Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
How Nature Heals Us
03 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We've known intuitively for centuries that spending time in nature can give us a boost. But it’s o...
Reframing the Battle of Wills
27 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It can be frustrating when people do things we don't want them to do. A friend cancels plans at the ...
Love 2.0: How to Move On
20 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For many of us, navigating the conclusion of a relationship is one of the hardest things we'll ever ...
Love 2.0: Reimagining Our Relationships
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
No one will deny that marriage is hard. In fact, there’s evidence it’s getting even harder. This...
Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 2
06 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When things go wrong in our relationships, we often try to change the way our partners behave. But u...
Love 2.0: How to Fix Your Marriage, Part 1
29 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many love stories end when the characters are still in the heady, euphoric early stages of a relatio...
Passion vs. Paycheck
22 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The idea of being driven by a calling goes back centuries. It was the language used to describe reli...
It's Not My Fault!
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's not easy for most of us to receive negative feedback. Even when the person delivering that feed...
Winning the Battle Against Yourself
08 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us have been raised to believe that if we want to get something done, we just need to set ou...
Escaping Perfectionism
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Perfectionism is everyone’s favorite flaw. It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is wh...
The Trauma Script
25 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When tragedy strikes, it’s natural to be devastated. But psychologist George Bonanno finds that ma...
How Our Brains Learn
18 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever fallen asleep in school or during a work meeting? Maybe you felt your eyes glaze over ...
The Best Years of Your Life
11 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Aging isn’t just a biological process. Our outlooks and emotions also change as we age, often in w...
Radical Kindness
04 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why do some people risk their own lives to help another person, or give away their fortunes for the ...
You 2.0: Change Your Story, Change Your Life
28 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We all tell stories about ourselves, often without realizing we’re doing so. How we frame those st...
You 2.0: The Wisdom of Stoicism
21 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does it mean to be stoic? Many of us assume it means you have a stiff upper lip, or that you su...
You 2.0: The Path to Contentment + Your Questions Answered on Conversations
14 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us believe that hard work and persistence are the key to achieving our goals. But is that tr...
You 2.0: The Passion Pill
07 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably heard the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life....
You 2.0: What Is Your Life For?
30 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there a...
Win Hearts, Then Minds + Your Questions Answered on Identity and "Covering"
23 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a saying that’s attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one’s enem...
Doing it the Hard Way
16 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Learning to play a musical instrument is hard. So is trying to run a marathon, writing a term paper,...
Ouch! That Feels Great
09 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We generally think of pain as something to be avoided. But psychologist Paul Bloom says that as much...
The Price of Revenge
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Revenge often feels sweet, but what price do we pay for seeking it out? Researcher James Kimmel, Jr....
Do I Know You? (A Hidden Brain-Revisionist History special on facial recognition)
26 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Have you ever encountered someone who clearly knows you, but you have no idea who they are? This wee...
How Much Do We Really Know?
19 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
You probably know someone who thinks they know more about something than they really do. But you cou...
Forget About It!
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Forgetting something — whether it's a colleague's name or where we put our keys — can be deeply ...
How to Harness Your Feelings
05 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Do you feel like you control your emotions, or do your emotions control you? What scientists call "e...
Relationships 2.0: Keeping Love Alive
28 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
There's no magic potion that can make someone adore you. But there are things you can do to promote ...
Relationships 2.0: Why Did You Do That? + Your Questions Answered: Fred Luskin on Grudges
21 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
As we go through life, we’re constantly trying to figure out what other people are thinking and fe...
Relationships 2.0: The Power of Tiny Interactions + Your Questions Answered: Erica Bailey on Authenticity
14 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
As you go about your day, you likely interact with family, friends and coworkers. These relationship...
Relationships 2.0: Become a Better Negotiator
07 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
When we head into a negotiation — whether we're asking for a raise or trying to get our spouse to ...
Relationships 2.0: The Price of Disconnection
31 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
All of us want to "seen" by the people around us. We want to be recognized as unique individuals. Ye...
The Moments that Change Us
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Often in life, we find ourselves wrestling with a decision. But in running these mental calculations...
Did I Really Do That?
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Many of us think there’s only one way we’d act ...
When To Pivot
10 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
When should you stay the course in life, and when should you shift with changing tides? This week, w...
Dropping the Mask
03 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Have you ever downplayed some aspect of your identity? Maybe you don’t hide it, but you don’t br...
Marching To Your Own Drummer
24 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What would you have done? It's one of the most enduring questions in psychology. We all like to thin...
The Conversations that Bring Us Closer
17 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Last week on the show, we looked at the science of conversation, and how even ordinary chats can inv...
We Need to Talk
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Just because we’ve been doing something for a long time doesn’t mean we’re doing it right. One...
No Hard Feelings
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Holding a grudge can feel like a form of justice, a way of punishing those who have wronged us. But ...
Wellness 2.0: The Art of the Unknown
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." It's been 45 years since John Le...
Wellness 2.0: When It's All Too Much
20 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
It’s no exaggeration to say that the world in 2025 can be ... a lot. Sometimes it may seem that tu...
Wellness 2.0: Who Do You Want To Be?
13 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
We all have to make certain choices in life, such as where to live and how to earn a living. Parents...
Wellness 2.0: Rising to the Occasion
06 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
From time to time, all of us are called upon to do hard or even seemingly impossible things. Do we r...
Wellness 2.0: Be Yourself
30 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
We’re often drawn to people who appear to be true to themselves. Yet showing our authentic selves ...
How to Be More Creative
23 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
It's happened to all of us: We're in the shower, or on a walk, and boom — a big idea or a brillian...
What Your Online Self Reveals About You
16 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
Every day, we leave small traces of ourselves online. And we might not realize what these traces say...
The Secret to Gift-Giving
09 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
With the holidays fast approaching, many of us are hunting for that special something for the specia...
How Monsters are Made
02 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
What makes ordinary people do evil things? It was a question that long fascinated the psychologi...
The Power of Family Stories
25 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas • Default Dataset
There's a tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables that's as consistent as stuffing and pump...
Emotions 2.0: The Logic of Rage
18 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Neuroscientist Doug Fields was on a trip to Europe when a pickpocket stole his wallet. Doug, normall...
Emotions 2.0: What's Better than Being Happy?
11 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us go to great lengths to be happy. But is our singular focus on feeling good actually makin...
Emotions 2.0: The Benefits of Mixed Emotions
04 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we feel just one single feeling with overwhelming force. We're joyously happy. We're crush...
Emotions 2.0: The Feeling that Moves Us Forward
28 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For centuries, philosophers and theologians have warned about the dangers of pride and hubris. It’...
Emotions 2.0: When I Feel What You Feel
21 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we kick off our new series, Emotions 2.0, with a special double episode about the emotion...
How to Win People Over
14 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We humans are a social species, and so it's not surprising that we care a lot about what other peopl...
What's Hidden in Your Words
07 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I. Me. My. You. He. She. They. It. To. Of. For. These are all words we use without a second thought....
Sitting With Uncertainty
30 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It can sometimes be exciting when we don't know what's coming next. Other times, the unknown can be ...
Rewrite Your Money Story
23 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Money worries are one of the biggest sources of anxiety in our lives. Psychologist Brad Klontz says ...
You 2.0: Fighting Despair
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Every morning, you wake up and face the world. What does it look like to you? Do you see a paradise ...
You 2.0: Remember More, Forget Less
09 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It happens to the best of us — we blank on someone's name, or forget an important meeting, or bomb...
You 2.0: How To Say No
02 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Saying no to someone who asks for something is often easier said than done. Maybe it's a boss who wa...
You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time
26 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the comp...
You 2.0: The Gift of Other People
19 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are you someone who strikes up a conversation with the person next to you on the train? Or do you ke...
You're Not the Boss of Me!
12 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Whether in your personal life or at work, you've probably experienced what it’s like to have peopl...
The Cure for Self-Importance
05 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we meet new people, we’re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling perso...
Where Truth Lies
29 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we think about misinformation, we often focus on blatant errors or deliberate attempts to decei...
How To Be Alone
22 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're always told to reach for that next ring, work that third job, go to that boisterous party afte...
Changing Our Mental Maps
15 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around u...
Out of the Rabbit Hole
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cognitive scientist Nafees Hamid studies the minds of people drawn to radical or fringe ideas. This ...
Befriending Your Inner Voice
01 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
You know that negative voice that goes round and round in your head, keeping you up at night? When t...
Making the World Sparkle Again
24 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, th...
Our God-Shaped Brains
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Some think of religious faith as just that: a leap of faith. But psychologists are increasingly fill...
Why You Feel Empty
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever had an unexplainable feeling of emptiness? Life seems perfect - and yet - something is...
Why Trying Too Hard Can Backfire On You
03 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumera...
Innovation 2.0: Do Less
27 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The human drive to invent new things has led to pathbreaking achievements in medicine, science and s...
Innovation 2.0: Shortcuts and Speed Bumps
20 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us love to brainstorm with colleagues. But so often, our idea-generating sessions don't lead...
Innovation 2.0: The Influence You Have
13 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Think about the last time you asked someone for something. Maybe you were nervous or worried about w...
Innovation 2.0: Multiplying the Growth Mindset
06 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that people wrote you off? Maybe a teacher suggeste...
Innovation 2.0: How Big Ideas Are Born
29 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it so hard to guess where we're meant to be? To predict where we'll end up? Nearly all of us ...
Parents: Keep Out!
22 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you're a parent or a teacher, you've probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kid...
The Curious Science of Cravings
15 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We've all had those days when all we want is a little treat. Maybe it's a bag of chips, an ice cream...
What Is Normal?
08 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anthropologist Tom Pearson was devastated after his daughter Michaela was diagnosed with Down syndro...
The Transformative Ideas of Daniel Kahneman
01 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you've ever taken an economics class, you were probably taught that people are rational. But abou...
Are You Listening?
25 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever sat across from your spouse, colleague or friend and realized that while they may be h...
The Ventilator
18 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us believe we know how we’d choose to die. We have a sense of how we’d respond to a diag...
Escaping the Matrix
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A little more than a decade ago, researchers began tracking an alarming trend: a dramatic uptick in ...
Fear Less
04 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fear is a normal and healthy response to things that may harm us. But fear can also hold us back fro...
US 2.0: Lincoln's Dilemma
26 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the past few weeks, we've been exploring the psychology of partisanship, and how to effectively...
US 2.0: Not at the Dinner Table
19 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We typically divide the country into two distinct groups: Democrats and Republicans. But what if the...
US 2.0: Living With Our Differences
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Conflicts are inevitable — both at a global scale and in our personal lives. This week, in the lat...
US 2.0: Win Hearts, Then Minds
05 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There's a saying that's attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is t...
US 2.0: What We Have In Common
29 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The United States, we’re told, is increasingly a house divided. Conservatives and progressives are...
Are Your Memories Real?
22 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We rely on our memory to understand the world. But what if our memories aren't true? This week, we t...
Finding Focus
15 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We spend more and more of our lives staring at screens. Our cellphones, smartwatches and laptops all...
Where Do Feelings Come From?
08 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Most of us feel that our emotions are reactions to those outside of us. Someone cuts us off in traff...
Making the Most of Your Mistakes
01 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
When we're learning, or trying new things, mistakes are inevitable. Some of these mistakes provide u...
What Would Socrates Do?
25 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Humans have wrestled with questions about identity and purpose for millennia. So it’s no surprise ...
How to Believe in Yourself
18 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When was the last time you set a goal and struggled to reach it? Perhaps you're trying to write a no...
The Ugly Side of Beauty
11 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We like to tell kids, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But from a very early age, we humans ...