The Pick-Up Line That Launched a ...

The Pick-Up Line That Launched a Literature Review: The Male Audacity

Explicit
The Plasticity Podcast by Santina Duarte
E16
Jan 26, 2026
37:33

Episode notes

Hi, it's me, Santina... actually Sequoia now, according to some random man who compared me to a tree when he tried to pick me up at a grocery store. In this episode, we unpack the neuroscience and psychology behind what many women recognize immediately: male audacity. From unsolicited grocery-store pickup lines to dating app overconfidence, we explore why men are more likely to initiate, overestimate interest, and persist despite clear social feedback.

As per usual, I release a new episode every Monday at 7:00 am EST. You can find me on all podcast platforms and on Instagram at @theplasticitypodcast. Thank you so much for another week of listening, and if you are also stuck in a frozen wasteland (a.k.a. Quebec), then wear some ice cleats this week; it's better than the alternative, which is slipping and almost falling in the middle of traffic, as I did a few days ago.

Keywords

Neuroscience
Academic Journey
Coming of age
Moving out
Graduate School
University
Science communication
science and tech
knowing your audience
dissemination
feminism
women in science
cognition
experimentation
relationships
love
new love
falling in love
reward pathways
Seasonal depression
mental health
research
human research
aging
sex
intimacy
health
female health
Audacity
Men
Males
Flirting
Pick up lines
Shoot your shot