Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain
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  • SOCIAL SCIENCES
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Hidden Brain Podcast

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Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    You 2.0: Remember More, Forget Less

    It happens to the best of us — we blank on someone's name, or forget an important meeting, or bomb a test we thought we'd ace. In this week's installment of our You 2.0 series, we talk to cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham about the mysteries of memory: how it works, why it fails us, and how to build memories that stick.

    54 min

  2. 4 DAYS AGO • HIDDEN BRAIN+ ONLY

    Your Questions Answered: Ethan Kross on Mental Chatter

    Our brains process an astonishing amount of information. We imagine what's happening in the minds of other people. We invent, and dream, and create. Unfortunately, there's a downside. Our brains can also torment us with intrusive and negative thoughts. We talked about this with psychologist Ethan Kross, who studies the concept of mental chatter. Today, Ethan returns to the show to answer listeners' follow-up questions about how we can cope with these harsh and incessant voices in our heads. If you missed our original episode with Ethan Kross, be sure to check it out! It's the episode called "Befriending Your Inner Voice." You can find it in this podcast feed, or on our website. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-befriending-your-inner-voice/

    30 min

  3. 2 SEPT

    You 2.0: How To Say No

    Saying no to someone who asks for something is often easier said than done. Maybe it's a boss who wants you to take on a new assignment. Or your kid's teacher, seeking volunteers for a field trip. Or a friend who asks you to lend her money. How should we respond to these demands on our time, energy, and resources? This week, psychologist Vanessa Patrick explores why it's so hard to say no, and how we can set boundaries that will make it easier to do so.

    50 min

  4. 26 AUG

    You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time

    Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably feel like we're letting someone down. But what if there were a way to reclaim our time and, as a result, get more joy out of our lives? In the second episode of this year's You 2.0 series, psychologist Cassie Mogilner Holmes explains how we've fallen victim to the illusion of time scarcity, and what we can do to spend our time more wisely.

    49 min

  5. 22 AUG • HIDDEN BRAIN+ ONLY

    Conversation Starters: What Are You Laughing At?

    If you listen closely to giggles, guffaws, and polite chuckles, you can discern a huge amount of information about people and their relationships with each other. Today in our series Conversation Starters, neuroscientist Sophie Scott discusses the surprisingly complex nature of laughter, and why it's about so much more than humor.

    15 min

  6. 19 AUG

    You 2.0: The Gift of Other People

    Are you someone who strikes up a conversation with the person next to you on the train? Or do you keep your eyes fixed on your phone? Do you offer gratitude to friends and family? Or do you assume that they already know how you feel? This week, in the kickoff to our annual You 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Nicholas Epley about our interactions with other people, and how we can make them more rewarding.

    51 min

  7. 12 AUG

    You're Not the Boss of Me!

    Whether in your personal life or at work, you've probably experienced what it’s like to have people reject your requests. To be told that what you want is unfair, or heavy-handed. And you've likely been in the opposite position as well — pushing back against requests that step on your freedom. This week, we talk to psychologist Benjamin Rosenberg about how we respond to infringements on our sense of autonomy, and how we can avoid sparking this resistance in our interactions with other people.

    54 min

  8. 5 AUG

    The Cure for Self-Importance

    When we meet new people, we’re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling personality. But it turns out that a very different trait — humility — is important in the long term. This week, in the first of a two-part discussion, we talk with psychologist Daryl Van Tongeren about different kinds of humility, and how this overlooked quality can play a powerful role in workplace dynamics and romantic relationships.

    52 min
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4.4
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Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

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