Recently, artificial intelligence has been making headlines. Experts remain divided as to its course and its consequence. While we are busy putting a mangifying glass on AI, we might benefit more if we were to use a mirror. Is the rise and proliferation of AI the inevitable outcome of our human nature?
25 Mar 2026
War and Women's Security
Women and children suffer the most during war. As we close out International Women's Month, it is appropriate to reflect on the rising cost of war on civilian populations, and particularly women. The United Nations has noted that war-related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) has nearly doubled in recent years, as record numbers of women live within 50km of active conflicts. This episode discusses the trend of increasing war-related sexual violence, and various historical, psychological, and evolutionary perspectives. A caution: this episode discusses academic research on sexual violence in war, and some listeners may find the studies and the cases disturbing.
13 Dec 2025
Declining Birth Rates and International War
In this episode of Our Human Nature, I discuss our plummeting global fertility rates, the incredible challenge this poses to nations, and the surprising connection between low birth rates and war. Around the globe, birth rates are falling below replacement rate. Our overall fertility rate has dropped in half since the 1960s. By the end of this century, only 6 nations are forecast to have enough births to sustain their economies. Apart from the incredible challenge this poses to nations, there is substantial evidence that depopulation prompts nations to become more territorially aggressive, accept higher risks, and seek expansionist policies, especially along shared international borders.
5 Sept 2025
Built to Last: Why Corporate Culture is King
The most successful corporations in the world prioritize culture. While most companies advertise culture as a core pillar, many fail to fully operationalize it. This episode discusses the role of culture in several different domains, from medicine and patient safety to negotiation training, and from failed mergers to war. What are the lessons we can learn from these seemingly disparate arenas? What are the common themes? And how does our understanding of our human nature help us build great cultures that inspire lasting commitment and performance?
14 Jun 2025
The Science of Friendship
This episode explores the science of friendship, examining the global friendship recession, the impact of loneliness on health and genetics, and the connection between purpose and social connection.
22 Apr 2025
Is Monogamy Natural?
Like all creatures, one of our core biological imperatives is the need to reproduce. Yet, amidst rapid social change, we are seeing lower rates of marriage and fewer children. Traditional life scripts around marriage, monogamy, and family, are being challenged. But is this a temporary trend, or is it a more honest understanding of our human nature? To what extent are norms, ethics, and institutions important? Can we biohack our own love lives, and reconcile the tug-of-war between biology and culture in order to build stronger, happier, and more passionate long-term relationships?
12 Feb 2025
The Disturbing Power of Social Conformity: Psychology, Politics, and the Pandemic
How did a high school teacher create a fascist regime in less than three days? What percentage of us would kill another person simply because we were told we must? Why is conforming to the group more powerful than being moral or right? What did the Covid-19 pandemic tell us about our hardwired need to belong and what does it mean for our future?
2 Jan 2025
Our Pursuit of Health, Wealth, and Happiness
We all want happiness, for ourselves and our loved ones. Yet, despite our knowledge of how to live better lives and our various New Year's resolutions, we still struggle to find it. What does the science say about happiness? Who does it best and why? What are the common social roadblocks that get in the way? Does money buy happiness? And, what is the link between happiness, biological health, and longevity?
2 Dec 2024
Has Medicine Failed Women?
Leading medical researcher, Dr. Kathryn Hall, explores the disturbing trend of sexism in medicine, revealing why women are often denied critical medical treatments and highlighting the urgent need for reform.
15 Nov 2024
Why Can't We Solve War?
We currently have more wars between nations than at any other time since the end of World War II. Our ability to chart a course for peace, and a challenge that will face the new Trump Administration, will require a sophisticated understanding of the social dimensions that underpin conflict, both between and within states. In this episode, I discuss a few of war's constants; those attributes we must acknowledge if we are to negotiate our way to a more peaceful world.
8 Nov 2024
Part 2: Masculinity and the Remaking of Modern Men
Part 2 of our discussion on modern masculinity. Our mission, to rid our world of toxic masculinity, and to remake modern men, will involve squaring our evolutionary hardwiring with the expectations of a changing social world.
27 Oct 2024
The Crisis with Men and Masculinity
Young men today are suffering from astonishing rates of testosterone decline, poor fitness, social isolation, and overall risk-aversion. In this episode we explore some of these trends, both biological and social, and consider the question of whether we need manly men in a modern egalitarian world, or whether we are taking our first steps into a post-masculine society.
18 Oct 2024
Life in the Fast Lane: Human Nature in a Changing World
Our world is changing at a greater rate than ever before. Despite the incredible volume of information at our fingertips on how to live better, healthier, and more peaceful lives, we are seeing, in many cases, the opposite effect; political and ideological divisiveness, war, and poor physical and mental health. We are at a crossroads, the likes of which we have never before seen in human history.
17 Oct 2024
Introduction: Our Human Nature
Dr. Robert Barrett introduces Our Human Nature, an exploration of what it means to be human in a changing world.
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