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Human Potential Lab — Education
Human Potential Lab

For eleven years and 478 episodes, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman hosted The Psychology Podcast, one of the most listened-to psychology shows in the world, with more than 30 million downloads. Human Potential Lab is what that show has become.

The questions have moved. What is a mind? What makes something conscious? What happens to being human when the things we build start to look like minds themselves? Too much of the work is happening out of public view. In this new show, Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman sits down with the scientists, philosophers and technologists working at the frontier — the people whose work is actively deciding what we could become as a species.

Scott Barry Kaufman is a cognitive scientist and the founder of the Center for Human Potential. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale and an M.Phil. from Cambridge, has taught at Columbia, NYU and the University of Pennsylvania, and is the author or editor of twelve books, including Transcend, Ungifted, Wired to Create and Rise Above. New episodes every other week from October 28, 2026.

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Latest Episodes:

Jordan Peterson || Chatting About Human Nature Aug 05, 2021

Show notes

Today’s episode includes a conversation between Dr. Jordan B Peterson and Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman. Dr. Peterson is professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, a clinical psychologist, and the author of the bestsellers 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos and Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life. Note that this episode originally appeared on the Jordan B Peterson Podcast on June 17, 2021.

Topics

· Combining cognitive science with the humanistic psychology tradition

· Scott’s experience studying IQ and intelligence

· The link between openness to experience and mystical experiences

· Scott discusses his book Transcend

· Self-actualization and The Big Five personality traits

· Does increased aggression lead to stable human societal hierarchies?

· Jordan and Scott discuss mating patterns among humans

· Sex differences towards abuse of power

· Mentorship and transcendence

· The transition from naivety to cynicism to courage

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Paul Wong || Existential Positive Psychology Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s a great honor to chat with the legendary Paul Wong on the podcast. Dr. Wong is Professor Emeritus of Trent University. He’s a fellow of APA and CPA and president of the International Network on Personal Meaning and the Meaning-Centered Counselling Institute Inc. Editor of the International Journal of Existential Positive Psychology, he’s also edited two influential volumes on The Human Quest for Meaning. A prolific writer, he is one of the most cited existential and positive psychologists. The originator of Meaning Therapy and International Meaning Conferences, he has been invited to give keynotes and meaning therapy workshops worldwide. Dr. Wong is the recipient of the Carl Rogers Award from the Society for Humanistic Psychology.

Topics:

· Dr. Wong’s childhood and upbringing

· Animal learning research: optimism vs. helplessness

· Locus of control is not a dichotomy

· The unheard cry of a successful Asian psychologist

· Positive Psychology 2.0

· Embracing the dark side to enhance well-being

· Dual-systems model of what makes life worth living

· Agency, spirituality, and community contribute meaning

· How to find meaning in life

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Kristin Neff || Fierce Self-Compassion Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to chat with Kristin Neff on the podcast. Kristin is currently an associate professor of educational psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. She’s a pioneer in the field of self-compassion research, conducting the first empirical studies on self-compassion almost 20 years ago. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and book chapters on the topic, she’s the author of the book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide. They co-authored The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program: A Guide for Professionals. Her newest work focuses on how to balance self-acceptance with the courage to make needed change. Her latest book is called Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power, and Thrive.

Topics:

· What is fierce self-compassion?

· Integration of fierce and tender self-compassion

· How gender socialization interferes with self-compassion

· Why women tend to have less self-compassion than men

· Patriarchy vs matriarchy: differences in socialization and values

· Breaking gender stereotypes incurs criticism

· Can self-compassion turn into selfishness?

· The psychometrics of self-compassion and self-coldness

· Using common humanity for unity, not division

· Harnessing anger with a quiet ego

· Self-compassion: the dance of acceptance and change

· Correlation of self-compassion with the light and dark triads of personality

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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Daniel Goleman || Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to chat with Daniel Goleman on the podcast. Daniel is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and college campuses. As a science journalist, Goleman reported on the brain behavioral sciences for the New York Times for many years. His 1995 book Emotional Intelligence was on the New York Times bestseller list for a year and a half with more than five million copies in print worldwide in 40 languages and has been a bestseller in many countries. Apart from his books on emotional intelligence, Goleman has written books on topics including self-deception, creativity, transparency, meditation, social-emotional learning, ecoliteracy, and the ecological crisis.

Topics:

· Daniel’s current research

· Does IQ outweigh emotional intelligence?

· Competency modeling for emotional intelligence

· Correlation between general intelligence and social-emotional intelligence

· Cognitive control and social-emotional learning

· Daniel’s interest in meditation

· Are certain personalities more attracted to mindfulness?

· How mindfulness training can affect neuroplasticity and creativity

· The Tibetan model of mindfulness

· Meditation apps and their effectivity

· Is there a link between meditation and emotional intelligence?

· The future of mindfulness training methods

· First Person Plural Podcast: EI & Beyond

· Radical transparency during the ecological crisis

· Daniel’s definition of intelligence

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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Dean Simonton || The Science of Genius Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to have Dean Keith Simonton on the podcast. Dean is distinguished professor emeritus of psychology at the University of California Davis. His well over 500 single author publications focus on topics such as genius, creativity, aesthetics, and leadership. In 2018, MIT Press published his book The Genius Checklist but he has also published many other books on these various topics of genius, leadership, and aesthetics. I just want to personally say his book, Greatness: Who Makes History and Why, is one of the major books that inspired me to go into the field that I’m in today.

Topics:

· Dean’s interest in genius, creativity, and leadership

· The historiometic approach

· Child prodigies and the savant syndrome

· Dean’s schooling years

· Can late bloomers become geniuses?

· Fame and creativity in the age of social media

· Using the equal odds rule to create a masterpiece

· Grit and openness to experience predict genius

· Dean’s solo publications and collaborations

· Re-analysis of Cox’s data on geniuses

· The IQs of Mozart, Cervantes, and Shakespeare

· Scientific genius vs. artistic genius

· The mad-genius paradox

· US Presidents’ IQ scores and leadership

· Variability and the role of talent in mastery

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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Robert Sternberg || Adaptive Intelligence Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to have Robert Sternberg on the podcast. Robert is a psychology professor at Cornell University. Among his major contributions to psychology are the triarchic theory of intelligence and several influential theories relating to creativity, thinking styles, love, and hate. A Review of General Psychology survey ranked Sternberg as the 60th most cited psychologist of the 20th century. He’s authored and co-authored over 1,500 publications including articles, book chapters, and books.

Topics

· Robert’s childhood experience with IQ tests

· Robert’s passion for psychometrics

· Development of the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence

· How the Triarchic Theory of Intelligence relates to Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

· The world’s fixation on general intelligence

· How society and the environment create correlations with intelligence

· Expanding college admissions’ metrics of intelligence

· Is psychological testing still valuable today?

· Real world problems VS academic problems

· Rethinking adaptive intelligence as a species

· Application of intelligence to transcend hate

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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Andrew Huberman || Optimize Your Brain Jul 15, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to chat with Andrew Huberman on the podcast. Andrew is an associate professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford. His lab is focused on brain function, development, and repair with emphasis on regeneration to prevent and cure blindness. He also studied the neural circuits that control visual fear and are developing tools to re-map them and to treat anxiety disorders. Additionally, Huberman is the host of the popular podcast called Huberman Lab.

Topics

· The Huberman Lab Podcast

· Andrew’s interest in neurobiology and his current work

· Emotions and the autonomic nervous system

· How visual focus and respiration alters internal states

· Spiegel eye roll hypnosis test

· The amygdala as the dynamic link between internal and external cues

· How to increase motivation

· Chronotype management and the optimal routine

· Flow state and further research

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch || Dear Therapists Jul 08, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to chat with Lori Gottlieb and Guy Winch on the podcast. Lori Gottlieb is a psychotherapist and New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, which has sold over a million copies and is currently being adapted as a television series. In addition to her clinical practice, she writes The Atlantic’s weekly “Dear Therapist” advice column and is co-host of the popular “Dear Therapists” podcast produced by Katie Couric. She contributes regularly to The New York Times and many other publications and in 2019, her TED Talk was one of the Top 10 Most-Watched of the Year. A member of the Advisory Council for Bring Change to Mind, she is a sought-after expert in media such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, CNN, and NPR’s “Fresh Air.” Learn more at LoriGottlieb.com or by following her on Twitter @LoriGottlieb1 and Instagram @lorigottlieb_author. Internationally renowned psychologist Guy Winch advocates for integrating the science of emotional health into our daily lives. His science-based self-help books have been translated into 27 languages and his three TED Talks have garnered over 25 million views. He writes Dear Guy for TED.com, the Squeaky Wheel Blog for PsychologyToday.com and is the co-host with Lori Gottlieb, of the Dear Therapists podcast from iHeartRadio. Learn more at guywinch.com.

Topics

· How Lori and Guy met

· Lori and Guy’s Dear Therapists podcast

· Lori and Guy’s eclectic approach to therapy

· The benefits of tag-team therapy

· Lori and Guy discuss loneliness

· Why people share personal stories on social media

· How mental health relates to ideological extremism

· The importance of self-compassion and curiosity

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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David Buss || The Evolution of Sexual Conflict Jul 05, 2021

Show notes

Today we have David Buss on the podcast. David is a professor of psychology at University of Texas, Austin, and is one of the founders of the field of evolutionary psychology. His primary research focus is on strategies of human mating, particularly the dark side of human mating nature, including conflict between the sexes, jealousy, stalking, intimate partner violence, and murder. David is author of a number of books on mating, including The Evolution of Desire and most recently, Why Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault.

Topics

· What is "mating"?

· Why David became interested in evolutionary psychology

· David's response to critics of evolutionary psychology

· David and Scott discuss the replication crisis

· How evolutionary psychology research can combat gender violence

· What gave rise to the #MeToo movement?

· "The bad boy paradox"

· How dark triad traits manifest in women

· David's thoughts on the "pickup artist" community

· David and Scott discuss the "light triad" and positive evolutionary psychology

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

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Robert Cialdini || The New Psychology of Persuasion Jul 01, 2021

Show notes

Today it’s great to chat with Dr. Robert Cialdini. Dr. Cialdini is the author of Influence and Pre-Suasion and is recognized as the foundational expert in the science of influence. His Principles of Persuasion have become a cornerstone for any organization serious about ethically and effectively increasing their influence. Dr. Cialdini has earned a global reputation for his ability to translate his scientific research into valuable and practical actions. He is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, with over seven million copies sold in 44 different languages. He is the president and CEO of INFLUENCE AT WORK. As a popular keynote speaker, he helps organizations in the US and abroad.

Topics

· Why Robert updated Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion

· The “universal principles" of influence

· How Robert became interested in the world of persuasion

· How people react to figures of authority

· The problem with the law of proportionality

· How influence research has withstood the replication crisis

· Unity as the seventh universal principle of influence

· The impact of regionalism

Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-psychology-podcast/support

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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