Why do we fear the wrong things? We worry about plane crashes but not car rides, strangers but not algorithms, sharks but not sugar. In The Fear Knot: How Science, History, and Culture Shape Our Fears – and How to Get Unstuck, journalism professor Ruth DeFoster and neuroscientist Natashia Swalve explore why our brains evolved to fear what once kept us alive — but now often misleads us. The result is a timely, eye-opening look at how to separate fact from fear in a world that profits from keeping us anxious. In the second half of the show, we hear from Ellen Vora, author of the 2022 book The Anatomy of Anxiety. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want more bite-sized insights from the best new nonfiction delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
