April 16, 2025
510
11
1
2.35%
Every word spoken in this episode is indexed. Type any phrase to jump straight to the moment it was said.
Type any word or phrase that may have been spoken. Click a result to seek the player to that exact moment.
Try a name, a topic, or a quoted line
20:41Now PlayingCan the shape of your skull or the look of your face say something deeper about you? Like if you're a good parent? Or if you're smart? Or if you're more likely to be a criminal? Well the answer is no, absolutely not. But in the past, some scientists used the pseudosciences of phrenology, which studied the skull, and physiognomy, which studied the face, to try to prove that how you look says something about who you are on the inside. Again, it's junk science. But something peculiar is happeningit seems like there's been more interest lately in some of the ideas behind phrenology and physiognomy. From "witch skulls and angel skulls," to the skull geometry of transvestigations, to the question of whether AI can detect gay faces it seems like more and more, people want to categorize each other with just a look at their heads. Brittany is joined by Yale professor of philosophy Lily Hu () and Rolling Stone culture writer Miles Klee () to understand the appeal and the consequences of fake skull and face science coming back around in the culture.
Support public media and receive adfree listening & bonus content. Join NPR+ today. ()
See pcm.adswizz.com () for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy ()
Sentinel Indexing in Progress
Metadata and chapters are available. Claim extraction for this episode is pending.
All video content is delivered via YouTube embedded players in accordance with the YouTube Terms of Service. Sentinel provides research tools that promote discovery and accountability across political media.