Bertie Gregory: Saving the Animals (Even the Ones That Are A**holes)

Trevor and Eugene sit down with neuroscientist and content creator Emily McDonald (aka EmOnTheBrain) to explore how our brains shape the way we think, feel, and behave. From the real limits (and possibilities) of neuroplasticity to the surprisingly persistent pull of old habits, McDonald breaks down what’s actually happening inside our nervous systems.   Along the way, the trio dive into Emily’s own neurological journey, how elite athletes train their brains for peak performance, and even the spiritual energy of Sedona — all in an effort to understand how we change, and why our brains don’t always make it easy. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Trevor and Eugene are joined by author and social scientist Arthur C. Brooks to unpack the science of happiness and why we’re so good at looking for it in all the wrong places. What begins as a breakdown of the macronutrients of a good life turns into a funny, wide-ranging conversation about the necessity of failure, the search for human connection, and the surprising wisdom hiding inside our most embarrassing moments.   Along the way, Brooks makes the case that the road to happiness isn’t neat, polished, or linear. Rather itt’s messy, imperfect, and usually learned the hard way. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, author and journalist Malcolm Gladwell joins Trevor and Eugene for a conversation that starts with big social theory and then delves into whether Disney movies have been quietly gaslighting our childhoods. From the idea that your parents are basically just middle managers for your grandparents’ personalities to the invisible shortcuts and assumptions that shape how we see the world, Gladwell does what he does best, spotting hidden patterns in the ordinary. And Trevor does what he does best, poking holes, grounding theory in real life, and refusing to let a big idea off the hook too easily.   Part pop culture autopsy and part intellectual rabbit hole, this episode makes us overthink the things we love and love the things we overthink. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI isn’t just coming for your job — it might already be your manager. Trevor and Eugene sit down with investigative journalist Hilke Schellmann to examine how artificial intelligence has quietly infiltrated the workplace. From hiring software that analyzes your facial expressions to productivity trackers that monitor everything from your writing style to your bathroom breaks, Schellmann explains what these systems actually do — and what they get wrong.   Do they eliminate bias, automate it, or just hide it better? And what happens to human work when the algorithm is watching? You won’t want to miss this episode. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In a conversation that’s equal parts psychological thriller and masterclass in influence, Trevor and Eugene sit down with world-renowned cult expert Dr. Steven Hassan. Recruited into the Unification Church (aka the Moonies) as a college student, Hassan rose through its ranks before ultimately breaking free — an experience that reshaped his life’s work and inspired his bestselling book The Cult of Trump. From fringe groups to social media echo chambers, the trio unpack how and why ordinary people get swept into systems of extreme belief, the ways loyalty is engineered, and what separates healthy persuasion from manipulation. They also explore why the line between conviction and control is thinner and closer to home than we think. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trevor and Eugene sit down with comedian and former Daily Show correspondent Dulce Sloan for a wide-ranging, candid conversation about life. Along the way, they dig into the loneliness that can come with fame, the challenges of dating, and the unspoken pressures men and women bring into relationships. When it comes to the emotional math of choosing between independence and intimacy, is staying home the only good option left? Funny, sharp, and disarmingly real, the episode captures the contradictions of modern love in a world that rarely slows down. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Emmy-nominated video journalist Cleo Abram joins Trevor and Eugene to talk about Huge If True, her hit YouTube series that takes an optimistic approach to science and emerging technology. The three explore how asking “what could go right?” might be the most powerful tool we have for moving humanity forward, why optimism isn’t naïve but necessary, and how the physics of curling (the most divisive Olympic sport) can be used as an example of pessimism keeping us from imagining a better world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trevor and Eugene go wild with world-class explorer and nature documentarian Bertie Gregory to tackle one of life’s most important questions: are animals a**holes? From whale poop and chimp gangs to elephant stepdads and guanaco hunts, Bertie pulls back the curtain on the animal kingdom’s messiest, funniest dramas—before landing on the surprisingly moving truth about climate change and what’s at stake….for them, for our planet, and for us. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Trevor and Eugene unpack intergenerational trauma with psychiatrist Rachel Yehuda. Turns out, trauma is inherited, passed down through generations, but don’t fear! The three turn the heavy science of PTSD into a profound conversation about meaning-making and we learn that where trauma can be passed-down, so can resilience. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this very special bonus episode that’s as smart as it is fun, Trevor goes one-on-one with Barbados' Prime Minister, Mia Mottley. Between lessons on Bajan slang, "road tennis" Olympic dreams, and big ideas on global finance, climate change, and managed migration, Mottley proves she’s a force of nature—though even she can’t score Trevor an invite to Rihanna’s next birthday bash. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.