Why are we so judgemental about how others beautify themselves? Do you wear eyeliner? Dye your hair? Ever gone under a laser, needle, or knife? When it comes to beautification, how far do you think is too far? And why are there such strong moral overtones to our conversations about where to draw the line? From Instagram Face to pretty privilege, the male gaze to “anti-feminism”, cultural appropriation to the capitalist machine - a tour of the cosmetic cuts surprisingly deep. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Why do we form social hierarchies? From corporate ladders to military chains of command, formal caste systems to playground pecking orders, humans are particularly sensitive to social status. And we display our rank in all sorts of ways, even without realizing it - through our posture, vocal pitch, and patterns of eye contact. Join Dessa to learn how social hierarchies are formed, how they might be dismantled, and the many ways in which they color our daily exchanges. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

Our ideas of what’s beautiful are tied to symmetry. Symmetry attracts. Why? What’s so compelling about faces that are the same on both sides of that nose in the middle?  To study symmetry we dive into the world of asymmetry – where things are different. Dessa talks with a professor who studies right- and left-handedness, a graphic designer who explains the appeal of a bit of asymmetry and a woman who grew up with a distinctly asymmetrical face – and ended up in a very surprising profession as a result. Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction with iHear ..read more

Budging. Cutting in line. Skipping. Butting. Doesn’t it make your blood boil? The standing line evokes strong feelings about justice — breaking what we see as the rules for waiting in line can arouse anger and even violence that feel totally out of proportion to the length of our wait. Why are we such raging moralists when it comes to waiting our turn? Dessa finds out what standing in line can reveal about social status and hidden power dynamics — and that the serpentine line in her local supermarket is a good thing.  Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coprodu ..read more

Most female mammals schedule their sex life into just the couple of days in their cycle when they’re fertile. So why do humans do it whenever the mood strikes? (Well, in theory, at least.) To find out, Dessa explores stinky t-shirt tests and all sorts of things we’d better not mention here. Parental discretion is strongly advised.  Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction with iHeartMedia. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information ..read more

We spend a lot of time looking for love — but have we got that wrong? Is love something you discover, or something you’d be better off growing into? It’s all down to choice…but not too much!  Dessa finds answers in the supermarket cereal aisle and the brain scans carried out by a biological anthropologist, which is basically someone who puts your life in the context of everyone else’s. Think you’re special? Think again. Plus Dessa hears some words of wisdom from her mom on how best to navigate the wilderness of dating aps.  Listen and love deeper. Deeply Human is a BBC World Servi ..read more

It’s time to talk. It is never too late for a rigorous conversation about death activism, the guillotine and the ferocity of human love — unless, of course, you are dead already. It is time to meet the death doulas who can help you through this, and learn why a “good death” might not be a good thing, and why it might be time to sit down with a pen and a pad and do a little thinking about your own exit. Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction with iHeartMedia. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listene ..read more

It’s time to talk. It is never too late for a rigorous conversation about death activism, the guillotine and the ferocity of human love — unless, of course, you are dead already. It is time to meet the death doulas who can help you through this, and learn why a “good death” might not be a good thing, and why it might be time to sit down with a pen and a pad and do a little thinking about your own exit. Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction with iHeartMedia. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com ..read more

What if everything you experienced felt like you had already lived it before? Meet the people for whom déjà vu is every day.  It’s that moment when you mix up past and present, the real and the imagined, and you can no longer trust your senses. How is it that the world is the same but the experience is completely weird? It’s like tasting your own tongue. What is going on in the mechanics of your mind? Welcome to Déjà Ville, a virtual world designed to induce déjà vu in order to understand what happens when memory and our senses, our past and our present, all get scrambled up together.&n ..read more

The experiences of being a teenager are deep and lasting — first break-ups, fierce arguments with parents, that time a friend tried to skateboard off the roof. Why is that time of life experienced so intensely and remembered so vividly? Dessa finds that many answers lie in neuroanatomy and the way our brain wires itself as we grow. She meets teens and a brain scientist to find out why the rollercoaster highs and lows of teenage life might be good for us in ways adults just don’t get. Deeply Human is a BBC World Service and American Public Media coproduction with iHeartMedia. Learn more about ..read more