Big Brains - University of Chicago

Big Brains - University of Chicago

By University of Chicago Podcast Network

The award-winning Big Brains podcast features stories about the pioneering research and pivotal breakthroughs by scholars at the University of Chicago and leading universities across the country.

`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`
`Subscribe on ${player.label}`

05/29/25

Inside The Disease That Changes Your Personality, with Bruce Miller

When someone we know or love starts to develop psychological issues, we don't often associate it with a form of dementia. However, this trait is one of the most common signs of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) — the most common neurodegenerative disease… Read more

05/15/25

Meet The ‘Planet Hunter’ Searching For Alien Life, with Jacob Bean

The search for life beyond Earth is no longer science fiction—it takes a lot of data, powerful telescopes and a bit of cosmic detective work. And at the center of this search is University of Chicago astrophysicist Jacob Bean. Bean was part of the te… Read more

05/01/25

How To Stop Gun Violence Before It Starts, with Jens Ludwig

Despite decades of policy ideas, pouring millions of dollars into the problem, and a slow pace of gun control measures, the United States hasn’t made much progress on curbing the epidemic of gun violence in our country. For the past 25 years, Prof. J… Read more

04/17/25

Can Your DNA Predict Your Future?, with Dalton Conley

What if a single number, derived from your DNA, could predict your income, education level or even who you're likely to marry? In his new book “The Social Genome,” Princeton University sociologist Dalton Conley explores the science behind how our gen… Read more

04/03/25

Can You Really Die of a Broken Heart? The Hidden Dangers of Grief, with Mary Frances O'Connor

When we lose someone, we love, we often say we have a broken heart—but what if that’s not just a metaphor? In her new book “The Grieving Body: How The Stress of Loss Can Be An Opportunity For Healing” University of Arizona Professor of Psychology Mar… Read more

Choose a podcast episode