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Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

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.

6 DAYS AGO

AI Ready

Parents: Keep Out!

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 exploration. This week, we revisit a favorite co...

Parents: Keep Out!

Nov 17

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The Power of Family Stories

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. No matter how we feel about them, we ...

The Power of Family Stories

Nov 10

AI Ready

Why Following Your Dreams Isn't Enough

Entrepreneurs typically have no shortage of passion, heart, and vision. But at Stanford University, Huggy Rao says there are other elements that may matter more when it comes to whether their projects succeed or fail. This week, we'll examine how this prob...

Why Following Your Dreams Isn't Enough

Nov 03

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How Nature Heals Us

We've known intuitively for centuries that spending time in nature can give us a boost. But it’s only recently that scientists have begun to identify exactly what it is about the outdoors that has such a powerful effect on our mood and our minds. This week...

How Nature Heals Us

Oct 27

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Reframing the Battle of Wills

It can be frustrating when people do things we don't want them to do. A friend cancels plans at the last minute. A child refuses to get dressed for school. Before long, our resentment builds, and we're tempted to issue more rules, reminders, and consequenc...

Reframing the Battle of Wills

Oct 20

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Love 2.0: How to Move On

For many of us, navigating the conclusion of a relationship is one of the hardest things we'll ever do. This week, we conclude our Love 2.0 series with psychologist Antonio Pascual-Leone, who shares the most common mistakes we make when it comes to splitti...

Love 2.0: How to Move On

Oct 13

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Love 2.0: Reimagining Our Relationships

No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there’s evidence it’s getting even harder. This week on the show, we revisit a favorite episode about the history of marriage and how it has evolved over time. We talk with historian Stephanie Coontz and psy...

Love 2.0: Reimagining Our Relationships

Oct 06

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Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 2

When things go wrong in our relationships, we often try to change the way our partners behave. But usually, trying to fix a person only makes things worse. Last week, we talked to psychologist James Cordova about why this tendency can be so damaging, and w...

Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 2

Sep 29

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Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 1

Many love stories end when the characters are still in the heady, euphoric early stages of a relationship. But what comes after that intoxicating first phase of love is over? Today, we kick off a new series on the challenges specific to long-term relations...

Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 1

Sep 22

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Passion vs. Paycheck

The idea of being driven by a calling goes back centuries. It was the language used to describe religious people who were called to the priesthood. Today, millions of people in secular professions yearn to be similarly galvanized by their work. This week, ...

Passion vs. Paycheck

Sep 15

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It's Not My Fault!

It's not easy for most of us to receive negative feedback. Even when the person delivering that feedback is constructive and reasonable, we often feel the urge to defend ourselves. This week, we look at the psychology of defensiveness with neuroscientist E...

It's Not My Fault!

Sep 08

Winning the Battle Against Yourself

Many of us have been raised to believe that if we want to get something done, we just need to set our minds to it. Where there's a will, there's a way, right? Yet somehow we end up polishing off that pint of ice cream in the freezer, or spending more than ...

Winning the Battle Against Yourself

Sep 01

Escaping Perfectionism

Perfectionism is everyone’s favorite flaw. It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to academic, athletic, and professional success. But how do we distinguish between high standards and unrealistic expectations? This week, we bring you...

Escaping Perfectionism

Aug 25

The Trauma Script

When tragedy strikes, it’s natural to be devastated. But psychologist George Bonanno finds that many of us recover from life’s blows more quickly than we might expect. This week, we talk with Bonanno about his research and why it has changed how many scien...

The Trauma Script

Aug 18

AI Ready

How Our Brains Learn

Have you ever fallen asleep in school or during a work meeting? Maybe you felt your eyes glaze over as your boss or a teacher droned on and on about a topic that had no relevance to you. What's missing from these classrooms and conference rooms is engageme...

How Our Brains Learn

Aug 11

The Best Years of Your Life

Aging isn’t just a biological process. Our outlooks and emotions also change as we age, often in ways that boost our well-being. This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with psychologist Laura Carstensen, who helps us unpack the science behind this s...

The Best Years of Your Life

Aug 04

Radical Kindness

Why do some people risk their own lives to help another person, or give away their fortunes for the benefit of strangers? This week, we talk with psychologist and neuroscientist Abigail Marsh, who studies the science of altruism. We'll explore what's known...

Radical Kindness

Jul 28

You 2.0: Change Your Story, Change Your Life

We all tell stories about ourselves, often without realizing we’re doing so. How we frame those stories can profoundly shape our lives. In our latest You 2.0 episode, we bring you a favorite conversation with psychologist Jonathan Adler. He shares how to t...

You 2.0: Change Your Story, Change Your Life

Jul 21

You 2.0: The Wisdom of Stoicism

What does it mean to be stoic? Many of us assume it means you have a stiff upper lip, or that you suppress your emotions. That's what Massimo Pigliucci thought — until he started to peruse a book called Meditations. It was written nearly two thousand years...

You 2.0: The Wisdom of Stoicism

Jul 14

You 2.0: The Path to Contentment + Your Questions Answered on Conversations

Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. But is that true when it comes to the pursuit of happiness? This week, we revisit a conversation with psychologist Iris Mauss, who explains why happiness can seem more el...

You 2.0: The Path to Contentment + Your Questions Answered on Conversations