Hidden Brain
Episodes
Ep. 71: The Fox and the Hedgehog
16 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The Greek poet Archilochus is known for the phrase, "The fox knows many things; the hedgehog one big thing." This week, we'll use this metap...
Encore of Ep. 45: What Are The Odds?
09 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain: coincidences. Why they're not quite as magical as they seem, and the reasons we can't help but search for meaning in them a...
Ep. 70: Who We Are At 2 A.M.
02 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever googled something that you would never dream of saying out loud to another human being? Many of us turn to Google when we have a deeply ...
Episode 69: Money Talks
25 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
How do you spend your money? On food, transportation, or housing? On shoes, cars, coffee, fancy restaurants? You might think you use money just to, yo...
Ep. 68: Schadenfacebook
18 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Millions of people around the world use social media every day to stay in touch with friends and family. But ironically, studies have shown that peopl...
Encore of Ep. 35: Creature Comforts
11 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Hidden Brain considers the power of touch. First, Alison MacAdam tells us the story of her security blanket, called Baba. Then, Shankar int...
Ep. 67: The Hole
04 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine a concrete room, not much bigger than a parking space. You're in there 23 hours a day, 7 days a week. This is the reality of solitary confinem...
Ep. 66: Liar, Liar
28 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Editor’s note: Since this episode first aired, researchers have raised concerns about a number of studies authored by Dan Ariely, including one cite...
Episode 65: Tunnel Vision
21 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When you're hungry, it can be hard to think of anything other than food. When you're desperately poor, you may constantly worry about making ends meet...
Ep. 64: I'm Right, You're Wrong
14 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are some topics about which it seems no amount of data will change people's minds: things like climate change, or restrictions on gun ownership....
Encore of Ep. 24: Tribes and Traitors
07 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly a year ago, we ran an episode about one of the world's most intractable divides: the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Since that story aired, a ...
Ep. 63: "I'm Not A Terrorist..."
28 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Making jokes about politics is a tradition as old as America itself. These days, of course, comedians have a new target: President Donald Trump. We ta...
Episode 62: On The Knife's Edge
21 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What would drive someone to take another person's life? When researchers at the University of Chicago asked that question, the answer was a laundry li...
Episode 61: Just Sex
14 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We all know casual sex isn't about love. But what if it's not even about lust? Sociologist Lisa Wade believes the pervasive hookup culture on campuses...
Encore of Episode 20: Remembering Anarcha
07 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A recent paper found that black patients receive less pain medication for broken bones and cancer. Black children receive less pain medication than wh...
Episode 60: Fortress America
31 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Barely a week after assuming office, President Donald Trump set off a worldwide firestorm when he decided to temporarily ban entry to migrants from se...
Episode 59: The Deep Story
24 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the months since the presidential election, many have noted that lots of Americans live in bubbles — echo chambers filled with the voices of peop...
Episode 58: Pedestals and Guillotines
17 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
It's inauguration season, which means balls, parades, and celebrations. We may love the pomp and circumstance, but there's another, darker side to our...
Episode 57: Slanguage
10 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Young people have always used language in new and different ways, and it has pretty much always driven older people crazy. But the linguist John McWho...
Episode 56: Getting Unstuck
03 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
At one time or another, many of us feel stuck: in the wrong job, the wrong relationship, the wrong city – the wrong life. Psychologists and self-hel...
Encore of Episode 15: Loss and Renewal
27 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Maya Shankar was well on her way to an extraordinary career as a violinist when an injury closed that door. This week, we look at how she wound up at ...
Encore of Episode 32: The Scientific Process
20 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
There is a replication "crisis" in psychology: many findings simply do not replicate. Some critics take this as an indictment of the entire ...
Episode 55: Snooki and the Handbag
13 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Look down at what you're wearing. You picked out that blue shirt, right? And those boots — you decided on those because they're warm, didn't you? We...
Episode 54: Panic in the Streets
06 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It sounds like the plot of a movie: police discover the body of a young man who's been murdered. The body tests positive for a deadly infectious disea...
Episode 53: Embrace the Chaos
29 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us spend lots of time and energy trying to get organized. We KonMari our closets, we strive for inbox zero, we tell our kids to clean their ro...
Episode 52: Losing Face
22 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It happens to all of us: someone recognizes you on the street, calls you by name, and says hello... and you have no idea who that person is. Researche...
Episode 51: What Happened?
15 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
On the morning after election day, pundits, pollsters, politicians, and citizens woke up feeling stunned. All signs, all year, had been pointing towar...
Encore of Episode 27: Losing Alaska
08 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We didn't hear very much about climate change during this election cycle — and social science research might give us some insight as to why not. Thi...
Episode 50: Broken Windows
01 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 1980s, a couple of researchers wrote an article in The Atlantic that would have far reaching consequences. The article introduced a new i...
Episode 49: Filthy Rich
25 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Several years ago, sociologist Brooke Harrington decided to explore the secret lives of billionaires. What she found, she said, shocked her.
Episode 48: Men: 44, Women: 0
18 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A century after women won the vote in the US, we still see very few of them in leadership roles. Researchers say women are trapped in a catch-22 known...
Episode 47: Give Me Your Tired...
11 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Our airwaves are filled with debates about migrants, refugees, and undocumented immigrants... Who should be in the United States, who shouldn't, and w...
Episode 46: Blessings in Disguise?
04 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We have lots of ways to describe the good that can come from bad: a blessing in disguise, a silver lining — but what if the bad thing was truly awfu...
Episode 45: What Are The Odds?
27 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, coincidences. Why they're not quite as magical as they seem... and the reasons we can't help but search for meaning in them...
Trailer: Hidden Brain 2.0
22 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We have an anniversary to celebrate. We've been bringing you Hidden Brain for a year now, and we are so glad and thankful you've come along with us. W...
Update: #AirbnbWhileBlack
20 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
A few months ago, Hidden Brain investigated claims that Airbnb users were facing discrimination on the platform. Now, we bring you an update on the co...
Episode 44: Our Politics, Our Parenting
13 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the midst of a rancorous election, we present a new theory to explain why the two sides of the aisle seem irreconcilable sometimes.
Episode 43: The Perils of Power
06 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard the old adage that "power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely," but psychologist Dacher Keltner at UC B...
Encore of Episode 21: Stroke of Genius
30 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Derek Amato wasn't born a musical savant. He became one—almost instantly—after hitting his head on the bottom of a swimming pool.
Episode 42: Decide Already!
23 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Harvard researcher Dan Gilbert tells us why we're bad at predicting our future happiness, how that affects our decision making, and why we ...
Encore of Episode 11: Forgery
16 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, we explore real and fake, from fine art to fine wine. Shankar speaks with Noah Charney, author of The Art of Forgery, about...
Episode 41: Defeated
09 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
While everyone is focused on the Olympic winners in Rio, we're zooming in on loss. We have the story of how a world-champion judo player reacted to a ...
Episode 40: Silver and Gold
02 Aug 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The rush of victory or crush of defeat in the Olympics can flash by very quickly. But if you slow those moments down, there's a lot to learn about hum...
Encore of Episode 7: Lonely Hearts
26 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Jesse always wanted to fall in love. So when the perfect woman started writing him letters, it seemed too good to be true. Because it was. This week, ...
Episode 39: Vacations
19 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Summer vacations often take time, energy and money to plan. Expectations can run unreasonably high. This week in Stopwatch Science, we dive into what ...
Episode 38: Me, Me, Me
12 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It doesn't take a psychologist to see narcissism in our culture of selfies. But we decided to talk to one anyway. Jean Twenge is a researcher and auth...
Episode 37: Smoke & Mirrors
05 Jul 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Six months ago, Hidden Brain's Max Nesterak made a resolution to quit smoking. But as we all know... resolutions are made to be broken. This week, we ...
Episode 36: Science of Deception
28 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, we find out what makes humans of all ages cheat. Plus in Stopwatch Science, Dan Pink comes armed with studies on how our so...
Episode 35: Creature Comforts
21 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week, Hidden Brain considers the power of touch. First, Alison MacAdam tells us the story of her security blanket, called Baba. Then, Shankar int...
Encore of Episode 13: Terrorism
14 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, we explore how groups such as the Islamic State explicitly try to capitalize on the grievances and indivi...
Episode 34: Google at Work
07 Jun 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar talks to Google's Laszlo Bock for insider tips and insights about what works — and what doesn't work — in recru...
Episode 33: Food for Thought
31 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
What do large tables, large breakfasts, and large servers have in common? They all affect how much you eat. This week on Hidden Brain, we look at the ...
Episode 32: The Scientific Process
24 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Lots of psychology studies fail to produce the same results when they are repeated. How do scientists know what's true?
Episode 31: Your Brain on Uber
17 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Uber is built on the scourge of surge. When demand is high, the company charges two, three, even NINE-POINT-NINE times as much as normal for a ride. R...
Episode 30: WOOP, There It Is
10 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Many of us have heard that we should think positive... Visualize ourselves achieving our goals. But researcher Gabriele Oettingen finds, this isn't ac...
Episode 29: Traffic
03 May 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Traffic. You hate it, we hate it, the rest of the world hates it, and unfortunately, our best efforts to curb it usually only make it worse. This week...
Episode 28: #AirbnbWhileBlack
26 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The sharing economy is great. It gives us opportunities to connect with strangers... to pool resources... to get a cheap ride, or a weekend away. But ...
Episode 27: Losing Alaska
19 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Human beings would be better at fighting climate change if we weren't so, well, human. In this episode, we explore the psychological barriers to addre...
Encore of Episode 16: Misbehaving
12 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From eating marshmallows to spending lottery winnings, Shankar Vedantam talks with behavioral economist Richard Thaler about Misbehaving.
Episode 26: Grit
05 Apr 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Grit is a quality that parents strive to teach to their children, and teachers strive to teach their students. This week on Hidden Brain, we explore g...
Episode 25: Dream Jobs
29 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Why do you work? Are you just in it for the money, or do you do it for a greater purpose? Popular wisdom says your answer depends on what your job is....
Episode 24: Tribes and Traitors
22 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, two remarkable stories of empathy... And why showing empathy for another group can feel so threatening to our own tribes.
Episode 23: Boredom
15 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
We've all been there: bored in class, bored at work, bored in standstill traffic. But why do we find boredom so unbearable? And, if we hate being bore...
Encore of Episode 9: Aziz Ansari on Modern Love
08 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Hidden Brain host Shankar Vedantam talks to comedian Aziz Ansari — star of Master of None and coauthor of Modern Romance — about Tinder, texting a...
Episode 22: Originals
01 Mar 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Grant, author of Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, tells us what makes an original, how parents can nuture originality in their chil...
Episode 21: Stroke of Genius
23 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Derek Amato wasn't born a musical savant. He became one—almost instantly—after hitting his head on the bottom of a swimming pool.
Episode 20: Remembering Anarcha
16 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
J. Marion Sims is remembered as the father of modern gynecology. Forgotten are the mothers—the enslaved women whose bodies were sacrificed for the a...
Episode 19: Dating and Mating
09 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It's almost Valentine's Day, but this week we're not talking about love. Instead, we explore the other forces that drive our romantic relationships.
Encore of Episode 2: Near Victories
02 Feb 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Shankar Vedantam explores "almosts" and "not quites" on this episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, with the help of Monica Wadhwa, ...
Episode 18: The Paradox of Forgiveness
26 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
After more than a decade of brutal civil war, perpetrators and victims attempted to find peace around bonfires across Sierra Leone. This week on Hidde...
Episode 17: Resolutions
19 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Today is the perfect day to (re)start your resolution. Here's how.
Episode 16: Misbehaving
12 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
From eating marshmallows to spending lottery winnings, Shankar Vedantam talks with behavioral economist Richard Thaler about his book Misbehaving.
Encore of Episode 3: Stereotype Threat
05 Jan 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Duke was often the only woman at the poker table, which influenced the way people saw her, and the way she saw herself. Feeling like an outsider...
Episode 15: Loss and Renewal
29 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Maya Shankar was well on her way to an extraordinary career as a violinist when an injury closed that door. This week, we look at how she wound up at ...
Episode 14: Christmas
22 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This is the time of year for giving--whether that's a holiday gift for someone we love, or a charitable donation to a good cause. But why do we give? ...
Episode 13: Terrorism
15 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Why do young people join ISIS? Is it nihilism, or, as social scientists suggest, a perverse idealism? This week on Hidden Brain, we explore the psycho...
Episode 12: Humor
08 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam looks at what we find funny and what, well, crosses the line. Comedian Bill Burr joins us to talk about wh...
Episode 11: Forgery
01 Dec 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, we explore real and fake, from fine art to fine wine. Shankar speaks with Noah Charney, author of The Art of Forgery, about...
Episode 10: Thanksgiving
24 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The holidays are all about generousity, gratitude, and spending time with the people we love. But we all know the whole "spending time with the p...
Episode 9: Aziz Ansari on Modern Love
17 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Hidden Brain host Shankar Vedantam talks to comedian Aziz Ansari — star of a new Netflix show and coauthor of Modern Romance — about Tinder, texti...
Episode 8: Back Up Plans
10 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Hidden Brain, researcher Katy Milkman explains why backup plans may make us less motivated, Dan Pink is back to discuss moral hazard, and...
Episode 7: Lonely Hearts
03 Nov 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Jesse always wanted to fall in love. So when the perfect woman started writing him letters, it seemed too good to be true. Because it was. This week, ...
Episode 6: The Science of Fear
27 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
This week, for Halloween, the Hidden Brain podcast gets spooky. We explore the science of fear — traveling to a haunted house curated by a scientist...
Episode 5: Compassion
20 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode of Hidden Brain, we'll explore the science of compassion, and how being kind to others can make a real difference in your own l...
Episode 4: Students and Teachers
13 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, the connections between students and teachers, and how finding things in common between them might be a t...
Episode 3: Stereotype Threat
06 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Annie Duke was often the only woman at the poker table, which influenced the way people saw her, and the way she saw herself. Feeling like an outsider...
Brain Bonus: Magic Brain
02 Oct 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In time for your Friday commute, we introduce you to a new segment called Magic Brain. Shankar explores the social science behind magic, and discovers...
Episode 2: Near Victories
29 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Shankar Vedantam explores "almosts" and "not quites" on this episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, with the help of Monica Wadhwa, ...
Episode 1: Switchtracking
22 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
The first episode of Hidden Brain explores switchtracking: a common pattern in conversations you'll be accusing your partner of in no time! Plus speed...
Hidden Brain: A Sneak Peek
04 Sep 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Check out a few minutes of the latest podcast from NPR: Hidden Brain. Shankar Vedantam explores what happens when two people think they are talking ab...
Welcome to the Hidden Brain Podcast
09 Aug 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A conversation about life's unseen patterns. Discover what's inside your Hidden Brain... subscribe now.