Social Science Bites

SAGE Publishing

Innateness

Economics

British Accents

Antibiotic Resistance

Influencers

Ideological Brain

Public Health

Social Science

Accent Bias

Language and Communication

Education

Artificial Intelligence

Cognitive Flexibility

Amygdala

Political Ideology

Public Space

Social Media

Child Development

Charitable Giving

Criminal Justice System

Bite-sized interviews with top social scientists

310 ratings

Publishes	Monthly	Episodes	120	Founded	14 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	Society & CultureSocial SciencesScience

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Latest Episodes

Mahzarin Banaji on Social Cognition

One of the promises of artificial intelligence is that it will mimic, and perhaps even improve, on human thinking. One of those hoped-for improvements was that AI would not exhibit human biases. Turns out that in one area, AI can indeed mimic human t... more

1 Jul 2026 • 34 min • Most popular

Daniel Yon on the Brain as Scientist

The human brain works very hard behind the scenes even in the most mundane aspects of daily life, like enjoying a nice day or determining the meaning of chit-chat with a friend. Ferreting out the basis and structures of our brain's labor is the domai... more

1 Jun 2026 • 24 min

Tom Gilovich On the Spotlight Effect

Tom Gilovich finds it fun to study the whys and wherefores of how human beings make sense of the information delivered by the world around them. And why not, he explains to interviewer David Edmonds in this Social Science Bites podcast. "We're dynami... more

4 May 2026 • 26 min

Ellora Derenoncourt on the US Racial Wealth Gap

This Social Science Bites podcast offers a dollop of good news and heaping helping of bad. The good news is that since the end of American Civil War the economic condition of Back Americans has improved, using as a comparison the presumed status quo ... more

1 Apr 2026 • 23 min

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Recent Guests

Mahzarin Banaji

Harvard psychologist known for unconscious bias research

Harvard University

Episode: Mahzarin Banaji on Social Cognition

Daniel Yon

neuroscientist and psychologist, author of A Trick of the Mind

Episode: Daniel Yon on the Brain as Scientist

Thomas Gilovich

Professor of psychology at Cornell University

Cornell University

Episode: Tom Gilovich On the Spotlight Effect

Ellora Derenoncourt

Princeton economist

Princeton University

Episode: Ellora Derenoncourt on the US Racial Wealth Gap

Steven Pinker

Harvard psychologist, author of When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows

Harvard University

Episode: Steven Pinker on Common Knowledge

Mukulika Banerjee

Professor of Social Anthropology at the London School of Economics and author of Why India Votes?

London School of Economics

Episode: Mukulika Banerjee on Indian Democracy

Paul Bloom

Psychologist at the University of Toronto and best-selling author.

University of Toronto

Episode: Paul Bloom on Empathy

Devyani Sharma

Professor of Language and Communication at Oxford

University of Oxford

Episode: Devyani Sharma on Accents

Frank Keil

Yale psychologist specializing in causal thinking

Yale University

Episode: Frank Keil on Causal Thinking

Host

David Edmonds

Host of Social Science Bites

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 310 ratings

super
Podcast Addict
5
Eyad Boukli
6 months ago
So inspiring and intersting!!!
I am absolutely in love with this podcast! Will go check their website for shure!!!
Apple Podcasts
5
vlarclat
Canada3 years ago
Sociopathic
Will Hutton talking of covid in the past tense is something to behold. Allowing someone so divorced from reality to ascend to the top of the Social Sciences probably, in itself, tells us all we need to know about the state the social sciences are in.
500 people every WEEK are dying of covid in the U.K. Will Hutton’s blindness to this is callous in the extreme.
Apple Podcasts
1
zeerillo
United Kingdom4 years ago
Great!
As someone who’s field uses ideas from psychology and sociology, I really like hearing scholars from other domains talk about there work. It seems like a good way to bump into useful concepts that I might not find in my usual reading.
Apple Podcasts
5
goddessofid
United States4 years ago
Great content on social sciences
Really appreciating the format of the podcast.
Is it possible to get once a podcast about sport sociology?
Apple Podcasts
5
Le_Grenat
Switzerland4 years ago

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Listeners Say

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

Impressive breadth of disciplines and researchers.

Clear, accessible synthesis of complex research.

Guests consistently bring credible, evidence-based insights.

Transcripts would boost accessibility and reach.

Strong mix of topics keeps content fresh and relevant.

Chart Rankings

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Apple Podcasts

#152

Finland/Society & Culture

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Mahzarin Banaji on Social Cognition

Q: What surprised you about GPT-3's implicit biases when you first tested it?

GPT-3 initially asserted a raced and gendered identity, which challenged the assumption that machines would be neutral; this demonstrated that training data and inherent associations in language can embed human-like biases into AI models.

Mahzarin Banaji on Social Cognition

Q: How do LLMs reveal biases, and can they be less biased in certain configurations?

Biases emerge from training data and system prompts; Banaji notes that web-based interfaces can create or amplify biases, while API configurations without prompting cues can reduce them, illustrating how interface design and prompt engineering influence model outputs.

Mahzarin Banaji on Social Cognition

Q: What is social cognition and how does it relate to AI?

Social cognition is about how we represent and think about other people—their intentions, beliefs, and goals—and Banaji discusses applying that framework to AI, showing that models reflect and exaggerate human-like social representations and biases. The discussion emphasizes that AI systems learn from language data and human-created content, which carry entrenched social biases.

Ellora Derenoncourt on the US Racial Wealth Gap

Q: How big is the wealth gap today when measured as the ratio of white to Black per capita wealth?

The gap is about 6 to 1 today, meaning Black Americans hold around 17 cents for every dollar of white wealth, a figure that underscores a persistent and large disparity.

Steven Pinker on Common Knowledge

Q: What role do norms play in common knowledge?

Norms exist because everyone knows they exist and acts in accordance with those expectations; when norms are publicly violated and visibly punished or shamed, the social fabric can either tighten or unravel depending on the visibility of the breach.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Social Science Bites

What is Social Science Bites about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Thoughtful, research-driven conversations spanning psychology, economics, anthropology, political science, and public policy. Episodes frequently center on how people think, how societies function, and how data informs real-world decisions, with a knack for turning academic findings into practical takeaways. Notable strengths include high-caliber guests from top institutions, clear explanations of complex ideas, and a consistent focus on policy-relevant implications and everyday behavior. A good fit for listeners who enjoy accessible yet rigorous social science discussions and for potential guests looking to share evidence-based insights with a curious audience.

Where can I find podcast stats for Social Science Bites?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Social Science Bites. 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 Social Science Bites and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Social Science Bites get?

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To see how many followers or subscribers Social Science Bites 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.

Which podcasts are similar to Social Science Bites?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Social Science Bites:

1. Philosophy Bites
2. Free Thinking
3. Thinking Allowed
4. Past Present Future
5. Philosophy For Our Times

How many episodes of Social Science Bites are there?

Social Science Bites launched 14 years ago and published 120 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 Social Science Bites?

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 Social Science Bites?

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What guests have appeared on Social Science Bites?

Recent guests on Social Science Bites include:

1. Mahzarin Banaji
2. Daniel Yon
3. Thomas Gilovich
4. Ellora Derenoncourt
5. Steven Pinker
6. Mukulika Banerjee
7. Paul Bloom
8. Devyani Sharma

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.

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