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Robert Sapolsky | Father-Offspring Interviews

Robert Sapolsky
Stress
Free Will
Covid-19
Mental Health
Depression
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Alzheimer's Disease
Schizophrenia
Dopamine
Chimpanzees
Prefrontal Cortex
Religion
Obesity
Parkinson's Disease
Neanderthals
Galápagos Tortoises
Baboons
Neuroscience
Cortisol
Testosterone

Dr. Robert Sapolsky and his Offspring answer your questions, with topics ranging from his books to his time doing field work in Kenya, current research to current events, and lots more.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes116Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Science

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Artwork for Robert Sapolsky

Latest Episodes

Episode 116 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode includes discussion of Marchetti’s constant of human commuting, as well as why we humans shake hands and how other species do the same.

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Episode 115 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include why some people eat more and others eat less under stress, and groundbreaking work that has shown the complex language skills of birds.

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Episode 114 of Father-Offspring Interviews. This episode focuses on the difference between Bipolar I and II, and the chimp civil war that has recently made Scientific headlines.

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Episode 113 of Father-Offspring Interviews. Topics in this episode include Acquired Savant Syndrome, how humans evolved to be dominant as generalists, and why organisms began to do sexual reproduction.

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Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Joy Milne
Scottish woman with hereditary hyperosmia who can smell Parkinson's disease in patients
Research subject / Parkinson's olfaction case study
Episode: The Woman Who Smells Parkinson’s, Flagellation | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #103
Simon Baron Cohen
Professor at Cambridge and one of the world's experts on autism.
University of Cambridge
Episode: Obesity, Deja Vu, History of ASD | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #85
Steven Bezrukhun
Physician and professor at the University of Washington, a public health expert.
University of Washington
Episode: Obesity, Deja Vu, History of ASD | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews #85

Hosts

Cher Sapolsky
Host of Father-Offspring Interviews
Robert Sapolsky
Host of Father-Offspring Interviews

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 430 ratings
  • A Favorite

    Professor Dr. Humanitarian Sapolsky has written and spoken more towards making me a more compassionate human than any religious text or organization in my 70 plus years. Thank you & Offspring & Mommy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    DivanDiva
    United Statesa month ago
  • Thank you for everything!

    I started reading Dr. Sapolsky’s books and listening to his podcast midway through my psychology degree. They have helped me so much in directing my professional future toward neuropsychology. Every time I hear the little opening jingle, I am immersed in that nerdy happiness of learning something new and changing the way I see reality!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    MatheusGiordano
    Brazil2 months ago
  • Great

    It’s such a privilege to be able to hear such a knowledgeable and authoritative figure, and for free. Podcast full of ideas, information. Highly recommend it.

    Love from Italy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Emanuele_Magli
    Italy3 months ago
  • Sapolsky is a treasure

    Thanks for this!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jmuzzle
    United States3 months ago
  • Unmissable

    I’m so pleased these are a podcast, as I find a podcast easier to concentrate on than YouTube. Endlessly informative. Very grateful to have this information made available. Now, what made me the sort of person who would say that?

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hokeykokey
    United Kingdom6 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Quality research references and engaging storytelling make long episodes feel accessible.
Many appreciate the family dynamic and thoughtful engagement with difficult topics.
Listeners praise the clear, approachable science explanations and the host's curiosity.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#229
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#232
United Kingdom/Science
Apple Podcasts
#245
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#172
Australia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#46
Indonesia/Science
Apple Podcasts
#65
Singapore/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Bird Language; Stress Eaters | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Q: Why do some people stress eat while others do not during stressful periods?
Sapolsky explains that two-thirds of people tend to reduce intake under stress (hypophagia) due to an early anorexigenic push from CRH, while a subset becomes hyperphagic because their stress hormone dynamics and brain reward pathways respond differently, especially under prolonged or pulsed stress.
Sexual Reproduction; Acquired Savants; Human Dominance | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Q: For our first question, Mark from New Jersey, Michael from England, and a few others asked about acquired savant syndrome. Could you talk about how these skills emerge after brain injury?
After brain injury, some individuals develop intense, domain-specific abilities—often coupled with obsessive practice—due to neuroplastic changes or release of latent talents, though the exact mechanisms remain debated and are likely a mix of neurobiological rewiring and disinhibition of previously suppressed networks.
Sexual Reproduction; Acquired Savants; Human Dominance | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Q: Finally, Imogen from New Zealand asks, How did organisms go from asexual reproduction to sexual reproduction? And what are the advantages throughout history?
Asexual reproduction produces clones, while sexual reproduction introduces genetic variation through recombination and meiosis, with intermediate stages like parthenogenesis and hermaphroditism offering diverse routes; the switch ultimately provides genetic diversity that can help populations survive environmental changes.
Chimps & Crystals; Gendered Colors; COVID fetuses | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Q: please talk about chimps and crystals.
Sapolsky describes two experiments: chimps preferred a crystal over a rock and even carried it away, suggesting an intrinsic attraction to shiny objects. He notes the lead author is a crystallographer and highlights the broader implication that humans and chimps share curiosity about shiny things, which may connect to evolutionary patterns of abstraction.
Fart Jokes, Handedness, SuperAgers | Robert Sapolsky Father-Offspring Interviews
Q: Carolyn from Ohio asks, do other species exhibit a dominant hand slash paw? Any speculation on an evolutionary advantage to developing handedness?
Sapolsky explains that handedness is a broad, evolutionarily conserved trait across many species, with a general bias and abundant variation. The left and right brain specialization provides a more efficient nervous system, and while most humans are right-handed due to language and motor specialization in the left hemisphere, there is substantial cross-species variability that suggests no single evolutionary rule dictates dominance.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About Robert Sapolsky

What is Robert Sapolsky about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A science-focused Q&A with Dr. Robert Sapolsky and his offspring covering neuroscience, evolution, psychology, and current events, often translating dense research into approachable explanations. Episodes frequently tackle controversial social topics, brain networks, aging, and quirky biological phenomena, all delivered with humor and family dynamics that keep complex material accessible for a curious, educated audience. Noteworthy is the blend of rigorous science with real-world questions and a distinctive, multiperson hosting style that feels approachable rather than purely academic, making it appealing for listeners who enjoy deep-dive biology stories told in an inviting way.

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Which podcasts are similar to Robert Sapolsky?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Robert Sapolsky:

1. Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas
2. The Michael Shermer Show
3. Within Reason
4. Very Bad Wizards
5. The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss

How many episodes of Robert Sapolsky are there?

Robert Sapolsky launched 2 years ago and published 116 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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Recent guests on Robert Sapolsky include:

1. Joy Milne
2. Simon Baron Cohen
3. Steven Bezrukhun

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