RITUALS: December 2024 podcast playlist
Rituals have the power to give structure and meaning to our lives, bridging the gap between the ordinary and the extraordinary. They can mark transitions, build connections, and ground us in shared values or personal intentions. Whether steeped in tradition or newly created, rituals provide a sense of continuity and purpose, often offering comfort and focus amid life’s unpredictability. What makes them particularly fascinating is their diversity—they can be deeply spiritual, purely practical, or even whimsical, yet they all reveal something profound about the human desire for meaning and connection.
PARASOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS: November 2024 podcast playlist
This month we’re diving into a fascinating and increasingly relevant topic: parasocial relationships. These are one-sided connections where individuals form emotional bonds with media figures, celebrities, or fictional characters without any reciprocal interaction. In our digital age, where social media and online content dominate, understanding these relationships is crucial as they profoundly impact our perceptions, emotions, and behaviors. From the comforting familiarity of a favorite podcast host to the deep admiration for a beloved influencer, parasocial relationships shape how we connect with the world around us. Join me as we explore how these bonds form, their psychological effects, and their broader implications for our social lives and mental health.
FALSE ALARM: October 2024 podcast playlist
This month we’re exploring the gap between our perception and reality by way of a playlist highlighting various false alarms. False alarms evoke strong reactions—panic, relief, and sometimes even humor—highlighting how easily we can be thrown off course by misinformation or misunderstood signals. This podcast playlist invites us to explore the psychological, social, and even technological dimensions of false alarms, showing how they impact everything from personal experiences to global events. It’s a compelling lens through which we can better understand our responses to uncertainty, fear, and the unexpected.
PACK ONE BAG (Deep Dive): September 2024
This month we’re doing a deep dive into a single podcast: Pack One Bag. Pack One Bag is a Tribeca-winning podcast series tells the epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David’s always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible — his grandparents’ romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation – and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In Pack One Bag, he returns to Italy to investigate his family’s past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can’t?
OPIOID CRISIS: August 2024 podcast playlist
If you date the start of what we now call the “opioid epidemic” in 2000, more than a million Americans have died of opioid overdoses since then. One result is that many, if not most Americans know someone who has been lost to an overdose, either intentional or accidental. This problem is peculiarly American. While […]
TWINS: July 2024 podcast playlist
Twins captivate our curiosity because they embody the intrigue of nature’s genetic lottery. From identical twins, who share the same DNA and often exhibit uncanny similarities in appearance and behavior, to fraternal twins with distinct genetic makeup yet a unique bond forged from shared experiences in the womb, each pair offers a glimpse into the […]
OCEANS & SEA LIFE: June 2024 podcast playlist
Humans are captivated by the oceans for a multitude of reasons, both tangible and intangible. Firstly, the sheer vastness of the oceans, covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface, evokes a sense of awe and wonder. They represent the last frontier on our planet, holding mysteries and unexplored depths that intrigue our adventurous spirit. Moreover, the oceans harbor a breathtaking diversity of life, from the smallest plankton to the largest whales, showcasing the beauty and complexity of the natural world. Beyond their ecological significance, oceans have also shaped human history, serving as highways for trade and exploration, and inspiring countless myths, legends, and works of art. In their ever-changing moods, from tranquil calm to raging storms, oceans remind us of the power and unpredictability of nature, stirring our imagination and fueling our desire to understand and protect these magnificent realms. So, with this playlist, let’s dive deep into the mysteries and wonders of our planet’s vast oceans.
CLASSY with JONATHAN MENJIVAR (Deep Dive): May 2024
This month PBC is doing a deep dive into a single podcast: Classy with Jonathan Menjivar, which is a collection of surprising stories, juicy and uncomfortable interviews, and engaging segments that explore the ways that class infiltrates our day-to-day lives.
BOOK BANNING: April 2024 podcast playlist
This month PBC chapters around the globe will be discussing book banning. In this playlist you’ll hear from librarians, book sellers, authors, parents, and students who are all experiencing censorship.
MICROBIOME: March 2024 podcast playlist
Discover the fascinating world of the Human Microbiome – the ecosystem that resides within and on our bodies.
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