Harvard Thinking

Karestan Koenen, psychiatric epidemiologist studying trauma’s population health effects. Jason Buenrostro, cellular biologist exploring how stress alters cells. Kate McLaughlin, children’s psychologist focused on childhood adversity and brain development. They discuss how different adversities shape bodies and brains, cellular and epigenetic memory of stress, timing and types of exposure, and how policy and social support can alter biological impacts.

Eve Rodsky, bestselling author on household fairness; Richard Schwartz, Harvard psychiatrist studying marriage and loneliness; Debora Spar, HBS professor on tech and relationships. They trace marriage from economic contract to romantic ideal. They debate unequal domestic labor, rising parenting standards, loss of communal support, loneliness in single households, and policy and practical fixes for modern family life.

Ying Xu, a Harvard education researcher focused on AI in classrooms; Tina Grotzer, a cognitive scientist who studies metacognition; and Michael Brenner, a Google research scientist who studies large language models. They debate how to keep learning essential while using AI. They explore redesigning tasks, developmental differences, metacognition, tutoring’s social role, and guardrails to protect cognitive growth.

Jennifer Breheny Wallace, journalist studying achievement pressure; Ellen Hendriksen, clinical psychologist focused on anxiety and self-acceptance; Michaela Kerrissey, management researcher on psychological safety. They explore how perfectionism shows up in families and workplaces. Conversations cover mental health risks, when high standards become toxic, using vulnerability and mattering to reconnect, and reframing drive toward mastery.

Join memory experts Dan Schacter, a professor known for his insights on memory errors, Dr. Margaret O'Connor, a neurology specialist focused on Alzheimer’s, and neuroscientist Venki Murthy, who studies neural circuits of perception. They delve into how memory is a constructive process rather than a mere recording. Discover how sensory cues like smell can trigger vivid recollections, the role of distinctiveness in memory retention, and practical strategies for enhancing recall such as spaced repetition and chunking.

Many diets claim to be good for you. But the Mediterranean diet rises to the top with its research-proven benefits: it’s been shown to increase life expectancy; decrease risk for dementia; improve mental health and cognitive function; and lower the risk of heart disease for nearly every demographic. What is it that makes the diet so great? In this episode, host Samantha Laine Perfas discuss the Mediterranean diet with nutritional psychiatrist Uma Naidoo and Mediterranean diet expert Miguel Ángel Martínez-González about how people can make nutritional changes that work for them day to day.

Matthew Weaver, epidemiologist studying population sleep patterns; Tony Cunningham, psychiatrist researching sleep, emotion, and memory; Rebecca Robbins, sleep scientist focused on public health. They discuss why most adults are shortchanged on sleep. Topics include sleep’s effects on mood and cognition, individual sleep differences and routines, public-health impacts, melatonin use, and practical tips for consistency and recovery.

Join literary minds James Wood, a critic and author; Lauren Groff, an acclaimed novelist; Nick White, a short story writer; and Sam Marks, a playwriting lecturer, as they dissect the art of storytelling. They explore how stories ignite from random ideas and character evolution. Lauren shares her approach to embracing draft failures, while James debates plot versus character-driven tension with Sam. The conversation also highlights the value of reading aloud and the importance of personal touch in writing. A treasure trove for aspiring authors!

Tomotaka Ugai, an epidemiologist tracking international cancer trends; Kimmie Ng, an oncologist leading care for younger colorectal patients; and Tim Rebbeck, a cancer prevention researcher on global disparities. They discuss rising early-onset cancer types and birth cohort patterns. They explore obesity, lifestyle, environmental exposures, genetics, screening trade-offs, and practical prevention priorities.

Literacy rates in the U.S. have been in decline for a while now. Experts are combing the data for answers. Researchers are examining the role of curricula, teacher training, and classroom best practices to figure out: How do we help our kids read better? In this episode, host Samantha Laine Perfas speaks with policy expert Martin West, teacher educator Pamela Mason, and reading researcher Phil Capin about how to best support our students.