Selects: How Personality Tests Work
Josh and Chuck explore the history and mechanics of personality tests, focusing on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Big Five traits, the Rorschach test, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). They discuss how these instruments were developed, how they are used in workplaces and legal settings, and the major scientific criticisms around their validity, reliability, and potential for misuse. The episode also touches on how people relate to labels, why these tests feel accurate, and ends with an email about anxiety, productivity guilt, and stepping away from television.
The Alabama Murders - Part 6: The Porterfield Sessions
Malcolm Gladwell explores the life and psyche of death row prisoner Kenny Smith through the work of psychologist Kate Porterfield, who evaluated him after Alabama's botched attempt to execute him by lethal injection. Porterfield explains the unique physiological and psychological impact of mock and botched executions, situates Kenny's crime within a history of severe childhood abuse and family dysfunction, and reflects on how trauma and unconditional child-to-parent love shape later violence. The episode ends by tracing Kenny's deteriorating mental state, previewing his second execution via nitrogen gas, and questioning the human cost of the system that tried to kill him twice.
Selects: The Great Finger in the Wendy's Chili Caper
Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant recount the 2005 Wendy's chili finger case in which Anna Ayala claimed to find a human fingertip in her bowl of chili at a San Jose Wendy's. They walk through the immediate fallout for Wendy's, the internal and police investigations, the exposure of the hoax, the discovery of whose finger it really was, and the legal and financial consequences for Ayala, her husband, and the restaurant chain. The hosts also briefly touch on other verified cases of fingers found in fast food and read a listener email about the Adidas-Puma feud episode.
#483 - Julia Shaw: Criminal Psychology of Murder, Serial Killers, Memory & Sex
Criminal psychologist Julia Shaw discusses the psychology of "evil" as a continuum of traits, covering the dark tetrad, serial killers, murder, and why ordinary people can commit horrific acts under certain conditions. She explains her research on false memories and how easily they can be implanted or distorted, the limits of lie detection and intuitive judgments like creepiness, and how these insights apply to therapy, policing, AI systems, and environmental crime. She also talks about sexuality, bisexuality, polyamory, sexual fantasies and kinks, and her work on green crime and the psychology of those who commit serious environmental offenses.
#616 - Retired Boston Detective
Retired Boston police detective Kara Connolly discusses her 31-year career, from working busy 1990s patrol beats in Dorchester and South Boston to becoming a detective and later joining the human trafficking unit. She shares detailed stories about major cases, including armed robberies, a man who cut off his own penis, a baby abandoned in a trash can, long-term human trafficking investigations, and undercover stings targeting sex buyers. The conversation also explores how TV crime shows affect juries, the impact of politics and prosecutors on street-level policing, the emotional toll of the job, and how she is transitioning into retirement in South Carolina.
Essentials: How Humans Select & Keep Romantic Partners in the Short & Long Term | Dr. David Buss
Andrew Huberman interviews evolutionary psychologist David Buss about how Darwin's theory of sexual selection explains human mate choice and the different criteria men and women use for short-term versus long-term relationships. They discuss universal and sex-differentiated mate preferences, deception in dating, jealousy and mate guarding, dark triad personalities, stalking, attachment styles, and how people assess mate value in themselves and others. Buss also describes his major books on human mating and sexual conflict.
The Alabama Murders - Part 2: Coon Dog Cemetery Road
Malcolm Gladwell continues his exploration of the Alabama Murders by reconstructing the 1988 killing of Elizabeth Dorleen Sennett, the investigation that followed, and the early suspicions that her preacher husband Charles may have orchestrated the crime. Through interviews with congregants, investigators, and locals, he details the killers' confessions, the red flags in Charles Sennett's behavior, and the eventual revelation of Sennett's infidelity and suicide. Gladwell contrasts the messy, ongoing reality of this case with the tidy resolutions of typical crime stories, introducing the idea of a 'failure cascade' in the justice system.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Chowchilla Bus Kidnapping
Hosts Josh Clark and Charles W. "Chuck" Bryant recount the 1976 Chowchilla school bus kidnapping, in which 26 children and their bus driver Ed Ray were hijacked, transported, and buried alive in a moving van trailer as part of a bungled ransom plot. They detail the conditions inside the buried trailer, the escape led largely by 14-year-old Mike Marshall with crucial help from Ray, and the frantic search and relief in the town of Chowchilla. The episode also examines the wealthy but inept perpetrators, the planning and failures of the crime, the legal aftermath and parole debates, the long-term trauma experienced by the victims, and closes with a listener email about structural reasons behind racial disparities in traffic ticketing.
SYSK's Fall True Crime Playlist: The Harrowing Story of the North Hollywood Shootout
The hosts recount the 1997 North Hollywood shootout, detailing the backgrounds of bank robbers Larry Phillips and Emil Matasoranu, their prior crimes, the meticulously planned Bank of America robbery, and the ensuing 44‑minute gun battle with hundreds of police officers. They describe how the event exposed gaps in police firepower, contributed to the militarization of U.S. police forces, and raised ethical questions about medical treatment of wounded suspects. In a closing listener mail segment, they read and respond to a detailed correction from Kenton "Factor" Grua's widow about a previous episode, emphasizing accuracy and sensitivity when portraying real people.