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Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

300 episodes

Why do I feel stuck? How can I become more creative? What can I do to improve my relationships? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you’re not alone. On Hidden Brain, we help you understand your own mind — and the minds of the people around you. (We're routinely rated the #1 science podcast in the United States.) Hosted by veteran science journalist Shankar Vedantam.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. The Story of Stories

    · 1 h 31 min

    Why is my friend late? How does nuclear fission work? What can I do to help my baby sleep through the night? We all feel the need to understand why certain things happen. Some researchers think the drive to explain the…

  2. Do You Have Trouble Sleeping?

    · 1 h 31 min

    Millions of us move through our days without getting enough sleep. We know that sleep deprivation can affect our physical health and our mood. But sleep researcher Chris Barnes says a chronic lack of good sleep can…

  3. Why Am I Unhappy?

    · 1 h 34 min

    We often imagine that feelings of unhappiness come from outside us — in our circumstances or the difficult people in our lives. But what if the forces that erode our happiness come from within? Psychologist George…

  4. When Bad Things Happen to Good People

    · 1 h 32 min

    When historian Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, she became fascinated by the ways people try to impose order on events they can't control. She joins us to explore what it means to live fully when life…

  5. How to Make a Difference: Part 2

    · 49 min

    Think about the last time you had a discouraging thought. Maybe you told yourself, "This won't work. I'm not cut out for this." Did you take that thought as fact? Last week, we talked with psychologist Martin Seligman…

  6. How to Make a Difference: Part 1

    · 48 min

    Why do some people act on the possibilities before them, while others come to believe that nothing they do will make a difference? Psychologist Martin Seligman describes his groundbreaking research on learned…

  7. Why Conversations Go Wrong

    · 1 h 39 min

    Do you ever struggle to communicate with your mom? Or feel like you and your spouse sometimes speak different languages? This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with linguist Deborah Tannen. She shows how our…

  8. Blowing Up Your Life

    · 1 h 26 min

    Have you ever had a flash of insight that hit you when you least expected it? How did it change your life? Psychologist Anthony Klotz studies the "jolts" that shake us out of our routines, and how these moments can…

  9. The Things We Don't Say

    · 50 min

    From childhood, we're taught that honesty is the best policy. Yet in everyday life, we hedge, soften our words, and leave things unsaid. This week, we talk with psychologist Steven Pinker about why indirect speech is…

  10. What Art Does For Your Brain

    · 49 min

    Think about the last time a piece of music stopped you in your tracks, or a novel kept you up late at night. Why do these experiences feel so powerful? Psychobiologist Daisy Fancourt says engagement with the arts can…

  11. How to Be A Better Partner

    · 1 h 26 min

    When we look at the people we love, how clearly do we really see them? This week, we talk with psychologist Edward Lemay about how our fears, desires, and insecurities can shape our perceptions of our partners —…

  12. How Feelings Make Us Smarter

    · 48 min

    Some people are remarkably good at reading the emotional temperature of a situation. They can pick up on what others are feeling, manage their own emotions, and respond skillfully. What's their secret? This week, we…

  13. Making the Most of Your Mistakes

    · 1 h 26 min

    When you're learning, or trying new things, you're going to make mistakes. The trick is to try to fail in a way that gives you useful information. This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with researcher Amy…

  14. You Are Not Ordinary

    · 1 h 35 min

    Stories about unlikely heroes have captivated people for thousands of years. This week, social scientist Ben Rogers explores why the "hero's journey" resonates so deeply, and how the stories we tell about our own lives…

  15. How to Combat Pain

    · 50 min

    Pain feels like a simple message from the body. If your elbow hurts, there must be something wrong with your elbow. If your back is painfully stiff, you need some work done on your back. But psychologist Rachel…

  16. Changing Our Mental Maps

    · 1 h 34 min

    As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate…

  17. Waking Up Your Spiritual Brain: Part 2

    · 1 h 33 min

    Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices,…

  18. Waking Up Your Spiritual Brain: Part 1

    · 50 min

    Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and…

  19. Stepping Out of the Shadows

    · 1 h 29 min

    Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood explores the negativity bias, the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what…

  20. A Secret Source of Connection

    · 1 h 28 min

    We all have moments in our lives when we see someone who could use a helping hand. It could be a friend who recently went through a breakup, or an older person trying to load groceries into their car. We tell ourselves…

  21. Who Are You, Really?

    · 1 h 37 min

    You’re not the same person with your friends as you are with your co-workers or your kids. So who are you, really? This week, political scientist Eric Oliver explores why we often feel divided within ourselves, and how…

  22. Unleashing Your Creativity

    · 53 min

    For centuries, people have described creativity as something mysterious: a flash of insight, a whisper from the muse, a sudden idea that seems to arrive out of nowhere. Psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis explores the hidden…

  23. The Past is Never Dead

    · 52 min

    How does the culture in which you live shape the life that you lead? We all know that culture affects the languages we speak and the foods we eat. But anthropologist Joseph Henrich says the impact of culture goes even…

  24. The Empathy Gym

    · 1 h 29 min

    Some people are good at putting themselves in another person's shoes. Others may struggle to relate. But psychologist Jamil Zaki argues that empathy isn't a fixed trait. This week, we revisit a favorite episode about…

  25. The Cowboy Philosopher

    · 1 h 29 min

    In 2009, an old man died in a California nursing home. His obituary included not just his given name, but a long list of the pseudonyms he’d been known to use. In this classic 2019 episode, we trace the life of Riley…

  26. Radical Acceptance

    · 1 h 30 min

    Last week, we looked at the hidden beliefs that can leave us feeling stuck in life. This week, in the second part of our conversation with behavioral scientist Dave Evans, we talk about radical acceptance. Dave shares…

  27. Designing a Life that Matters

    · 51 min

    We tell ourselves that meaning comes from impact, passion, or finding the “one right path.” But these beliefs can leave us feeling stuck — even when our lives look perfectly fine on paper. Behavioral scientist Dave…

  28. Do You Feel Loved?

    · 1 h 33 min

    What’s the difference between being loved and feeling loved? Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky joins us to discuss the distinction, and how we can create a stronger feeling of closeness in our relationships. Then, in our…

  29. How to Change the World

    · 1 h 31 min

    Does power truly flow from the barrel of a gun? Pop culture and conventional history often teach us that violence is the most effective way to produce change. But is that common assumption actually true? Political…

  30. The Debt Trap

    · 1 h 40 min

    We like to think that good financial decisions come down to discipline and basic math. But the psychology of money turns out to be deeply complicated. Researcher John Dinsmore explains the hidden mental biases that…

  31. When It's Okay to Lie

    · 52 min

    Should you tell a harsh truth if it will only cause pain? Or is it sometimes kinder to keep someone in the dark? Psychologist Emma Levine explores the unwritten rules that guide when people feel it’s acceptable to lie…

  32. Group Think

    · 1 h 28 min

    How do the groups you identify with shape your sense of self? Do they influence the beer you buy? The way you vote? In this favorite episode from 2021, psychologist Jay Van Bavel explains how our group loyalties affect…

  33. Rethinking Depression

    · 53 min

    We tend to see depression as an illness to eliminate, evidence that something has gone wrong in the brain. But what if low mood serves a purpose? Psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg examines the evolutionary roots of…

  34. Yuck! The Science of Disgust

    · 1 h 37 min

    Disgust is a strong emotion, one designed by evolution to protect us from danger and diseases. But disgust also spills into other areas of our lives, influencing our morals, our intuitions about right and wrong, even…

  35. The Secret of Charisma

    · 1 h 34 min

    Charismatic leaders can inspire devotion and give people a powerful sense of meaning. They can also make us vulnerable. This week, we explore how figures across history have gained followers by offering clarity in…

  36. Do You Feel Invisible?

    · 1 h 28 min

    What does it do to a person to feel overlooked? This week, psychologist Gordon Flett examines how the absence of “mattering” can fuel loneliness, depression, and even violence. He outlines how feeling valued serves as…

  37. Why You're Smarter Than You Think

    · 1 h 34 min

    From the time we're schoolchildren, we're ranked and sorted based on how smart we are. But what if our assumptions about intelligence limit our potential? This week, we revisit a favorite 2022 conversation with…

  38. Coming Clean

    · 1 h 37 min

    Last week, we talked with psychologist Leslie John about the costs of keeping secrets. Today, Leslie returns with a look at the psychological power of self-disclosure. She says the moments of oversharing that we often…

  39. Keeping Secrets

    · 50 min

    We all carry secrets, from harmless omissions to life-changing truths. But secrecy isn’t neutral: hiding takes mental work and can harm our health and relationships. In this week’s show, and in our episode next week,…

  40. You 2.0: Trusting Your Doubt

    · 1 h 37 min

    We conclude our month-long You 2.0 series with a look at the hidden power of doubt — not as weakness or indecision, but as a tool that helps us make better choices and navigate an uncertain world. Researcher Bobby…

  41. You 2.0: The Practice of Patience

    · 1 h 41 min

    Patience can sometimes feel like a lost art, particularly in a culture that prizes competition and the idea of "failing fast." But psychologist Sarah Schnitker says patience is a vital skill for success in both our…

  42. You 2.0: How to Get Out of a Rut

    · 1 h 38 min

    There are times in life when the challenges we face feel insurmountable. Authors succumb to writer’s block. Athletes and artists hit a plateau. People of a certain age fall into a midlife crisis. These are all…

  43. You 2.0: Cultivating Courage

    · 52 min

    Why do some people act bravely in a crisis, while others flee or freeze up? Today, we bring you the second part of our You 2.0 series on the mental obstacles that can block us when we're charting a new path. Behavioral…

  44. You 2.0: Stop Spiraling!

    · 1 h 33 min

    The start of a new year is a natural moment to set goals for ourselves. But doing so can also be a little daunting. Today, we kick off a series designed to help you understand and grapple with the mental obstacles that…

  45. The Reset Button

    · 1 h 37 min

    Many of us rush through our days, weeks, and lives, chasing goals and just trying to get everything done. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy that’s all around us. This week, we revisit a favorite…

  46. The Path to Enough

    · 1 h 32 min

    This week, we bring you the second part of our 2023 conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption. She also shares techniques she’s…

  47. The Paradox of Pleasure

    · 51 min

    All of us think we know what addiction looks like. It’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argues that our conception of addiction is far too narrow — and that a…

  48. Murder Mystery

    · 52 min

    Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose.…

  49. Parents: Keep Out!

    · 1 h 19 min

    If you’re a parent or a teacher, you’ve probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kids in your care. You don’t want to put children in danger, but you also don’t want to rob them of the joy of…

  50. The Power of Family Stories

    · 1 h 37 min

    There’s a tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables that’s as consistent as pumpkin pie: the family stories that get told year after year. Sometimes these stories are funny; sometimes they make us roll our eyes.…

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