Marvel politics, Dopamine and addiction

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Scene from Disney/Marvel's "Avengers: Endgame"
Karen Gillan in a scene from “Avengers: Endgame.” Disney/Marvel Studios via AP

Two professors join us to discuss the politics of the Marvel cinematic universe. Then, an author shares her book looking at the way dopamine works in the brain.

Featured in this Show

  • Examining the politics of the Marvel cinematic universe

    Marvel superhero movies have made billions of dollars, and they’re also filled with themes of social responsibility, public policy, and justice. We talk with a Wisconsin professor and her colleague about the politics of the Marvel universe.

  • Book explores our collective addiction to dopamine

    Humans evolved to survive scarcity. So what happens when we live in a world of abundance? A psychiatrist argues that the contemporary world’s excesses don’t interact well with the human proclivity for dopamine and make us all more vulnerable to addiction.

Episode Credits

  • Rob Ferrett Host
  • Trina La Susa Technical Director
  • Dean Knetter Producer
  • Colleen Leahy Producer
  • Lilly Goren Guest
  • Nicholas Carnes Guest
  • Anna Lembke Guest

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