Robert SapolskyEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Science of Stress, Testosterone & Free Will _ Dr. Robert Sapolsky

He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the criminal-justice system, and how to look casual when you’re about to blow-dart a very large and potentially unhappy primate. This episode originally aired on March 5th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the criminal-justice system, and how to look casual when you’re about to blow-dart a very large and potentially unhappy primate. This episode originally aired on March 5th, 2021. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Cortisol gets blamed for everything from sleepless nights to stubborn belly fat, but the real story is far more complicated. Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a neuroscientist, biologist, and Stanford University professor, and author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, about what this stress hormone actually does and why it matters. Sapolsky explains how chronic stress affects sleep, metabolism, mood, and long‑term health, and shares what we can learn from creatures who manage stress far better than we do... including how you might do the same.   Our show was produced by Jennifer Lai.   Medical Writer: Andrea Kane Showrunner: Amanda Sealy Senior Producer: Dan Bloom Technical Director: Dan Dzula Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you think you understand why people do what they do, you’re probably wrong. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a legendary neuroscientist, primatologist, and bestselling author. We explore one of the most controversial questions in science: Do we truly possess free will? Dr. Sapolsky breaks down decades of research on the brain, stress, and behavior to reveal how much of who we are is determined by biology and environment. We discuss why humans evolved to lie, what makes aggression unique to our species, and why the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, is a key hub for stress and aging. Dr. Sapolsky also explains how neurogenesis (the birth of new brain cells) actually happens, and why lifestyle factors like exercise, sleep, and diet directly affect it. You’ll hear his take on why judgment and blame make little sense once you understand the brain, and how embracing this truth can make us more empathetic and less punitive as a society. This is a profound, mind-expanding conversation that redefines what it means to be human and how understanding our biology can make us better individuals. Podcast Sponsors: -Brain Power Clinics: www.BrainPowerClinics.com - https://brainpowerclinics.com/ -Roar Lion's Mane: https://roarlionsmane.net/ “You've got to be really careful before you judge someone especially harshly, because you almost certainly don't know how they wound up being the person they are.” ~ Dr. Robert Sapolsky In this Episode: - The story of human aggression - Understanding what happens in the brain during stress - Do we really have free will? - Why compassion matters more than judgment - The hippocampus, stress, and memory - Neurogenesis: how we grow new brain cells - The pioneers of brain science who were ignored - Brain injury, behavior, and criminal justice reform - How to raise healthy, resilient children Resource -Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will by Dr. Robert Sapolsky - https://www.amazon.com/dp/0525560971 Connect with Dr. Robert Sapolsky: 🌐Website - https://profiles.stanford.edu/robert-sapolsky 📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/robert.sapolsky/ Connect with Robert Love: 🌐Website - https://roarlionsmane.net/ 📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/robertwblove/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/discover/robert-love-lions-mane ▶️YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@RobertWBLove Disclaimer: This podcast is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Please consult your physician or a qualified healthcare provider before making any changes to your medical treatment or care plan.

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode my guest is Dr. Robert Sapolsky, PhD , a professor of biology, neurology and neurological sciences at Stanford University. We discuss different types of stress and how our perception of stress as harmful or beneficial largely depends on context. He also explains how testosterone amplifies pre-existing behaviors and tendencies, and he highlights the crucial role of estrogen in supporting brain and body health. We also discuss daily cognitive practices for stress mitigation and how modern life, influenced by social media and complex social hierarchies, shapes our responses to stress. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com . Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman David: https://davidprotein.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Robert Sapolsky 00:00:23 Positive & Negative Stress; Excitement, Amygdala 00:02:47 Testosterone & Brain, Aggression, Hierarchy 00:06:27 Sponsors: Function & LMNT 00:09:18 Testosterone, Motivation, Challenge & Confidence 00:13:52 Dopamine, Testosterone & Motivation 00:16:20 Estrogen, Brain & Health, Replacement Therapies 00:18:12 Stress Mitigation 00:22:09 Sponsors: AG1 & David 00:24:59 Cognitive Practices for Stress Mitigation, Individual Variability, Consistency 00:27:18 Stress, Perception & Individual Differences 00:29:39 Context, Stress & Brain 00:32:47 Social Media, Context, Multiple Hierarchies 00:35:57 Acknowledgments Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Robert Sapolsky is an academic, author, neuroscientist, and primatologist, who has studied wild baboons in Kenya over a 25 year period. Robert explores how stress and social hierarchies affect baboon health and behaviour and how these findings parallel human experiences in societal structures. Keep up to date with Peter on Substack Keep up to date with Kasia! Executive Producer: Rachel Barrett Thanks to our volunteer researchers Hendrik Dahlmeier and Mihika Chechi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We start this story off with a question. Are human beings innately violent?  Then we head to East Africa with Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, who spent his summers studying wild baboons there. Baboons are a textbook example of a hierarchical, male-dominated, and aggressive society. But one day, Sapolsky noticed that a troop of baboons became unexpectedly gentle. They deviated from the usual aggressiveness so characteristic of them and groomed each other. The key question was how do these guys unlearn their entire childhood culture of aggression, something supposedly built-in? Sapolsky tells us that tale — a moment he describes as one of the best science moments of his life.  For more: Read Robert Sapolsky’s account of his 21 years studying baboons in Kenya.  Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler. Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts. Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design. Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W. Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster. Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton. Production help from Tanya Chawla. Sound mixing by Joe Plourde. HEY GROWN-UPS! Love the show? Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review on your podcast app—it helps curious listeners find us! Terrestrials is made possible in part by listeners like you. Support the show by joining The Explorers Club —and we’ll send you a special puzzle as a thank-you gift from our team! We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts about Terrestrials with us. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for bite-sized essays, activities, and ways to connect with the show. Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes extras and more. Listen to original music from Terrestrials on Spotify, Apple Music, or our music page. Got a badgering question for the team? Email us at terrestrials@wnyc.org or submit a voice memo with your name, age, and your question using this form! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stress isn’t just in your head—it’s rewiring your brain. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Robert Sapolsky to dive into the science of stress and its profound impact on mental and physical health. We explore how chronic stress damages the brain, particularly the hippocampus, leading to cognitive decline and mood disorders. Tune in to learn powerful strategies for managing stress, from mindfulness to exercise, and discover what it means for your health and society at large. In this episode, we discuss: The difference between short-term (acute) stress, which can be beneficial in small doses, and long-term (chronic) stress The impact of stress on brain health The argument that free will is an illusion, as our decisions and behaviors are largely driven by complex biological processes and environmental factors How stress interacts with genes and the environment, influencing behavior, health outcomes, and the body's ability to cope with stress How chronic stress triggers inflammation throughout the body, contributing to various health problems Effective ways to manage stress, including mindfulness, physical exercise, and proper nutrition View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Pendulum, Thrive Market, and Our Place. Streamline your lab orders with Rupa Health. Access more than 3,500 specialty lab tests and register for a FREE live demo at RupaHealth.com. Pendulum is offering listeners 20% off their first membership order at pendulumlife.com/farmacy. Discount applied at checkout. Head over to ThriveMarket.com/Hyman today to received 30% off your first order and a free gift up to $60. Upgrade your cookware, appliances and more with Our Place. Head over to FromOurPlace.com and enter code HYMAN at checkout to receive 10% off site-wide.

Sam Harris speaks with Robert Sapolsky about the widespread belief in free will. They discuss the limits of intuition, the views of Dan Dennett, complexity and emergence, downward causation, abstraction, epigenetics, predictability, fatalism, Benjamin Libet, the primacy of luck, historical change in attitudes about free will, implications for ethics and criminal justice, the psychological satisfaction of punishing bad people, understanding evil, punishment and reward as tools, meritocracy, the consequences of physical beauty, the logic of reasoning, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe . Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Is there a quantum reason we could have free will? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice explore the concept of free will and predetermination with neuroscientist, biologist, and author of Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will, Robert Sapolsky.  A special thanks from our editors to Robert Sapolsky’s dog.  NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free here:  https://startalkmedia.com/show/do-we-have-free-will-with-robert-sapolsky/ Thanks to our Patrons Pro Handyman, Brad K. Daniels, Starman, Stephen Somers, Nina Kane, Paul Applegate, and David Goldberg for supporting us this week. Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of StarTalk Radio ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Why do we get stressed? What are the psychological differences between conservatives and liberals? Is free will a myth? Rory and Alastair are joined by scientist Dr Robert Sapolsky to answer all these questions and more in today's episode of Leading. TRIP Plus: Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Question Time episodes. Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics. Instagram: @restispolitics Twitter: @RestIsPolitics Email: restispolitics@gmail.com Producers: Dom Johnson + Nicole Maslen Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Robert Sapolsky is an American neuroendocrinology researcher and author. He is a professor of biology, neurology, neurological sciences, and neurosurgery at Stanford University. He is the author of "Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will", which you can purchase here . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do human beings have free will? For Stanford neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky, science clearly demonstrates that free will is a powerful and dangerous illusion. Without free will, it makes no more sense to punish people for antisocial behaviour than it does to scold a car for breaking down. But for philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel Dennett, free will is not only compatible with our current scientific knowledge but justified by it. Free will underwrites our moral and artistic responsibility – and reason and self-control are both real and desirable. Coming together to debate this question for the first time, these two intellectual giants delve deep into the science and philosophy of the mind and get to the heart of this ancient and vitally important question. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of "Into the Magic Shop," Dr. Jim Doty hosts a conversation with esteemed behavioral scientist and Stanford professor of biology and neurology, Robert Sapolsky. They discuss Sapolsky's work in primatology, his experiences in the field and his views on free will, most recently explored in great length in his latest book, “Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will.” Sapolsky shares his skepticism towards the concept of free will, arguing that our actions are influenced by factors like genes, evolution, and environmental interactions. He also challenges traditional notions of moral responsibility. While Dr. Doty and Sapolsky explore the existential implications of these ideas and the notion that every action is predetermined, Sapolsky offers a hopeful conclusion to his research suggesting that change is possible even without free will.

Sean Illing speaks with Robert Sapolsky, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the author of a new book called Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will. They discuss the concept of free will, whether it actually exists in the way we think it does, and what it means for society if free will is indeed an illusion. Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), host, The Gray Area Guest: Robert Sapolsky, author, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will References:  Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will by Robert M. Sapolsky (Penguin Random House, 2023) Behave by Robert M. Sapolsky (Penguin Random House, 2018) “Robert Sapolsky Doesn’t Believe in Free Will. (But Feel Free to Disagree.)” by Hope Reese (New York Times, October 2023) Enjoyed this episode? Rate The Gray Area ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of The Gray Area by subscribing in your favorite podcast app. Support The Gray Area by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts This episode was made by:  Engineer: Rob Byers Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Jordan B Peterson sits down with Neuroendocrinology researcher and author of the upcoming book Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will, Robert Sapolsky. They discuss how Game Theory applies to human behavior across iterative rounds of play, the unexpected success of the tit-for-tat principle, the role of dopamine in the anticipation of the future, and the objective reality of transcendent structures within our biological routines. Robert Sapolsky is an American Neuroendocrinology researcher, author, and communicator. He has spent decades studying primates in the wild, written numerous articles and books, as well as produced multiple video series on the subject. By the age of 12, Sapolsky was writing to well known primatologists as a fan, and had also begun teaching himself swahili with the early ambition of heading to Tanzanian, Mozambique, and Kenya in search of his own primates (Specifically Silverback Gorillas) to study. Not too much later, Sapolsky would make contact with a group of gorillas in Kenya, a group he would visit every year for 25 years, spending 4 months studying them at a time. Sapolsky would go on to become the John A. and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor at Stanford University, holding joint appointments in several departments, including Biological Sciences, Neurology & Neurological Sciences, and Neurosurgery. - Links - For Robert Sapolsky: Determined (Book) https://www.amazon.com/Determined-Science-Life-without-Free/dp/B0BVNSX4CQ/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=QFjFx&content-id=amzn1.sym.579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_p=579192ca-1482-4409-abe7-9e14f17ac827&pf_rd_r=138-5878495-9086964&pd_rd_wg=c78OT&pd_rd_r=59b94cd4-c046-4970-af71-a6cd4f439f77&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk Behave (Book) https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/592344/determined-by-robert-m-sapolsky/ Robert Sapolsky on X https://twitter.com/robot_sapolsky?lang=en Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Your mother's socio-economic status at the time of your birth. Whether your ancestors raised crops or led camels through the desert. The smell of the room you're in when you're making a decision--all of these things, says neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, combine to affect your behavior, as well as everything in between. And if you're wondering where free will fits in, Sapolsky says, it doesn't: If we're all the sum of our biology and environments over which we had no control, it makes no sense to hold us accountable for anything that we do. In a conversation that's equal parts fascinating and frightening, Sapolsky and EconTalk's Russ Roberts discuss the science and philosophy behind determinism. They explore what this argument, taken to its logical conclusion, means for our social and legal systems, and the challenge of how to live if free will is an illusion.

Dr. Robert Sapolsky (Behave, Determined) is a behavioral scientist and author. Robert joins the Armchair Expert to discuss why he was drawn to studying the social habits of baboons, how their behavior relates to human psychology, and what we learned from Phineas Gage. Robert and Dax talk about how conditioning helps people get through stressful situations, how culture affects the development of the human brain, and how child raising is different in a collective society. Robert explains the myth of grit, how praise and punishment are used to try to shape people, and his view of free will. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I have been a fan of Robert Sapolsky’s for a long time. He is a creative force, with wide ranging knowledge, from primatology to neuroscience, and he is also a wonderful expositor of science. His previous book, Behave, was a wide ranging exploration of human behavior, at its best and worst. I have been wanting to do a podcast with him for some time, and the launch of his new book, Determined, gave us the opportunity. I got an advanced copy and we recorded this a few weeks ago, so that this podcast could post on the book’s publication date. Had it been anyone else, I admit I wouldn’t have bothered to go through the book. I have long felt the issue of free will is overplayed. The laws of physics are deterministic, and since biology and chemistry are based on physics, I have never doubted that free will is an illusion, but have also felt that for all intents and purposes the world we live in is indistinguishable from a world with free will, so we should take responsibility for our actions. As is often the case when reading Robert’s works, my view has now become more nuanced. His book masterfully discusses the neurobiology behind the illusion of free will, what actually interests me the most, and he effectively demolished claims of numerous philosophers, including Dan Dennett and others, that some magic occurs between the level of neurons and the level of the full brain that allows for some uncaused behavior. Along the way, we are taken on a masterful and fun ride through modern neurobiology. And at the end, Sapolsky confronts the more serious question of crime and punishment in a world where free will is an illusion, and convincingly argues that in a world where bad luck early on gets multiplied throughout ones life, society can far more effectively and honestly deal with crime by abolishing the notion of punishment, replacing it with behaviorally more effective methods. In our podcast, as we always do, we discussed Sapolsky’s origins. What got him interested in science. How did his 30 years working with primates impact on his view of humans, and more. I found it a fascinating discussion, and I hope you will too. As always, an ad-free video version of this podcast is also available to paid Critical Mass subscribers. Your subscriptions support the non-profit Origins Project Foundation, which produces the podcast. The audio version is available free on the Critical Mass site and on all podcast sites, and the video version will also be available on the Origins Project Youtube channel as well. Get full access to Critical Mass at lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe

Meet Jared Diamond and Michael Shermer: https://skeptic.com/event Robert Sapolsky is the author of A Primate's Memoir , The Trouble with Testosterone , and Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers . His most recent book, Behave , was a New York Times bestseller and named a best book of the year by the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal . He is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant." His new book is D etermined: A Science of Life Without Free Will . Shermer and Sapolsky discuss: free will, determinism, compatibilism, libertarian free will • Christian List's 3 related capacities for free will • how what people believe about free will and determinism influences their behaviors • the three horsemen of determinism: (1) reductionism (2) predetermination; (3) epiphenomenalism • dualism • punishment • retributive vs. restorative justice •Is the self an illusion? • game theory evolution of punishment • luck • and meaning (or lack thereof).

Dr Robert Sapolsky is a Professor at Stanford University, a world-leading researcher, and an author. Stress is an inevitable part of human life. But what is stress actually doing to the human body when it happens for such a prolonged period of time? And what does science say are the best interventions to defeat it? Expect to learn the crucial difference between short term and long term stress, how stress actually impacts the human system, the neurodevelopmental consequences of stress and poverty, how to detrain your dopamine sensitivity, what everyone doesn't understand about how hormones work, whether believing in free will is a useful world view, why there is a relationship between belief in free will and obesity and much more... Extra Stuff: Get my free Reading List of 100 books to read before you die → https://chriswillx.com/books/ To support me on Patreon (thank you): https://www.patreon.com/modernwisdom - Get in touch. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chriswillx YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast Email: https://chriswillx.com/contact/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter's Weekly Newsletter In this episode, Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., discusses the widespread impact of stress on our physical and emotional health as well as the mechanisms by which it can precipitate chronic illness, dementia, depression, and more. He also provides insight into the factors that contribute to the stress response (and our ability to handle it) such as social rank, personality, environment, and genetics. Lastly, we discuss how our behavior is altered in the face of stress and how that not only has a pervasive effect on a personal level, but also on society as a whole in how we interact with each other. We discuss: Background, interest in stress, and Robert's time in Kenya studying baboons [2:45]; Physiology of a stress response, and why it's ingrained in our DNA [9:45]; Individual variation in the response to stress, and how everyone has a different optimal level [19:45]; How social rank and personality differences affect our stress response [26:30]; What's happening in the brain when faced with stressful situations? [35:00]; What makes the human brain different than all other species? [44:15]; Imprinting stress to your kids epigenetically [48:00]; The role of stress on memory and the consequences of hypercortisolemia [53:00]; The impact of subjective socioeconomic status and social media on stress levels and health [57:45]; Tips for managing stress in the modern world [1:13:15]; What Robert learned about himself studying the social behavior of baboons [1:25:30]; The multilayered factors behind every human behavior, the context of "good and bad", and exploring the human capacity of the wild extremes of violence and altruism from moment to moment [1:30:15]; PMS: How two women with identical hormone levels can have completely different emotional experiences [1:34:45]; How much of a role do genes play in depression and other emotional states? [1:38:00]; Why is cortisol elevated under sleep deprivation? [1:46:00]; The impact of stress on cancer [1:50:30]; The impact of stress on atherosclerosis, dementia, addiction, and depression [1:57:00]; Impulsiveness, impaired judgment, and lack of empathy in times of stress [2:01:45]; What advice would Robert give his 25-year-old self? [2:08:45]; and More. Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube

Eric chats with Robert Sapolsky, Stanford Professor of Biology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery. Robert is a world-renowned academic and author of highly successful books such as A Primate’s Memoir, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, and Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. His Stanford lectures were among the first to be made available online across the entire university and have been watched tens of millions of times. Robert is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow. He is a highly engaging teacher and lecturer, not least because of his wonderful sense of humor. In this episode, Robert announces his upcoming (yet-to-be-written) book “Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will.” Robert discusses when and how he came to give up his belief in free will, and why we all should if we want to live in a fairer society. However, Eric and Robert also discuss some alluring upsides of believing in free will, and Robert acknowledges he’d love to swallow the blue pill, allowing him to believe in free will again. If you found this episode interesting at all, consider leaving us a good rating! It just takes a second but will allow us to reach more people and make them excited about psychology. Links: Robert's latest book Behave Eric's website Eric's Twitter @EricNeumannPsy Podcast Twitter @StanfordPsyPod Let us know what you thought of this episode, or of the podcast! :) stanfordpsychpodcast@gmail.com

In this episode, I interview Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D. , Professor of Biology, Neurology & Neurosurgery at Stanford University. We discuss stress, what defines short-term versus long-term stress, and how stress can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on the context. We also discuss stress mitigation and how our sense of control over stress mitigation techniques, including exercise, determine health outcomes. Dr. Sapolsky explains some of the key effects of the hormone testosterone — how it can amplify pre-existing tendencies for aggression or sexual behavior, but that it does not produce those behaviors per se. He also explains how testosterone impacts our social hierarchies, sense of confidence, and willingness to embrace challenges of different kinds. He also explains how our behaviors and perceptions shape testosterone levels. And we discuss estrogen and the powerful role it plays in brain development, health and longevity. Finally, we discuss free will, what it means to have free will, and if we have any free will, including how knowledge alone might allow us to make better decisions for ourselves and society. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com . Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction: Dr. Robert Sapolsky 00:02:25 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:06:30 Stress: Short & Long-Term, Good & Bad 00:09:11 Valence & Amygdala 00:11:00 Testosterone: Common Myths vs. Actual Truths 00:15:15 Behaviors that Affect Testosterone 00:17:20 Mindsets & Contexts that Affect Testosterone 00:20:28 How Finger Length Ratios Reflect Prenatal Hormone Levels 00:22:30 Aggression: Male-Female, Female-Male, & Female-Female 00:24:05 Testosterone: The Challenge Hypothesis 00:29:20 How Dopamine Impacts Testosterone & Motivation 00:32:32 Estrogen: Improves Brain & Longevity BUT TIMING IS KEY 00:39:40 Are Testosterone & Sperm Counts in Males Really Dropping? 00:42:15 Stress Mitigation & Our Sense of Control 00:51:35 How Best to Buffer Stress 00:57:04 Power of Perception, Choice & Individual Differences 01:00:32 Context-Setting, Prefrontal Cortex & Hierarchy 01:11:20 How Dr. Sapolsky Accomplishes Deep Thinking 01:13:17 Do We Have Free Will? 01:20:50 How to Apply Knowledge & Learning 01

He’s one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the criminal-justice system, and how to look casual when you’re about to blow-dart a very large and potentially unhappy primate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A common argument against free will is that human behavior is not freely chosen, but rather determined by a number of factors. So what are those factors, anyway? There's no one better equipped to answer this question than Robert Sapolsky, a leading psychoneurobiologist who has studied human behavior from a variety of angles. In this conversation we follow the path Sapolsky sets out in his bestselling book Behave, where he examines the influences on our behavior from a variety of timescales, from the very short (signals from the amygdala) to the quite ancient (genetic factors tracing back tens of thousands of years and more). It's a dizzying tour that helps us understand the complexity of human action. Support Mindscape on Patreon. Robert Sapolsky received his Ph.D. in neuroendocrinology from Rockefeller University. He is currently the John and Cynthia Fry Gunn Professor of Biology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery at Stanford University. His awards include a MacArthur Fellowship, the McGovern Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and Wonderfest's Carl Sagan Prize for Science Popularization. Stanford web page Wikipedia Robert Sapolsky Rocks (fan page) Amazon author page YouTube lectures on Human Behavioral Biology IMDb

Robert Sapolsky is a Stanford neuroscientist and primatologist. He’s the author of a slew of important books on human biology and behavior, including most recently Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst. But it’s an older book he wrote that forms the basis for this conversation. In Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, Sapolsky works through how a stress response that evolved for fast, fight-or-flight situations on the savannah continuously wears on our bodies and brains in modern life. But stress isn’t just an individual phenomenon. It’s also a social force, applied brutally and unequally across our society. “If you want to see an example of chronic stress, study poverty,” Sapolsky says. I often say on the show that politics and policy need to begin with a realistic model of human nature. This is a show about that level of the policy conversation: It’s about how poverty and stress exist in a doom loop together, each amplifying the other’s effects on the brain and body, deepening their harms. And this is a conversation of intense relevance to how we make social policy. Much of the fight in Washington, and in the states, is about whether the best way to get people out of poverty is to make it harder to access help, to make sure the government doesn’t become, in Paul Ryan’s memorable phrase, “a hammock.” Understanding how the stress of poverty acts on people’s minds, how it saps their will and harms their cognitive function and hurts their children, exposes how cruel and wrongheaded that view really is. Sapolsky and I also discuss whether free will is a myth, why he believes the prison system is incompatible with modern neuroscience, how studying monkeys in times of social change helps makes sense of the current moment in American politics, and much more. It’s worth your time. Book Recommendations: The 21 Balloons by William Pene Dubois Chaos: Making a New Science by James Gleick The Tangled Wing: Biological Constraints on the Human Spirit by Melvin Konner Credits: Producer/Audio engineer - Jeff Geld Researcher - Roge Karma Please consider making a contribution to Vox to support this show: bit.ly/givepodcasts Your support will help us keep having ambitious conversations about big ideas. New to the show? Want to check out Ezra’s favorite episodes? Check out the Ezra Klein Show beginner’s guide (http://bit.ly/EKSbeginhere) Want to contact the show? Reach out at ezrakleinshow@vox.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What can animals teach us about our own decision-making process? Every summer for 25 years, Dr. Robert Sapolsky has been studying baboons on the plains of Africa, where he's learned a surprising amount about why we behave the way we do. In this episode Alan Alda speaks with Dr. Sapolsky about his experiences with animals (both human and baboon) and learns about the fascinating similarities in our behavior, our decision-making process, and how we communicate with each other about things we understand and things we don't. Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/clearandvivid Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., discusses the widespread impact of stress on our physical and emotional health as well as the mechanisms by which it can precipitate chronic illness, dementia, depression, and more. He also provides insight into the factors that contribute to the stress response (and our ability to handle it) such as social rank, personality, environment, and genetics. Lastly, we discuss how our behavior is altered in the face of stress and how that not only has a pervasive effect on a personal level, but also on society as a whole in how we interact with each other.  We discuss: Background, interest in stress, and Robert's time in Kenya studying baboons [7:00]; Physiology of a stress response, and why it's ingrained in our DNA [14:00]; Individual variation in the response to stress, and how everyone has a different optimal level [24:00]; How social rank and personality differences affect our stress response [30:15]; What's happening in the brain when faced with stressful situations? [39:15]; What makes the human brain different than all other species? [48:15]; Imprinting stress to your kids epigenetically [52:00]; The role of stress on memory and the consequences of hypercortisolemia [57:15]; The impact of subjective socioeconomic status and social media on stress levels and health [1:01:45]; Tips for managing stress in the modern world [1:17:45]; What Robert learned about himself studying the social behavior of baboons [1:29:30]; The multilayered factors behind every human behavior, the context of "good and bad," and exploring the human capacity of the wild extremes of violence and altruism from moment to moment [1:34:30]; PMS: How two women with identical hormone levels can have completely different emotional experiences [1:39:00]; How much of a role do genes play in depression and other emotional states? [1:42:45]; Why is cortisol elevated under sleep deprivation? [1:50:15]; The impact of stress on cancer [1:54:30]; The impact of stress on atherosclerosis, dementia, addiction, and depression [2:01:15]; Impulsiveness, impaired judgement, and lack of empathy in times of stress [2:05:45]; What advice would Robert give his 25-year-old self? [2:12:45]; and More. Learn more at www.PeterAttiaMD.com Connect with Peter on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.