59. Robert Sapolsky: The psychology behind Donald Trump, the science of stress, and the illusion of ‘free will’

  • Podcast

  • 12 February 2024

  • Posted by

  • 2

Why do we get stressed? What are the psychological differences between conservatives and liberals? Is free will a myth?


Rory and Alastair are joined by scientist Dr Robert Sapolsky to answer all these questions and more in today's episode of Leading.


TRIP Plus:

Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Question Time episodes.

Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.

Instagram:

@restispolitics

Twitter:

@RestIsPolitics

Email:

restispolitics@gmail.com

Producers: Dom Johnson + Nicole Maslen

Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2 responses to “59. Robert Sapolsky: The psychology behind Donald Trump, the science of stress, and the illusion of ‘free will’”

  1. Alastair and Rory – this was an interesting podcast but the casual mention of a ‘clitorectomy’ or FGM, with no push back from you, was really disappointing. Also, no challenge about referring to all air traffic controllers as ‘he’. Have you looked at the stats on controllers??

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How Will AI Change The World? (Ep 1)

How will AI reshape the way we live, earn, and design our lifestyles over the next decade? With investment in AI increasing a billion fold the last 12 years – is this a gold mine or a class... Continue

12 December 2025

478. Farage’s Crypto Megadonor and the Graduate Jobs Disaster (Question Time)

Why has a crypto billionaire living in Thailand donated £9 million to Nigel Farage's party, Reform UK? With a graduate jobs crisis in full swing and rising debt, what are the prospects for y... Continue

11 December 2025

477. How Trump’s Security Strategy Destroys The Old World Order

Has Trump's 2025 National Security Strategy officially upended 80 years of American foreign policy? Why does it warn of Europe's "civilisational erasure" while downplaying threats from its tr... Continue

10 December 2025

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Our politicians should be more like Peter Malinauskas

On political funding and social media, Malinauskas has shown real leadership. Our government should take note... Continue

10 December 2025

Article

Posted by

165. Anna Wintour: Culture, Influence, and the Power of Decisive Leadership

Why should everybody get fired at least once? As the former Editor-in-chief of American Vogue, how does Anna Wintour use fashion as a cultural and economic force? Why is Anna’s leadership s... Continue

8 December 2025

476. Polanski’s Problem, Westminster’s Russia Blind Spot, and Justice Without Juries? (Question Time)

Are the Greens selling an economic vision they can’t explain? Should Britain ditch juries in some trials? And, how far has Russian influence seeped into UK politics? Join Rory and Alastair... Continue

4 December 2025

475. The Budget Backlash – and Trump’s Plan to Profit from Peace in Ukraine

Is the media too negative about Reeves and Starmer, or are they simply out of ideas? What has the relentless Budget turmoil and fallout done to already low levels of trust in the Government? ... Continue

3 December 2025

Alastair Campbell’s diary: Where is Reform’s money coming from?

Real journalists would want to know whether any of the party's finances came in rouble form... Continue

3 December 2025

Article

Posted by