The Monkey Mind Lab
by Abhir Suri
What Does It Mean to be Educated in Today's World? (ft. Dr Ian Baucom)
About this podcast
The Monkey Mind Lab is a space for playful, thoughtful conversations that explore big ideas in accessible ways. The podcast is meant to satisfy (and celebrate!) curiosity — each episode offers bite-sized explorations of the kind of questions that spark minds, connect disciplines, and occasionally leave us more delightfully puzzled than when we started.
Why “The Monkey Mind” you may ask? Drawing its origins from Buddhist philosophy, the “monkey mind” is a metaphor for our restless, wandering thoughts — always jumping from branch to branch, idea to idea. At The Monkey Mind Lab, we don’t try to quiet that side — we embrace it. We follow its curiosity. Each episode is meant to feed that part of you that’s always asking, “What if?” and “Why?”. Because sometimes, the best ideas come from a little bit of mental mischief!
Episodes
- What Does It Mean to be Educated in Today's World? (ft. Dr Ian Baucom) · 36 min · Season 2 Episode 2In an age defined by artificial intelligence, rapid technological change, and growing global interconnectedness, some of the most fundamental questions about learning are being…
- Can the Dead rule the Living? (ft. Dr James Fitzsimmons) · 1 h 7 min · Season 2 Episode 1When does death really occur? What happens after we die, and who gets to decide? Is death simply an end, or has it always been something far more political? In this episode of…
- If you decolonise the mind, what happens to the culture it carries? (ft. Dr Amit Prakash) · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 6What does it mean to “decolonise” culture? Is it about removing statues, burning books and rewriting history, or something deeper - like changing how we think, speak, and see…
- Can the Arts Be a Form of Resistance? Spotlight on Latin-American Literature (ft. Gloria Estela González Zenteno) · 55 min · Season 1 Episode 5Can storytelling, poetry, and performance challenge power and spark change? When words fail, can art speak louder? In this episode, award-winning author Gloria Estela González…
- Is Oratory the Liberal Art that will save the Liberal Arts? (ft. Dana Yeaton) · 45 min · Season 1 Episode 4In a time when the value of a liberal arts education is constantly questioned, could the ancient art of oratory be its saving grace? Playwright and educator Dana Yeaton joins us…
- Can you swipe right on romance without buying into Capitalism? Is love real in the 21st century? (ft. Dr Laurie Essig) · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 3Dating apps, wedding industries, and the ever-elusive “happily ever after”—has love become just another product we’re sold? In this episode of The Monkey Mind Lab, Dr Laurie…
- Can you fast for your husband's long life and still be a feminist? Women in Hinduism (ft. Dr Jennifer Ortegren) · 1 h 0 min · Season 1 Episode 2Is being religious seen as unfeminist? Are Hindu rituals regressive, empowering or neither? What is the ethical value of stridharma in the modern world? Can tradition and…
- Is there a difference between an International Education and a Global Education? (ft. Dr Nadia Horning) · 50 min · Season 1 Episode 1What does it really mean to be educated? In this episode, Dr Nadia Rabesahala Horning breaks down the subtle but significant difference between international and global…
- Welcome to The Monkey Mind Lab! · 1 min · Season 1In this short introductory episode, host Abhir shares the story behind the podcast’s quirky name and what you can expect from future episodes!
