How do you persuade an audience? What is ethos, and why is it so important? And what connects ancient philosophers like Aristotle with modern politicians like Donald Trump?

Rhetoric is the answer — at least to many of the questions that arise when taking a closer look at the workings of public discourse. Invented in antiquity, rhetoric still shapes our present and future, and is therefore placed in the spotlight in this episode of In a Nutshell.

Together with her guest Bé Breij, Jara explores the power of rhetoric, its somewhat negative reputation, and how one can analyze the art of persuasion.

Bé is a professor of Latin language and literature, a specialist in ancient rhetoric, and the founder of Peitho, the Radboud knowledge center for rhetoric and persuasion.

Do you want to delve deeper into the world of rhetoric? Follow Bé's tip and read "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith, "Thank You for Arguing" by Jay Heinrichs, and/or "You Are Not Human: How Words Kill" by Simon Lancaster.

And be sure to check out Peitho's website at https://www.ru.nl/en/departments/faculty-of-arts/peitho.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Where did AI come from? How is it changing society? And why do we need a European approach to Artificial Intelligence?

In today’s episode, we are tackling the most discussed topic in recent weeks: Artificial Intelligence. Whether people are remaking The Lord of the Rings entirely in the style of Studio Ghibli, power self-driving cars or ask ChatGPT to write their uni assignments, AI seems to be everywhere. But where did it come from? And how is it affecting society right now?

Together with professor of Artificial Intelligence and principal investigator at the Donders Institute Pim Haselager, Antonia talks about the power and the dangers of AI, what human rights respecting AI can look like – and why universities have a more important role to play than they might think.

This episode is part of a two-part special on Artificial Intelligence. Stay tuned for the second part, where we talk about the future of AI – and the next Vox magazine on Artificial Intelligence, featuring an interview with Pim Haselager.

What makes and breaks a good romantic relationship? Why can’t our relationships be perfect? And how can mindfulness help us make better connections?

Ah, romantic relationships. They make us see the world through rose-colored glasses and let us feel thousands of butterflies in our tummies, don’t they? Yet, many people would likely agree that having a romantic relationship can be quite a challenge. So, how to do them right?

In this episode of In a Nutshell, Jara explores the science behind romantic relationships. Her guest, Johan Karremans, offers intriguing insights into the world of interpersonal connections and explains how mindfulness can help us in our relationships with others.

Johan is a Professor at the Behavioural Science Institute. In his research, he investigates what determines the failure and success of social relationships and what role mindfulness can play in our relationships.

Do you want to know more about mindfulness and social relationships? Follow Johan’s tip and read “Buddha’s Brain” by Rick Hanson. And for those who want to start practicing mindfulness themselves, Johan suggests the meditation app “InsightTimer”.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Why are we afraid of math? Can you make peace with the school subjects you hate? And how important are feelings and attitudes towards a subject when it comes to doing well? (Spoiler alert: very.)

Everyone has that one subject in school (or at university) they don’t like – and in today’s episode, Antonia is tackling precisely that: the subjects we dislike and the disciplines we are bad in. Or, at least, feel like we are. Together with guest Sanne van der Ven, Antonia explores the interplay of cognition, emotions and school performance. And, more importantly, how to (at least somewhat) overcome it.

Sanne van der Ven is an assistant professor at the Behavioural Science Institute (BSI). She explores children’s differences in subjects like mathematics, reading and spelling and how cognition and emotions can factor into school performance.

Would you like to learn more about math anxiety and the science behind it? Then follow Sanne’s advise and have a take at this YouTube documentary about dyscalculia (in Dutch).

We are now on Instagram!

Do you want to discover interesting research topics? And have you ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of a podcast? You can now follow us on the official In a Nutshell Instagram account (@inanutshell.podcast).

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

What will a peak behind the governments’ screens show us? What do we need to know about digital governments? And how does digitalization change public values?

Digitalization is not just technical – this is the key message of this week’s episode, in which Jara learns about the world of digital governments. Together with her guest Noortje Hoevens, she discusses the political and social aspects of digitalization and investigates how digitalization causes a shift in values – from intrinsic to IT values.

Noortje is a PhD candidate at Radboud University. She investigates the relationship between digitalization and public values in Dutch public agencies.

Do you want to learn more about the pitfalls of digitalization? Then, follow Noortje’s advice and watch the documentary “The Social Dilemma.”

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

What are the things we don’t remember when we remember 9/11? Why is commemorating 9/11 still a heatedly discussed topic, even more than 20 years later? And where did theruins of the Twin Towers actually go?

“Where were you when the planes hit the towers?” Is probably one of the most asked questions of the 21st century. In this week’s episode, Antonia takes a closer look at the aftermath of the terrorist attack. Together with guest László Munteán, she discusses mourning the dead after the attacks, how a significant amount of the towers’ steel ended up in China – and what three ships have to do with all of that.

László Munteán is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Arts. His research focusses on the emorialization – and especially materiality – of 9/11. He is the coordinator of the RICH research group Memory, Materiality and Affect.

Would you like to start learning more about the material culture surrounding the terrorist attacks? Then follow László’s suggestion and read Jay D. Aronson’s book Who Owns the Dead? The Science and Politics of Death at Ground Zero.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Why do we have prejudices? How are they created? And how do prejudices influence how we see and interact with people around us?

In this new episode of In a Nutshell, Jara learns that stereotypes are not only bad. With her guest, Gijs Bijlstra, she embarks on a journey to understand the power of prejudices, what we can use them for, and when we need to overcome them.

Gijs is an Associate Professor and social psychologist. He works at the Behavioural Science Institute. Gijs is interested in how stereotypes and prejudice influence our perceptions and behaviors.

Do you want to know more about prejudices and their influence on our perceptions? Follow Gijs’ tips and check out the podcast “Opinion Science” by Andy Luttrell. You can also read the book “Blindspot” by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald and watch the movie “Green Book."

If you like what we do with this podcast, follow us on Instagram @inanutshell.podcast.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise

Sex should be about having fun and pornography usually gets it wrong – at least according to Maerten Prins, long-time lecturer of the popular course Psychology of Sexuality.

In today’s episode of In a Nutshell, Antonia and Maerten talk about why the Netherlands might have the best sex education in the world but still falls short for many students. But what makes for good sex – and good sex education – in the first place? How has the way we talk about sex changed over the last decades? And why should we all masturbate more?

Maerten Prins is a cultural psychologist and lecturer in the Psychology department. His course Psychology of Sexuality is attended by more than 700 students every year and covers everything from coitus to consent, including Maerten’s favourite topic: pornography, which encompasses a whole range of things that need to be talked about when talking about sex.

To learn more about sex, follow Maerten’s tips and have a look at Justin Lehmiller’s book The Psychology of Human Sexuality, Lehmiller’s website and his Sex and Psychology Podcast. For Dutch readers, Maerten recommends the books De waarheid over seks: plezier en gendergelijkheid op planeet Aarde by Laan and van Lunsen and Seks!: een leven lang leren by van Lunsen en Laan. And for English readers, Emily Nagoski’s book Come As You Are.

Edit: Jara Majerus

Cover: Antonia Leise