Rephonic
Artwork for Inner Cosmos

Inner Cosmos with David Eagleman

iHeartPodcasts
Neuroscience
Artificial Intelligence
Memory
Mental Health
Consciousness
Psychology
Political Polarization
Social Media
Dehumanization
Depression
Brain Plasticity
Creativity
Empathy
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
David Eagleman
Dreaming
AI Relationships
Rituals
Sleep
Conspiracy Theories

Neuroscientist and author David Eagleman discusses how our brain interprets the world and what that means for us. Through storytelling, research, interviews, and experiments, David Eagleman tackles wild questions that illuminate new facets of our lives and our realities.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes179Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Health & FitnessScienceMental Health

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Inner Cosmos

Latest Episodes

Have you ever spent hours with a thought cycling around in your head? What happens when the brain continuously worries, craves, or replays something without finding the exit? Where does the feeling of being “done” come from? Might depression, addicti... more

Does your identity and performance change in different situations? What does this have to do with wondering how you’re being judged? What if polarization grows from uncertainty more than hatred? Might social uncertainty be more common than prejudice?... more

YouTube

What is artificial general intelligence (AGI) and how close are we to getting there? What defines the next step, called artificial superintelligence (ASI), and why might the gap between those two be so dangerous? When machines become smarter than us,... more

YouTube

For all of medical history, we’ve tried to persuade sick cells to behave better. What if instead we just swapped them out? Can we insert new brain cells grown from your own skin cells? And what does any of this have to do with sending one’s own cells... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Claude Steele
Social psychologist; emeritus professor at Stanford; pioneer of stereotype threat
Stanford University
Episode: Ep164 "Why Do We Act Differently Around Different People?" With Claude Steele
Ben Goertzel
Computer scientist and AI researcher and entrepreneur
AI researcher and entrepreneur
Episode: Ep163 "How Quickly Does AI Become Smarter Than Humanity?" with Ben Goertzel
Jeanne Loring
Stem cell biologist and developmental neurobiologist, and a geneticist, and an entrepreneur
Unknown/Not Explicit in Transcript
Episode: Ep162 "What Does Medicine Look Like in Ten Years?" with Jeanne Loring
Read Montague
Computational neuroscientist; work on linking reinforcement learning with brain dopamine systems
University of Maryland? (as context from discussion)
Episode: Ep161 "What Do Ancient Brains and Future AIs Have in Common?" with Read Montague
Masud Husain
Neurologist and neuroscientist at Oxford
University of Oxford
Episode: Ep159 "If Your Brain Changed Slightly, Would You Still Be You?" with Masud Husain
Melanie Mitchell
Computer scientist at the Santa Fe Institute, AI and cognitive science expert
Santa Fe Institute
Episode: Ep158 "What do babies, animals, and AI have in common?" with Melanie Mitchell
Danny Bate
Linguist and author of Why Q Needs You
University/linguistics community (as introduced)
Episode: Ep157 "Where Did the Letter "A" Come From?" with Danny Bate
Catie Cuan
Roboticist, dancer, and choreographer; adjunct professor at Stanford and entrepreneur
Stanford University, industry/tech
Episode: Ep156 What Do We Learn About AI by Dancing with Robots? with Catie Cuan
Jon Hershfield
Therapist specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorder; director of the Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt
Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt
Episode: Ep155 "Why Can’t Some People Stop Thinking Certain Thoughts?" with Jon Hershfield

Host

David Eagleman
Host of Inner Cosmos

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 1.5k ratings
  • Fantastic neuroscience podcast

    Fascinating and accessible podcast about how our brains work and how we perceive the world. I have recommended this to tons of people who have loved it too and now listen regularly đź§ 

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Caroline VillaDu
    United Kingdom2 months ago
  • Insightful

    This podcast has become one of my weekly favorites. My teenagers love to listen with me also. Highly recommend! Episode on depression was so inspiring

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Trixieecho
    United States3 months ago
  • Liked old episodes better

    I preferred the earlier narrated format—it was concise and engaging. I’d love to hear more episodes in that style. The newer interview-style episodes feel longer and less interesting.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    Whotookallmynicknames?
    United States3 months ago
  • Podcast awesome… Eric Weinstein, unbearable

    I love this podcast and generally like the guest that Dr. Eagleman interviews. The conversations are informative and typically well balanced between more dense jargon and everyday language. However the February 2026 episode with Eric Weinstein was so hard to listen to because Weinstein seems so pretentious, condescending, and out of touch with what it means to be a “good person”. His perspective on Jim Watson suggests that he looks up to Watson even though Watson is a terrible human. Weinstein s... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NeuroNerd264
    United States5 months ago
  • Love this show.

    Today there was an ad from an Epstein file friend and a brilliant man talking about corona and the lies we were told.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Outslsrp
    United States5 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Insights are accessible and thought-provoking for listeners across backgrounds.
Guests are consistently strong, with credible experts shaping compact, informative conversations.
Many listeners praise the blend of personal stories and scientific depth, though some critique heavy topics or pacing.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#80
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#72
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#182
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#127
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#22
South Africa/Science
Apple Podcasts
#31
Chile/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ep164 "Why Do We Act Differently Around Different People?" With Claude Steele
Q: What practical steps can individuals and institutions take to reduce this churn and build trust?
Adopt a learning mindset, reduce ambiguity, provide clear expectations and structured support, and cultivate interactions that emphasize full humanity and shared humanity across differences; institutions can model and practice trust-building to elevate everyone's outcomes.
Ep164 "Why Do We Act Differently Around Different People?" With Claude Steele
Q: Can you give a concrete example of stereotype threat in action?
In academia, for example, women in advanced STEM can feel extra pressure in upper-level courses; their performance is influenced not just by ability but by the fear that failures will be attributed to their identity, which adds cognitive load and reduces performance.
Ep164 "Why Do We Act Differently Around Different People?" With Claude Steele
Q: So Claude, you introduced this notion of stereotype threat some years ago. What did you see that started making you feel like, hey, this is part of a bigger phenomenon that deserves a name?
The pattern emerged from college achievement data and then specific studies showing that the presence of negative stereotypes can hinder performance, especially in areas where the individual cares deeply about success. This extended into broader implications about identity threat and churn.
Ep163 "How Quickly Does AI Become Smarter Than Humanity?" with Ben Goertzel
Q: What is AGI, and how is it different from current AI systems?
AGI is AI that can generalize beyond its training, learn out of distribution, and improvise imaginatively rather than just perform narrow tasks.
Ep161 "What Do Ancient Brains and Future AIs Have in Common?" with Read Montague
Q: Why is AlphaGo Zero considered a breakthrough for reinforcement learning?
AlphaGo Zero achieved mastery by self-playing millions of games, learning solely from its own experience, and discovering novel strategies that surpassed human knowledge, highlighting the power of self-improvement in reinforcement learning.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Inner Cosmos

What is Inner Cosmos about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A neuroscience-forward show that translates complex brain science into accessible conversations, exploring how perception, memory, and behavior shape our lives. Episodes span topics like depression treatment, anxiety as learned habits, dream engineering, and cognitive science, often featuring scientists, physicians, and thought leaders who connect research to real-world impact. Notable throughlines include practical mental-health tools, long-term thinking, and how technology and AI intersect with human cognition, making it a compelling listen for listeners who want both rigor and human stories.

Unique strengths include high-profile guests spanning neuroscience, psychology, and public science communication, plus a willingness to tackle stig... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Inner Cosmos?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Inner Cosmos. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Inner Cosmos and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Inner Cosmos get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Inner Cosmos, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Inner Cosmos?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Inner Cosmos, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Inner Cosmos have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Inner Cosmos has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Inner Cosmos are there?

Inner Cosmos launched 3 years ago and published 179 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Inner Cosmos?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Inner Cosmos?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Inner Cosmos from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Inner Cosmos?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Inner Cosmos. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Inner Cosmos?

Recent guests on Inner Cosmos include:

1. Claude Steele
2. Ben Goertzel
3. Jeanne Loring
4. Read Montague
5. Masud Husain
6. Melanie Mitchell
7. Danny Bate
8. Catie Cuan

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days