Show Notes
Alcohol is the world’s most popular drug—a molecule that can calm or excite and bond communities or tear them apart. We trace alcohol’s journey from ancient rituals to modern hangovers, uncover how it shaped civilizations, and dive into the neuroscience of how it affects your brain and body. With insights from leading experts, we ask: Given all that we know, why do humans continue to drink? Guests:
David Nutt, psychiatrist and professor of psycho-pharmacology at Imperial College in London, author of Drink? The New Science of Alcohol and Your Health, and cofounder of Sentia Spirits.
Edward Slingerland, professor of philosophy at the University of British Columbia and author of Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization.
Credits: 1440 Explores is a production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media, hosted by Sony Kassam. This episode was produced by Dan Bobkoff and Kim Nederveen Pieterse. It was fact-checked by Sanam Skelly. Our sound designer is Jay Cowit. The executive producer at Rhyme is Dan Bobkoff, and the executive producers at 1440 are Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald. Follow us for more curiosity-driven stories:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1440daily
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1440daily
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1440Daily/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@1440daily
About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed, helping curious people stay informed and inspired daily. We live in an era of limitless information, yet limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than the truth. The tools meant to expand knowledge often distort it. Enter 1440: a knowledge collective built on curiosity, connection, and care for the truth. Here, facts matter, thinking is valued, and people come together to understand the world. Curiosity isn’t just a trait—it’s a muscle. Exercised daily, it sharpens the mind, fuels discovery, and drives lifelong growth. Join the movement: https://www.join1440.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from 1440 Explores
Plastic is in our clothes, our homes, our food packaging, and even our bodies. But just over a century ago, most of it didn’t exist.
Coffee was once put on trial. In 1511, the governor of Mecca brought it before the city's religious scholars to settle a single question: Is this drink dangerous?
Strength training prevents frailty as we age. Wards off cognitive decline. Improves glucose control, and more. But what is actually happening inside our bodies when we lift weights? And why is everyone suddenly talking about getting strong?
One of host Sony Kassam's earliest memories is witnessing an armed robbery at her family's convenience store. For nearly 30 years, she believed she knew exactly what happened—until she asked her mother to tell the story.
Congress is the first branch of the US government. The Constitution gives it the power to write laws, control federal spending, and declare war. So how did it become one of America's least trusted institutions, and why do presidents increasingly govern without it?