Fresh Lens Podcast

In this episode, we explore the nature versus nurture debate with the help of behavioural genetics. In human development, what matters more - the environment or our genome? Join us for a deep dive into the fascinating research of twins and adoption. From the uncanny similarities of twins reared apart to the effects of different parenting strategies, we untangle what the research says about our genes and environment... and what it doesn't.
If you have any feedback on how we can make the show better, please reach out to us. Our email address is [email protected].

In this episode, we discuss David Reich's book, Who We Are & How We Got Here. Starting with an overview of DNA sequencing technology and how it helps paint a picture of our past, we review what we know about ancient humans: Where did we evolve, and how did we spread around the globe? We discuss early modern humans' interactions with other human species, such as Neanderthals and Denisovans. Then, with a focus on Europe and India, we discuss how modern human populations ended up where they are today and what that tells us about the meaning of 'race' and differences among human populations.
Buy David Reich's book on Amazon.
If you have feedback on how we can make the show better, please reach out to us. Our email address is [email protected].

Predator and prey, parent and offspring, mates and rivals in courtship – animal communication is ubiquitous. The Handicap Principle provides a fascinating explanation of how organisms with divergent evolutionary needs develop means of reliable communication with one another.
Get the book on Amazon.
If you have feedback on how we can make the show better, please reach out to us. Our email address is [email protected].
Thanks for listening,
Trish & Hirad

Several years after the best-selling book, The Selfish Gene, which was the topic of our first episode, Richard Dawkins published The Extended Phenotype. In this book, Dawkins doubled down on the concept the gene as the central unit of selection and outlined how genes can have effects that reach far outside of the bodies in which they ride, sparking heated debate within the world of biology.
Get the book on Amazon.
If you have feedback on how we can make the show better, please reach out to us. Our email address is [email protected].
Thanks for listening,
Trish & Hirad

In this episode, we kick off our discussion of The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity by David Graeber and David Wengrow.
We liked Bullshit Jobs so much that we decided to keep going with the Graeber titles. This book examines the ways in which humans have organized themselves since the beginning. In this first part, we talk about the fallacious but popular narratives that have saturated our thinking about the history of humanity and the origins of inequality.