⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses child sexual exploitation, trafficking, and trauma.

What does the law really say about protecting children — and who does it leave behind? 🚨 This week on Smooth Brain Society, Dr. Pantea Javedan of Stanford University joins host Sahir and co-host Sabrina Page (Founder of the Gender Violence Research and Collaboration Network) to expose the hidden history of child trafficking laws, the shocking contradictions in how minors are criminalized, and why cases like Jeffrey Epstein reveal a system built to protect the powerful, not the vulnerable. We also dive into today’s battles over age of consent, criminal responsibility, and how children’s rights are being trampled in real time.

Dr. Pantea Javidan: https://humanrights.stanford.edu/people/pantea-javidan

News stories mentioned in intro: https://www.democracynow.org/2025/8/13/headlines/state_department_scrubs_reporting_on_human_rights_abuses_committed_by_trumps_allies

https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/crime/youth-crime/trump-youth-crime-donald-elon-musk-doge/65-20a65893-4f32-4c12-873b-2d8449deb5e6

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Can autistic adults lie—and detect lies—like everyone else? And what happens when the justice system misreads autism traits as deception?

In this episode, we sit down with Tiegan Blackhurst, a doctoral researcher at Lancaster University, to dive into her research on autism and deceptive communication. Tiegan breaks down how autistic adults navigate truth and lies, and how misunderstanding these behaviors in legal settings can lead to serious consequences.

💡 Topics covered:

• Can autistic people lie? (spoiler: yes!)
• How stereotypes around eye contact and “shifty” behavior hurt autistic individuals
• Real-world impacts: from police interactions to courtroom bias
• Why both police and the public need better training
• The "Prison Houdini" case and what it reveals

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email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

What is creativity, really? In this episode of the Smooth Brain Society, we dive deep with Dr. Keith Sawyer—MIT-trained computer scientist, jazz pianist, and leading creativity researcher and Professor in Educational Innovations at the University of North Carolina—to unravel the psychology of creative thinking. From the neuroscience of flow states to the myth of the lone genius, Dr. Sawyer breaks down how creativity happens in the mind, in collaboration, and in the classroom. We explore his many books on creativity including his 2024 book Explaining Creativity: The Science of Human Innovation, known as "the creativity bible," and his latest publication, Learning to See: Inside the World's Leading Art and Design Schools, a groundbreaking account of how nationally known artists and designers teach. Join us as we learn why stepping away from work might be the most productive thing you do.

Oh! and that apple story about Newton? Not quite what you think.

https://keithsawyer.com/

Support the show

Support us and reach out!
https://smoothbrainsociety.com
https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety

Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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Twitter/X: @SmoothBrainSoc
Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety
Merch and all other links: Linktree
email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com