Figuring It Out

If you think you're going to fail, are you more likely to? In Part 2, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of self-fulfilling prophecies, what the evidence actually shows, why the effects are weaker than many self-help books claim, and what a study of six-year-olds reveals about the surprising power of other people's expectations. Plus, Alex and Kathryn reflect on how they deal with failure, and Kathryn explains why, as a scientist, she fails at something every day.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com.

Dua Lipa says headlining Glastonbury was on her dream board and even believes she manifested her husband. Millions of videos on TikTok are about manifestation, but does any of it actually work? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the psychology of manifestation, why a Cambridge professor calls it pseudoscience, and what the evidence on goal setting actually shows.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out. We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com.

Does your life really flash before your eyes when you die? Are humans the only species that know they're going to die? And could we ever live forever? In Part 3, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates separate Myth, Fact and It's Complicated as they explore the science behind some of the biggest questions about death and dying, consciousness, immortality and what it means to be human.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com. 

How do you find acceptance in grief and come to terms with the idea of your own death? Will we be able to live forever? In Part 2, Dr Alex George reflects on losing his brother to suicide and what finding acceptance has looked like for him. Alongside research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates, they explore the psychology of grief, bereavement, mortality and why thinking about death could actually change the way you live.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com. 

What happens in the brain when you die? Does your life really flash before your eyes? Do we get to relive our best experiences? In Part 1, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of near-death experiences, consciousness and the life review - from the tunnel of light to the latest research on brain activity in the moments after the heart stops. Together, they unpack what neuroscience can tell us about death and dying, and where the science still leaves unanswered questions.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out. We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com. 

Is social media really ruining our attention spans? In Part 3 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates put some of the biggest claims about focus and distraction to the test in Myth, Fact or It's Complicated. Can you train yourself to focus? Is social media really to blame? And what does the evidence actually say?No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com.

Why is it so much easier to focus on random things or a new hobby than an important deadline? In Part 2 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates answer a listener's dilemma about why our brains are drawn to distractions, what's really happening when we struggle to focus, and what the science says we can actually do about it.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com.

Do you feel like you can't concentrate the way you used to? In Part 1 of the Figuring It Out podcast, Dr Alex George and research scientist Dr Kathryn Bates explore the science of attention, whether our attention spans have actually got shorter, and why modern life makes it feel harder than ever to concentrate. They also unpack one of the internet's biggest myths about attention and reveal what the evidence really says.No lectures. No easy answers. Just two people trying their best to figure it out.We're not here to give medical advice, we're just two friends exploring the science and figuring out life together. If you have any concerns about your health, please speak to your doctor.Each episode arrives in three parts from Monday to Wednesday. Part One tackles the Big Question. Part Two answers a real dilemma sent in by a listener. Part Three puts the most common claims to the test in Myth, Fact and It's Complicated.Have a question or dilemma you'd like us to tackle in a future episode? We'd love to hear from you. Email us at hello@figuringitoutpod.com.