Best Dean Anand Podcasts (2025)

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Restless Humanity: The Epic Migrations Into the Americas, Polynesia, and... Beyond? ~ Andrés Moreno-Estrada 25:31

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10h ago25:31

25:31

We are a movable species. In less than 50 thousand years, Homo sapiens has penetrated practically all corners of humanity. And the story started long before trains and airplanes. This is an episode about thoese epic migrations, with a focus on the two furthest edges of the human migratory map: the Americas in the West and the Polynesian islands in …

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Beyond Race: A New Outlook on the Shape of Humanity ~ Diyendo Massilani 14:37

4d ago14:37

14:37

European thinkers once divided humanity into distinct "races". The idea stuck, even if the science moved on. The shape of humanity, it turned out, is far messier than the old race theorists ever imagined. This much is well known. Still , genetics does study different human "populations". Biological differences between these populations are reported…

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Stephen Murphy, "Buddhist Landscapes: Art and Archaeology of the Khorat Plateau, 7th to 11th Centuries (NUS Press, 2024) 55:48

6d ago55:48

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This important new work, Buddhist Landscapes: Art and Archaeology of the Khorat Plateau, 7th to 11th Centuries (NUS Press, 2023) by Stephen Murphy, build on extensive fieldwork and archaeological surveys to reveal the Khorat Plateau as having a distinctive Buddhist culture, including new forms of art and architecture, and a characteristic aesthetic…

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John Kieschnick, "Buddhist Historiography in China" (Columbia UP, 2022) 49:10

6d ago49:10

49:10

Since the early days of Buddhism in China, monastics and laity alike have expressed a profound concern with the past. In voluminous historical works, they attempted to determine as precisely as possible the dates of events in the Buddha's life, seeking to iron out discrepancies in varying accounts and pinpoint when he delivered which sermons. Buddh…

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Nayanjot Lahiri, "Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand" (SUNY Press, 2023) 47:40

8d ago47:40

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Blending travelogue, history, and archaeology, Searching for Ashoka: Questing for a Buddhist King from India to Thailand (SUNY Press, 2023) unravels the various avatars of India's most famous emperor, revealing how he came to be remembered—and forgotten—in distinctive ways at particular points in time and in specific locations. Through personal jou…

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The Neanderthal Mirror: Latest Findings About the Lines Between Us ~ David Gokhman 21:35

8d ago21:35

21:35

Genetics is rewriting the human story. This week, On Humans takes you behind the scenes of this rapidly evolving frontier via three live-recordings, captured at the Salk Institute's CARTA symposium on ancient DNA. The first episode explores the differences between us and the Neanderthals. For centuries, we tried to understand Neanderthals through s…

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Can We Tell a (True) Story of Human Origins? Live from UC San Diego 42:21

11d ago42:21

42:21

The science of human origins keeps producing new theories. But are we any closer to telling a true story of human origins? Or are we simply drowning in data? Earlier this November, the chair of UCSD’s Department of Anthropology invited me to explore this question in a campus talk. My optimistic claim was that underneath many of the field’s importan…

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Luke Gibson, "Reading Sanskrit: A Complete Step-By-Step Introduction with Texts from the Buddhist Tradition" (Columbia UP, 2025) 41:02

17d ago41:02

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This textbook offers a fresh approach to learning Sanskrit, the ancient language at the heart of South Asia’s vast religious, philosophical, and literary heritage. Designed for independent learners and classrooms alike, it provides a uniquely in-depth and immersive introduction to the language, exploring a rich selection of Sanskrit texts from the …

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Sonia Faleiro, "The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism Is Shaping Modern Asia" (Columbia UP, 2025) 41:40

23d ago41:40

41:40

When the robe becomes a weapon, who can stop the violence? We think of Buddhism as a faith of peace—rooted in compassion, patience, and nonviolence. But across South and Southeast Asia today, the robe is being turned into a weapon, as radical monks and nationalist movements unleash hatred and war. In The Robe and the Sword: How Buddhist Extremism i…

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Karine Gagné, "Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas" (U Washington Press, 2019) 1:41:53

26d ago1:41:53

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In her new book, Caring for Glaciers: Land, Animals, and Humanity in the Himalayas (University of Washington Press, 2019), Karine Gagné explores how relations of reciprocity between land, humans, animals, and glaciers foster an ethics of care in the Himalayan communities of Ladakh. She explores the way these relations are changing due to climate ch…

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Epilogue: Is the Brain Free to Choose? ~ Tim Coulson 16:24

1M ago16:24

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You decided to start reading this. But could you have chosen otherwise? In this short epilogue to this fall's brain science -series, Oxford biologist Tim Coulson gives his defense of free will. (The episode is an unheard clip from the conversation with Tim Coulson, originally recorded as part of the Origins of Humankind -series in March 2025. ) LIN…

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Anand, "The Notbook of Kabir: Thinner than Water, Fiercer than Fire" (India Viking, 2025) 1:33:49

1M ago1:33:49

1:33:49

Kabir is the most alive of all dead poets. He is a fabric without stitches. No centres, no edges. Anand threads his way in. Over the years, as a publisher and editor, Anand immerses himself in the works of Babasaheb Ambedkar and other anticaste thinkers. He gives up his practice of music and poetry, blaming his disenchantment on caste. One day in D…

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Sarah Smarsh, "Bone of the Bone: Essays on America from a Daughter of the Working Class" (Scribner, 2024) 1:04:56

1M ago1:04:56

1:04:56

National Book Award finalist Sarah Smarsh speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her career writing memoir, essays, and journalism centered on the experience of the rural working class in the US. Her essay in The Common’s fall 2014 issue, “Death of the Farm Family,” became part of her 2018 book Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being B…

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Marcus Wilson: Co-Founder of NOBULL 29:40

2M ago29:40

29:40

Today, we are going to be stepping into the athletic wear industry with the co-founder of NOBULL. Please join me in welcoming a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, our guest today, Mr. Marcus Wilson! This is the last episode of 2025; stay tuned for new exciting episodes and content coming soon in 2026! …

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Can the Brain Understand Itself? The Glories and the Limits of Neuroscience ~ Matthew Cobb 1:00:14

2M ago1:00:14

1:00:14

Science has learned much about the brain. But how well do we understand this organ of the mind? Are we even close to cracking the neural code? Is a groundbreaking theory of consciousness just around the corner? In this final episode of the brain science -series, Matthew Cobb takes us on a tour of the story of neuroscience. We meet many colourful ch…

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Chandra Chiara Ehm, "Queens Without a Kingdom Worth Ruling: Buddhist Nuns and the Process of Change in Tibetan Monastic Communities" (Vajra Books, 2024) 1:05:34

2M ago1:05:34

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Queens without a Kingdom worth Ruling: Buddhist Nuns and the Process of Change in Tibetan Monastic Communities is a fascinating study of nuns in the Tibetan Buddhist nunnery of Khachoe Ghakyil Ling in Kathmandu. Written by Dr. Chandra Chiara Ehm, who was a member of this monastic community for nearly a decade, it offers a rare perspective on life i…

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Kathryn Hurlock, "Holy Places: How Pilgrimage Changed the World" (Profile, 2025) 55:07

2M ago55:07

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This year, as they have for millennia, many people around the world will set out on pilgrimages. But these are not only journeys of personal and spiritual devotion - they are also political acts, affirmations of identity and engagements with deep-rooted historical narratives. In Holy Places: How Pilgrimage Changed the World (Profile, 2025) Professo…

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The Perils of Tantra, with Susannah Deane 57:11

2M ago57:11

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Today, host Prof. Pierce Salguero sits down with Susannah Deane, a scholar of Tibetan medicine, Buddhism, and psychiatry. Together, we delve into her work on Tibetan concepts of "wind disorders" and Tantric practice gone wrong. Along the way, we talk about losing control of spirits, becoming a deity, and how Tibetans choose between religious and me…

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Allen Ali Nasseh: Endodontist 34:01

2M ago34:01

34:01

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Careers: Charting Your Course! In today’s episode, I interview a graduate of Northwestern University and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, endodontist Dr. Ali Nasseh! Resources: Tufts University Pre-College Programs - programs available for almost everyone (including high school students and undergraduate/gradu…

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From Alcohol to Antidepressants: What Drugs Teach Us About Brain Chemistry ~ Judy Grisel 57:49

2M ago57:49

57:49

Dopamine. Serotonin. Endorphins. We have all heard these terms. And these are not just scientific curiosities. Few are those who have never wondered if their brain chemicals are "just off balance". So how accurate are the popular theories about these mythic molecules? To guide us through the topic, I'm joined by Judy Grisel—an ex-addict and a world…

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Bharat Anand: Dean of NYU Stern School of Business 34:22

3M ago34:22

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A graduate of Harvard University and Princeton University, Dr. Bharat Anand is the dean of New York University's Stern School of Business. Dr. Anand joined Harvard Business School as a member of the faculty in 1997. In 2006, he was named the Henry R. Byers Professor of Business Administration. In 2014, Dr. Anand helped launch Harvard Business Schoo…

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Paying Attention with Anya Daly 32:30

3M ago32:30

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In this episode Pat speaks with Dr Anya Daly. Dr Anya Daly investigates the intersections of phenomenology with philosophy of mind, the philosophy of perception, the philosophy of psychiatry, embodied and social cognition, enactivism, ethics, aesthetics and Buddhist Philosophy. They discuss meditation and perception, the divide between continental …

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Inside the Brain: A Journey Through the Halls and the Songs of Consciousness ~ Pria Anand 54:40

3M ago54:40

54:40

Our brains can feel remote and abstract. Hidden behind Latin names and textbook diagrams, they rarely feel as personal to us as our hearts and stomachs. In this episode, neurologist and author Pria Anand helps us get a little more intimate with that grey, wrinkly seat of our consciousness. Together we explore both the structural architecture and th…

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Amrit Kanwal: Former CFO of MFS/US Squash Board Member 34:49

3M ago34:49

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After a temporary hiatus, I am delighted to welcome everyone back with an exciting new episode. My guest today is the Executive Vice President and CFO of MFS Investment Management, Mr. Amrit Kanwal. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Southern California, Mr. Kanwal has also served as the Head of Corporate Strategy…

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Ruth E. Toulson, "Necropolitics of the Ordinary: Death and Grieving in Contemporary Singapore" (U Washington Press, 2024) 58:30

3M ago58:30

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Can a state make its people forget the dead? Cemeteries have become sites of acute political contestation in the city-state of Singapore. Confronted with high population density and rapid economic growth, the government has ordered the destruction of all but one burial ground, forcing people to exhume their family members. In Necropolitics of the O…

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Not So Simple After All? Apes, Einstein, and the Many Mysteries of the Human Brain ~ Dean Falk 30:42

3M ago30:42

30:42

Here is a simple story about the origins of the human brain: All primate brains are dense with neurons—they are the supercomputers of the animal world. What's more, the human brain is just what you’d expect from a primate of our size: big, packed with neurons, but no more special than that. It's the chimps and gorillas who are special: without cook…

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Lily Lloyd Burkhalter, "Raffia Memory," The Common Magazine (Spring, 2025) 31:22

3M ago31:22

31:22

Lily Lloyd Burkhalter speaks to managing editor Emily Everett about her essay “Raffia Memory,” which appears in The Common’s spring issue. Lily talks about traveling to the Cameroon Grassfields to research the rituals and production of ndop, a traditional dyed cloth with an important role in both spiritual life and, increasingly, economic life as w…

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Prologue: The (Very Simple) Story of the Human Brain ~ Suzana Herculano-Houzel 50:20

3M ago50:20

50:20

I'm excited to announce that On Humans is launching a new series this fall! This one will explore the wonders of the human brain. The new episodes will drop throughout September and early October. To set the stage, we will revisit a conversation with neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel, newly re-edited and remastered. It’s the simplest and most …

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Rima Vesely-Flad, "Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation" (NYU Press, 2022) 1:32:41

4M ago1:32:41

1:32:41

Finalist, Award for Excellence in the Study of Religion, Constructive-Reflective Studies, given by the American Academy of Religion Explores how Black Buddhist Teachers and Practitioners interpret Western Buddhism in unique spiritual and communal ways In Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for …

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The Great Question of History: India, Britain, and the Fates of Nations | Live at the British Academy 26:25

4M ago26:25

26:25

Why did the great powers of Asia stagnate whilst Europe was rising? This question—often called the Great Divergence—is one of the most defining questions of modern history. Few case studies illuminate this question as well as the contrast between Britain and India. Did colonialism make Britain rich and India poor? Or was Britain’s rise already unde…

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Kirin Narayan, "Cave of My Ancestors: Vishwakarma and the Artisans of Ellora" (U Chicago Press, 2024) 1:17:25

4M ago1:17:25

1:17:25

On the podcast today I am joined by Kirin Narayan, emerita professor at the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. Kirin is joining me to talk about her new book, Cave of my Ancestors: Vishwakarma and the Artisans of Ellora published by Chicago University Press in 2024, and in 2025 as an Indian edition by HarperColli…

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Encore | Why Agriculture? Climate Change and the Origins of Farming ~ Andrea Matranga 58:26

4M ago58:26

58:26

Climate. Weathers. History. Here's an encore episode to wrap up the mini-series on these themes! This episode on the puzzling origins of farming is one of my all-time favourites on the show. I thought it was a good time to put it out again. You can also read my essay on the topic ⁠here⁠. Enjoy! ~ ORIGINAL SHOW NOTES Agriculture changed everything. …

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When Meditation Causes Harm, with Willoughby Britton & Jared Lindahl 1:11:54

4M ago1:11:54

1:11:54

Today I sit down with Willoughby Britton and Jared Lindahl, the interdisciplinary team from Brown University that is responsible for the “Varieties of Contemplative Experience” study on the challenges and adverse effects of meditation. We talk about the design, findings, and outcomes of the study, and how it opened up a new field of interdisciplina…

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Anne M. Blackburn, "Buddhist-Inflected Sovereignties Across the Indian Ocean: A Pali Arena, 1200-1550" (U Hawaii Press, 2024) 56:21

4M ago56:21

56:21

From the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries new kingdoms emerged in Sri Lanka and mainland Southeast Asia. Sovereignty in these new kingdoms was expressed in terms we understand today as coming from ‘Theravada Buddhism’. Crucial to this tradition was the Pali language. Anne Blackburn’s new book, Buddhist-Inflected Sovereignties across the Indian…