The episode emphasizes how understanding our innate human drives and dispositions is critical, as awareness allows us to work with them constructively. In particular, humans have a "tribe drive" - an instinct to cooperate and identify with groups, even strangers. Figuring out the signals that activate this drive is an important mission. David Samson talks about the concept of tribalism and the role it plays in human behavior. He discusses the idea of evolutionary mismatch, where humans are evolved for a different environment than the one they currently live in. This episode explains that tribes are intersubjective belief networks that signal coalitionary alliances to bootstrap trust among strangers. Moreover, it explores the power of tribal signals, such as symbols, language, music, and ideology, in creating a sense of belonging and identity. Additionally, the episode emphasizes the importance of being conscious of our identity stack and the proportion of abstract tribes (e.g., political tribes) versus face-to-face community tribes in order to navigate the challenges of tribalism in the modern world.David R. SamsonDavid R. Samson, Ph.D., is reshaping our understanding of human evolution. As an associate professor of Biological Anthropology at the University of Toronto, he investigates the major behavioral and physiological transitions that shaped our species. Bridging diverse fields from primatology to sleep science, his interdisciplinary research has been featured internationally by the BBC, Time, The New York Times, The Smithsonian, CBC, NPR, and National Geographic.Samson is the author of the groundbreaking book "Our Tribal Future: How to Channel Our Foundational Human Instincts into a Force for Good." He provides profound insights into how our primal tribal wiring can be harnessed as a force for unity, not division.Beyond academia, Samson pursues medieval martial arts as a distinguished member of the Society for Creative Anachronism. This gives him first-hand experience in channeling our innate tribal instincts.With his evolutionary expertise and diverse passions, Samson is illuminating new paths to overcome division and channel our tribal nature for the greater good.Key Takeaways:The concept of evolutionary mismatch is introduced, highlighting how humans are adapted for a different environment than the one we currently live in.The power of tribal signals in building trust among strangers is explored, with examples such as secret Masonic signals and sports jerseys.The importance of face-to-face interactions and belonging to smaller, local communities is emphasized as a way to combat the negative effects of tribalism.The Roseto mystery is discussed, where a small town in Pennsylvania had significantly lower rates of heart disease and other diseases of affluence due to their strong social network.The idea of an "identity stack" is introduced, encouraging individuals to be conscious of the proportion of abstract tribes (such as political affiliations) versus face-to-face community tribes they identify with.The concept of coalitions and symbolic connections is explored, including religion, sports, and brands as examples of tribal signals.Key Topics of this Podcast:00:04:27 - Evolutionary anthropology shapes personal perspectives.00:09:09 - Understanding our tribal past and present.00:17:26 - Evolutionary mismatch causes societal challenges.00:21:29 - Tribal signals build trust and identity.00:26:20 - Flexibility in identity and belonging.00:31:06 - Identity is shaped by tribes.00:34:43 - Importance of face-to-face interaction.00:40:07 - The power of intentional community.00:44:51 - Social connection is essential.00:50:09 - Importance of strong social connections.00:55:44 - Building community improves well-being.01:02:37 - Building a community is powerful.01:03:25 - Community is essential for well-being.Connect with David Samson:Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primalprimate?s=20 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primalprimatologist/?hl=en Website: https://davidrsamson.com/ Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/ This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/ Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com

This episode is about the importance of supporting public access to science and helping experts and scientists in their work. Dr. Nicholas B. Dirks, joins host Adam Gamwell to discuss the work of the New York Academy of Sciences, which emphasizes the importance of science and the need for public engagement. Together, we highlight the changing relationship between science and broader society over time and the misconception of science as a singular established truth. The episode also explores challenges in communicating the nature of scientific discovery, addressing public skepticism towards scientific messages, and the role of science in addressing climate change and technological advancements. Dirks emphasizes the need to support and connect science across disciplines and engage with the public effectively. Additionally, the episode touches on the tension between liberal arts and public policy, the importance of public awareness in scientific thinking, uncertainty and trust in the scientific process, the role of paradigm shifts in science, and the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.Nicholas B. DirksNicholas B. Dirks is an internationally renowned historian and anthropologist who has made significant contributions as a scholar of South Asia and colonialism. He served as the 10th Chancellor of UC Berkeley from 2012 to 2017, where he strengthened research partnerships, increased accessibility for underrepresented students, and addressed critical issues like sexual harassment. Previously, Dirks was Executive Vice President and Dean of Faculty at Columbia, overseeing faculty growth and interdisciplinary initiatives. He has authored several acclaimed books on history and anthropology, including The Hollow Crown and Castes of Mind, and received honors including a Guggenheim Fellowship and MacArthur Fellowship. Through his academic leadership, research, and writing, Dirks has advanced scholarship on colonialism and made an impact as a public intellectual and leader in higher education. Key Topics of this Podcast:00:08:37 Science is a process of discovery and revision.00:10:28 Science and public engagement are crucial.00:15:11. Science is a zigzagging process.00:18:47 Science is a process of testing and experimentation.00:24:43 Science is a human activity.00:28:44 Publication bias in scientific research.00:33:14 Diverse scientific community fosters progress.00:38:17 Prepare for future disasters.00:44:13 Building trust in public conversations.00:48:16 Ethical obligations in AI development.00:53:39 Bilingualism between science and arts.00:58:30 Supporting science with broader understanding.01:03:53 Anthropology encompasses diverse disciplines.Connect with Nicholas B. Dirks:Twitter: https://twitter.com/nickdirks?s=20 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-dirks-84a1ab149/ Website: https://www.nicholasbdirks.com/ Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/ This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/ Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com

Are you ready to discover the untapped potential of cognitive understanding in design and technology? Join us in this episode of This Anthro Life as we explore the transformative impact of incorporating cognitive understanding and data alongside behavioral data into the creation of engaging experiences. Our guest, Joe Schaeppi, a leading expert in human insight and cognitive understanding, will guide us through the fascinating world of regenerative experiences, sustainable design, and the power of the flow state.In this thought-provoking conversation, we dive into the evolution of systems and technology, the psychology behind gaming, and how cognitive understanding can shape the future of design and technology. Here are some key takeaways you can expect from this episode:Understand the concept of regenerative experiences and how they create sustainable and impactful user engagement.Discover the potential of cognitive understanding in designing experiences that resonate with audience groups.Learn how the combination of psychological assessment and adaptive psychological assessments can empower creators to build experiences that connect deeply with their audience.Explore the power of the flow state and how it can unlock creativity, problem-solving, and motivation in individuals.Our guest, Joe Schaeppi, is a trailblazer in the field of human insight and cognitive understanding. With a background in human factors psychology and anthropology, Joe has dedicated his career to designing experiences that promote mindfulness, self-knowledge, and meaningful connections. Joe is an entrepreneur and leader in the gaming and psychology fields. He co-founded and is CEO of Solsten, a company that integrates psychology and AI to realize the full potential of games. Solsten is pioneering the use of psychology-based AI in games. In addition to leading Solsten, Joe serves as a startup advisor, lending his expertise to help other emerging companies. He has a background as a practicing clinical counselor who specialized in adventure therapy and neuropsychology. He has held several leadership roles in gaming and tech companies including head of UX at Big Fish Games, UX director at MRM // McCann, and co-founder of the startup Epicstoke. His expertise in cognitive behavioral psychology and understanding the whole person makes him the perfect guide for this enlightening conversation.Key Topics of this Podcast:00:04:05 - Importance of designing human-centric experiences.00:04:48 - Understanding audience for better experiences.00:12:41 - Design digital experiences for collective consciousness.00:18:02 - Community-scale can dilute meaning.00:22:24 - Gaming is for everyone.00:28:05 - New form of capitalism emerging.00:33:02 - The value of self-awareness.00:38:42 - AI can enhance artistic creativity.00:42:00 - AI can revolutionize music creation.00:50:31 - Behavioral data inform personalized experiences.00:55:38 - Consumers crave immersive narrative experiences.01:04:02 - Context matters in design.01:05:07 - The danger of separating cognition.01:10:13 - AI and machine learning are here to stay.01:15:37 - Cognition is the key to rational behavior.01:20:09 - Biopsychosocial approach in design.01:26:34 - The importance of holistic experience design.01:30:23 - Understanding and harnessing the flow state.01:35:36 - Harnessing technology for human flourishing.01:39:32 - Design can shape the future.This Anthro Life is a podcast that delves into the human experience through the lens of anthropology. Hosted by Adam Gamwell, each episode explores different aspects of life, culture, and society, offering unique insights and fresh perspectives. Don't miss this enlightening discussion with Joe Schaeppi on unleashing the power of cognitive understanding in design and technology.Connect with Joe Schaeppi:Twitter: https://twitter.com/joeschaeppi?s=20Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeschaeppi/?hl=enLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schaeppi/Website: https://www.solsten.io/Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolifeLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcast/This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com

Janine de Novais joins host Adam Gamwell to explore the importance of fostering discussions about race and racism. Janine, an educator and author, shares her expertise on creating safe spaces for dialogue and teaching towards a post-racist imagination. The conversation delves into the process of setting the stage for conversations, the concept of Grounding for Learning, and the development of the Brave Community teaching and learning method. Janine also highlights the significance of empathy, the challenges of discussing race in professional settings, and the role of education in promoting a more equitable society.Janine de Novais is a writer, sociologist, and educator driven by a lifelong passion for understanding how human liberation is a cultural project. As a Cabo Verdean American scholar, she has experienced firsthand the power of culture to both constrain and empower. Janine brings over a decade of experience researching, teaching, and designing curricula in higher education, including positions at Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Delaware. She served as Associate Director of Columbia's Core Curriculum, helping shape one of the nation's pioneering liberal arts programs. Whether writing, consulting or teaching, Janine is driven by a passion for culture as a tool for collective liberation. She empowers people to challenge the status quo and author their futures.Key Takeaways:The Brave Community method is a teaching and learning method that fosters empathy and intellectual bravery among learners.Grounding for learning, which combines content for learning and culture of learning, is crucial for creating a transformative learning experience.Curating intentional content and having a foundation is essential for effective conversations and dialogue.Clear and specific content, such as addressing racial disparities, is important in discussions and meetings.Creating a culture of open discussion requires training, protocols, and a cohesive group that can handle difficult conversations.Setting boundaries and expectations is important in discussions about racial disparity and discipline.A pedagogical approach in learning environments promotes growth, change, and the benefits of a learning community.Higher education should focus on teaching skills necessary for a multiracial democracy and counter prevailing narratives.Human engagement and values should be prioritized in technology development to avoid forgetting our humanity.Key Topics of this Podcast:00:01:33 - Setting the stage for conversation.00:03:47 - Setting up a safe learning environment.00:08:25 - Grounding for learning.00:11:45 - Bravery in expressing needs.00:17:31 - Bringing pedagogy into real life.00:19:10 - Engaging with content together.00:23:47 - Classroom setting and racial education.00:26:47 - Bounded content and problem-solving.00:31:13 - Using humor to dissolve tension.00:34:11 - The value of humanities education.00:39:24 - Culture as a learning phenomenon.00:44:38 - Racial disparity in tech engineering.00:47:13 - Resilient empathy and pedagogy.00:51:24 - Forgetting our humanity.00:55:18 - Post-racist imagination.00:58:06 - Unethical forward projection of growth.01:03:10 - There is no neutral stance.01:05:45 - Not having a brave community experience.Connect with Janine de Novais: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janinedenovais/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaninedeNovaisWebsite: https://www.janinedenovais.com/ Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisanthrolifeWebsite: https://thisanthrolife.org

In this episode, Emily Kennedy shares her unique journey of discovering the concept of ethnographic journalism. Journalists now face unprecedented issues like harassment, lack of public trust, and accusations of bias. As a main source of information, journalism's struggles have profound implications. Ethnographic methods and storytelling techniques could transform the communication of the human experience. The episode explores using ethnographic methods in journalism, building interviewee trust, evolving objectivity, and existential fears in both fields. Anthropology and journalism have much to learn from each other.Emily KennedyEmily Kennedy is a trained anthropologist and has worked as a journalist, communications professional, and magazine editor for more than a decade. She has taught as a journalism instructor and guest lecturer at various universities and colleges. Her research and experience in the sphere of anthropology and journalism led to the creation of anthrojourno.org - an online resource for journalists looking to use ethnographic methods in their reportingKey Takeaways:Journalism and anthropology share similarities in terms of pulling concepts from other disciplines and the importance of showing their methods.Journalists can increase trust by revealing the process behind their work.Both journalism and anthropology involve collaboration with various professionals.Ethnographic methods are used in journalism, but they are often not explicitly recognized as such.Journalism education has seen the rise of other approaches such as engaged journalism and design thinking.Improving the interview process is a common challenge in both anthropology and journalism.Ethnographic methods can help address challenges in journalism, such as the business model, online harassment, and trust in media outlets.Anthropology and ethnography offer a comprehensive perspective that can benefit journalism.The balance between collaboration and individuality differs in anthropology and journalism.Finding a balance between using formulas and being authentic is important in both journalism and ethnographic writing.Key Topics of this Podcast:[00:00:27] Anthropology and journalism collide.[00:05:30] Anthropology and journalism overlap.[00:15:14] Ethnographic methods can benefit journalism.[00:16:08] Ethnographic interviews prioritize building rapport and showing empathy[00:20:37] Ethnographic interviews uncover hidden perspectives.[00:24:35] Formulas can be helpful and limiting in writing.[00:28:56] Formula shifts and innovation are necessary.[00:34:44] Advocacy ≠ Bias in journalism.[00:41:31] Journalism and anthropology can intersect.[00:43:29] Anthropologists and journalists can learn from each other.[00:48:09] Newsworthy stories have specific qualities.[00:54:14] Importance of open-mindedness in journalism.[00:58:27] Ethnographic methods enhance journalismConnect with Emily Kennedy:Anthrojourno website: https://anthrojourno.org/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kennedy_writes Connect with This Anthro Life:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisanthrolife/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisanthrolife This Anthro Life website: https://www.thisanthrolife.org/ Substack blog: https://thisanthrolife.substack.com

In a world where technology is advancing at an exponential pace, we can already see that artificial intelligence (AI) will have a profound impact on our lives.But AI is far from perfect. Too often, we end up grappling with a variety of problems when we bring AI into the real world, from increasing mental health issues in young girls and boys to anxiety for workers whose jobs are changing. And while developers don’t set out to design AI technologies to have these unsavory effects, they happen anyway.In this episode of This Anthro Life, we explore these issues and more with Ahmed Reza, a serial entrepreneur and self-professed AI geek who has founded multiple successful companies. With over a decade’s experience in the marketing and AI space, Ahmed shares his unique perspective on AI development, tech entrepreneurship, and more.Show Highlights:[05:53] Why Ahmed has been nicknamed “the intelligent man’s Forrest Gump”[08:12] Ahmed’s experience as a child actor in Bangladesh[12:45] How Ahmed came to be an entrepreneur[23:00] What Yobi does[28:38] Why we should be careful when developing AI[34:46] What AI can ultimately enable us to do[36:47] How AI can help us create a better world[45:36] How we can incentivize leaders to use AI technologies for good[54:26] The moral responsibility of AI developers[58:52] The story behind the development of Trephub[01:05:32] Ahmed’s hopes for the futureLinks and Resources:Check out the Yobi appCheck out the startups at TrepHubConnect with Ahmed Reza via LinkedInConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterLeave a review here to support This Anthro LifeSubscribe to the Anthrocurious Substack today

Contemporary AI systems are typically created by many different people, each working on separate parts or “modules.” This can make it difficult to determine who is responsible for considering the ethical implications of an AI system as a whole — a problem compounded by the fact that many AI engineers already don’t consider it their job to ensure the AI systems they work on are ethical.In their latest paper, “Dislocated Accountabilities in the AI Supply Chain: Modularity and Developers’ Notions of Responsibility,” technology ethics researcher David Gray Widder and research scientist Dawn Nafus attempt to better understand the multifaceted challenges of responsible AI development and implementation, exploring how responsible AI labor is currently divided and how it could be improved.In this episode, David and Dawn join This Anthro Life host Adam Gamwell to talk about the AI “supply chain,” modularity in software development as both ideology and technical practice, how we might reimagine responsible AI, and more.Show Highlights:[03:51] How David and Dawn found themselves in the responsible AI space[09:04] Where and how responsible AI emerged[16:25] What the typical AI development process looks like and how developers see that process[18:28] The problem with “supply chain” thinking[23:37] Why modularity is epistemological[26:26] The significance of modularity in the typical AI development process[31:26] How computer scientists’ reactions to David and Dawn’s paper underscore modularity as a dominant ideology[37:57] What it is about AI that makes us rethink the typical development process[45:32] Whether the job of asking ethical questions gets “outsourced” to or siloed in the research department[49:12] Some of the problems with user research nowadays[56:05] David and Dawn’s takeaways from writing the paperLinks and Resources:Dislocated Accountabilities in the AI Supply Chain: Modularity and Developers' Notions of ResponsibilityConnect with David Gray Widder via his websiteConnect with Dawn Nafus via LinkedinConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter

People with disabilities often face accessibility issues in physical environments, such as a lack of ramps, narrow doorways, and inaccessible transportation. Every barrier is a reminder that designs are choices, ones made without people with disabilities at the decision-making table.But solving these problems requires more than physical adjustments. It necessitates understanding the experiences of people with disabilities and involving them in the creation of purposefully designed spaces, policies, and more. In this episode, renowned disability rights advocate and Associate Professor at Stony Brook University Brooke Ellison explores the complex and often misunderstood world of disabilities with This Anthro Life host Adam Gamwell. Drawing from her latest memoir “Look Both Ways,” Brooke also shares her journey as an activist and the importance of inclusivity and accessibility.Brooke Ellison, a brilliant author and inspiring speaker, has dedicated her life to advocating for disability rights and raising awareness about the sociocultural issues surrounding it. Having experienced a life-altering car accident at the age of eleven that left her paralyzed from the neck down, Brooke's journey has been one of resilience, determination, and self-discovery. With a PhD in sociology and a passion for making a difference, Brooke has taken on multiple roles, including serving on the President's Council on Bioethics and the Spinal Cord Injury Research Board of New York State. As a professor and medical ethics expert as well as someone living with quadriplegia, she brings a unique perspective to the conversation on disability, challenging societal norms and advocating for a more inclusive world.Show Highlights:[05:48] Why Brooke wrote her two memoirs[12:35] The value of bringing in personal experiences when teaching about disability[19:57] The idea of hope as a process[27:42] How disabilities highlight the interconnectedness of our lives[32:15] The value of taking a sociocultural approach to disability[36:11] Why Brooke ran for public office in 2006[42:10] Why Brooke started the nonprofit Brooke Ellison Project[44:16] Interesting findings of Brooke’s dissertation on stem cell researchLinks and Resources:Look Both Ways (TAL Affiliate Bookstore)Check out Brooke Ellison’s websiteConnect with Brooke Ellison via LinkedIn or her websiteConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter

In this episode, Angela Saini, award-winning science journalist and author of “The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule,” traces the material and social roots of patriarchy with host Adam Gamwell. The duo explores how anthropology can help us better understand the patriarchy and patriarchical power by contextualizing and breaking down big ideas. Anthropology enables us to examine broad, complex topics through specific cultural and historical lenses. It also helps us dissect grand narrative ideas to reveal their historical trajectories. But perhaps most importantly, anthropology reminds us that we need to think about big ideas contextually, especially emotionally and politically charged ideas like the patriarchy. They dive into the definition of patriarchy and its ties to social structures, social privileges, and oppression. The conversation also touches on how different cultures interpret and shape the deployment and maintenance of gender and power to reflect their unique social norms. Saini emphasizes the importance of understanding the social variation and how male domination adapts to different changes. Drawing on many forms of evidence, she discusses the multiplicities of patriarchies, how patriarchy today functions and shapes different aspects of our lives, and how we can think big about what form of society we’d like to continue, reinvent, or totally change for ourselves and our children. Saini's work aims to bring awareness to the many different kinds of patriarchies that exist and how they are being recreated and reasserted today.Episode Highlights:[05:57] Why we shouldn’t think of the patriarchy as a monolith[09:31] Why pre-history wasn’t necessarily patriarchal[13:44] Why thinkers started to question where patriarchy came from[17:16] Why James Mellaart believed Çatalhöyük was a matriarchal society[23:55] How the Haudenosaunee inspired the beliefs of women’s rights activists[26:57] How early civilizations’ concerns about population led to binary gender norms[30:24] Possibilities that slavery and patrilocality informed each other[36:32] Why freedom and women’s liberation are nuanced[43:05] The Kitchen Debate and the clash of capitalism and communism[50:40] How Kerala, India now positions itself as a beacon of women’s empowerment[55:54] How we can build the society we hope to see in the futureLinks and Resources:The Patriarchs: The Origins of InequalitySuperior: The Return of Race ScienceInferior: How Science Got Women WrongConnect with Angela Saini via LinkedInCheck out Angela Saini’s websiteConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter

When we think of robots, we tend to think of things like R2-D2, the Terminator skeleton, or a piece of machinery that automates the construction of goods in an assembly line. But that’s not all there is to robots — something anthropologist and roboticist entrepreneur Lora Koycheva understands perfectly well. In this episode, Lora shares her unique perspective on the intersection of anthropology and cyber-physical systems with host Adam Gamwell. She also discusses how anthropology can shed light on what robots afford human bodies, why the physical side of robots is just as important as their operating systems, and how robots can potentially reshape the human condition.Episode Highlights:[03:03] How Lora brought together entrepreneurship, innovation, anthropology, and robotics[08:24] On-demand infrastructure and how it empowers robotics in the urban realm[11:59] How we can get comfortable with the physical side of robotics[18:28] How Lora came up with the idea of rebuilding the human condition in a world of robots[22:52] How and why Lora set up the Green Like a Robot project and why it matters for scholarship and society[27:04] Questions worth tackling when working with robots[35:51] Lora’s experience working with engineers[40:10] Commonalities between anthropology and engineering worth cultivating[45:06] Why embodiment is difficult to innovate through digital meansLinks and Resources:Green Like a RobotConnect with Lora Koycheva via LinkedInConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us individually and as a global cohort to reassess how and why we live the ways that we do and what really matters to us. Through the pandemic, we may have also felt moments of awe at the natural world and questioned our place in it. In moments like these, we’re afforded glimpses into how we choose to operate in the world and understand our place in relation to everything else. Rituals play a key role in helping us make sense of the world around us, yet we often forget that they’re even there. Today’s guest, Sasha Sagan, picks up on this thread through her writing and podcast work.Daughter of “Cosmos” co-writer Ann Druyan and astronomer Carl Sagan, Sasha talks with host Adam Gamwell about the power of ritual for making meaning across life, death, nature, and more. She also shares how she learned to ask questions, the value of finding awe in the most mundane of rituals, and how turning our attention anew to the natural world can help us add wonder back into our lives.Show Highlights:[06:53] What inspired Sasha to create her podcast “Strange Customs”[13:04] How Sasha’s parents taught her to love and ask questions[21:30] How parents may inadvertently teach their children to stop asking questions[29:33] Our beliefs and customs around language and communication[37:56] How Sasha thinks about different media as different methods for storytelling[47:56] How we dress up scientific phenomena in beliefs and customs[59:19] Why people are getting more creative with how they tackle life-defining moments[01:00:45] How we can demonstrate anthropology’s value[01:03:37] How we can add awe back into our livesLinks and Resources:Strange Customs with Sasha SaganFor Small Creatures Such as We: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World by Sasha Sagan (Anthrocurious' Bookstore Affiliate Link - purchasing here supports the show!)Check out Sasha Sagan’s websiteConnect with Sasha Sagan via Twitter or InstagramConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter

How to Build a More Resilient WorldThe COVID-19 pandemic leveled the playing field between those who have the privilege to avoid or mitigate disasters and those who don’t. But the pandemic is just one of many ongoing challenges and crises that people are and have been facing for years. In addition to raising awareness, much of the work that we have as people and organizations is in how we respond in moments of crisis. How do we know what works? How can we respond effectively? And will one type of aid be culturally appropriate if moved to another area? To help us answer these questions, we’re joined today by Britt Titus. Britt is the Behavioural Insights Lead at the Airbel Impact Lab, the International Rescue Committee’s (IRC) research and innovation team which designs, tests, and scales solutions for people affected by conflict and disaster. Drawing from her decade-long experience in the humanitarian space, Britt talks about 1) how regional disaster response can be applied to global emergencies, 2) how the Airbel Impact Lab team localizes and evaluates the impact of its interventions, and 3) what’s top of mind for them in creating life-changing solutions for the communities that the IRC serves.Show Highlights:[03:37] How Britt found herself at the intersection of behavioral insights design and the humanitarian space[08:33] How lessons gleaned from regional disaster response can be applied to global emergencies[12:03] The methods that the Airbel Impact Lab uses to localize interventions[21:05] How the Lab evaluates the impact of its interventions[28:21] On the process of re-sharing localized information and learnings elsewhere[32:22] A key challenge facing Britt and her colleagues today[37:32] Britt discusses the Lab’s InforMH project[47:21] What Britt is looking forward to in the behavioral design and humanitarian spaceLinks and Resources:Airbel Impact LabInternational Rescue CommitteeInforMHTIWG Forced Migration Series: Humanitarian Response Interventions, Jeannie Annan and Britt TitusConnect with Britt Titus via LinkedInConnect with Adam Gamwell via email, LinkedIn, or TwitterSubscribe to the This Anthro Life newsletter

In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, anthropologists Elizabeth Briody and Phil Surles join host Adam Gamwell to discuss their latest project: Anthropologists on the Public Stage, a self-paced video course for social scientists who want to increase their public presence and impact.Adam, Elizabeth, and Phil reflect on making the series, what they learned along the way, and what they hope people will get out of it.Show Highlights:[04:04] How the team came up with Anthropologists on the Public Stage[07:46] The importance of teamwork in putting anthropology projects together[13:58] How Elizabeth approached the project[19:33] Phil’s thoughts on the process of putting the project together[27:56] Why the project includes training exercises[36:17] What Phil hopes people will get out of the project[39:59] What Elizabeth hopes people will get out of the project[45:14] Closing statementsLinks and Resources:Anthropologists on the Public StageSubscribe to This Anthro Life’s newsletterConnect with Adam via emailConnect with Adam via the This Anthro Life website

Consumers today find brands through many online sources, including search engines and social media. And with the rise of hyper-personalized ads, consumers are constantly being bombarded with brands that seem to speak to their needs and interests.Given such a landscape, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that brands need to move beyond business fundamentals and into the fundamentals that we share as human beings if they wish to stand out. That is to say, brands need to shape not only what consumers buy, but also how they feel about and relate to brands themselves.In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, host Adam Gamwell speaks with Dr. Matt Johnson, author of “Branding That Means Business,” about the whys and hows of consumer-brand relationships, brand strategy and identity, the role brands play in our lives, and more.Show Highlights:[03:08] The fundamental principles of branding[05:48] On the functional value of brands[09:18] How brands can shape consumers’ perceptions of reality[15:06] The ways brands can be smart about being global[21:51] Why brand strategy should be specific and consistent[25:01] On brand polysemy[28:30] On the difference between corporate social responsibility and activism[34:15] Closing statementsLinks and Resources:Matt Johnson’s websiteBranding That Means Business by Matt Johnson and Tessa Misiaszek (link to the Anthrocurious bookstore, where purchasing the book supports the authors, local bookstores and the Anthrocurious community. It's a win win win.)231 - Branding That Means Business with Matt Johnson by The Brainy Business PodcastSubscribe to This Anthro Life’s newsletterConnect with Adam via emailConnect with Adam via the This Anthro Life website

Indigenous cultures around the world have a trickster god or figure in their mythos. For example, the Pacific Northwest Native Americans have the Raven, a selfish, hungry, and mischievous figure who transforms the world. Stories tell how the Raven brought out the sun, moon, and stars to light the world only by cleverly deceiving others.In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, Dr. Shepherd Siegel, activist scholar and author of “Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love: How Tricksters Through History Have Changed the World,” discusses the Trickster archetype with host Adam Gamwell. Together, Shepherd and Adam explore attributes of the Trickster, Shepherd’s favorite Tricksters, and examples that demonstrate Trickster archetypes confronting power and tricking it into love.Show Highlights:[04:05] Breaking down the title of the book[11:00] What love has to do with the trickster archetype[17:04] How Shepherd’s background came into play in writing his book[24:48] The different kinds of play and how they relate to the warrior and the trickster[29:46] The Burning Man as an example of a cultural experience premised on disruptive play[37:01] Why the trickster is anti-war[45:45] On Richard Pryor narrating George Floyd’s murder in 1979[56:07] Bugs Bunny as an example of a character that exemplifies the trickster archetype[59:07] Closing statementsLinks and Resources:Check out the new Anthrocurious Bookshop - partnership with Bookstore.org where you can support local bookstores and the podcast when you purchase books mentioned on the show.Tricking Power into Performing Acts of Love: How Tricksters Through History Have Changed the World by Shepherd Siegel's websiteSubscribe to This Anthro Life’s newsletterConnect with Adam via emailConnect with Adam via the This Anthro Life websiteIf you're getting something out of This Anthro Life, then please share it with your friends and family! Let them know that this podcast is a great source of interesting and informative stories about anthropology and the human experience. With your help, we can reach more people and bring them into the fascinating world of anthropology. So join us in our mission to make anthropology accessible and share This Anthro Life today!

Show NotesBuilding a New Labor Market for Global Design Talent with Fredrik ThomassenMore and more businesses are switching to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But one startup was ahead of the curve, having been 100% remote since its inception in 2016.That startup is Superside, a fully distributed design operations platform that seeks to support a global remote workforce. By introducing a remote work policy, Superside gives designers around the world better income opportunities, regardless of their gender, race, or location.In this episode, host Adam Gamwell speaks with Superside CEO and Founder Fredrik Thomassen about remote work and how the pandemic accelerated its adoption worldwide, the promise and challenge of fully online organizations, the inclusion of minorities in the workforce as a global business imperative, and more.Show Highlights:[04:10] How Fredrik Thomassen started Superside[07:37] On the power of remote work and the opportunities it opens up[14:23] How remote work can improve workforce diversity[20:07] Issues with traditional hiring practices[24:50] On the importance of taking candidates’ values into account in the hiring process [29:19] How Superside keeps its employees happy and fulfilled[35:44] Why management is not as complicated as it is made out to be[37:55] Why Superside as an organization values truth-seeking[45:54] Closing statementsLinks and Resources:Check out SupersideSubscribe to This Anthro Life’s newsletterConnect with Adam via emailConnect with Adam via the This Anthro Life website

The vast majority of published scientific literature and new research is hidden behind paywalls. Worse, what few accessible papers available online are oftentimes written in jargon, i.e., specialist language that can alienate non-expert readers.Combined, these two issues make it difficult for researchers, scientists, and even entrepreneurs to build on new discoveries and for members of the public to access credible, peer-reviewed literature in the age of misinformation.The good news is, natural language processing-based startups are working to change the conversation around access to scientific knowledge in impactful ways. One such startup is Consensus, an AI-powered search engine designed to provide users a view into what the research says with the click of a button.In this episode, host Adam Gamwell is joined by Consensus CEO Eric Olson to talk about the company’s inception, the promise and new waves of natural language processing technology, and how Consensus is making scientific findings accessible and consumable for all.Show Highlights:[04:08] How Eric Olson got into natural language processing[06:15] How tech can help users know what information to trust online[08:10] The difference between giving good information and giving engaging information[10:32] How Consensus attempts to disrupt the global search industry[13:50] The current state of search[15:32] How Consensus approaches partnerships[17:07] On the size of Consensus’ corpus[19:59] How natural language processing is evolving[21:19] How Consensus fine-tunes its AI system[24:53] On using AI generators to write papers[26:47] How search platforms like Consensus can be built in a way that’s usable for laypeople[30:32] Why context in AI is important[33:05] The three things that differentiate Consensus from existing search engines[39:37] What’s next for NLP-based technologies as a whole[41:14] What’s next for Consensus[43:10] On the hypothesis that AI can’t replace subjective, art-based roles[46:12] Closing statementsLinks and Resources:Check out ConsensusSubscribe to This Anthro Life’s newsletterConnect with Adam via emailConnect with Adam via the This Anthro Life website

What makes the human mind unique? How do we know there’s a future, and how do we recall the past? In this episode of This Anthro Life, Byron Reese, serial entrepreneur, technologist, and author of “Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future--and Shape It,” discusses these questions and more with host Adam Gamwell. Together, Byron and Adam explore the three leaps in human history that made us what we are today and how those leaps changed how we think about the future, the past, and everything in between.Show Highlights:[03:16] The inception of “Stories, Dice, and Rocks That Think: How Humans Learned to See the Future--and Shape It”[05:23] Homo erectus and the Acheulean hand axe[06:38] How the Acheulean hand axe is a genetic object, not a cultural one[08:27] The awakening that ancient humans had undergone[09:27] Language as a means to conceptualize the future and gain knowledge of the past[13:02] The four things that all languages have[16:01] How humans’ group action became more than just the sum of its parts[18:57] A superorganism named Agora as a metaphor for how people working together can get more done[24:06] How the probability theory helps us understand how we imagine the future[24:37] The probability problem[28:01] How there is predictability in randomness[34:33] The human body as a superorganism[36:30] The problem with data in artificial intelligence[41:48] Galton’s regression to the mean and eugenics as a cautionary tale[44:59] Eternal vigilance as the price of current and future technological advancements[47:04] Why humans are not machines[50:05] The 21st purpose of telling stories, according to Byron[52:32] Closing statements

Ashley Meredith serves as the National Cultural Anthropologist and Deputy National Historic Preservation Officer for the Federated States of Micronesia. Micronesia is a sovereign island country in Oceania situated northeast of Australia and Papua New Guinea and consists of 600 islands covering a massive area of around 1 million square miles. There are 18 languages spoken across the islands.Echoing what we might call a traditional fieldwork approach, Ashley works with a team to document, preserve, and establish cultural pathways for different Micronesian communities. This includes work like ethnographic surveys, linguistic studies and observational fieldwork. Yet, her work is also applied anthropology. She talks with communities to understand what they want in terms of infrastructure, tourism, education, or heritage development and works with them to find resources, generate funding and support. Beyond this, she interfaces between communities, government and international relations including with the United States and UNESCO. Ashley’s breadth of experience provides a key perspective for rethinking how we use data. This includes why we need qualitative data in a world obsessed with numbers, but also how transmission matters. As we explore in this conversation, transmission has to do with cultural practices like storytelling as much as with technological limitations such as internet speed across the islands.

Interdependence is the idea that the wellbeing of our world and for our physical and emotional selves depends on those around us, yet when we find ourselves up against a challenge bigger than ourselves, our sense of interdependence becomes stronger. When we move that scale even larger (i.e. a global climate crisis), interdependence becomes paramount. Climate change not only affects our everyday lives, but affects cultural history and cultural artifacts such as books and architectural styles, as well as more ephemeral practices like theater, song and language. How well we are able to face these challenges has to do with how we tell stories. How well we tell stories depends on what we choose to protect, preserve, and make prosper in our cultures. If you’ve used the Internet in the last 20 years, or 20 minutes, you know that there isn’t a lack of information or stories online, but how much of our and others’ cultural heritage exists digitally, how accessible is it, and who is able to contribute?These are questions that Charles Henry engages with in this episode. Charles is the president of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), a nonprofit that works with libraries, cultural institutions, and higher learning communities to improve research, teaching, and learning environments. Check out the Council on Library and Information Resources: https://www.clir.org/about-us/history/Digital Library of the Middle East, one of the world’s largest online archives of Middle Eastern and North African artifacts. https://www.clir.org/2020/07/clir-and-stanford-libraries-announce-digital-library-of-the-middle-east-platform/The HBCU Library Alliance Partnership, which is a long-term partnership to foster awareness of and access to collections held by Historically Black Colleges and Universities. https://www.clir.org/initiatives-partnerships/hbcu-library-alliance/

When we think about social science and social scientists working out in the world, we tend to jump to the science part, you know jobs that focus on research - consumer research, user experience research, or qualitative studies for non-profits. But if you have any experience with therapy, whether as a patient or therapist, worked with a career or life coach, or anything to do with conflict mediation, you might have noticed there’s more than a little overlap in skill sets with anthropology.I have been really fortunate to get to know Nethra Samarawickrema, co-founder of the Listen Up Lab, an anthropologist and coach and all around calming presence - something we need more of today. What’s her secret? Well a lot of things, but one I want to pull out here is her application of a mode of listening called Nonviolent Communication. Nethra reveals the common connection between anthropology and nonviolent communication that drew her to both and shows how they complement one another. Think about things like withholding judgment, active listening, situated perceptiveness.If this episode sounds good to you, I highly recommend you check out our conversation with Jeremy Pollack on how to manage social conflict, communicate effectively and finding common ground. These episodes complement one another really well. https://www.thisanthrolife.org/how-to-manage-social-conflict-communicate-effectively-and-find-common-ground-with-jeremy-pollack/ Listenup Lab: https://www.listenuplab.com/Listen Up Lab is running a 2-day online workshop called FLOW to support writers and artists with unblocking themselves on April 23 and 24th, 2022. The details and sign up information can be found here: https://www.listenuplab.com/course-content-flowNethra would love to connect with people who might be interested in coaching related to work, creativity, or getting in touch with their needs in their relationships. She offers free introductory hour-long coaching sessions that folks can sign up for on my website here: https://www.workwithnethra.com/

If you’re alive in 2022 you’ve probably heard of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. Whether you’re an active trader, just dabble, or think you’d never touch the stuff, cryptocurrency raises a fascinating challenge to the question of what is money? And how can technology fundamentally reshape how we engage in finance and social life? Is crypto a revolution? If you're listening to this episode in early 2022, then you're probably well aware of the ongoing inflation and commodity price increases both in the United States and globally. You know, money and finance are often the table stakes of how we think about navigating life today. That can both be part of the background or very much in the foreground of our minds, depending on how things are going. And as we wrestle with economic uncertainty in the wake of war, a changing climate and geopolitical shifts things can feel bleak. But at these moments, it's important to stay curious and ask where and how are we trying to make things better? And this is a bit about where that revolutionary technology part just might come in.Mick Morucci is a crypto-anthropologist, Bitcoin expert and the co-founder of geyser.fund, and NFT social discovery platform. He’s also a prolific writer and publishes regularly on Bitcoin, block chain technologies and NFTs.In this episode we explore:- the cultural and financial origins of Bitcoin- what is a blockchain- money as information and story- open source technologies- why decentralization matters- privacy and surveillanceand more!https://www.mickmorucci.com/https://geyser.fund/ Check out some of Mick's writing:Bitcoin as a Divine Idea - https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/bitcoin-as-a-divine-ideaWhy Anthropologists are More Interested in Bitcoin than Economists - https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/anthropologists-are-interested-in-bitcoinThe Social Experience of NFT Art - https://forefront.news/blog/feat-mick-social-experience-of-nftEpisode produced by Adam Gamwell

It's a common truism that history is often written by the victors, but it is equally true that the actual story is more complicated. One of the most poignant examples of this is the "discovery" of the new world by Christopher Columbus.So today I am super excited to have author Andrew Rowen back on the podcast. Andrew caught our attention back in 2017 for his book encounters, "Unforeseen 1492 Retold", which rather than another single sided story is a bicultural retelling that portrays the life stories of both Columbus and the Taíno chieftains from their youth to their encounters during the invasions of 1492.Andrew is back to talk about the sequel "Columbus and Caonabó 1493 to 1498 Retold". In this episode, we explore Andrew's rationale for producing a bicultural series of novels and choosing historical fiction over historical nonfiction in order to bring to life the context thought processes and perspectives of people present at the time in the 15th century.This also meant writing in a way that doesn't prescribe how events would turn out because of course, folks in the 15th century had no idea what was going to happen. The 1493 to 1498 epoch also entailed some of the most challenging aspects to explore such as the growing discontent between Taíno chieftans and Spaniards, Columbus' continual insistence on enslavement, the role of disease and sickness in cross-cultural encounters and the political machinations of queen Isabella and king Ferdinand. This episode has a bit of everything, you know, whether you're interested in the world of the 15th century and, or you're curious about the process of writing historical fiction, including how to do archival and on-site research and do character development in ways that make sense with the research that you're finding and the challenges of telling bicultural histories in respectful and honest ways.Website: AndrewRowen.com Facebook: @andrewsrowenProduction: Adam GamwellEditing: Craig StantonMusic: Crackle and Chop, Epidemic Sounds

Have you wondered why fantasy stories mostly are just copies of Medieval Europe? Why pop culture has been so obsessed with zombies? Or why Black Panther and the Falcon and the Winter Soldier seemed to hit the right chord at the right time for American conversations on race? To answer these questions, we're diving into world building, the process of creating realized worlds for (mostly) fictional stories and how anthropology could literally change the game.On this episode Astrid Countee joins Adam Gamwell to co-host a conversation with the very dynamic duo of biological anthropologist/archaeologist Kyra Wellstrom and cultural anthropologist Michael Kilman. Kyra and Michael are educators and authors, and their latest book caught our attention because it does two things at once. First, it serves as an introductory textbook for anthropology students, digging into key ideas like culture, ritual, food, power and death. But second, it’s premised around how to use anthropology for building better world for game design, fiction writing, and filmmaking. Building a better worlds is about creating more authentic characters based on actual science and data on culture. Thus the book is both an introductory text for anthropology students and creators.Production: Adam GamwellMusic: Take 2 - Pro ReesA Nifty Piece of Work - New FoolsRagtime - peerless

Charles Foster set out to answer one of the most perplexing questions of all - what sort of creatures are we humans? - in one of the most unique ways possible: immersing himself in experiences that evoke three central epochs in the development of consciousness - the upper Paleolithic, around 40k years ago, the neolithic, around 10k years ago when humans invented/stumbled upon and couldn’t get out of agriculture, and the Enlightenment, which ushered in the scientific revolution in Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries.Interested in checking out Charles' new book Being a Human: Adventures in 40,000 years of Consciousness? We've got copies to give away!Music: Epidemic SoundsIntro - Jazz Bars - Dusty DecksOutro - Up & Down - Toby TranterEditing: Craig StantonResearch: Kiera MylesProduction: Adam Gamwell

This Anthro Life turned 8 years old in October 2021. That's a long time for a podcast. When recently invited to share what I've been working on for a newsletter, TAL's 8th birthday got me thinking about what I've learned working between anthropology and podcasting for almost a decade. I've fancied myself a public anthropologist for a while, but it has been podcasting, and working in an unusual medium (for anthropology) that has taught me some of the most important lessons for what public anthropology actually is.Music - Epidemic SoundsLenzer - A Fork FightYomoti - Fansi Pan

It's not everyday I get to talk with other anthropology podcasters, and even more infrequently that I get to talk with undergraduate anthropology podcasters. I'm joined on the show today by Gabriella Campbell, Gabriella is a senior at University of California Santa Barbara where she focuses on forensic anthropology, both contemporary and ancient. She's also the creator and host of That Anthro Podcast, a weekly interview show that explores the world of bioarchaeology, bones, forensics and more. Gabriella and I dig into what it's like to work in forensics while learning the trade. This includes some crucial and fascinating forensic recovery work she’s doing in response to the Monteceto mudslides.We dig into:- Applying forensic anthropology to the Montecito mudslides- Contemporary forensics vs ancient forensics- How to teach anthro earlier in kids' education, early education projects- On podcasting, creativity and learning to trust our instincts- Advice for undergrads - from an undergradCheck out:That Anthro PodcastThat Anthro Podcast InstagramMusic:Duracell - Jontha Links Epidemic SoundsEpisode Art: Adam Gamwell

A job search strategy is essential, but what if you don’t even know what to look for or what you want to do? A career plan is something you can do before job searching to define the kind of work you want to do and how to engage with like minded people, so you’ve got opportunities and pathways to work you’ll find fulfilling and meaningful, regardless of industry.While some old-school academics might see creating a career plan as selling out, Career Coach and Strategist Amy Santee and Design + Business Anthropologist Adam Gamwell, say you’re selling yourself short if you don’t. In this seminar we’ll share stories from our experiences and walk you through creating your own plan across defining your values, mapping your journey, finding your people and trying your voice.Whether you’re a student and looking for your first job, a mid career professor or industry insider and curious about what else is out there, a career plan is relevant for anyone.We’ll dig into defining your values as a starting point, mapping a vision of your future by looking at your past, how to take action on your plan, and learning to trust your intuition as much as the data you gather. Today's episode is a slice from a workshop series Adam Gamwell put together with Prof Jonathan Anjaria of Brandeis University. Amy Santee Career CoachingAmy's LinkedInJon AnjariaBrandeis University AnthropologyEpisode production and art: Adam GamwellMusic Epidemic Sounds:Sweet Talk - Tyra ChantyZanzibar - Jones Meadow

Dr. Meena Kaushik takes us through her story from the revolutionary idea in the late 1970s of applying semiotics to brand and market research to founding Quantum, which today is a global enterprise research organization in seven countries, through how they have digitally adapted insights research in the face of COVID.Meena Kaushik started her journey as an academic studying the symbolism of death rituals in Hinduism. She conducted extensive fieldwork amongst the Doms of Varanasi, a low caste community working in the city’s cremation grounds, for her Ph.D. in Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics.She ventured into qualitative market research by accident and fell in love. Her training in ethnography deepened how consumer behaviour, consumer culture and consumer psyche were being understood in India in the mid to late 1980s.A consulting stint with the Indian Market Research Bureau soon became a full fledged position and she helped found the qualitative division at MARG as a Director of Qualitative Research. Kaushik adapted anthropological methods, semiotics, and social psychology to qualitative market research problems in India, giving qualitative approaches a credibility they’d never had in the past.In 1990 she founded Quantum Consumer Solutions with Srilekha Agarwal and Meera Vasudevan, Asia’s first purely qualitative research firm. Today Quantum has operations in seven countries with 220 employees.TAL spoke to Dr. Kaushik about the birth of this new “qualitative consciousness” in post-liberalization India, and how to create value for qualitative insights in industries that have been traditionally dominated by numbers.We dig into:How she brought anthropologist and qualitative insights to market research in IndiaFairness and Skin Lightening Creams: How interdisciplinary social science can get a company to reframe brands around empowermentAcknowledge privileges, like the cultural preference for lighter skin, without ignoring or pandering to itWhy we should be talking about insights research rather than qualitative research, and how her company has adapted to digital ethnography and new forms of research since COVID rocked the worldDigital ethnography methods to create a “semiosphere” > a holistic view of how people make meaning in their livesAdvice for transitioning into market research, skills agencies look forAdapting from research as an output to design strategy, offering solutions on top of research insightsCommodities and the crisis of meaning: Why it’s essential for brands to have higher meaning and purpose in the lives of consumersTAL Correspondent and this episode's host: Madhuri Karak is Community Engagement Lead at Rare’s Center for Behavior & the Environment, managing a virtual learning platform for practitioners blending behavioral insights with design thinking to solve our biggest environmental challenges. She is currently a Mellon - American Council of Learned Societies Public Fellow and has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology. You can find more of her work here.Organization: https://www.quantumcs.comInterview w/Kaushik: https://wow.outlookbusiness.com/meena-kaushik/CreditsProduction: Madhuri Karak and Adam GamwellMusic: Zanzibar - Jones Meadow, Epidemic SoundsArt: Adam Gamwell--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Phil Surles is a cultural anthropologist and consultant who focuses on branding. He works with companies to change their culture for the better and focuses on integrating anthropology into industry. From art school to anthropology to industry Phil discusses how he combined all of his passions into his consulting work. Phil, Astrid, and Adam discuss what it means to be an anthropologist working in industry and ethical issues that may arise. Phil is also working on a new platform called Mindshare where businesses can tap into the expertise of human scientists for expert interviews, consulting and more.On today’s EpisodeHow to study anthropology with the intention of going into industry, not academiaTo intervene or not intervene-- the anthropologists ethical dilemmaHow anthropologists can bring their ethics and methodology to industry and change it for the betterWhat is a public intellectual and how does it relate to thought leadership and activismWhere to Find Phil Surles:TwitterLinkedInMindshareEpisode CreditsMusic (Epidemic Sounds)Intro: Embody by BallpointOutro: Tried in Fire by BallpointEpisode art- Sara SchmiederProduction- Sara Schmieder, Elizabeth Smyth, and Adam Gamwell--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

If Dr. Hellen Fisher isn’t a household name in your house (yet), her work certainly is. Helen is a biological anthropologist and basically the reason you can date online. She’s an expert on romantic love, gender differences, the evolution of human emotions and attraction. She has also been the Chief Scientific Advisor for Match.com and was instrumental in their offshoot, Chemistry.com. She has explored how love patterns are actually deeply coded in our physiology and neuropsychology. We talk about how to understand sex, love, and dating across human behavior, patterns in courtship, and the evolution of bonding.But beyond this, Helen is a wildly popular author, TED speaker and public intellectual. To this end brings to the table a wealth of insight into how to translate anthropological insights in ways that feel meaningful to people today.Hellen discusses her career path, how she strayed from the field of academia, became an accredited author and eventually an advisor to Match.com We discuss how to handle media attention, the tactics of public speaking, and how to connect to your audiences.In this episode we focus on:Fisher’s formula for making anthropology matter in the mainstreamThe biological anthropology of how we find love and who we are attracted toThe ways in which we can apply/sell anthropology in a context outside of academiaEffective tactics of public speaking and audience engagementGuest Bio: Helen Fisher is a biological anthropologist who studies human behavior, love, and attraction. She has been the Chief Scientific Advisor for Match.com for ten years and was instrumental in their offshoot, Chemistry.com. Additionally Fisher is known for her TedTalks and is even a Ted All-Star but not only is she popular on the TedTalk circuit she also has appeared in several YouTube videos and has written books about love and relationships. Some of her books include Anatomy of Love (2016), Why We Love (2004), and Why Him Why Her? (2009).Where to Find Helen Fisher:helenfisher.comPew Research on online datingMusic: Epidemic SoundsGirl Like You (Instrumental Version) - Flux VortexSweet Talk (Instrumental Version) - Tyra ChanteyEpisode Art: Sara SchmiederEpisode Production: Elizabeth Smyth, Sara Schmieder, Sarah McDonough, Adam GamwellLeave a Review for our Book Give Away! (We've got one copy of Ghost Work with your name on it! - Leave us a review at one of the sites below and email a screen shot to [email protected] so we know it's you).This Anthro Life - Anthropology Podcast | Podchaser‎This Anthro Life on Apple Podcasts--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

TAL Correspondent Sara Schmieder brings us an all new interview about the power of cemetery restoration, race in the American South, and bringing legacy to light.Dr. Ryan Smith is a professor of religious history, material culture, and historic preservation at Virginia Commonwealth University. His latest book Death and Rebirth in a Southern City: Richmond’s Historic Cemeteries (2020) explores the history and reclamation of sacred cemeteries through the lens of race. By working with friends groups from various Richmond cemeteries he charts their evolution over time and how abandoned cemeteries have been reborn. Dr. Smith also authored Robert Morris’s Folly: The Architectural and Financial Failures of an American Founder (2014) and Gothic Arches, Latin Crosses: Anti-Catholicism and American Church Designs in the Nineteenth Century (2006).In this episode we discuss:· What it means to be a friend of a cemetery· How cemeteries are being revived and protected· Segregation and cemeteries· The importance of sacred spaces for Black, Jewish, and other marginalized communitiesLinks:https://www.richmondcemeteries.org/https://friendsofeastend.com/https://shockoehillcemetery.org/Episode Art: Sara SchmiederProducers: Sara Schmieder, Adam GamwellMusic: Epidemic SoundsBam Bam – YomotiShades of Purple – Gregory David--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

In today’s episode Adam Gamwell and Astrid Countee are joined by multispecies anthropologist John Hartigan jr. John is an anthropology professor at the University of Texas at Austin. In his latest work, Shaving the Beasts: Wild Horses and Ritual in Spain, John studies the social lives of wild horses in Spain and Catalonia and the Spanish ritual dating back to the 1500s of “Rapa das Bestas”- in which villagers heard wild horses together into public ceremonial rings and shave their manes and tails. Why is an anthropologist studying horses you ask? John’s work dives into the complex social lives of these horses, what happens with human ritual causes violence and social breakdown - in this case amongst horses - and asks the question of how we can learn about human culture from other species?In this episode we focus on:What studying nonhuman species like plants and horses tells us about being humanHow to do rapid ethnographic fieldworkHow the sociality of humans shapes and is shaped by other speciesWhy ecology needs anthropology and vice versaWhere to Find John Hartigan:John Hartigan Jr. is an anthropology professor at the University of Texas at Austin who focuses on multispecies ethnography, media, and race. He has done fieldwork in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, and Detroit, Michigan. Hartigan’s latest book is Shaving The Beast: Wild Horses and Ritual in Spain, in which he explores the ritual of rapa das bestas in Galicia, Spain where villagers heard wild horses together to shave their manes and tails. Through multispecies ethnography, Hartigan tells the story of this ritual through the horses’ eyes, experiencing the traumatic event as he tells the story of the horses and their society. Hartigan has also authored Care of the Species: Cultivating Biodiversity in Mexico and Spain (2017), Racial Situations: Class Predicaments of Whiteness in Detroit (1999), Odd Tribes: Toward a Cultural Analysis of White People (2005), What Can You Say? America’s National Conversation on Race (2010), and Aesop’s Anthropology: A Multispecies Approach.Twitter: https://twitter.com/aesopsanthroMusic: Epidemic SoundsTilden Parc - The Weekend (Instrumental Version)Nebulas [ocean jams]Episode Art: Sara SchmiederLeave a Review for our Book Give Away!This Anthro Life - Anthropology Podcast | Podchaser‎This Anthro Life on Apple Podcasts--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

BOOK GIVEAWAY!! Leave a Review of This Anthro Life for a chance to win a copy of Ghost Work! Leave us a written review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser by May 8, 2021, and email us a screenshot (so we know it's you) at [email protected]'ll randomly pick four winners out of the group from anyone who submits a review by May 8th, 2021. Now just a heads up: We're only counting serious reviews where you write something thoughtful. We'll take five stars of course if you want to just help out, but please no writing "I'm just doing this to get a free book." Feel free to share what you love about the podcast, why you find it valuable, How long you been listening or what keeps you listening? Remember, reviews help others discover the show and help us shape the content based on what you find valuable, so thanks for participating, we can't wait to hear from you!Podchaser: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/this-anthro-life-216403Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id871241283Mary Gray is an anthropologist whose work explores how technology informs work, a sense of identity, and human rights. Gray applies these concepts as the Senior Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research and as the Faculty Associate at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Additionally she remains in a faculty position at the Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Gray has also authored books such as In Your Face: Stories from the Lives of Queer Youth and Out In the Country: Youth, Media, and Queer Visibility in Rural America but her most recent book, coauthored with Siddharth Suri Ghostwork: How to Stop Silicon Valleyfrom Building a New Global Underclass focuses on how task based work is being utilized by bigger businesses and how this represents a change in the way we conceptualize work.In this episode we focus on:What is Ghost Work?The gap between what a person can do and what a computer can doAlgorithmic crueltyThe future of work and what that means for contract laborTech not as devices, but as conduits for social connectionHow to bring empathy into the workplaceWhere to Find Mary Gray:Website:https://marylgray.org/Twitter:https://twitter.com/marylgrayLinkedin:https://www.linkedin.com/in/marylgraymsr/Music: Epidemic SoundsDylan Sitts - Ice Cold Beverage91 Nova - LushworkBlue Steel - Up HereEpisode Art: Adam GamwellPhotograph in Episode Art: Adrianne MathiowetzEpisode Production: Elizabeth Smyth, Sarah McDonough, Adam Gamwell--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Oscar Barrera is a Business Anthropologist based out of Veracruz, Mexico who brings a global mindset to helping businesses turn hurdles into opportunities for positive change. He is an expert in innovation, change management, and strategy. In this episode in partnership with Experience By Design podcast cohosts Adam Gamwell and Gary David dig into Oscar's story to learn the steps he took in moving from academia to business. We also dig intofollow along case stories of how Oscar used the social sciences to help businesses see and solve organizational problems, find new marketing opportunities, and help people craft new narratives that empower them to be the heroes of their own storieswhy we believe it is not only ethical to bring the social sciences into business, but why it is fundamentally necessary to do sohow to get started learning the world of businessThis episode is jam packed with great stories and advice!Connect with Oscar on LinkedInOscar's website (Spanish): Antropología Corporativa--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Take a walk with anthropologist and consultant Grant McCracken and host Adam Gamwell, as they discuss Grant's new book The New Honor Code: A Simple Plan for Raising Our Standards and Restoring Our Good Names and dig into Grant's uncanny ability to excavate and weave together (American) culture, media, and storytelling, and pull out provocative insights like the need to get more anthropologists and cultural experts into the C-Suite, how we might re-invent honor in the contemporary world, and how setting anthropology free from the academy can reshape it and make the field better for it.In The New Honor Code, Grant draws together ideas from Elizabethan England, insights found while hanging out in people's living rooms interviewing them about their television watching habits for Netflix, the rise of celebrity culture as the closest thing we have to honor today - and why that's a problem - and the seemingly uncrossable gap between American boomers and millennials/GenZ. In mixing all these ideas together, he asks what is honor, why did it seem to disappear from our culture and what would it look like to create a system of honor in contemporary United States that would dissuade people from acting badly with impunity. We dig into all these topics in this episode and Grant has some great advice for any social scientist looking to go into consulting or business or if you're in business, how we can be more savvy and practical about infusing anthropological mindsets and thinking into organizations without hitting people over the head with it, especially if they find the idea of culture confusing. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

In January 2021 armed rioters stormed the US Capitol in a harrowing and politically fomented insurrection. It was an apex of years of divisive and condemnable rhetoric and fear-mongering used to stoke insecurities and desperate action. How do we ensure this never happens again? Or how do we dismantle the social structures that feed hate, fear, and contempt? What this event, and on the flip side, our celebration of Martin Luther King jr. Day (when we recorded this episode 1/18/21), reveal is that understanding what leads to social conflict and how to manage and resolve conflict is more essential than ever. Today Adam Gamwell and Astrid Countee talk with conflict management expert and author Jeremy Pollack about healing a divided nation by learning to talk with our neighbors more. We dig into:Why humans need help managing conflictCognitive and perceptual biases that prevent us from communicating clearly with one anotherHow to communicate clearly around fears and intentions to find common groundHow to understand and disarm Worldview defenseThat we need to start talking to our neighbors more! The importance of local leadership in modeling intergroup communication and shared goalsJeremy Pollack is the Founder of nationwide conflict resolution consulting firm Pollack Peacebuilding Systems and author of the new book Conflict Resolution Playbook: Practical Communication Skills for Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict. Jeremy is a fellow at Stanford University’s Center for International Conflict and Negotiation, and an expert on human conflict with an academic background in social psychology, evolutionary anthropology, negotiation, conflict resolution and peacebuilding.https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremypollack1/https://www.facebook.com/pollackpeacebuilding/https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3K6m_0bO31lD7JUc0th_vQ/featuredhttps://pollackpeacebuilding.com/--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Language warning. We use the word sh*t a lot in this episode, since it is, in fact all about poop. To wrap up this crappy, some may even say shitty year, host Adam Gamwell and intern Elizabeth Smyth discuss the origin of the word shit, how the way we defecate is culturally constructed, what our poop reveals about us, and so much more in this New Year’s Eve mini-episode of This Anthro Life. Farewell 2020, it’s been real.In this episode we dig into:What poop tells us about culture and our biologyWhether to sit or squat?Poop’s superpower for healing gut microbiota and potential energy sourceHow poop in space might tell us if we are, in fact, extraterrestrials ourselvesAlso check our new blog Voice and Value where we dive deeper into all things human: Voice and Value – MediumArticles referenced:The History of Poop Is Really the History of TechnologyPoop Worlds: Material Culture and Copropower (or, Toward a Shitty Turn)Poop (Somatosphere)How Fossilized Poop Gives Us The Scoop on Ancient DietsWatching What We Flush Could Help Keep a Pandemic Under Control https://nyti.ms/2J2MJaaHuman feces from the developing world could power millions of homesFollow this Anthro Life on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram!Twitter: This Anthro Life Podcast (@thisanthrolife) / TwitterInstagram: This Anthro Life Podcast (@thisanthrolife) • Instagram photos and videosFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisanthrolife/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/this-anthro-life-podcastWebsite: This Anthro LifeMusic: Epidemic SoundsNo Regrets - Guy TrevinoBasmati - Farrell WootenEpisode Art: Liz Smyth--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

In this episode we meet Dr. Stan Thangaraj, an anthropology professor at the City College of New York whose research includes immigration in the U.S, being interviewed by Vyjayanthi Vadrevu, a business anthropologist and ethnographer. Together, the two discuss basketball, community, identity, race relations and so much more. Stay tuned with us as you learn about why race relations are so important and the answers to the following questions:What does sports and their global popularity reveal about race relations in the US?What can we learn from the merging transnational identities?How has the “Black Lives Matter” Movement impacted the nonwhite and nonblack communities?What are the politics within the diasporic communities?Why is it so important to continue research and teaching about these communities?Sponsors for this episode:Check out the world's first Neuromarketing Bootcamp and sign up today with our Affiliate link!Neuromarketing Bootcamp by Neuroscientist Matt Johnson and Marketing Director Prince GhumanUse offer code ANTHROLIFE for $500 off: Affiliate link: https://www.popneuro.com/neuromarketing-bootcampAnd check out Matt and Prince’s episode on neuromarketing on This Anthro Life https://www.thisanthrolife.org/a-neuroscientist-and-marketer-walk-into-a-bar-neuromarketing-and-the-hidden-ways-marketing-reshapes-our-brains-with-matt-johnson-and-prince-ghuman/Check out our new Medium Blog "Voice and Value": https://medium.com/missing-linkcollaborative provocations and stories that get us closer to human and deepen our perspective on society, culture, and our future. Stanley Thangaraj is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the City College of New York (CUNY). His interests are at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and citizenship. He studies immigrant and refugee communities in the U.S. South to understand how they manage the black-white racial logic through gender, how the afterlife of colonialism takes shape in the diaspora, and the kinds of horizontal processes of race-making.His monograph Desi Hoop Dreams: Pickup Basketball and the Making of Asian American Masculinity (NYU Press, 2015) looks at the relationship between race and gender in co-ethnic-only South Asian American sporting cultures.Vyjayanthi Vadrevu is an ethnographer/ design researcher and strategist with a background in anthropology, business development, and nonprofit administration. She works on social impact design projects as well as corporate technology projects, delivering insights to help clients better serve their end users and beneficiaries. Vyjayanthi is also a trained bharatantyam dancer, with additional experience in Odissi, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and West African dance, and uses movement and choreography to connect to the deepest parts of the human experience.Music: Epidemic SoundShow notes: Xin Yao Lin, Elizabeth SmythEpisode art by: Sara Schmieder --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Do you have a sense of how much time you spend each day on social media and smartphone? Whether you can live with them or you can't live with them, we know for most of us, these are ingrained parts of our everyday lives. In this episode, we will uncover the life in the age of social media and smartphones, featuring Dr. Daniel Miller and Georgiana Murariu from the University College of London. Stay tuned as you learn about the ‘Why We Post’ project, ‘Anthropology of Smartphones and Smart Ageing, and the ‘AnthroCOVID’ project. We dig into:How do people use social media differently around the world?What are some strategies for making research accessible?What is the impact of smartphones on health?What are some creative ways that people have documented lives during the pandemic?How do you get so many anthropologists to work together globally?What is some advice for researchers who want to do collaborative and comparative work?Daniel Miller is a Professor of Anthropology at University College London and directed the ‘Why We Post’ project, which investigated the uses and consequences of social media in nine different countries around the world. The project resulted in twelve open access books, one about each fieldsite and two comparative ones. He is currently leading a project called ASSA (The Anthropology of Smartphones and Smart Ageing) which aims to analyze the impact of the smartphone on people’s lives based on 11 simultaneous 16-month ethnographies around the world. He is also the founder of the digital anthropology program at University College London (UCL).Follow Daniel on @DannyAnthGeorgiana Murariu is a public dissemination officer at UCL, working with Daniel Miller and the team of researchers on the ‘Anthropology of Smartphones and Smart Ageing’. She is currently developing and implementing a dissemination strategy for the project which includes helping create a MOOC based on the project’s findings as well as using social media and digital tools to encourage the public to engage with the project’s findings and anthropology as a discipline.Follow Georgiana on Twitter: @georgiana_muTwitter: @UCLWhyWePostEPISODE SPONSOR: Check out the world's first Neuromarketing Bootcamp and sign up today with our Affiliate link!| Use offer code ANTHROLIFE for $500 off: Affiliate link: https://www.popneuro.com/neuromarketing-bootcamp--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

This Anthro Life is based on lifting up the voices and value of anthropologists and human scientists in all fields through sharing their stories, thought leadership, struggles, and winding paths. Today we've got something special, where we turn the mic around on our host, Adam Gamwell and hear some of his story on how he is building a career as an anthropologist. TAL's Adam Gamwell recently guested on fellow business anthropologist Keith Kellersohn's new YouTube series Anthro Perspectives, where he interviews anthropologists in industry and businesses about their work. This episode has a bit of everything:whether you're an anthropology student in school looking to get your first job, an academic looking to move into industry, if you're already working somewhere out there and looking to change careers, or perhaps if you don't work anthropologists and you want to find out and understand value anthropology can bring to your business. We cover all of this and more in our conversation. One of the most helpful things in these scenarios I find is hearing other people's stories about how they did it or are doing it, or even how they just stumbled around in the dark and making it up as they went along and still came out with some kind of experience. I think perhaps the latter is closer to my own story. So I invite you to join me for a chat about career paths, learning to articulate the value anthropology. Social sciences provide to businesses and a bit about why I do what I do. Thanks to Keith for sharing this episode.Check out the world's first Neuromarketing Bootcamp and sign up today with our Affiliate link!Neuromarketing Bootcamp by Neuroscientist Matt Johnson and Marketing Director Prince Ghuman | Use offer code ANTHROLIFE for $500 off: Affiliate link: https://www.popneuro.com/neuromarketing-bootcampEpisode Art: Sara SchmiederMusic: Epidemic Sounds--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

When most people think of forensics or forensic anthropology the first thing that comes to mind are TV shows like CSI or Bones, or maybe in Six Feet Under.This may sound overly obvious, but people die every day. And this means that every day someone has to deliver dealth notifications to next of kin, especially when people live apart. Often times coroners are the ones who deliver these notifications. Coroners are elected or appointed public officials whose primary duty is to determine and certify cause of death.and while they have the scientific knowledge to do so, sometimes with the help of apps and digital tools, the social part of dealing with death, both for next of kin and the coroners themselves, is often ignored.We all experience death at some point but across 2020 more people have been directly impacted by death than ever before due to COVID-19. Meaning that more people than ever are receiving death notifications, which was a difficult conversation even before the pandemic. These notifications are challenging to give, Imagine knocking on a door or picking up the phone delivering the news that someone has passed away. It’s essential work. And it’s not easy. It’s also deeply social and cultural.This is why I’m talking to Lilly White a forensic anthropologist who focuses on the cultural side of forensics, especially on the lives of coroners and medical examiners and the best ways to handle death notifications. Lily got her PhD from the University of Montana in 2019 and currently owns and operates Bones and Stone Anthroscience with her husband.So today we’ll be talking about how cultural anthropology can play a role in forensic anthropology especially with death notifications.Top TakeawaysWe dig into the unseen/secret life of coroners (from a cultural perspective)Death notice work is essential but emotionally difficult so there’s a struggle keeping coroners in the practiceThe challenges of scientific training and having to deliver the worst possible news; the mix of scientific and social knowledgeWe’ll open the conversation like I often like to do, with Lily’s story and how she found her way into forensics and forensic anthropology, what life is like training to be a coroner, and her path to running her own forensics business today.Read about Lilly’s work in NYC with COVID-19 deaths (University of Montana)Lilly’s Instagram: Bone & Stone Anthrosciences (@deathphd) • Instagram photos and videosWhat is a Coroner?Episode art: Sara Schmieder--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Artificial Intelligence. Natural Language Processing. Machine Learning. Big Data. If you've studied Anthropology at all, you'll likely notice these terms don't often get use, unless you happen to be studying one of these areas, like doing an ethnography on artificial intelligence. Yet if these tools are used everyday across millions of applications and software lines of code to make our world run, how might they help us understand ourselves better? Big data often gets used to understand patterns people's behavior and thinking at a high level, and it is common to see people split into segments from this data.So in the world of market and consumer research you may know that people are commonly categorized into segments or generations - you've likely seen people written about as Millennial or Baby Boomers (OK, Boomer). But what limitations to understanding people are present when putting them into segments and generations and only seeing them from a high level? That's often where ethnography comes in, and where anthropologists like to live with and get to know people on their terms. But there's a huge stretch between massive Big Data sets and individual ethnography, right?What if there were a way to do ethnography with big data? That is, what if there were a way to be able to understand the nuances of cultural meaning people assign to things from big data sets? What this entails is, in essence quantifying ethnography. And turns out, the key has to do with focusing on meaning. That and some computer science wizardry.I'm excited today to have on the show one of the pioneers in this field, Ujwal Arkalgud, CEO, cultural anthropologist, and co-founder of Motivbase, a global tech research firm that has cracked the cultural code and developed software and research tools that bring together the analytical power of anthropology and the wide reach of big data.We’ll dig intothe concept of micro cultures, which are are a set of meanings that make up a market space,the need to study of meaning and behavior in business, why don’t companies think about meaning as a primary mover?why traditional market research doesn’t effectively get at meaning,how the internet has changed the way we make culture and meaning and that betting on cultural homogenization is a trapCheckout Movitbase hereMicrocultures: Understanding the consumer forces that will shape the future of your businessUjwal's Medium pageIf you enjoy This Anthro Life, please consider supporting the show with $5 - $20 a month on Patreon. We're self funded so rely on you to help make the show happen!--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

It's no surprise that many of us find ourselves increasingly on mobile devices or the internet. We shop online with ease, connect with friends and family on social media, check the news, and play games. And especially during the era of COVID millions, more people are figuring out if they can work remotely. In this episode, Adam sits down with Dr. Julie Ancis, one of the world's leading cyberpsychologists to talk about how digital technology in life online is impacting the ways we think and interact with one another. As an interdisciplinary scholar, practitioner, and pioneer in the field, Dr. Julie Ancis is starting as Director and Professor of an exciting new Cyberpsychology program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and currently writes for the new Cyberpsychology blog for Psychology Today where she's been offering advice on how to practice mental wellbeing as so many of us move online, especially during the time of COVID.Digital technology can be a blessing and a curse, right? Connecting us in new ways to old friends, but it can also be addicting, cause people to unfairly compare themselves to one another on social media to feel more lonely even. When it comes to things like the news, it can be more difficult to discern fact from opinion. But don't worry. It's not all zoom and gloom. What we'll find is that it's up to us to become discerning critical thinkers about our own psychology and the psychology of others when it comes to life online. And understanding that we do in fact have the tools each and every one of us to become critical thinkers. And, if you feel like you want to learn and get an even better handle on it, there's a brand new cyber psychology program at NJIT launching just around the corner.Dr. Julie AncisAncis ConsultingNew Jersey Institute of Technology Cyberpsychology ProgramPsychology Today Cyberpsychology BlogCatch Julie on:TwitterFacebookInstagram Checkout my This Anthro Life sister project MindshareAnd our upcoming panel “Ethics are for Everyone: Four Anthropologists Talk Shop on ethics across design, business and technology” Eventbrite registration here--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Ever wonder why certain new ideas stick while others don’t? We often hear a lot about innovation when it comes to new ideas, but really that’s only part of the equation. Psychology, marketing, neuroscience - and yes - anthropology can help us make sense of why some new ideas stick while others fall flat.On this episode Adam Gamwell talks with neuroscientist Dr. Matt Johnson and Professor of marketing Prince Ghuman about the fascinating role neuroscience plays in our evolving consumer lives. Matt and Prince have a new book out called Blindsight: the (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes our Brains that explores the emerging field of neuromarketing.This is a fascinating conversation that gets into the neuroscience, marketing, and psychology of why we consume, why certain kinds of advertisements work for different groups of people, and -something long time listeners of This Anthro Life know - the need to clearly communicate our work as human, Neuro, and social scientists to other disciplines and people in general. And speaking of that, we dig into one of Adam's favorite subjects of all time - Star Wars - to figure out why nostalgia marketing can be so powerful.Book link: getbook.at/blindsightBlog link: https://www.popneuro.com/neuromarketing-blogBio: https://www.popneuro.com/blog-authorsTwitter: @pop_neuroPrince Ghuman’s Twitter @princeghuman248Matt Johnson’s Twitter: @mattjohnsonismeInstagram: @pop.neuroon LinkedIn: Prince Ghuman and Matt Johnson, PhD.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

What is it about coffee and tea - two simple drinks - that both transcends culture and is intimately bound up by it? In this episode, Adam talks with Independent documentary filmmaker and coffee anthropologist Brooke Bierhaus about her film "The Connected Cup" which explores the heart of coffee and tea as global human connectors across cultures and backgrounds. For the film Brooke traveled to over 9 countries to film and capture intimate moments, stories, and portraits of human life around the connected cup. We dig into:Brooke's process for filming across 9 countrieshow coffee and tea provide a window into what makes the good life and happinesscultures of coffee and tea around the globenarrative and ethnographic voice as part of filmmakinghttps://www.theconnectedcup.com/https://www.instagram.com/itsbrookebierhaus/https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10149658/Brooke's Bio from IMDB: Brooke Bierhaus is an American award-winning documentary filmmaker and visual storyteller. Brooke is known for her feature film, "The Connected Cup", following the heart of coffee and tea around the world as a global language of connection. Brooke has worked and produced stories in 22 countries.--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

Today we talk with Voltage Control president Douglas Ferguson and we're taking you beyond the prototype. If you ever run a design sprint, or even if you simply sat down at your desk to think through a really cool idea for a product or a new podcast or how do we improve something in your neighborhood. You started the design process. The question is, how do you go from a good idea to putting something out into the world? Douglas helps us find out. "You gotta slow down to go fast" - Douglas FergusonVoltage Control president, design thinking facilitator and innovation coach Douglas Ferguson recently published a book called Beyond the Prototype that aims to help teams and organizations (and individuals!) go from generating awesome ideas to implementing them. Over the course of our conversation we cover:the power of systems thinkingseeing variables in the design ecosystemfacilitation as model through systems thinkingThe connections between organizations and society.HR departments using design thinking to point the lens inwardCaution that when we compress ideas there is opportunity to meaning to be lostWhy facilitation is such a crucial rolefor example, realizing if you’re using one word to mean two things, or two words to mean the same thing - skilled facilitating brings these discrepancies and differences in meaning into focus for teams to help them overcome roadblocks in understandingWhy so many start up founders get stuck on the idea of scale rather versus pursuing a smaller, but passion-driven ideaHow design facilitation sessions are about harnessing the power of the child’s mind - playful energyand debriefing as a crucial stage in any process: can you answer the question of why did we did this?Links and Resources mentioned in today's episodevoltagecontrol.combeyondtheprototype.comstartwithin.comBeyond the Prototype bookJake Knapp - Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five DaysGreg Satell - Cascades: How to Create a Movement that Drives Transformational ChangeDavid Epstein - Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message

The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is a next-generation observatory currently under development that has created a watershed moment for the scientific community and Hawaiian society. This is because of its planned location on Mauna Kea… the most sacred mountain in the Hawaiian religion. But the case of TMT and Mauna Kea is not an outlier because mountain summits often have profound meanings to both indigenous cultural practitioners and technology developers. For example, Kanamota is another sacred mountain that is the site of technological development. It's also known as Mount Saint Helena. Ian Garrett is the co-founder and director of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts (CSPA) and an Associate Professor of Ecological Design for Performance at York University. He's collaborating with indigenous communities to understand and express how contested spaces are experienced through virtual reality. In this second installment of Starstruck, we talk with him about his ongoing collaborations with indigenous communities and explore the use of diminished reality to make the observatories on Mauna Kea disappear.Starstruck Episode 001Check out our Prelude episode on the background of the Thirty Meter Telescope, Will We Find God with this Machine? Produced by Adam Gamwell + Missing Link Studios + Mindshare--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thisanthrolife/message