Shows
Crazy TownFinding Crazy Town Part 6: Facing the FutureWhat would it actually mean to live with less? From World War II rationing to the possibility of a contracting economy, the search explores what happens when a civilization built on endless expansion runs up against ecological limits. And if we're forced to power down, can we preserve the things we value most—health, human rights, cultural diversity, individual freedom—without preserving the system that created them?In Part 6 of our six-part series, Finding Crazy Town, producer Alex Leff reaches the final stop in his investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Mill...
2026-10-0741 min
Human Nature OdysseyREWIND - Against Leviathan: An Anarchist Fairytale of the Origin of CivilizationThis episode originally aired in October of 2024. Gather around the campfire for a ghost story about the most destructive monster in history: civilization itself. In this episode, we delve into the countercultural writings of Fredy Perlman, whose strange 1983 book "Against His-Story, Against-Leviathan"—riddled with grammatical errors and misspellings—blends myth and history to explore the nature of power, subjugation, and the struggle between the rulers and the ruled. Our journey takes us back to ancient Sumer, where egalitarian hunter-gatherer communities transformed into peasants and slaves bound by a mysterious force even the rulers could...
2026-10-0141 minCrazy TownFinding Crazy Town Part 5: Adapting to the Adaptive CycleWhat if collapse isn't the end of the story but part of a larger cycle?In Part 5 of our six-part summer series, Finding Crazy Town, producer Alex Leff continues his investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller. Following clues from the Crazy Town archives leads to the adaptive cycle: a framework from ecology that describes how complex systems move through growth, maturity, collapse, and reorganization.From the Titanic and lifeboats to Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition, the search turns toward a more difficult question: How do we navigate a period...
2026-09-2343 min
Death in The GardenCircumambulating the Food System | BONUS EPISODEThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comOn this bonus episode, we are joined by Alex Leff of Human Nature Odyssey to discuss the food system and the strange incentives that perpetuate a system that is at once convenient and destructive. Alex was also thinking about food, as he had just released a podcast entitled The Forest and Forager before this conversation, where he takes the listener on a journey through the Garden of Eden and the grocery store, trying to understand ourselves as a foraging creature who...
2026-09-1720 minCrazy TownFinding Crazy Town Part 4: The Myth of Progress - Are We There Yet?What if the story we tell ourselves about progress is wrong?In Part 4 of our six-part summer series, Finding Crazy Town, producer Alex Leff continues his investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller. Following clues from the Crazy Town archives, Alex begins questioning one of the most deeply held assumptions of modern society: that history is a story of continual progress.From rising life expectancy and GDP to expanding material wealth and technological innovation, there are plenty of reasons to believe things are getting better. But where did this...
2026-09-0931 min
Human Nature Odyssey26 - Can Games Save The World From Bureaucracy? With C. Thi NguyenHow did humans go from living in small-scale communities where everyone knew each other to building a massive civilization filled with billions of strangers? And what the heck holds those societies together? In this episode, philosopher C. Thi Nguyen, author of The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's Game, joins the odyssey to explore the strange relationship between games, bureaucracy, and large-scale society. We explore why bureaucracies are so inescapably powerful, what they can—and can't—see, and whether large-scale institutions are doomed to lose sight of nuance and local context. Does the flexibility and e...
2026-09-0357 minCrazy TownFinding Crazy Town Part 3: Unlimited Limits to GrowthCan our economy keep growing forever on a finite planet?In this third installment of Finding Crazy Town, we explore the idea of exponential economic growth, why economists and politicians have become so committed to it, and what happens when our economic models fail to account for the environmental systems that make the economy possible.Along the way, Jason, Rob, and Asher revisit the problems they see in conventional economics, Jason recounts the experience that sent him down the rabbit hole of Limits to Growth and ecological economics, and the trio asks whether growth and...
2026-08-2647 minCrazy TownFinding Crazy Town Part 2: Simplifying ComplexityWhat if the greatest strength of modern civilization—its incredible complexity—is also its greatest weakness?In Part 2 of our six-part summer series, Finding Crazy Town, producer Alex Leff continues investigating the mysterious disappearance of Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller. Following the trail leads from a simple podcast microphone into the astonishing complexity of modern techno-industrial civilization, where every solution creates new layers of coordination, specialization, and dependence.We'll revisit one of Crazy Town's core ideas: that complexity creates complexity. As societies become more interconnected, they also become more fragile—raising difficult questions about...
2026-08-1244 minCrazy TownRemembering Richard Heinberg: The Power PodcastThe world has lost a voice of clear, truth-telling wisdom—a man whose work reached millions of people and fundamentally changed the lives of thousands.Richard Heinberg was regarded as one of the world’s foremost advocates for a shift away from our current reliance on fossil fuels. He was Senior Fellow of Post Carbon Institute for nearly twenty years. Richard was the author of fourteen books, including some of the seminal works on society’s current energy and environmental sustainability crisis.Crazy Town producers Alex Leff and Melody Traverse discuss Richard's legacy and play episod...
2026-08-0641 min
Human Nature Odyssey25 - The Forest and the ForagerYou might think that you are not a forager. But what if no matter our lifestyle or job title, we are forever hunter gatherers in this world: of food, of love, of meaning. In this immersive episode, join Alex on a walk through an ancient forest as you explore what it means to live life as a forager. It's a journey through the Garden of Eden grocery store, a wrestling with the gods, and a coming home to feast and famine. CITATIONS Changes in the Landscape by William Cronon If...
2026-08-0629 min
Death in The GardenThe Odyssey: An Ancient Story with Modern Implications | BONUS EPISODEThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comAs people who were willing to drive 3.5 hours one-way to see The Odyssey projected on 70mm IMAX, it’s safe to say we are fans of Christopher Nolan and we love the art of cinema. In this bonus episode with Alex Leff of Human Nature Odyssey, we discuss Nolan’s latest epic and all of the implications that his surprising retelling has today. We discuss the importance of myth and storytelling, and the need for us to engage consciously with...
2026-07-2315 minCrazy TownFinding Crazy Town Part 1: The Straight of EverythingWhat happens when the global economy depends on fish traveling 10,000 miles, oil flowing through a single strait, and enough cheap fossil fuel energy to build civilizations that previous generations couldn't even imagine?In Part 1 of our six-part summer series, producer Alex Leff begins investigating the mysterious disappearance of Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller. Following the clues leads to international shipping, global trade, and the hidden energy that powers modern civilization. Along the way, we'll revisit some of Crazy Town's foundational ideas—and begin asking how our modern techno-industrial world came to be, why it's so fr...
2026-07-1544 min
Human Nature Odyssey24 - Stories That Create or Destroy: Myth, Death, and Animism with Sophie StrandWhat if the crises of our time are not just ecological or political, but also mythological? Poet and author Sophie Strand joins Human Nature Odyssey for a wide-ranging conversation about stories, illness, ecology, and transformation. Drawing from mythology, religion, folklore, and her own experience living with chronic illness, Sophie explores how the stories we inherit shape our relationship to the living world—and what happens when those stories no longer serve us. Together, we discuss death and rebirth, animism, the power of storytelling, and the art of composting old narratives so that something new can gr...
2026-07-0959 minCrazy TownWhat Lies Beneath: AMOC, El Niño, & Climate Chaos with Emily SchoerningIt’d be easy, with the clusterf**k of crazy-making economic, geopolitical, and democracy-in-decline news dominating the scene, to forget that the unraveling of environmental systems waits for no person. That’s why we’ve asked Emily Schoerning to return to Crazy Town. Asher and Emily sit down together (uh, virtually) to discuss the oceanic dynamics – from worrisome to downright apocalyptic – that could make the Strait of Hormuz disruption look like a five-minute wait at the Starbucks drive-thru. In this episode they discuss the possibility of a 2026-2027 Super El Niño, the growing risks of an AMOC collapse, and how eac...
2026-06-1758 min
Human Nature Odyssey23 - What Is Human Nature Odyssey?You, me, and everyone we know were born on the Titanic. Some are warning of icebergs. Some are shoveling coal into the furnaces. Some are jamming out while the band plays louder than ever. In this special episode beginning Year Four of Human Nature Odyssey, Alex gathers friends together in a living room for a live-recorded podcast potluck conversation exploring civilization, collapse, climate change, community, and the strange experience of trying to live a meaningful life while the world feels increasingly unstable. Drawing from Lord of the Rings, the Titanic, Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, e...
2026-06-0430 minCrazy TownThe Hypocrite’s Guide to the Galaxy: Muddling Toward a Sustainable FootprintIs hypocrisy the one thing that can grow infinitely on our finite planet? When you learn that humanity’s fossil fuel burning, including your own, is contributing to climate chaos, what can you do? When you understand that economic growth and consumption are causing habitat loss and the sixth mass extinction, can you opt out? As long as you are embedded in an unsustainable society, it’s hard not to be a hypocrite. At the same time, dropping out seems isolating and ineffective, if you can even do it. Join Jason, Asher, and Rob as they hit the confessional to e...
2026-06-031h 04
Death in The GardenThe Score: How Quantification Has Shaped Society | BONUS EPISODEThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comOn this bonus episode of Death in The Garden with Alex Leff of Human Nature Odyssey, Alex takes us along on a deep-dive into The Score by game philosopher C. Thi Nguyen.In this episode we discuss all things quantification and gamification, and the ways that our civilization has prioritized what can be measured at the expense of almost everything else. W…
2026-05-2317 minCrazy TownThe Lighter Side of Dark Ages with Chris SmajeChris Smaje visits Crazy Town for some farmer-to-farmer straight talk with Jason Bradford. Are these two long lost cousins? Both dropped out of academia years ago to become philosophizing farmers (can we call them “pharmers” with a “ph,” as in PhD?!?). Chris’s latest book, Finding Lights in a Dark Age: Sharing Land, Work and Craft explores how we can move from modernity’s unsustainable political economy toward a re-organization of society, driven by communities and local food systems. In this wide-ranging conversation, Chris and Jason cover everything from Viking raids to agrarian populism, from societal collapse to the practicaliti...
2026-05-2057 min
Human Nature OdysseyHajar Tazi: Weaving Our Way Back HomeToday Hajar Tazi joins us on our odyssey. Hajar is a poet, writer, facilitator, and self-described "ecosystem weaver." Our conversation is part of a new five-episode miniseries from Resilience that I'm hosting in collaboration with the Omega Resilience Awards. It's called In the Rising Tide and it brings together conversations with five people from around the world, exploring the interconnected unfolding crises of our time—and how each of them is responding within their own communities. Across the series, I speak with a chef and farmer from the Philippines, an Indigenous water defender in Chile, a y...
2026-05-141h 20
Human Nature Odyssey22 - Earth Abides (Part 2): Future AnimistsOkay, it's been fifty years since the sudden collapse of civilization - why isn't everything back up and running already? In the 1949 sci-fi novel Earth Abides, Isherwood Williams tries and tries to teach the next generation about law, economics, and geometry but these dang kids would rather explore the streams that flow over abandoned boulevards and overgrown shopping malls. In Part 2 of this two-part series, Alex and astrophysicist Tom Murphy explore the unexpected evolution of life after the fall—when civilization fades into myth, and a new way of seeing the world begins to take root.
2026-04-2353 min
Any Job Can Be A Climate JobFrom Climate Doom to the Redwoods: Alex Sherry on Teaching Hope, One Kid at a TimeSometimes saving the planet starts with a banana slug on your face.Alex Sherry is a 23-year-old naturalist at Mission Springs Outdoor Education in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We talk about what happens when you put city kids in the redwoods for a week, what it's like to grow up inside the climate crisis instead of watching it approach, and how small moments outside can stick with kids for years.This episode is for teachers, coaches, parents, nannies, or anyone who works with kids. You have more influence than you realize, and Alex has ideas for how to use...
2026-04-1438 min
Human Nature Odyssey21 - Earth Abides (Part 1): Life After CivilizationYou ever go on a little trip, to just get away from it all — only to come home and find all of civilization collapsed while you were gone and you might be the last person left on earth? Well then you could totally relate to George R. Stewart's 1949 science-fiction novel, Earth Abides. Earth Abides is not your typical post-apocalyptic tale. It challenges some of our core notions on progress, human happiness, and civilization itself. It's a study of how our built infrastructure crumbles in our absence and becomes home to nonhuman life. It's abou...
2026-04-0949 min
Human Nature Odyssey20 - Joanna Macy & The Great Turning — with Jess SerranteHow do we live through wild times? Legendary scholar, activist, and systems thinker Joanna Macy named the moment we are living through the Great Unraveling—a time when our ecological, political, economic, and social systems destabilize to the point of no return. And yet, she also insisted that we stand on the threshold of a Great Turning: a profound transition toward a more just and sustainable world. Before Joanna's death in 2025, climate activist Jess Serrante recorded a series of intimate and insightful conversations with her. In this episode, Alex sits down with Jess, weaving in cl...
2026-03-0558 min
Human Nature Odyssey19 - Modern Myths: Flat Earth, Space Colonization, and the Stories We Tell to Escape RealityAt first glance, believing the earth is flat and dreams of colonizing Mars couldn't seem further apart. But both are built on the same story — that reality can be escaped if we just think big enough. This episode looks at two beliefs that seem opposite — flat earth and space colonization — and asks what they reveal about our urge to escape reality rather than reckon with it. One is the belief that humans could, and should, live in space: that we're destined to leave our planet behind and colonize the stars. The other is the belief that we're not on...
2026-01-2200 min
Any Job Can Be A Climate JobTurning Green Labs From Idea Into PracticeWhat does it really take to make sustainability stick?Pam Greenley shares how she brought the Green Labs concept back to MIT, and adapted it to a culture driven by metrics, incentives, and competition. By designing contests around resource savings and innovation, she helped turn an idea into everyday practice without forcing behavior change.This episode is for anyone working inside complex, high-performance organizations who wants to make sustainability normal, practical, and durable.🎙 Any Job Can Be a Climate Job is produced and hosted by Louisa Henry. Edited by Alex Leff. Or...
2026-01-2031 min
Death in The Garden28 Years Later: Embracing Zombies, Death, and the Gilmore Girls | BONUS EPISODEThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comOn this bonus episode of Death in The Garden with Alex Leff of Human Nature Odyssey, we talk about the strangely beautiful, gore-filled sequel to Danny Boyle’s genre-defining film, 28 Days Later — 28 Years Later. Set 28 years after the rapid spread of the “rage virus” across Britain, we follow a group of survivors who have managed to create a small, insular, and seemingly egalitarian society on an island off the coast of the mainland, protected from the zombies roaming...
2026-01-1224 min
Human Nature Odyssey28 Years Later: Embracing Zombies, Death, and Gilmore GirlsThis is the first 30 minutes of a longer conversation. The full conversation is available on the Human Nature Odyssey Patreon. === 28 years after the Rage Virus spread across the UK, the British Isles have been completely quarantined from the rest of the world. Zombies roam the forests and countryside while the survivors huntwith bows and arrows and make do in their fortified village. But for 12-year-old Spike, this is all normal. 28 Years Later is director Danny Boyle's sequel to the classic zombie thriller 28 Days Later. In this bonus conversation, Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan f...
2026-01-0825 min
Any Job Can Be A Climate JobProcess Improvement as a Climate ToolTeddy Salgado, a Senior Manager of Continuous Improvement at Boston Children's Hospital, loved the idea of using his education to help combat climate change. He had the opportunity to help a brewery in Thailand cut waste with the help of the process improvement methodology, Six Sigma.Disappointed in the lack of manufacturing opportunities to take the same climate action in Boston, he joined Boston Children’s Hospital to help with process improvement. Soon after, he saw an opportunity to connect those efficiencies with the company’s sustainability strategy. Teddy became a Six Sigma coach, helping employees across the...
2026-01-0628 min
Any Job Can Be A Climate JobThe Hidden Climate Hotspot in Surgery: Anesthesia GasesFor many inhaled anesthetic gases, very little is metabolized. So a lot of what’s delivered ends up getting exhausted/vented out (for staff safety), and not processed. They go up and out into the atmosphere.In the third episode of the Greener Hospitals, Healthier Futures series, I sat down with Dr. Prabhakar Devavaram, Director of Environmental Sustainability in the Division of Peri-operative Anesthesia and a pediatric anesthesiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital. He’s also the site principal investigator for Project SPRUCE, a multicenter trial to reduce anesthetic greenhouse gas emissions. ...
2025-12-2424 min
Human Nature Odyssey18 - Time Machine 2126 (Part 2): Techno-Utopia Or Apocalypse?Picture the future 100 years from now. What do you imagine? Flying cars? Space colonies? AI talking toasters? But if we can't sustain an endlessly growing economy - even with a transition to green energy - what does a realistic and positive future look like? Alex joins the hosts of Crazy Town to imagine life in the 22nd century: walking from our family farms into communal villages, living off the land in a low-energy lifestyle, taming our pet donkeys, and resisting our local warlords. It's not the future the movies told us to expect...
2025-12-1856 minCrazy TownSane Town: A Realistic Vision of Life 100 Years from NowPicture the future 100 years from now. What do you imagine? Flying cars? Space colonies? AI talking toasters?But if we can’t sustain an endlessly growing economy - even with a transition to green energy - what does a realistic and positive future look like?Alex Leff of the Human Nature Odyssey podcast joins Jason, Rob, and Asher to imagine life in the 22nd century: walking from our family farms into communal villages, living off the land in a low-energy lifestyle, taming our pet donkeys, and resisting our local warlords. It’s not the...
2025-12-1755 min
Any Job Can Be A Climate JobGreener Hospitals: The Hidden Footprint of SurgeryHospital operating rooms are an impressive dance of teamwork and timing. At Boston Children's Hospital, when the operating team wraps up, the cleaning team enters, each with specific assignments to clean and prep the room for the next surgery. On top of that, the team is always on the lookout for ways to reduce the environmental impact.We start today's episode with a conversation with Kristine Rodman, mother of a patient at Boston Children's Hospital. It was incredibly emotional to sit down and hear her story. It was a stark reminder of the stakes behind each operational...
2025-12-0546 min
Human Nature Odyssey17 - Time Machine 2126 (Part 1): Has Green Energy Saved Us Yet?What does a livable future look like 100 years from now? If we unlocked unlimited green energy, what would we actually do with it? And are our dreams of a renewable-energy utopia sometimes just as delusional as the fossil-fueled drill baby drill mentality? In this two-part series, Alex is joined by the hosts of Crazy Town—Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller—a research biologist, ecological economist, and Executive Director of the Post Carbon Institute, who bring a depth of knowledge as well as dad jokes. Together, they explore the implications of exponential energy growth on a fini...
2025-12-0438 minCrazy TownToasting Bread Is WAY Harder Than You Think: The Challenges of a Renewable Energy FutureWhat does a livable future look like 100 years from now? If we unlocked unlimited green energy, what would we actually do with it? And are our dreams of a renewable-energy utopia sometimes just as delusional as the old fossil-fueled, drill-baby-drill mentality?Alex Leff of the Human Nature Odyssey podcast hosts this special Crazy Town highlights compilation. Alex revisits some of the most thought-provoking moments from Crazy Town, weaving in new commentary and context. Together, we explore energy literacy, the promises and pitfalls of a renewable-energy transition, and why toasting a simple slice of bread is much harder...
2025-12-0337 min
Death in The GardenStarting a Cosmic Commune: Inside Spaceship Earth and Biosphere 2 | BONUS EPISODEThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comOn this bonus episode of Death in The Garden with Alex Leff of Human Nature Odyssey, we’re talking about a strange little documentary that came out in 2020 called Spaceship Earth. When Jake and I first saw this film, we were impacted in a surprising way. Beyond the project of Biosphere 2, the film ultimately depicted the power of a group of people who r…
2025-11-2027 min
Human Nature OdysseyStarting a Cosmic Commune: Inside Spaceship Earth and Biosphere 2This is the first 30 minutes of a longer conversation. The full conversation is available on the Human Nature Odyssey Patreon. === In 1991, a group of artists, inventors, and visionaries set out to live inside a sealed desert enclosure for two years—a bold experiment to see if humans could survive in a self-contained environment. The project made headlines, sparked controversy, and became a cultural sensation. Spaceship Earth is the riveting documentary that tells the nuanced story of the people behind this audacious experiment. In this bonus conversation, Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan from the De...
2025-11-2031 min
Human Nature Odyssey16 - How To Survive A Zombie ApocalypseA horrific zombie apocalypse has ravaged the world—but hardly anyone seems to notice. One lone podcast sets out to interview those navigating this strange new reality: from people attending mindful zombie retreats and binging zombie media, to those stockpiling shotguns and fortifying bunkers, to others disappearing into the woods to build something entirely new. This is an original script written by Alex Leff. VOICE ACTING CREDITS Jason Bradford Rob Dietz Jake Gibson Maia Kinney-Petrucha Jessie Lian Jake Marquez
2025-10-3043 min
Human Nature OdysseyAndor, Star Wars, Rebellion, and the Reality of Our Global EmpireThis is the first 30 minutes of a longer conversation. The full conversation is available on the Human Nature Odyssey Patreon. === A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was an old Republic that, out of fear of a phantom menace, voted to consolidate authoritarian power—unknowingly sealing its own demise. It transformed into an Empire, bent on wielding its weapons of mass destruction to conquer all who dared resist. But don't worry—this is just a story. It has nothing to do with us. After all, it all happened a long...
2025-10-1635 min
Audiobooks Inspire Creativity While Delivering Entertainment Perfectly Suited for Active LifestylesPowerful Inspirational Baseball Stories for Mental Toughness for Kids, Vol. 1: Teach Teamwork & Confidence Through Baseball Heroes (Inspire Our Future) Audiobook by Cmitchell BooksListen to full audiobook for free :https://litupbook.com/freeTitle: Powerful Inspirational Baseball Stories for Mental Toughness for Kids, Vol. 1: Teach Teamwork & Confidence Through Baseball Heroes (Inspire Our Future)Categories: Biography, For ChildrenAuthor: Cmitchell BooksNarrator: Alex LeffPublisher: Cmitchell BooksRelease date: 10-02-2025Language: EnglishSummary:Learn about real baseball heroes, big dreams, and unshakable confidence.
Looking for a way to inspire your child with something more meaningful than screen time? This powerful book is packed with thrilling true stories of players and coaches...
2025-10-0300 min
Human Nature Odyssey15 - Are Hunter-Gatherers Liberals or Conservatives?What insights can our ancient past shine on our political future? Were hunter-gatherers the ultimate traditionalists—or proto-communists? Is it possible hunter-gatherers lived with greater equality and more political freedom than most societies today? And why do both communism and capitalism, despite being sworn enemies, rest on the same assumption of endless growth? Psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that humans are wired with both liberal and conservative tendencies—and that societies function best when those forces stay in balance. Where can we find the liberal and conservative elements in our hunter-gatherer past? And...
2025-09-2554 min
Human Nature OdysseyAnd On The Eighth Day God Created AIThis is the first 30 minutes of a longer conversation. The full conversation is available on the Human Nature Odyssey Patreon. === Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan are fellow podcasters, filmmakers, and new friends. Starting today, the three of us are joining forces to create monthly bonus episodes where we'll seek to better understanding this self-destructive civilizational 10,000 year predicament we find ourselves in. In this episode we discuss artificial intelligence. We found that despite all our philosophical overlap we were advocating two different approaches when it came to AI. I was exploring the idea of a...
2025-09-1131 min
Death in The GardenAnd On the Eighth Day, God Created AI | BONUS EPISODEThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comWe are so excited to share with you our brand new collaboration with the wonderfully bright Alex Leff from his greatly inspiring podcast, Human Nature Odyssey. We insist that you follow his podcast immediately, and do consider joining his Patreon.As fellow creatives trying to understand our place in the world, civilization, and our modern era, we decided it would be really fun (and also fruitful) to create regular podcasts together that we can share with our audiences to...
2025-09-1121 min
Human Nature OdysseySex at Dawn, Civilized to Death, and Tangentially Speaking with Christopher RyanChristopher Ryan joins the odyssey to discuss human nature - shouldn't be surprising - it's in the name! What's universal, what's cultural, and what's personal? Can we really change the culture we live in? And are some societies better suited to human well-being than others? Christopher Ryan is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships as well as the book Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress. He also hosts the long-running podcast, Tangentially Speaking," which has been downloaded over 30 million...
2025-08-281h 12
Human Nature Odyssey14 - The King Is Dead, Now What? The 250-Year Struggle for Democracy (Part 3)Breaking news: The Soviet Union has collapsed! The Berlin Wall has crumbled! Communism has fallen! Capitalism wins! USA! USA! But wait… what's this? Russia has been overtaken by oligarchs and an authoritarian dictator. Oh no… Well, at least that could never happen in the United States. Right? This is the climactic Part Three of our three-part series on the history of the left/right political spectrum. After the youth protests of the 1960s failed to topple governments, left-wing radicalism shifted its focus—from revolution to championing social equality through pop culture. But as cultur...
2025-07-241h 02
Up First from NPRIran Intelligence, Supreme Court Term Ends, Gaza Food ProgramThe administration has revealed new details about U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear program, the Supreme Court hands down it's final rulings of the session today, and a new aid group in Gaza is drawing international controversy because hundreds of Palestinians have been killed while approaching the group's food distribution sites. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Andrew Sussman, Krishnadev Calamur, Alex Leff, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by...
2025-06-2727 min
Human Nature Odyssey13 - The King Is Dead, Now What? The 250-Year Struggle for Democracy (Part 2)In the The King Is Dead, Now What? we're exploring the history of the left / right political spectrum and the 250 year struggle for democracy. In Part 1 we started telling the story that began with the French Revolution of 1789, when those in favor of monarchy sat on the right wing of the national assembly room and those in favor of revolution sat on the left wing. In the wake of the 1848 revolutions, the struggle between left and right gave rise to three major political ideologies—conservatism, liberalism, and radicalism—each offering a distinct vision for society. Thes...
2025-06-2653 minUp First from NPRTrump Strikes Iran, View From Israel, Iran's OptionsPresident Trump says U.S. military strikes on Iran "obliterated" Tehran's nuclear program, Iran continues to send missiles into Israel, while Iran's ambassador to the United Nations denounced U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear sites as "premeditated acts of aggression." Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Alex Leff, Andrew Sussman, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support...
2025-06-2313 minUp First from NPRNational Guard Ruling, Divisions On Iran, EU and Iran DiplomacyA court says President Trump can keep control of the National Guard in Los Angeles, for now. Differences of opinion about whether to join Israel's war against Iran are dividing the MAGA movement, and EU Ministers are seeking a diplomatic solution to the conflict at a meeting with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Krishnadev Calamur, Ryland Barton, Alex Leff, Miguel Macias, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle...
2025-06-2013 minUp First from NPRIran-Israel Conflict Latest, Trump On Iran, Social Security FundsThe latest developments in the Israel-Iran conflict, and the evolution of President Trump's thinking on whether to involve the US. Plus, the Social Security trust fund is expected to run out of cash in eight years, unless Congress acts before then.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Roberta Rampton, Alex Leff, Jane Greenhalgh, Janaya Williams and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Claire Murashima and Christopher Thomas. We get engineering...
2025-06-1913 minUp First from NPRMinnesota Shooting Arrest, Israel-Iran Conflict, G7 Kicks Off, Colorado Election DataAn arrest has been made in the shooting of two Democratic Minnesota state lawmakers and their spouses, Israel and Iran are trading missile strikes with few signs of deescalation, President Trump has arrived at the G7 in Canada, and the Justice Department sent an unprecedented demand for election data to the state of Colorado.Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter. Today's episode of Up First was edited by Kevin Drew, Alex Leff, Roberta Rampton, Janaya Williams and Arezou Rezvani. It...
2025-06-1618 minUp First from NPRIsrael Strikes Iran, National Guard Ruling, Padilla Handcuffed, Rescission VoteThe Israeli military strikes dozens of Iranian targets including nuclear facilities. A California appeals court allows President Trump to maintain control of the state's National Guard until a hearing can be held next week. Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed from a Homeland Security press conference in Los Angeles. And, the House has voted to reclaim money Congress had allocated for the public media system for the next two years. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's...
2025-06-1317 min
Human Nature Odyssey12 - The King Is Dead, Now What? The 250-Year Struggle for Democracy (Part 1)How many people are happy with the way society is headed? There seems to be a general consensus - maybe the one thing we all agree on - that things are not right. But our different opinions on what's wrong and what directions could be better too often fall on either side of a left vs right political spectrum. Where did we get this idea of a left wing and a right wing anyway? How is it in a world of such diversity of languages and traditions and religions there's just two freakin' wings? What...
2025-05-2250 min
Human Nature OdysseyGenesis and the Rise of Civilization (Bonus Episode)You are listening to a bonus episode of Human Nature Odyssey. This is a conversation with bible teacher and author J Snodgrass about his book "Genesis and the Rise of Civilization." You may remember from Episode 5 "Adam, Eve, and the Agricultural Revolution" that author Daniel Quinn theorized that the story of the Garden of Eden and Cain and Abel were originally told by hunter gatherers as a way to mythologically explaining the agricultural revolution they were witnessing around them. J Snodgrass, as you’ll hear, was struck by this idea as well, exploring this theory further. It's a we...
2025-04-1757 minUp First from NPROccupy Gaza Plan, Ukraine Ceasefire Talks, China EconomyAs the death toll reaches 50,000 Palestinians killed, Israel is considering a full-scale ground invasion and military occupation of Gaza. U.S. officials are meeting with Russian and Ukrainian diplomats in Saudi Arabia to negotiate a potential ceasefire. And, China's premier is calling for open markets and global investment amid the country's economic slowdown. Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.Today's episode of Up First was edited by Alex Leff, Ryland Barton, Reena Advani, Janaya Williams and Mohamad ElBardicy.It...
2025-03-2412 min
Human Nature OdysseyThe Tower of Babel as Metaphor, Myth, or Reality (Bonus Episode)You are listening to a bonus episode of Human Nature Odyssey. This is a conversation I had a little bit ago with D. Firth Griffith: farmer, author, and host of the Unshod podcast. Together we talk about the Tower of Babel as a metaphor for civilization, our relationship with technology, and whether humanity is the hero, victims, or villain of our global story. As Daniel wrote for the episode description: "The metaphor of the Tower of Babel serves as a philosophical lens through which we examine civilization's complexities and our relationship with technology. Are we b...
2025-03-201h 05
Human Nature OdysseyDeath in the Garden with Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan (Bonus Episode)If you are reading this that means you are about to listen to a special and temporary episode that in a month will only exist on the HNO Patreon. On our odyssey, we're going to need friends to help us along the way. Jake and Maren are exactly that - as well as hosts of their own podcast Death in the Garden. All you have to do is visit their website and you'll immediately know why I wanted to talk with them. In their own words, DITG is a "quest for ecological & cultural regeneration." In it they "q...
2025-02-201h 43
Human Nature OdysseyThe LA Fires, Resilience, and a Special Announcement with the Post Carbon Institute (Bonus Episode)If you are reading this that means you are about to listen to a special and temporary episode that in a month will only exist on the HNO Patreon. Why? Well for two reasons. The first is I have a good announcement to make about the podcast and the second is because I needed to give myself a little more time to finish the next couple episodes I’m working on right now before releasing them soon. I figured it’d be nice to share something in the meantime. In this episode I share my reflections and feel...
2025-01-2347 min
Human Nature OdysseyAstrophysics for a New Stone Age with Tom MurphyWhat will happen to our scientific knowledge if civilization collapses? Will astrophysics survive a future stone age? In this episode, we rest from our journey to talk with astrophysicist Tom Murphy, who's been on an odyssey of his own—moving from academia to a growing concern about the collapse of civilization, to an ever expanding appreciation of the cosmos. Together we'll gaze at the grandeur of the stars and marvel at the complexity of one of our oldest cousins: the amoeba. If you're seeking a moment to marvel at the interconnectedness of life on Earth and...
2024-12-1958 min
Human Nature Odyssey11 - Capitalism & Monopoly: Why The Best Board Games Make The Worst RealityLooking for a game to play over the holidays? Why not try the real world global economy? Too late, you're already playing it! Have you ever noticed how the most popular board games just so happen to reflect core components of our civilization? Settlers of Catan involves the extraction of raw materials. Risk is the imperialism and war between nations. Monopoly demonstrates the pitfalls of capitalism. Now in the real world, I rarely celebrate resource extraction, imperialism, or capitalism. But the board game versions are so much fun. Maybe that's why we're all playing it...
2024-11-2646 min
Unshod with D. Firth GriffithThe Tower of Babel as Metaphor, Myth, or Reality with Alex LeffEver wondered if our technological advancements are truly making life better or just more complicated? Join Alex of the Human Nature Odyssey podcast and me as we kickstart our return with a whirlwind of reflections beginning with our reminiscing about the hands-on expertise of past generations ... contrasting true ability with the digital era.The metaphor of the Tower of Babel serves as a philosophical lens through which we examine civilization's complexities and our relationship with technology. Are we building a society without understanding its true purpose, and how does this impact our local engagements? Alex and I...
2024-11-191h 09
Human Nature Odyssey10 - Against Leviathan: An Anarchist Fairytale of the Origin of CivilizationGather around the campfire for a ghost story about the most destructive monster in history: civilization itself. In this episode, we delve into the countercultural writings of Fredy Perlman, whose strange 1983 book "Against His-Story, Against-Leviathan"—riddled with grammatical errors and misspellings—blends myth and history to explore the nature of power, subjugation, and the struggle between the rulers and the ruled. Our journey takes us back to ancient Sumer, where egalitarian hunter-gatherer communities transformed into peasants and slaves bound by a mysterious force even the rulers couldn't control. We trace the rise of the fi...
2024-10-2441 min
Human Nature Odyssey9 - Out of Society and Into the Wild: The Legend of Christopher McCandlessIn the spring of 1992, twenty-four-year-old Christopher McCandless left society behind, hitchhiking 3,000 miles into the Alaskan wilderness. Two years earlier, Chris had donated his entire life savings to Oxfam, burned his social security card, and headed west seeking life on his own terms - without telling a soul, particularly his parents. In this episode, we delve into Into the Wild's larger cultural implications, exploring the conflict between self and society, community and solitude. Philosophers like Henry David Thoreau, John Muir, and John Locke will weigh in. As well as George Carlin and Malcolm and the Middle. ...
2024-09-1945 min
Human Nature OdysseyCan We Escape Modern Civilization? A Conversation with the Hosts of Crazy TownIs it possible to escape industrialism, capitalism, imperialism or are we trapped? Crazy Town podcast hosts Jason Bradford, Rob Dietz, and Asher Miller join us for a wide-ranging discussion of big topics like modern civilization's converging crises, the concept of 'red pilling', and the 1993 Bill Murray classic film Groundhog Day. With equal parts humor and in-depth analysis, Asher, Rob, and Jason safeguard their sanity while probing crazy-making topics like climate change, overshoot, runaway capitalism, and why we're all deluding ourselves. In addition to hosting the Crazy Town podcast, they are also leaders of the Post C...
2024-08-2955 minCrazy TownBonus: Human Nature OdysseySometimes you just wanna hear from someone else. In this bonus episode, Alex Leff enters Crazy Town to introduce his podcast, Human Nature Odyssey. Before playing the first episode of the podcast, Jason, Rob, and Asher find lots of laughs with Alex as they contemplate environmental destruction, gorilla suits, the fate of civilization, tandem bike rides, imaginary games, and how to make a podcast. If you need a little more encouragement to check out Human Nature Odyssey, our friend Tom Murphy (author of the Do the Math blog) gives it his highest recommendation.Warning: This podcast occasionally...
2024-07-3140 min
Human Nature OdysseyDeath in the Regenerative Garden: Rethinking Food, Farming, and the Cycle of LifeWhat death is required for life to grow? In our culture's resistance to death we seem to have caused so much of it. And what if humans aren't inherently a destructive force on the planet? How might we actually be another symbiotic part of our ecosystems? Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan are the hosts of Death in the Garden, a podcast exploring the complex intersection between myth, civilization, climate change. Mandy Magill is a regenerative agriculture educator and cofounder of the Earth Regeneration Alliance. In this episode we're sharing exerpts from b...
2024-07-2537 min
Hear Remarkable Performances Transform Books Into Unforgettable Spoken Entertainment Experiences InstantlyEl Gordo Audiobook by Barrel CoopsListen to full audiobook for free :https://litupbook.com/freeTitle: El GordoSubtitle: A Cat's TaleCategories: Adventure, Fiction, Post-Apocalyptic, Science FictionAuthor: Barrel CoopsNarrator: Alex LeffPublisher: Barrel CoopsRelease date: 06-17-2024Language: EnglishSummary:In a city that never sleeps, hidden under the feet of its bustling human population, unfolds the story of El Gordo, a remarkable cat whose life merges the ordinary with the mysterious. Despite his robust size and inquisitive amber eyes that hint at countless untold adventures, El Gordo...
2024-06-1700 min
Human Nature OdysseyWorldbuilding and Experience Design for Society with Abraham BuricksonCivilization is an interactive immersive experience. Worldbuilding isn't just for sci-fi and fantasy, but how we can change our society. Abraham Burickson, co-founder of Odyssey Works—an organization dedicated to crafting personalized, immersive experiences—has long been captivated by the transformative power of design. Whether in the structure of a building or the verses of a poem, he explores how these creations shape our perceptions and interactions with the world. In his latest book, Experience Design: A Participatory Manifesto Abraham encourages us to envision societal change as a collective act of worldbuilding. Join us as we ex...
2024-06-1347 minCrazy TownEscaping Humanocentrism: Why a Slime Mold Will Be President in 2028The myth of human dominion and exceptionalism is as old as the Bible and as unquestioned as gravity, at least in "modern" society. Rob, Asher, and Jason explore the ways that humanocentrism has come to dominate the planet and our minds, while pointing to ancient and newly emerging ways that the more-than-human world is respected and protected, even the dung beetle.Warning: This podcast occasionally uses spicy language.Sources/Links/Notes:Eileen Crist defines (and critiques) anthropocentrism.Global biomass of wild mammalsGlobal human-made mass exceeds all living biomass.Decline of pollinatorsDecline...
2024-05-291h 10
The Mike Church ShowThe Mike Church Show-Silence Of The Damned: Conservatism Inc Silent on Christian Speech Ban
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2024-05-0310 min
abandoned: The All-American Ruins PodcastA 10,000 Year-Old Story: All-American Ruins & Human Nature OdysseyTransmedia storyteller Alex Leff is the host of Human Nature Odyssey, a podcast that takes a unique look at humanity, civilization, and the fate of the world. In this bonus episode (which originally aired as a bonus episode for Human Nature Odyssey Patreon subscribers), join Alex as he interviews Blake where they discuss, what else? Abandoned spaces. Special thanks to Alex for letting us use this great audio.
Learn more and subscribe to Human Nature Odyssey: https://www.podpage.com/human-nature-odyssey-1/
Listen to more Human Nature Odyssey bonus content on Patreon: https://ww...
2024-04-1134 minabandoned: The All-American Ruins PodcastA 10,000 Year-Old Story: All-American Ruins & Human Nature OdysseyTransmedia storyteller Alex Leff is the host of Human Nature Odyssey, a podcast that takes a unique look at humanity, civilization, and the fate of the world. In this bonus episode (which originally aired as a bonus episode for Human Nature Odyssey Patreon subscribers), join Alex as he interviews Blake where they discuss, what else? Abandoned spaces. Special thanks to Alex for letting us use this great audio.
Learn more and subscribe to Human Nature Odyssey: https://www.podpage.com/human-nature-odyssey-1/
Listen to more Human Nature Odyssey bonus content on Patreon: https://ww...
2024-04-1134 min
Deep Breaths & Dance BreaksTools for Accessing Pleasure, Connecting to Your Body, and FULLY Recovering From Your Eating Disorder with Alex Leff 3 Things We Dive Into In This Episode: Types of "alternative" therapy modalities like EMDR, music therapy, somatic therapies, embodiment, and polarity Embodiment as a practice and a way of being - where you experience positive AND negative emotions to the fullest extent to feel fully alive The phases of eating disorder recovery and "recovery grad school," a phase where you truly experience wholeness, fullness, and aliveness
2024-04-051h 13
Death in The Garden#59 Premium: Circumambulating Our Civilizational Monolith with Alex Leff (Human Nature Odyssey)This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit deathinthegarden.substack.comOn this episode of “Death in The Garden” we are sharing our conversation with Alex Leff, which was co-released for his podcast subscribers. Alex Leff is the creator and visionary behind Human Nature Odyssey, which is a cinematic audio journey through the fantastic and iconic book, Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. He is also the creator of a beautiful film called Cycle of Memory, which takes the viewer on an intimate and compassionate journey through his family’s experience of their patriarch suffer...
2024-03-1913 min
Always On EM - Mayo Clinic Emergency MedicineGrand Rounds - Dr. Rebecca Leff - Fit for Purpose: Emergency Medicine Physicians and Humanitarian Response in Complex EmergenciesDr. Leff shares, in her senior resident capstone presentation, a primer on humanitarian efforts, what are basic principles of aid, how to identify the key health needs of populations affected by crises and how EM clinicians can respond to those needs with the greatest impact. She will discuss how to engage responsibly and to anticipate how humanitarianism will develop and adapt in the future to improve responsiveness.
2024-03-141h 05
Audiobooks Transform Quiet Moments Into Unforgettable Adventures Filled With Curiosity and WonderFractured Bible Stories Audiobook by Jonathan ClarkeListen to full audiobook for free :https://litupbook.com/freeTitle: Fractured Bible StoriesSubtitle: The Bible According to YHWHCategories: Fiction, Funny, SatireAuthor: Jonathan ClarkeNarrator: Alex LeffPublisher: Jonathan ClarkeRelease date: 03-04-2024Language: EnglishSummary:Step into a world where Bible stories get a rebellious makeover! This book flips the script, turning God into the ultimate antihero. Packed with satire, cheeky adult humor, and unabashed blasphemy, it's a wild ride through the sacred tales you thought you knew. Get ready to question...
2024-03-0400 min
Human Nature Odyssey8 - A Conversation with Rennie MacKay Quinn (wife of author Daniel Quinn)In this very special episode, author Daniel Quinn's wife Rennie Mackay Quinn joins us for her first ever interview: sharing untold stories, new insights, and reflections on her life and journey with her beloved late husband & Daniel Quinn. Rennie tells us about the 15 years it took Daniel to write Ishmael, the childhood dream that sparked it, how the word "hamburger" changed their lives, how they navigated the response and acclaim to Ishmael, and much more. CITATIONS Ishmael by Daniel Quinn (1992) Providence by Daniel Quinn (1994) You ca...
2023-12-1445 min
Human Nature Odyssey7 - After 'Ishmael' by Daniel QuinnIn this climactic culmination of the Ishmael series, we ask the question : how do we transform an entire society? Ishmael doesn't give us the "10 Simple Steps to Save the World" instead, he offers us a map and compass to navigate our intergenerational civilizational transformation ourselves. Where we go from here is up to us. We'll meet the fantastical Prince who first concocted the criminal justice system, have a final reckoning with our Taker Mythology hat, and return to the abandoned land of Ashbourne. Thank you to Honan and Dylan for their v...
2023-11-1639 min
Human Nature Odyssey6 - A Civilization That FliesIs it possible to build a civilization that flies? (metaphorically speaking of course) How did we eventually learn to fly? It wasn't by defying gravity and disobeying aerodynamics but by learning how to work with them. Daniel Quinn, in his novel Ishmael, argues there are laws of nature that we have to learn to live within, rather than resist, if we are to continue as a society. In this episode we explore what this "Law of Life" could be. This is an episode of short stories, cinematic sound effects, and wacky voices. Strap i...
2023-10-0535 min
GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine PodcastHospital-at-Home: Bruce Leff and Tacara SoonesHospitals are hazardous places for older adults. These hazards include delirium, malnutrition, falls, infections, and hospital associated disability (which about ⅓ of older adults get during a hospital stay). What if, for at least some older adults who need acute-level care, instead of treating them in the hospital, we treat them at home? That's the focus of the hospital-at-home movement, and the subject we talk about in this week's podcast. We talk with Bruce Leff and Tacara Soones about the hospital-at-home movement, which has been shown to reduce costs, improve outcomes and improve the patient experience. In addition to...
2023-09-1450 min
Human Nature Odyssey5 - Adam, Eve, and the Agricultural RevolutionWho first told the story of the Garden of Eden? Could it have been a way to explain the unfolding Agricultural Revolution from the perspective of the people who were there? The Garden of Eden has been told and retold for thousands of years. Why do we keep telling it? With insight from modern biblical scholarship, we investigate the origins of this ancient story and what warning this active myth still has yet to be heeded today. It's an adventure to the far flung lands of Alex's 5th grade classroom as well as the lush...
2023-09-0746 min
Human Nature Odyssey4 - Takers and LeaversIn this episode we take a step back from Ishmael to better view the philosophical context it was written in. We explore the history of the terms "civilized" and "primitive" and how their definitions have evolved over time. Topics include: Rome's influence on Western European colonization, noble savage theory, primitivism, and the rise of the identity "indigenous". When we say civilization who do we include and exclude? Who is civilized and what does that mean? If you'd like to support Human Nature Odyssey, please subscribe wherever you listen, leave a...
2023-08-1033 min
Human Nature Odyssey3 - Imaginary Games for Grown UpsIshmael theorizes our culture is held captive by a story, a mythology we take for granted, act out every day, and is leading to the destruction of the world. So in this episode we tell this story out loud, from beginning, to middle, to end. Along the way we chat with a 6-year-old animal expert, discuss adult imaginary games, analyze the subliminal cultural messages conveyed in religion and philosophy, and meet a sassy imaginary top hat with a poorly performed Brooklyn accent. Taker Mythology, the grand sweeping narrative playing out behind the scenes of our c...
2023-07-0643 min
Deep Breaths & Dance BreaksTools for Accessing Pleasure, Connecting to Your Body, and FULLY Recovering From Your Eating Disorder with Alex Leff 3 Things We Dive Into In This Episode: Types of untraditional therapy modalities like EMDR, music therapy, somatic therapies, embodiment, and polarity Embodiment as a practice and a way of being - where you experience positive AND negative emotions to the fullest extent to feel fully alive The phases of eating disorder recovery and "recovery grad school," a phase where you truly experience wholeness, fullness, and aliveness 📘Resources ▪️Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - EMDR (one of Alex's therapeutic modalities) ▪️Tattoos on the Heart:The Power of Boundless Compassion by Gregory Boyle ▪️The Way of Integ...
2023-06-121h 13
Human Nature Odyssey2 - Your Call To AdventureWhy can't we seem to stop destroying the world? Like seriously though? Ishmael, the telepathic gorilla from Daniel Quinn's philosophical novel, suggests we're captives of a society where our individual society depends on our collective destruction. As we embark on our quest through the landscape of ideas in Quinn's novel, we'll travel to a dystopian future where Nazi Germany won the war, meet our long lost furry and feathery cousins, explore a sinister layer where villainous henchman plot the end of the world, conduct an investigation into a planet-wide crime scene, and meet the gorilla...
2023-06-0837 min
CrowdScienceIs there a connection between memory and speech?CrowdScience listener Nyankami, from Kenya, has a friend with dementia. Despite memory loss and no longer knowing his way around, his friend has no problem communicating. So what’s the connection between memory and language? Caroline Steel discovers how dementia affects our speech. In most cases the illness does have an impact on our ability to speak but it can depend on many factors, including the type of dementia and even how many languages we speak. She meets George Rook, diagnosed with vascular dementia and Alzheimer’s, who’s a passionate campaigner for people with dement...
2023-06-0228 min
Human Nature Odyssey1 - Self-Help Guide for SocietyWe're all on our own quest to live more meaningful, healthy, and fruitful lives. To more fully understand the situation we're in, we're going to have to expand our scope in geography and time. This is a sociological examination of the personal, and a psychological examination of the social. Alex takes you back in time to a fateful childhood summer when the world was a magical place to explore, yet seemed like it was ending just as he was getting to know it. It was then that Alex first read Ishmael...
2023-05-0420 min
On A Good DayStrengthening Recovery From Aphasia - With Cognitive Neurologist Professor Alex LeffAphasia may not be a familiar word for many but it IS a common condition which affects many brain injury survivors.So what is aphasia and how can it be improved?In this episode, Elizabeth and Julia are joined by Professor Alex Leff who explains more about the condition which impacts language and how it affects lives. He gives advice on how carers can help survivors, ways to get further therapy and he dispels some of the myths surrounding aphasia, including improvements made over time.His intensive aphasia programme, funded by...
2023-05-0443 min
All in the MindAphasiaThis week's finalist in the All in the Mind Awards is Sian who's been nominated by her mother Myra who cannot believe how much support she has given her during a manic episode and her diagnosis of bipolar disorder. Even when Myra threatened to bite Sian, she still kept calm and understood that it was her illness which was affecting her behaviour. When she let her mum look after her beloved granddaughters, it helped Myra's confidence to grow. One of the Awards judges Maddie Leslay - who plays Chelsea in the Archers - found Myra and Sian's story really...
2023-05-0232 min
Human Nature OdysseyTrailerYou are living the latest chapter in a 10,000 year story. Join storyteller Alex Leff on a search for better ways to understand and more clearly experience the incredible, terrifying, and ridiculous world we live in. The first stop on our quest through a landscape of ideas and stories is the 1992 novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn about a telepathic gorilla with great hope for humanity. Next episodes every month beginning May 4th, 2023. === Music: Celestial Soda Pop By: Ray...
2023-04-1303 min
GeriPal - A Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine PodcastLoss, Grief, and Wellness Debriefings: A Podcast with Matt Loscalzo, Vickie Leff, and Craig BlindermanHealth care professionals are human, and as humans we experience loss both in and out of work. You'd imagine though that our professional expertise and experiences in helping patients and families cope with loss and grief would be helpful in managing our own personal losses. Turns out, it's maybe not. That was the lesson I learned from reading a new book edited by Matt Loscalzo along with Marshall Forstein called "Loss and Grief: Personal Stories of Doctors and Other Healthcare Professionals". It's a collection of personal stories of a small number of health professionals, including Craig Blinderman and...
2022-11-0347 min
Field HospitalJuan Carlos Cruz – Addressing the clergy sex abuse crisisEditors’ note: This episode speaks on sexual abuse, trauma, and healing, and contains content that may be disturbing to some listeners. In 2015, Juan Carlos Cruz was one of several abuse survivors to protest Pope Francis’ appointment of Juan Barros as bishop of the diocese of Osorno in Chile. Barros, they said, had witnessed their abuse at the hands of popular priest Fernando Karadima, and helped cover it up. Initially, Pope Francis defended Barros, even going so far as to accuse Juan Carlos and his fellow survivors of calumny. But Juan Carlos continued to speak up and work for...
2022-04-131h 11
Daily Drop of TorahWhat is the Mizrachi Movement?What is the ‘Mizrachi’ Movement regarding the State of Israel? Torah heard from Rabbi Zev Leff.
2021-01-1502 minDaily Drop of TorahIsrael Opinions with Non-Torah LensOpinions on Israel from a non-Torah lens, as sourced through Rabbi Zev Leff.
2021-01-1302 minDaily Drop of TorahCounters to Anti-Israel Torah Sources^^Counter Arguments to Torah Sources and Religious Views against the State of Israel. Sources from Rabbi Yitzhak Breitowitz and Rabbi Zev Leff.
2021-01-0502 min
Alzheimer's SpeaksNow and Again - A Film About Dementia, History & RelationshipsAlzheimer's Speaks Radio – Shifting dementia care from crisis to comfort around the world one episode at a time by raising all voices and delivering sounds news,
Today our host Lori La Bey speaks with Alex Leff about why he feels it’s important for young people to get involved in dementia. Alex and his brother explored their Grandfather’s past by retracing a bike trip he took. Alex will share what they found and how it affected them. Learn how you can support his film “Now and Again.”
Contact Information for Alex Leff:
Website: https://www.ash...
2019-10-2254 minAlzheimer's SpeaksNow and Again - A Film About Dementia, History & RelationshipsAlzheimer's Speaks Radio – Shifting dementia care from crisis to comfort around the world one episode at a time by raising all voices and delivering sounds news, Today our host Lori La Bey speaks with Alex Leff about why he feels it’s important for young people to get involved in dementia. Alex and his brother explored their Grandfather’s past by retracing a bike trip he took. Alex will share what they found and how it affected them. Learn how you can support his film “Now and Again.” Contact Information for Alex Leff: Website: https://www.ash...
2019-10-2254 min
The No Proscenium PodcastEpisode 211: Pranks, Dreams, Cocktails -- Bar of Dreams Los AngelesThis week Jonathan Pedigo and Alex Leff, the co-creators of Bar of Dreams Los Angeles, join host Noah Nelson to talk about pranks, comedy, and creating interactive experiences. It's a fun conversation that goes in directions you don't quite expect. Plus: we check in with Scout Expedition Company about The Nest, the tickets for which went ON SALE today! And there are LIMITED DATES available already. Note: while the interview with Jeff & Jarret of Scout is squeaky clean, there's some explicit language in the Bar of Dreams interview, which starts about 19 minutes in. Ho...
2019-08-241h 23
Inside HealthStroke man recovers speech, Apple watch and ECGs, Newborn heel prick testFour years ago, Peter, a retired engineer from Gloucestershire, suffered a small stroke and lost the ability to speak. He communicated by hand signals and writing notes to his wife, Carol. But this summer, as he tells Dr Mark Porter, he woke up one morning and, much to everybody's amazement, began to talk....and he hasn't stopped since. Later that same day, a second stroke was diagnosed but his newly-returned speech was unaffected. It's a remarkable story and Alex Leff, Professor of Cognitive Neurology at the Queen Square Institute of Neurology in London discusses Peter's experience but describes what...
2018-09-2527 min
Centre Trail History PodcastMiracle on IceCarson Ebert, Alex Leff, Evan Whitis and Wu Sili discuss the famous "Miracle on Ice", when the United States ice hockey team shockingly defeated their counterparts from the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
2018-08-2921 min
Layovers - Air Travel podcast002 HKG - Air Force One dash 8, Skymark bankrupt, Qantas virtual reality, smart carry-ons
SHOW NOTESI. News of the weekThe new Air Force One will be a 747-8AF Identifies Boeing 747-8 platform for next Air Force One — U.S. Air ForceGatwick's ambition to cut down queues to a minimum'Queues will be a thing of the past', Gatwick claims — Lizzie Porter, TelegraphSkymark files for bankruptcyJapan's Skymark Airlines files for bankruptcy protection — Adrian Schofield, ATWWhy did AA change its First Class cookie?American Is Replacing Their Unpopular First Class Chocol...
2015-02-021h 02