Have you ever poured your heart out to an algorithm at midnight?

In this episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Alice confesses her new, slightly embarrassing habit: using AI as a digital diary and emotional sounding board. Together with Marc, they dive into the fascinating psychology behind this silent trend.

AI is always awake, perfectly objective, and completely judgment-free—making it a surprisingly powerful tool to calm your nervous system. But there is a hidden cost. From the illusion of the ELIZA effect to the dangers of "frictionless" relationships and data privacy nightmares, we unpack what really happens when we trade messy human connection for algorithmic comfort.

You’ve heard it a million times: “Our generation has a shorter attention span than a goldfish.”Spoiler alert: it’s entirely fake. In this provocative episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Alice and Marc scientifically destroy the myths about digital distraction, expose the apps hijacking your dopamine, and explain why adults have been complaining about "kids these days" for over 2,000 years.

After a breakup, who do you become?

In this intimate episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Alice shares a personal story about healing after a long relationship, inspired by Eat, Pray, Love. Together with Marc, she explores identity, grief, and the quiet process of rebuilding yourself.

In this episode of Learning English With Human Beans, Alice and Marc dive deep into one of the most fascinating questions of our time. From Durkheim's three functions of religion to Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey, from the sacred rituals of fan communities to Baudrillard's hyperreality — they explore why your favourite show might be doing a lot more than just entertaining you.

Along the way: Star Wars, The Last of Us, Game of Thrones, The Lord of the Rings, and the surprisingly ancient roots of your Netflix binge.

Marc's story ...

Are we secretly wired to think only of ourselves, or is the drive to help others hardwired into our DNA?

In this episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Alice and Marc debate one of the greatest questions about human nature. Marc, with his scientific and analytical mind, confronts us with Hobbes' cynicism, the laws of evolution, and the brain's dopamine circuits. Alice grounds the conversation in empathy and everyday life, making the case that kindness is far more than a cultural illusion.

From the bystander effect to vampire bats, from babies judging puppets to the neuroscience of the "warm glow"—get ready for a deep, thought-provoking exchange that will challenge everything you think you know about why you do good.

In this new episode of Learning English with Human Beans, Marc and Alice shift into high gear! After deconstructing the illusion of the “perfect self,” we tackle its collective equivalent: the perfect society.

Delving into André Comte-Sponville's Treatise on Despair and Bliss, we explore why our political utopias are often just a reflection of Narcissus on a societal scale. From “Make America Great Again” nostalgia to eco-anxiety and progressive technocracy, why do we always fall in love with an image instead of facing reality?

If power is always imperfect and history has no magical destination, why continue to engage? Discover how “de-hope” (despair in the noble sense) does not lead to cynicism, but to more lucid, freer, and more vibrant political action.

Explore why the "self" is a dream and how "de-hope" leads to radical freedom. This episode dives into André Comte-Sponville’s philosophy to challenge the self-help industry and reclaim the present moment.

De-hope is the neutral state of being free from expectations and the "trap of time". It is not a form of sadness, but a way to stop fighting reality and find happiness in the now. This "zero degree of hope" allows us to live with a sense of freedom, unburdened by future projections.

The sense of a unified "I" is a narrative construction rather than a permanent substance. We are essentially "characters without actors," performing roles shaped by history, biology, and social forces. Realizing that the self is an illusion liberates us from the exhausting pressures of modern self-optimization.

Using Spinoza's concept of conatus, the podcast frames existence as a striving life-force rather than a fixed identity. Inspired by the film About Time, the episode encourages living each ordinary day with total presence. True joy comes from faithfully enjoying our messy, mortal being exactly as it is today.