Two people with very different backgrounds and views on life discuss a wide range of topics from science to society, culture to creativity, politics to psychology and much more. Irreverent, light-hearted conversations about the topics that matter in life, because some things are too important to be taken seriously.
https://www.cynicandoptimist.com
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 14 hours 9 minutes
episode 9: Hierarchy of Needs: Maslow versus Muna
Episode 8: An exploration of Maslow's well-known hierarchy of needs and why it's... well, not wrong but not necessarily right, either. Muna proposes her alternative version, which starts with a bang. Oh, and the debatable - and hotly debated - rewards of procreation.
episode 8: Hedonism
Episode 7: Hedonism as a life philosophy, plus the joys of Scrabble and drunk elephants. Our most confrontational episode yet, so please enjoy the tension. Warning: this episode contains mature content and is intended for an adult audience.
episode 7: Sex, Lies and the Advertising Industry
Episode 6: Why do we accept being lied to? Why can't advertisers just be honest? A discussion about trust, advertising lies and exaggeration, dating deception, climate-(un)friendly bottled water, non-compostable coffee capsules, fast cars, peacock feathers and Alex's engagement ring.
episode 6: Is Comedy Dying?
Episode 5: What's funny, what isn't and who decides? A conversation about the limits of humour, censorship of comedians and whether laughter is a force for good. With references to Dave Chappelle, Daniel Sloss, vegans and one-armed Dutch lesbians. Note: This episode may not be politically-correct but it is inclusive: we make fun of everyone, including ourselves.
episode 5: Lifelong Learning
Episode 4: The possibilities for learning throughout life, including Kolb's learning cycle, brain plasticity, kicking cats, Muna's love of learning, how to get an astrophysics degree without really trying, and a smattering of very poor French.
episode 4: The True Spirit of Christmas
Episode 3: Joy, gluttony, Die Hard, Muna's singing, Hansel & Gretel and a cameo appearance by a sheep's head. If this is not Christmas, what is?
episode 3: Freedom of Speech and Cancel Culture
Episode 2: A conversation about what - if any - limits there should be to freedom of speech, plus cancel culture and Muna's desire for a human decency switch.
episode 2: Flat Earth Theory and Cognitive Misers
Episode 1: A discussion about thinkers and non-thinkers, using Flat Earth theory as a starting point. Includes Galileo, critical analysis and the scientific method (or lack thereof). And Popper, don't forget Karl Popper.
episode 1: Introduction to The Cynic and The Optimist podcast
A very brief introduction by Alex and Muna, explaining who we are, what we are doing with this podcast and why we believe that you will enjoy listening to us.