BBC, iHeartMedia and American Public Media Partner for Podcast

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, February 12, 2021

The BBC World Service, iHeartMedia, and American Public Media have announced a new podcast: Deeply Human. Hosted by writer and musician Dessa, the show strives to answer questions about the inner self: why we do the things we do and how the brain guides us and plays tricks on us. Deeply Human launches March 8 and will be distributed by the iHeartPodcast Network.

In short, Deeply Human will uncover the secrets of the human mind and heart. The first episode is all about finding love, and spans everything from Dating Apps to brain scans. It looks at how our hormones can determine what kind of person we want to date, the surprisingly easy-to-find parts of the brain governing attraction, and why picking a romantic partner isn't all that different from picking a cereal at the grocery store. Just in time for Valentine's Day, listen to a preview of Deeply Human HERE.

"It's funny how much of your own mind is stowed away in a backroom; so many of our behaviors are driven by forces we can't feel," said Dessa. "On this show, I engage with brilliant people across all sorts of disciplines, traipsing around the dimly-lit subbasement of human nature -the parts not listed on the guided tour. People are endlessly fascinating : our accents, our ticks, the way we style our hair and spend our money-and the perspectives I've gained on this show help me understand them just a little bit better."

Dessa has personal experience exploring the depths of the human mind. In 2018, she turned to neuroscience to help overcome her heartbreak over a past relationship. In a unique neurofeedback experiment, she was hooked up to electrodes and retrained her brain to strengthen her emotional resilience when seeing pictures of her ex. The experience was featured in her acclaimed memoir My Own Devices and inspired her 2018 album Chime.

"I'm very excited to be collaborating with APM, iHeart, and, of course, Dessa," said Steve Titherington, senior commissioning editor at BBC World Service. "She and the team have created a complex, engaging and frankly startling programs which we can't wait to share."

"We couldn't be more excited to launch this podcast with BBC World Service and American Public Media," said Will Pearson, COO of the iHeartPodcast Network. "Partnering with two of the world's best storytelling organizations to bring such a fascinating podcast to fruition has been an incredible experience.""