The stress of the holidays can make you want to hide under the covers with a warm cup of cocoa. From gift buying to family gatherings, the holidays can feel like being inside a pressure cooker. But don’t despair! Science can help make the holidays a little brighter, from some gift-giving tips from our animal friends to embracing pessimism before a challenging social event to stopping that annoying merry melody on repeat in your head.
Guests:
- Adam South – Research assistant professor at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
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Mitch Ratcliffe – CEO and publisher of Earth911
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Julie Norem – Psychology professor at Wellesley College and author of “The Positive Power of Negative Thinking”
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Steve Ilardi – Clinical psychology associate professor at the University of Kansas. Read his paper on the effects of sugar here.
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Elizabeth Margulis – Music professor at Princeton University and author of “On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind”
Segments:
Part 1: Adam South / The Season for Giving
Part 2: Mitch Ratcliffe / A Bad Wrap
Part 3: Julie Norem / Positively Pessimistic
Part 4: Steve Ilardi / Candy Crash
Part 5: Elizabeth Margulis / Tis the Earworm
originally aired December 23, 2019
