In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by world-renowned author and journalist, Jack El-Hai, to discuss the personality of evil, with a specific focus on the personalities of authoritarians and fascists. This was the focus of his best-selling 2013 book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, which inspired the 2025 movie, Nuremberg, currently streaming on Netflix, which features not one, but two Academy Award winning actors. In the movie Russell Crowe plays the part of Nazi war criminal Hermann Göring and Rami Malek plays the role of Douglas Kelley, the US Army psychiatrist assigned to evaluate the personalities and mental capacities of high-ranking Nazis leading up to the Nuremberg trials. Again, this was all inspired by Jack’s book which Pulitzer Prize-winning author Gilbert King describes as “a harrowing narrative that brilliantly probes the depths of evil.” So, that begs the question: What is the personality of evil? 

Buy the Book: The Nazi and the Psychiatrist

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake talk about one of the top headlines in the media today that isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future: With the exponential proliferation of artificial intelligence and its impact on the global workforce, what skills will humans need to remain relevant and employed? Opinions vary on what that impact will look like. Some think AI is coming for all of our jobs and will sooner rather than later deem human workers unnecessary. Others think we’re on the verge of an AI bubble and the technology is starting to plateau. And then there’s those who realistically, or at least optimistically, see a future somewhere in between. Ryne and Blake discuss this and so much more in this new episode.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Nigel Nicholson, PhD, author and Emeritus Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School, to talk about unique individuality, which is the focus of his new book, Unique You: How Individuality Works and Why It Matters. Although Nigel’s esteemed career as a business psychologist has focused on things like the application of evolutionary theory in business and management, educational innovation, and coaching political and business leaders, the topic of individual differences has fascinated him for much of his life, making him the perfect guest for this topic.

Click here to buy Unique You: How Individuality Works and Why It Matters

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Peter Harms, PhD, a Frank Schultz Professor of Management at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business, to talk about the history and psychology of underdogs. World history is littered with stories and legends of people or groups of people who have defied the odds in the face of almost sure defeat, making them the closest thing to immortal a human being can fathom outside of religion and deities. But how do they accomplish these incredible feats? How do they find a way to make the impossible possible? Peter and Ryne have been interested in the topic of underdogs for quite some time, and they unpack their thoughts and theories in this episode.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Kevin Mitchell, PhD, the Talent and Organizational Development Manager at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, to talk about developing technical experts into leaders. In theory, any high performer regardless of their area of expertise should at some point be rewarded with a leadership position. But sometimes what makes someone a great software developer or network engineer might not translate to success once they ascend to a managerial role. In this episode, Kevin, who has a wealth of experience in this area, talks about how to successfully develop these high performers into effective and strategic leaders.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by new Hogan Assessments CEO, Allison Howell, to discuss the pros and cons of gossip in the workplace. Gossip is common in all facets of our everyday lives but, in the workplace, gossip is often viewed as disruptive and unproductive. However, more recently gossip has been seen in a more positive light. What was once perceived as an organization’s worst enemy is now often its biggest ally. This is a topic Allison explored in depth over the past year and that’s why we thought she would be the perfect guest to discuss the positives and negatives of gossip in the workplace. 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake continue their annual tradition of breaking down the top derailers of the year. Who made the list in 2025? Give it a listen to find out.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake discuss the topic of workplace freeloaders. This is a topic that has been their minds recently based on an interview Ryne did with the media outlet, Quartz. That interview went so well that they wanted to do an episode specifically on freeloaders and how they show up in the workplace.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne is joined by special guest host Valerie Stone, Hogan’s marketing director, who interviews Ryne to discuss his life, his role at Hogan, and his career journey. 

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Blake is joined by special guest host Valerie Stone, Hogan's marketing director, who interviews Blake to discuss his life, his role at Hogan, and his career journey. 

Many listeners probably noticed that there was not a new episode last week, and that was for a couple of reasons. The primary reason is that Ryne has had an extensive international travel schedule in the second half of 2025. The other reason is that this time of year is extremely busy at Hogan as we look to wrap up the year. But that got me thinking. How well do you, our listeners, know Ryne and Blake? In this special episode you get an in-depth look at Blake's life, and a similar episode featuring Ryne will be published in the coming weeks. Cheers!

In the final spooky season episode of The Science of Personality in 2025, Ryne and Blake are joined by Christopher Bader, PhD, professor and chair of the department of sociology at Chapman University, to talk about why people believe in the paranormal. Christopher has studied the paranormal for more than 20 years, and he also takes his work out into the field, having participated in several ghost hunts, observed support groups for UFO abductees, and joined in on bigfoot investigations. In addition, he is the author of the book Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture and the book Paranormal Britain, which will be released in Spring of 2026.