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PODCAST

Learning English with Human Beans

Welcome to "Learning English with Human Beans," where language learning meets social sciences! Dive into fascinating human behavior topics while naturally improving your English skills. We explore current research from psychology, sociology, anthropology... unpacking key vocabulary and expressions along the way. Each episode combines engaging social science concepts with practical language learning, helping you communicate with confidence about complex human topics. Grow your English skills through

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All Episodes

00:33:15

#67 – Do We Really Want What We Desire?

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/02/09

Have you ever worked yourself to the bone to achieve a goal, only to feel completely empty when you finally reached it?In this deep dive into Jack London’s masterpiece (with SPOILERS), Martin Eden, Alice and Marc explore the dark side of the "American Dream." We analyze the tragic journey of a rough, uneducated sailor who transforms himself into a literary genius—not for art, but to be worthy of a bourgeois woman named Ruth.But this is not a simple love story. Using René Girard’s theory of

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00:22:05

#66 – The End of Reading? (Pt. 3 – Reader, Come Home)

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/02/05

We diagnosed the illness (Episode 64) and we saw the terrifying prognosis for democracy (Episode 65). Now, it is time for the cure.In this explosive finale of our trilogy based on Reader, Come Home, Alice and Marc refuse the path of the Luddite. We cannot throw away our screens, but we can stop them from rewiring our children.In this episode, we build the "Reader of the Future":The Critical Window (0-5 Years): Why the "Digital Nanny" is a disaster for a toddler's developing

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00:18:31

#65 – The End of Reading (Pt. 2 – Why Deep Reading...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/02/03

In the previous episode, we discovered that we have lost our “cognitive patience.” But is it really that bad if we can no longer read complex novels?In this intense second installment of our trilogy based on Maryanne Wolf's Reader, Come Home, Alice and Marc answer with a resounding “YES.” We dive into the heart of the Deep Brain to understand what we really lose when we “skim” a text.On the agenda:The Engine Room: Discover what happens in your brain during the precious milliseconds of delay that

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00:17:16

#64 – The End of Reading? (Pt. 1 – The Hemorrhage of...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/02/02

Have you ever opened a book you used to love, only to find that you can no longer focus on the page? Do you feel an urgent, twitchy need to check your phone after just two paragraphs of "dense" text?In this first installment of our special trilogy based on Maryanne Wolf’s Reader, Come Home, Alice and Marc explore the fragile miracle of the Reading Brain. We discuss why humans were never actually "born" to read and how our brains had to perform a feat of "Neuronal

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00:22:04

#63 - When Paradise Becomes Prison (Pluribus - Review)

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/02/01

What if the end of the world wasn't a hell of dust and violence, but a paradise of comfort and harmony?In this episode, Alice and Marc dissect the narrative universe of the Pluribus series. Forget brutal invasions like Star Trek; here, humanity is not undergoing a war, but an “update.” We explore how this collective consciousness (the Hive Mind) uses abundance and empathy as weapons of mass destruction of identity.

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00:23:46

#62 – Born to Kill? (The Science of Evil)

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/30

Are "monsters" made, or are they born?In this chilling episode, Alice and Marc venture into the dark side of the brain to explore the biological roots of violence. We debunk the myth of pure evil by looking at the Biopsychosocial Etiology of Antisocial Personality Disorder.Discover why a low resting heart rate might be a predictor of criminality (the Stimulation Seeking Theory) and how the "Warrior Gene" (MAOA) can turn a child into a ticking time bomb—but only if the environment pulls the

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00:08:08

#61 – Why Do Smart People Hate Small Talk? (Need for...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/29

Why does a polite conversation about the weather sometimes feel like a physical assault on your energy? Why do you feel like a wilting plant when stuck at a dinner party with no "real" topics?In this episode, Alice and Marc reveal that your impatience isn't arrogance—it's a biological hunger. We explore Cognitive Intolerance to Under-stimulation and why a High Need for Cognition turns boredom into a state of Agitated Stress (cortisol spike), literally starving your brain of

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00:17:43

#60 – Why Your Intelligent Brain Exhausts You Chasing...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/28

Have you ever spent three hours comparing toasters at midnight, paralyzed by the fear of making the "wrong" choice?In this episode, Alice and Marc diagnose the curse of bright minds: Pathological Optimization. Discover why having a High Need for Cognition (loving to think) paired with a Maximizer mindset (wanting the best) turns every mundane decision into a neurological ordeal.We explain how your own intelligence can backfire, causing Analysis Paralysis and Ego Depletion, and we provide

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00:08:57

#59 – Does Concrete Have a Soul? (The Brutalist -...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/27

Is "Brutalism" just about ugly grey buildings, or is it a philosophy of truth?In this episode, Alice and Marc decode Brady Corbet’s monumental film, The Brutalist. Follow the journey of László Tóth (Adrien Brody), a Holocaust survivor trying to rebuild his life in a predatory post-war America.Discover why concrete becomes an armor against trauma and how the clash between the architect and his billionaire patron (Guy Pearce) exposes the dark side of the American Dream. We analyze the

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00:15:38

#58 – Why Does Your Libido Ghost You When You’re Naked?

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/25

You've got everything planned: the hotel, the champagne, the mood... but when the moment arrives, your body displays an “Error 404: Desire not found” message?In this episode, Alice and Marc tackle the complex mechanics of sexual desire. Discover the Dual Control Model: why your brain sometimes hits the brakes when you want to accelerate.From the anatomical truth about the CUV Complex (goodbye to the myth of the vaginal orgasm!) to Non-Concordance (why lubrication is not proof of desire), we

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00:14:56

#57 – Is Your Identity Just Another Fiction? (The Don...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/09

What if the "Real You" didn't actually exist? In this grand finale of our trilogy "The Self is a Fiction," Alice and Marc tackle a dizzying question: is your identity merely a narrative construction constantly manufactured by your brain? From the gentle madness of Don Quixote to the trap of "Bovarism," discover how our minds superimpose stories onto the real world. But don't worry, this isn't bad news. By exploring the concept of the "Conscious Don

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00:09:48

#56 – Can You Heal Your Brain With Stories?...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/06

If reading can change us for 20 minutes, can it transform us forever?In this episode, Alice and Marc move from simulation to therapy. Discover the science of Bibliotherapy and why the NHS prescribes novels instead of pills.We dive into the Proteus Effect: how adopting a mental avatar can physically alter your confidence. Learn why your "Self" is actually a Narrative Identity and how to use the Behavioral Bridge protocol to hardwire your favorite character's traits into your own

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00:15:05

#55 – Do you become someone else when you read? (The...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2026/01/04

Have you ever wanted to run a marathon right after finishing a novel... even though you hate sports?In this first installment of the “The Self is a Fiction” saga, Alice and Marc explore the fascinating phenomenon of Experience Taking. Discover why immersive reading is not mere observation, but a true dissolution of identity.Unlike simple “Perspective Taking” (conscious empathy), learn how your brain temporarily “turns off” your own personality to viscerally simulate that of the protagonist. From

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00:14:23

#54 – Why Are Dragons More Reassuring Than Humans?

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/25

Why do some people feel more "at home" in Middle-earth or aboard a starship than in their own neighborhood? Why is a dragon’s fire sometimes less frightening than a simple social conversation?In this final installment of our trilogy, Alice and Marc explore the vital role of fiction for neurodivergent minds (Autism, ADHD). Discover how stories act as a "social manual" with explicit rules, and why the predictability of a favorite movie watched for the 100th time is a crucial tool

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00:14:22

#53 – Is Your Best Friend Imaginary?

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/23

Why does the finale of Friends feel like a real-life breakup? Why do we feel a deep void when characters who don't know we exist disappear from our screens?In this episode, Alice and Marc decode the mechanics of Parasocial Relationships. Far from the cliché of the lonely geek, discover why your brain is evolutionarily wired to bond with fictional people through concepts like Social Snacking and the Benjamin Franklin Effect.From the "Gym of Empathy" theory to the Pratfall Effect (why we

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00:12:59

#52 – Why Do You Pay to Have Nightmares?

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/23

You know it’s just a movie. You know the characters are just pixels. So why are you sobbing on your couch like you’ve lost a best friend?In this episode, Alice and Marc decode the Paradox of Fiction. Discover why your "Rational Brain" (Belief) knows it's fake, while your "Primal Brain" (Alief) reacts as if it were life-or-death.From the "Low Road" of the amygdala to the theory of Make-Believe, learn how storytellers hack your biology to trigger Quasi-Emotions and why crying over a fictional death

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00:16:15

#51 – Does Culture Control Your Emotions? (The...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/21

Is the "Three-Act Structure" universal, or just a Western obsession?For the grand finale of the trilogy, we travel East to explore the Kishōtenketsu—the narrative structure that powers everything from Totoro to Parasite.While the Western brain demands Conflict and linear causality (the "Chekhov’s Gun"), the Eastern brain embraces Contrast and harmony. Marc and Alice decode why Westerners often find Asian movies "confusing" or "without an ending," and how

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00:13:06

#50 – Why Do You Love Spoilers? (The Engineering of...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/21

Are you the type of person who reads the last page of a book first?In this second installment, we investigate the Paradox of Suspense. If the brain loves surprise, why do we rewatch movies we know by heart? Alice and Marc explore how Processing Fluency and Dramatic Irony turn a known story into a comforting "safety belt" for the brain.We also dive into Neurodiversity: discover why the Intolerance of Uncertainty makes spoilers therapeutic for anxious minds , and how the autistic brain’s

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00:13:02

#49 – Why Does Your Brain Love Being Tricked? (The...

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/20

Why do we pay to be lied to?In this first episode of our trilogy on the neuroscience of storytelling, Alice and Marc crack open the black box of the Bayesian Brain. Discover how your mind is actually a "prediction machine" that hallucinates your reality, and why a good plot twist triggers a massive dopamine hit by generating a Prediction Error.From The Sixth Sense to Fight Club, learn how directors hack your attention and why, the second the twist is revealed, your memory rewrites itself

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00:10:17

#48 – What If You Were Already Dead and No One Told You?

Learning English with Human Beans ·

2025/12/19

Imagine looking in the mirror and knowing—with absolute mathematical certainty—that you no longer exist.In this episode, Alice and Marc explore the chilling world of Cotard’s Delusion (Walking Corpse Syndrome). Far from being "crazy," discover why these patients are actually too rational: when the brain loses its emotional connection to the body (Emotional Anosognosia), the only logical conclusion is death.From the tragic story of Mademoiselle X to the reversal of Descartes'

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67 results

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