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Hidden Brain

Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human b

Episodes

Total: 562

What should you do with your life? There's no one-size-fits-all answer to that question. But there a

There’s a saying that’s attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one’s enemy is t

Learning to play a musical instrument is hard. So is trying to run a marathon, writing a term paper,

We generally think of pain as something to be avoided. But psychologist Paul Bloom says that as much

Revenge often feels sweet, but what price do we pay for seeking it out? Researcher James Kimmel, Jr.

Have you ever encountered someone who clearly knows you, but you have no idea who they are? This wee

You probably know someone who thinks they know more about something than they really do. But you cou

Forgetting something — whether it's a colleague's name or where we put our keys — can be deeply frus

Do you feel like you control your emotions, or do your emotions control you? What scientists call "e

There's no magic potion that can make someone adore you. But there are things you can do to promote

As we go through life, we’re constantly trying to figure out what other people are thinking and feel

As you go about your day, you likely interact with family, friends and coworkers. These relationship

When we head into a negotiation — whether we're asking for a raise or trying to get our spouse to do

All of us want to "seen" by the people around us. We want to be recognized as unique individuals. Ye

Often in life, we find ourselves wrestling with a decision. But in running these mental calculations

When should you stay the course in life, and when should you shift with changing tides? This week, w

Have you ever downplayed some aspect of your identity? Maybe you don’t hide it, but you don’t bring

What would you have done? It's one of the most enduring questions in psychology. We all like to thin

Last week on the show, we looked at the science of conversation, and how even ordinary chats can inv

Just because we’ve been doing something for a long time doesn’t mean we’re doing it right. One part