00:28:35 Question 3 (Metabolic health and Alzheimer’s)

Hungry Judges, Morning vs Night People, Control | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #76 Sep 04, 2025

Show notes

Episode 76 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the biology of morning versus night people, whether an internalized locus of control is protective, and if the Hungry Judges study is still valid.

Captions available soon for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:14 Question 1 (Morning vs Night People)

00:14:08 Question 2 (Locus of Control)

00:25:25 Question 3 (Hungry Judges Study)

Gay Greeks, Boredom, Taxonomy | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #75 Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

Episode 75 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode discusses what boredom is about in the brain, why rates of homosexuality were high in ancient Greece, and Carl Linnaeus, the father of taxonomy.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:51 Question 1 (Boredom)

00:14:14 Question 2 (Historical homosexuality)

00:22:13 Question 3 (Carl Linnaeus, father of taxonomy)

Menopause, Jumping Genes, Monkey Thieves | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #74 Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

Episode 74 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include the reason for menopause, why capuchin monkeys are stealing howler monkey babies, and the occurrence of jumping genes in humans.

Captions available for translation.

Social & Websites

Question Submission: https://ha66meqrpqz.typeform.com/sapolsky

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky

00:00 Intro

00:15 Question 1 (Menopause)

00:20:58 Question 2 (Capuchin thieves)

00:29:38 Question 3 (Jumping Genes)