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Becoming undead for love: Season 2 of the 'Zombified' podcast launches on Valentine’s Day


Zombified Podcast

"Zombified" is about to launch its second season this Valentine's Day. Season 1 is available to stream now.

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February 11, 2020

This Valentine’s Day, Arizona State University’s Athena Aktipis wants you to think about how love can turn you into a zombie.

Aktipis, assistant professor of psychology, and David Lundberg-Kenrick co-host the "Zombified" podcast, sponsored by Arizona State University's Department of Psychology. The podcast covers everything that can secretly manipulate human behavior, from puppies to electronic devices. Season 2, titled “Undead Love,” launches on Feb. 14, and listeners can now access the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Spotify, Stitcher, Tunein and fireside. The first episode of Season 2 features evolutionary psychologist and relationship expert Diana Fleischman and ASU Professor Katina Michael, who answer questions about love and how it can zombify people, making them act irrationally and potentially in a way that is not conducive to their own self-preservation.

“What should you expect in Season 2 of 'Zombified?' Mind-blowing conversations about placentas, bacteria having sex and people following their GPSs into lakes. We learn so many surprising things in the conversations we have on the show,” Aktipis said.

Watch the livestream of the Episode 1 recording at 5 p.m. Feb. 11.

Zombified’s second season will cover topics ranging from the apocalypse, becoming a “mombie,” paranoia, sabotaged motives and placental hijacking. Every episode not only discusses these threats, but potential solutions to them and ways you can protect yourself.

Aktipis recognizes the need for improving the accessibility of science and having people recognize that not only is research interesting, but it can be fun as well.

“The goal of the 'Zombified' podcast is to bring conversations about science and society to everyone, including fellow academics and the general public,” Aktipis said. “The zombie angle lets us have fun communicating science by using humor and framing our conversations with guests in terms of the zombie apocalypse.”

If Feb. 14 seems like too long to wait for Season 2, Aktipis and Lundberg-Kenrick recently recorded between-season episodes called “Brain Snacks.” The most recent Brain Snack answered the question: “Is love essentially when you enjoy being exploited by somebody else?” 

Season 1 of Zombified is currently available online in its entirety.

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