Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 20 hours ago
Nicholas Epley is a mind reader. But he doesn’t have ESP or practice hypnosis. He's not telepathic or clairvoyant. Sure, you could ask him to read your fortune, but you'd be better off with a Magic 8 Ball.
When we say Nick is a mind reader, what we mean is he studies mind reading at the University of Chicago — studies, as he puts it, "how we make inferences about each other's thoughts and beliefs and attitudes, and mostly how we screw that up."
Today, he makes small talk — and big talk — with Rufus about his new book, "A Little More Social," which draws on the dozens of studies he's run with thousands of participants to show that talking to strangers, cringe as it may feel, can enliven your days, lengthen your life, and maybe even heal our politics.
🔗 Sponsored By:
Fora — Build and scale your own travel business by becoming a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/idea
Northwest Registered Agent — Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. Learn more at northwestregisteredagent.com/nbifree
Shopify — Launch your business for just $1/month. Start selling today at shopify.com/nbi
Nicholas Epley is a mind reader. But he doesn’t have ESP or practice hypnosis. He's not telepathic or clairvoyant. Sure, you could ask him to read your fortune, but you'd be better off with a Magic 8 Ball.
When we say Nick is a mind reader, what we mean is he studies mind reading at the University of Chicago — studies, as he puts it, "how we make inferences about each other's thoughts and beliefs and attitudes, and mostly how we screw that up."
Today, he makes small talk — and big talk — with Rufus about his new book, "A Little More Social," which draws on the dozens of studies he's run with thousands of participants to show that talking to strangers, cringe as it may feel, can enliven your days, lengthen your life, and maybe even heal our politics.
🔗 Sponsored By:
Fora — Build and scale your own travel business by becoming a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/idea
Northwest Registered Agent — Helping small business owners and entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. Learn more at northwestregisteredagent.com/nbifree
Shopify — Launch your business for just $1/month. Start selling today at shopify.com/nbi
