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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:

Best of Series: Where Does Greatness Come From? With David Epstein Dec 07, 2023

Show notes

Today we welcome David Epstein, the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, and of the bestseller The Sports Gene, both of which have been translated in more than 20 languages. His TED Talks on performance science have been viewed more than 11 million times. He has master's degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as an investigative reporter for ProPublica and a senior writer for Sports Illustrated. In this episode, I talked to David Epstein about greatness. If there's one thing we know for sure about greatness, it's that there is no linear path to it. David and I discuss the complex relationship of talent and hard work in specific domains. Although there is no formula, we can both agree that persistent effort and fierce determination are necessary ingredients—but so is talent. We have a nuanced discussion of the dance between nature and nurture on the path to talent. It’s a very delicate dance. We also touch on the topics of self-actualization, creativity, fulfillment and moral greatness. Website: davidepstein.com Twitter: @DavidEpstein

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Best of Series: The New Science of Resilience With George Bonanno Nov 30, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, I talk to George Bonanno about trauma and resiliency. We start off by discussing what people get wrong about trauma and how this led to the invention of the PTSD diagnosis. George defines what resilience is, how it’s different from growth, and its paradoxical correlation to individual differences. Finally, he elaborates on how the flexibility mindset and sequence help us get through personal traumatic events or global tragedies like 9/11 or the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Best of Series: The Power of Passion and Perseverance With Angela Duckworth Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Psychology Podcast, we continue the "Best of Series" with Angela Duckworth. Angela Duckworth researches self-control and grit, which is defined as passion and perseverance for long term goals. Her research has demonstrated that there are factors that can be more predictive of success than IQ. In this episode we cover some of her findings on grit, including academic and popular misconceptions of this work. We also discuss research on standardized testing, self-control and more.

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Best of Series: A Remarkable Life, Fast and Slow With Daniel Kahneman Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

In this week's episode of The Psychology Podcast, we continue the "Best of Series" with Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman.Our conversation revolves around judgment and decision-making. According to Kahneman, noise and bias are everywhere but we don't tend to notice it. We talk about how to reduce noise and bias, and what it means to think fast and slow.

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Best of Series: Surprising Truths about the Human Brain with Lisa Feldman Barrett Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, I talk to renowned neuroscientist Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett about emotions and the brain. She reveals what the true function of the brain is⎯and it’s not for thinking. We also discuss the impact of past experiences on our cognition and what we can do to overcome our own detrimental patterns. Further into our discussion, Dr. Lisa challenges the traditionally held view that emotions are universal. In her own theory of constructed emotion, she argues that variability in emotional expression exists due to socialization and language differences. We also touch on the topics of hallucinogens, culture, education, relationships, and authoritarianism.

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The Secret to a Happy Life || Robert Waldinger Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Today we welcome Robert Waldinger to the podcast. Robert is a psychiatrist, psychoanalyst and Zen priest. He is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, where he directs the Harvard Study of Adult Development. His TEDx talk on this subject has received nearly 44 million views, and is the 9th most watched TED talk of all time. He is the co-author of The Good Life with Dr. Marc Schulz.In this episode, I talk to Robert Waldinger about the secret to a happy life. Robert shares with us the recent findings of The Grant Study, which is the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted. It’s been ongoing for more than 80 years now, and has had high profile participants like US President John F. Kennedy. Robert and I get into the details of how they continue to conduct research and how to make sense of both the new and old data. Sure enough, what the study has found consistent is the power of connection. We also touch on the topics of psychodynamic therapy, defense mechanisms, attachment, and psychological research.

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The New Science of Flow || Orin Davis Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Today we welcome Orin Davis to the podcast. Orin Davis earned the first doctorate in positive psychology, and is a self-actualization engineer who enables people to do and be their best. As the Principal Investigator of the Quality of Life Laboratory, he conducts research on flow, creativity, hypnosis, and mentoring. Dr. Davis consults for companies from startups to multinationals on hiring strategies, culture, innovation, and employee well-being. He is the author of Team Flow: The psychology of optimal collaboration.

In this episode, I talk to Orin Davis about the new science of flow. A lot of people are familiar with the concept of flow, but according to Dr. Davis, the experience of it is not very common. We discuss Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work and how Dr. Davis is expanding the research of flow by studying it at a group level. He talks about how we can increase the chances of experiencing flow for both individuals and teams. We also touch on the topics of microflow, hypnosis, absorption, positive psychology, and self-actualization.

Website: https://qllab.org/

Twitter: @DrOrinDavis

Topics

02:11 Orin’s dissertation

03:18 What is the flow experience?

09:01 Neuroscience of flow

11:57 Team flow

18:53 The whole team needs to be in flow

20:32 Flow is rare

22:07 How to increase flow

28:42 Democratizing flow

31:00 Microflow

35:14 How to spark team flow

36:43 Hypnosis and absorption

44:59 The autotelic personality

47:03 Modern-day positive psychology

51:44 Know thyself

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The Psychology of Secrets || Michael Slepian Oct 23, 2023

Show notes

Today we welcome Michael Slepian to the podcast. Michael is the Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics at Columbia University. A recipient of the Rising Star Award from the Association for Psychological Science, he is the leading expert on the psychology of secrets. He’s authored more than fifty articles on secrecy, truth, and deception. Michael’s research has been covered by The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, BBC, The Wall Street Journal and more. He is the author of The Secret Life of Secrets.

In this episode, I talk to Michael Slepian about the psychology of secrets. Everyone has secrets that they keep from others—how does this affect our relationships and well-being? According to Michael, maintaining privacy is not the most burdensome aspect. Carrying a secret all by ourselves is what weighs us down. Michael and I explore the different categories of secrets and we talk about when to reveal the deepest parts of ourselves and who to reveal them to. We also touch on the topics of personality, morality, trauma, developmental psychology and communication.

Website: michaelslepian.com

Twitter: @michaelslepian

Topics

02:04 Michael’s family secret

05:38 Defining secrecy

11:12 Correlation of personality with secret keeping

13:01 Revealing secrets

18:56 Categories of secrets

24:31 Healthy communication with children

29:50 Morality of secret keeping

34:20 Jamie Kunz and Dale Coventry's secret

36:27 Journaling and emotional support

40:25 Three dimensions of secrets

44:09 How to deflect direct questions

46:05 Sharing secrets anonymously

47:46 Secret joys

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The Power of Wonder || Monica Parker Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Today we welcome Monica Parker to the podcast. Monica is the founder of global human analytics and change consultancy HATCH, whose clients include blue-chip companies such as LinkedIn, Google, Prudential, and LEGO. Her career has been nothing short of colorful, having been an opera singer, a museum exhibition designer, a policy director, a Chamber of Commerce CEO, and a homicide investigator. She is also a world-renowned speaker, writer, and the author of The Power of Wonder.

In this episode, I talk to Monica Parker about the power of wonder. In today’s fast-paced world, most people fail to notice the richness of life. To become more wonder-prone, Monica encourages us all to slow down and pursue meaningful exploration. When we pay more careful attention to the world, we become more empathetic, resilient, and exuberant. Monica shares with us her cycle of wonder framework and how we can be more open and present in our daily lives. We also touch on the topics of personality, post-traumatic growth, mindfulness, and education.

Website: www.monica-parker.com

Instagram: @monicacparker

Topics

02:06 Monica’s background and expertise

03:26 The Power of Wonder

06:41 Cycle of Wonder

17:22 The wandering mind

22:18 Wonder shifts our perception

27:15 Slow thought and quality sleep

30:21 Wonder-prone mindset

32:28 Wonderstruck during crisis

36:26 Wonder bringers

39:14 Teaching wonder in schools

45:29 There’s more to life

47:37 Take a daily wonder walk

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Life Without Free Will || Robert Sapolsky Oct 16, 2023

Show notes

Today we welcome Robert Sapolsky to the podcast. Robert is professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya. His research has been featured in the National Geographic documentary "Stress: Portrait of a Killer". At age 30, Robert received the MacArthur Foundation's "genius" grant. He is author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, A Primate's Memoir, The Trouble with Testosterone and Monkeyluv. His latest book is called Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will.

In this episode, I talk to Robert Sapolsky about life without free will. Humans like the idea of having control over their lives, but Robert asserts that free will is just an illusion. Life beyond free will may sound unpleasant, but Robert explains the profound consequences of this belief in reforming the justice system, meritocracy, and education. We also touch on the topics of philosophy, quantum physics, mindfulness, grit, and responsibility.

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/robertsapolsky/

Topics

02:38 Robert’s background and upbringing

05:43 Life without free will

13:16 Believing in free will

24:05 Responsibility and punishment

33:14 The future cannot be determined

43:45 Mindfulness - a form of free will?

48:37 The human experience

53:41 Abolish the justice system and meritocracy

1:04:03 Statistical guilt

1:07:21 Effort, grit and taking credit

1:16:40 Nobody is more “worthy”

1:23:29 Life is worth living

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