Robert Sapolsky: “I Don’t Think We Have Any Free Will Whatsoever.” | People I (Mostly) Admire | 18

Robert Sapolsky is one of the world’s leading neuroscientists, with a focus on the physiological effects of stress. (For years, he spent his summers in Kenya, alone except for the baboons he was observing.) Steve asks Robert why we value human life over animals, why he’s lost faith in the criminal justice system, and how to look casual when you’re about to blow-dart a very large and potentially unhappy primate. This episode was originally published March 5, 2021. For a full transcript, resources, and more, visit: https://freak.ws/3WQAjmF FOLLOW PEOPLE I (MOSTLY) ADMIRE: YouTube: https://freak.ws/3yIl6dl Apple Podcasts: https://freak.ws/3ELfGST Spotify: https://freak.ws/3D6uqKV ABOUT PEOPLE I (MOSTLY) ADMIRE: “Freakonomics” co-author Steve Levitt tracks down other high achievers for surprising, revealing conversations about their lives and obsessions. Join Levitt as he goes through the most interesting midlife crisis you’ve ever heard — and learn how a renegade sheriff is transforming Chicago’s jail, how a biologist is finding the secrets of evolution in the Arctic tundra, and how a trivia champion memorized 160,000 flashcards. ABOUT THE FREAKONOMICS RADIO NETWORK: Freakonomics began as a book, which led to a blog, a documentary film, more books, a pair of pants, and in 2010, a podcast called Freakonomics Radio. Hosted by Stephen J. Dubner, it’s one of the most popular podcasts in the world, with a reputation for storytelling that is both rigorous and entertaining. Its archive of more than 500 episodes is available, for free, on any podcast app, and the show airs weekly on NPR stations. Freakonomics Radio is now the flagship show of the Freakonomics Radio Network, which includes the podcasts No Stupid Questions, People I (Mostly) Admire, and The Economics of Everyday Things. FREAKONOMICS RADIO NETWORK PODCASTS: Freakonomics Radio: https://freakonomics.com/series/freakonomics-radio No Stupid Questions: https://freakonomics.com/series/nsq/ People I (Mostly) Admire: https://freakonomics.com/series/people-i-mostly-admire/ Economics of Everyday Things.: https://freakonomics.com/series/everyday-things/ Special series: https://freakonomics.com/topics/ CONNECT WITH US: [email protected] https://twitter.com/MostlyAdmiring https://www.instagram.com/freakonomics/ https://www.facebook.com/freakonomics/ https://www.tiktok.com/@freakonomicsradio https://www.linkedin.com/company/freakonomics-media Subscribe to our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bKm0cf 00:00 Robert Sapolsky bio 01:37 Baboon research in Kenya 3:03 Baboon social rank and health 4:14 Blow-dart sedation challenges 7:40 Why human and animal stress are similar 11:09 Why Sapolsky only studied male baboons 12:42 Affiliation vs. rank in baboons 14:08 Tragic end of research with first baboon troop 17:38 Why humans prioritize human lives 19:25 How humans prioritize pets 19:47 Prioritization of tigers in India 21:00 Harambe the gorilla 22:19 Chronic stress research 25:08 Ways to respond to stress 26:00 Genetic influence on stress 26:45 ACE score to quantify stress 28:49 Addressing PTSD to reduce crime 29:35 Behave- Sapolsky book on violence 29:56 Free will and violence 30:35 Abolishment of criminal justice system 30:54 The frontal cortex and impulse control 31:31 Frontal cortex trauma in death row inmates 32:29 Purposes of punishment 32:46 Retribution 32:59 Incapacitation and deterrence 33:35 Quarantine model of punishment 34:10 “Biological luck” in blame and reward 34:51 Epilepsy, schizophrenia, and dyslexia misunderstood 37:06 How to be a better storyteller