Episodes

This Anthro Life 2023 trailer
May 26, 2023

This Anthro Life 2023 trailer

Just a little trailer for 2023 new listeners to This Anthro Life! Learn more about the podcast here: https://thisanthrolife.org

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How Disability Teaches Us to Change the World with Brooke Ellison
May 16, 2023

How Disability Teaches Us to Change the World with Brooke Ellison

People with disabilities often face accessibility issues in physical environments, such as a lack of ramps, narrow doorways, and inaccessible transportation. Every barrier is a reminder that designs are choices, ones made without people with disabilities at the decision-making table.

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The Complex Roots of Patriarchy with Angela Saini
May 2, 2023

The Complex Roots of Patriarchy with Angela Saini

In this episode, Angela Saini, award-winning science journalist and author of “The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule,” traces the material and social roots of patriarchy with host Adam Gamwell. The duo explores how anthropology can help us better understand …

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Embodied Robotics and the Future of Humanity with Lora Koycheva
April 19, 2023

Embodied Robotics and the Future of Humanity with Lora Koycheva

When we think of robots, we tend to think of things like R2-D2, the Terminator skeleton, or a piece of machinery that automates the construction of goods in an assembly line. But that’s not all there is to robots — …

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On Finding Awe and Being a Human in the Cosmos with Sasha Sagan
April 5, 2023

On Finding Awe and Being a Human in the Cosmos with Sasha Sagan

Daughter of “Cosmos” co-writer Ann Druyan and astronomer Carl Sagan, Sasha talks with host Adam Gamwell about the power of ritual for making meaning across life, death, nature, and more. She also shares how she learned to ask questions, the …

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Designing Resilience - Behavioral Science Meets Humanitarian Action with Britt Titus
March 21, 2023

Designing Resilience - Behavioral Science Meets Humanitarian Action w…

How to Build a More Resilient World The COVID-19 pandemic leveled the playing field between those who have the privilege to avoid or mitigate disasters and those who don’t. But the pandemic is just one of many ongoing challenges and …

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Creating Anthropologists on the Public Stage with Elizabeth Briody & Phil Surles
March 7, 2023

Creating Anthropologists on the Public Stage with Elizabeth Briody & …

In today’s episode of This Anthro Life, anthropologists Elizabeth Briody and Phil Surles join host Adam Gamwell to discuss their latest project: Anthropologists on the Public Stage, a self-paced video course for social scientists who want to increase...

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How to Keep Brands Human in the 21st Century - with Matt Johnson
Feb. 4, 2023

How to Keep Brands Human in the 21st Century - with Matt Johnson

Consumers today find brands through many online sources, including search engines and social media. And with the rise of hyper-personalized ads, consumers are constantly being bombarded with brands that seem to speak to their needs and interests....

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Why the World Needs Tricksters with Shepherd Siegel
Jan. 13, 2023

Why the World Needs Tricksters with Shepherd Siegel

Indigenous cultures around the world have a trickster god or figure in their mythos. For example, the Pacific Northwest Native Americans have the Raven, a selfish, hungry, and mischievous figure who transforms the world. Stories tell how the Raven...

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Designing the Future of Global, Remote Work with Fredrik Thomassen
Dec. 8, 2022

Designing the Future of Global, Remote Work with Fredrik Thomassen

Show Notes Building a New Labor Market for Global Design Talent with Fredrik Thomassen More and more businesses are switching to remote work amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But one startup was ahead of the curve, having been 100% remote since …

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How Tech can Democratize Scientific Knowledge with Eric Olson
Nov. 3, 2022

How Tech can Democratize Scientific Knowledge with Eric Olson

The vast majority of published scientific literature and new research is hidden behind paywalls. Worse, what few accessible papers available online are oftentimes written in jargon, i.e., specialist language that can alienate non-expert readers. natural language processing-based startups are working …

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How Humans Learned to See the Future with Byron Reese
Oct. 26, 2022

How Humans Learned to See the Future with Byron Reese

What makes the human mind unique? How do we know there’s a future, and how do we recall the past? In this episode of This Anthro Life, Byron Reese, serial entrepreneur, technologist, and author of “Stories, Dice, and Rocks That …

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Growing Roots as a National Cultural Anthropologist with Ashley Meredith
July 26, 2022

Growing Roots as a National Cultural Anthropologist with Ashley Mered…

Ashley Meredith serves as the National Cultural Anthropologist and Deputy National Historic Preservation Officer for the Federated States of Micronesia. Micronesia is a sovereign island country in Oceania situated northeast of Australia and Papua New Guinea and consists of 600 …

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The Fight to Save Cultural Memory with Charles Henry
May 11, 2022

The Fight to Save Cultural Memory with Charles Henry

Charles Henry is the president of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), a nonprofit that works with libraries, cultural institutions, and higher learning communities to improve research, teaching, and learning environments. Charles shares how creating new digital technologies …

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On Being Heard and Learning to Listen with Nethra Samarawickrema
March 23, 2022

On Being Heard and Learning to Listen with Nethra Samarawickrema

When we think about social science and social scientists working out in the world, we tend to jump to the science part, you know jobs that focus on research - consumer research, user experience research, or qualitative studies for non-profits. …

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Bitcoin and the Cryptocurrency Revolution with Mick Morucci
March 10, 2022

Bitcoin and the Cryptocurrency Revolution with Mick Morucci

If you’re alive in 2022 you’ve probably also heard of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency or the blockchain. Whether you’re an active trader, just dabble, or think you’d never touch the stuff, cryptocurrency raises a fascinating challenge to the question of...

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Deep Storytelling: Bicultural History and Fiction with Andrew Rowen
Jan. 18, 2022

Deep Storytelling: Bicultural History and Fiction with Andrew Rowen

It's a common truism that history is often written by the victors, but it is equally true that the actual story is more complicated. One of the most poignant examples of this is the "discovery" of the new world by …

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Build Better Worlds: Anthropology for Game Design, Film and Writing
Dec. 15, 2021

Build Better Worlds: Anthropology for Game Design, Film and Writing

Today we're diving into world building, the process of creating realized worlds for (mostly) fictional stories and how anthropology could literally change the game. Michael Kilman and Kyra Wellstrom stop by to discuss to their new book on anthropology for …

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Being a Human: Adventures in 40,000 Years of Consciousness with Charles Foster
Dec. 2, 2021

Being a Human: Adventures in 40,000 Years of Consciousness with Charl…

Charles Foster set out to answer one of the most perplexing questions of all - what sort of creatures are we humans? - in one of the most unique ways possible: immersing himself in experiences that evoke three central epochs …

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Podcasting and the Other Side of Storytelling - Reflecting on TAL's 8th Birthday
Nov. 15, 2021

Podcasting and the Other Side of Storytelling - Reflecting on TAL's 8…

This Anthro Life turned 8 years old in October 2021. That's a long time for a podcast. When recently invited to share what I've been working on for a newsletter, TAL's 8th birthday got me thinking about what I've learned …

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Learning Forensics, Applying Anthropology with Gabriella Campbell
Nov. 9, 2021

Learning Forensics, Applying Anthropology with Gabriella Campbell

It's not everyday I get to talk with other anthropology podcasters, and even more infrequently that I get to talk with undergraduate anthropology podcasters. I'm joined on the show today by Gabriella Campbell, Gabriella is a senior at University of …

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Don't Sell Yourself Short: How to Create a Career Plan
Sept. 17, 2021

Don't Sell Yourself Short: How to Create a Career Plan

A job search strategy is essential, but what if you don’t even know what to look for or what you want to do? A career plan is something you can do before job searching to define the kind of work …

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Transforming Market Research with Qualitative Consciousness in post-liberalization India w/ Dr. Meena Kaushik and Madhuri Karak
July 16, 2021

Transforming Market Research with Qualitative Consciousness in post-l…

Dr. Meena Kaushik takes us through her story from the revolutionary idea in the late 1970s of applying semiotics to brand and market research to founding Quantum, which today is a global enterprise research organization in se...

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From Art School to Industry: Passion, Ethics, and Business Impact with Phil Surles
June 16, 2021

From Art School to Industry: Passion, Ethics, and Business Impact wit…

Phil Surles is a cultural anthropologist and consultant who focuses on branding. He works with companies to change their culture for the better and focuses on integrating anthropology into industry. From art school to anthrop...

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