Young, Online, and Overwhelmed explores the mental health crisis facing today’s teens, shaped by constant connectivity, academic and economic pressures, and a loss of privacy and independence. It examines rising rates of anxiety, depression, and self-harm, questioning whether this reflects deeper societal issues or overdiagnosis. The episode urges systemic change from parenting and education to tech and healthcare, highlighting the need for boundaries, resilience-building, and teen agency. Ultimately, it challenges listeners to consider the adults we are shaping. (With special guest, Gray Ayedelott)

This episode explores how social connection isn’t just a psychological comfort, it’s a biological necessity. From birth, humans rely on interaction to survive, learn, and thrive. The “social brain hypothesis” suggests that much of our brain evolved to navigate complex relationships, reading intentions, sharing emotions, and forming alliances. This evolutionary perspective lays the groundwork for understanding why isolation feels so profoundly painful.

Episode 3, “The Musical and Creative Brain,” explores how creativity and music evolved as adaptive forces shaping survival, cooperation, and culture. We’ll trace the flow state, the brain’s “jazz ensemble” of networks, and the evolutionary roots of music as communication and innovation. From neural plasticity to creative resilience, it’s a deep dive into how our minds transform instinct into art, a neural symphony for connection and imagination.

Explore the razor-thin line between brilliance and dysfunction. What makes a brain a genius brain? Are there identifiable patterns or tradeoffs? This could feature savants, prodigies, and researchers studying the cognitive science of exceptional intelligence.

How do our brains respond to life-threatening situations? This episode could unpack the neuroscience of fear, the fight-or-flight response, and how extreme stress can rewire the brain over time—featuring people like first responders, soldiers, or extreme sports athletes.

Episode 8 of Extreme Brains, “Your Brain on Sex,” explores why sex plays a powerful role in human behavior. We break down the evolutionary origins of reproduction and pleasure, the social machinery that turned sex into power and identity, and whether removing moral weight from sex might lead to healthier societies. With insights from neuroscience, culture, and tech, the episode reveals how our brains are wired for more than just survival—they’re wired for strategy.

Is sleep the secret weapon for health—or is it just overhyped? In this episode, we embark on a journey through the fascinating world of sleep: from unraveling the mysteries of its stages to understanding the physiological transformations happening as you snooze. We'll dive into quirky sleep habits across species, unpack the consequences of sleep deprivation, and tackle the big question: is there such a thing as the perfect amount of sleep? Whether you're a nap aficionado or a midnight owl, this episode promises eye-opening insights that'll make you rethink your relationship with rest.

In Episode 6 of Extreme Brains, “When Brains Pretend,” we explore why humans are wired to act, imagine, and play. With guest Craig Clyde—actor, writer, and director—we trace the roots of pretending from early ritual to modern media. We dive into how acting shapes empathy, identity, and society and examine the psychological and evolutionary power of fiction. From cave paintings to AI-generated characters, this episode uncovers how pretending helps us connect, survive, and evolve.