Hidden Brain
Sundays at 1pm on Radio IQ
Hidden Brain helps curious people understand the world – and themselves. Using science and storytelling, Hidden Brain reveals the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, and the biases that shape our choices.
Our audience takes uncommon pleasure in the world of ideas. How do children come to love spicy foods? Why do religions exist? What's the best way to get people to be honest on their taxes? Hidden Brain explores questions like these that lie at the very heart of a complex and changing society.
Hosted by NPR social science correspondent Shankar Vedantam, Hidden Brain links research from psychology and neurobiology with findings from economics, anthropology, and sociology, among other fields. The goal of Hidden Brain isn't merely to entertain, but to give you insights to apply at work, at home and throughout your life.
Hidden Brain began as a weekly series on NPR's Morning Edition and launched as a podcast in September 2015. We debuted an hour-long radio version of the show in the fall of 2017. These different vehicles allow us to showcase ideas at different lengths and in different formats: A radio story about how students avoid the unpleasantness of an STD diagnosis might show up in longer form on the podcast, in an episode about "information aversion." We also love to show how ideas are interconnected: A guest from a podcast episode about the recruitment tactics of ISIS might also appear in an episode about the nature of religion; a Google data scientist who examines patterns in search terms might be featured in our podcast, but also show up in a completely different episode about the nature of unconscious bias. We sometimes joke that we are in search of a "Hidden Brain Theory of Everything."
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Learning to play a musical instrument is hard. So is trying to run a marathon, writing a term paper, and caring for a sick child. These things involve frustration, pain, and disappointment — yet we do them anyway. This week, in part two of our look at the allure of suffering, psychologist Michael Inzlicht explains what we get from doing things that are difficult, and why the things we think will make us happy often do not.Hidden Brain is hitting the road this summer! Join Shankar in a city near you as he shares key insights from the first decade of the show. For more info, and to purchase tickets, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour.
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We generally think of pain as something to be avoided. But psychologist Paul Bloom says that as much as we're wired to avoid suffering, we also seek it out. This week, we begin a two-part mini series about the curious pleasure we take in certain forms of pain.Hidden Brain is about to go on tour! Join Shankar in a city near you as he shares key insights from the first decade of the show. For more info and tickets, go to https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/.
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Revenge often feels sweet, but what price do we pay for seeking it out? Researcher James Kimmel, Jr. proposes a radical theory: our desire for vengeance operates like an addiction in the brain. This week, how “revenge addiction” plays out in our everyday lives — and on a global scale. Hidden Brain is about to go on tour! Join us as Shankar shares seven key insights he's learned from the show over the past decade. To see if we're coming to your city, and to purchase tickets, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour.
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Have you ever encountered someone who clearly knows you, but you have no idea who they are? This week, we feature a classic Hidden Brain episode about people on opposite ends of the facial recognition spectrum. Then, in the second part of the show, we bring you another perspective on facial recognition from the Revisionist History podcast. Host Malcolm Gladwell struggles with identifying faces, while producer Lucie Sullivan is exceptional at it.Hidden Brain is about to kickoff a nationwide tour! Join Shankar as he shares seven key insights from the first decade of the show. To find out if we're coming to a city near you, and purchase tickets, go to https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/
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You probably know someone who thinks they know more about something than they really do. But you could never be described that way . . . could you? This week, cognitive scientist Phil Fernbach explains the "illusion of knowledge" — the fact that we think we understand the world in much greater detail than we actually do. He'll explore why this happens, and how to close the gap between what we know and what we think we know. Hidden Brain is about to go on tour! Join Shankar in a city near you as he shares key insights from the first decade of the show. For more info and tickets, go to https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/
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Forgetting something — whether it's a colleague's name or where we put our keys — can be deeply frustrating. This week, psychologist Ciara Greene helps us explore the science of forgetting. We look at why our minds hold on to some memories for a lifetime, but discard others within seconds. And we grapple with a question many people ask themselves: Is my forgetfulness a sign that something is wrong with me?In this episode, you'll learn about: *The neurological underpinnings of memory*Why forgetting is a core part of how our minds work *Why this process of forgetting can sometimes be a good thing*How our psychological states shape what we remember, and how we frame our memories*Why we should treat our memories with skepticism and our forgetfulness with compassion Hidden Brain is going on tour! Join us as Shankar shares key insights from the first decade of the show — more info and tickets can be found here: https://hiddenbrain.org/tour
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Do you feel like you control your emotions, or do your emotions control you? What scientists call "emotion regulation" turns out to be one of the most important life skills we can possess. It's essential in dealing with setbacks, in balancing risks and rewards, and in maintaining successful relationships. This week, psychologist Ethan Kross explores the growing and fascinating science of managing our emotions. He explains why our feelings so often go astray, and shares insights into how to reel them back in.In this episode, you'll learn:*How to coach yourself through emotionally intense moments. *Why certain types of personal writing can help with your thorniest problems or challenges. *How to use music and your physical senses to regulate your mood. *How to use the technique of "selective avoidance" to shortcut emotional spirals and "what if" thinking.Hidden Brain is about to go on tour! Join Shankar in a city near you as we explore lessons we've learned in Hidden Brain's first decade. For more info and to purchase tickets, go to https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/.
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There's no magic potion that can make someone adore you. But there are things you can do to promote a deep and enduring connection — and even feelings of passion — between yourself and your partner. In the final chapter of our Relationships 2.0 series, psychologist Arthur Aron shares some techniques for falling and staying in love. In today's conversation, we explore:*The assumption that love fades over time.*The effects of daily routine on romantic relationships.*What our choice in a romantic partners says about us*How successful long-term couples keep love aliveIf you love Hidden Brain, please join us for our upcoming live tour! Shankar will be visiting cities across the U.S., and our listeners have the first crack at purchasing tickets. You can get yours at https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/. Use the pre-sale code BRAIN. We hope to see you there!
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As we go through life, we’re constantly trying to figure out what other people are thinking and feeling. Psychologist Liane Young says this ability to assess other people’s thoughts is an extraordinary feat of cognition. This week, in a favorite episode from our archives, we explore this mental superpower — and how it can lead us astray. In our conversation with Liane Young, we explore:*The uniquely human ability to think about the minds of other people, which scientists refer to as "theory of mind." *How and when young children develop this ability to intuit what's happening in other people's minds. *Why our understanding of other people's minds affects our moral judgments — and how those judgments can be disabled.*How misreading another person's intentions can affect our lives in both small and significant ways.Then, in the second part of this week's show, we welcome back researcher Fred Luskin, who responds to listeners' questions about grudges. If you missed the original conversation with Fred Luskin, listen to our episode No Hard Feelings.
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As you go about your day, you likely interact with family, friends and coworkers. These relationships can help you feel cared for and connected. But what if there’s a whole category of people in your life whose impact is overlooked? Today, in a favorite episode from our archives, psychologist Gillian Sandstrom reveals some simple ways to make your life a little more joyful and maybe even a little less lonely. Then, we talk with researcher Erica Bailey, who responds to listeners' questions about authenticity and how to reveal our true selves to the people around us.In this episode you'll learn: The sociological concept of "weak" and "strong" ties, and the important roles they play in our lives.How "weak ties" contribute to our happiness.How to talk to strangers — including how to start, maintain, and end a conversation.How to decrease feelings of loneliness and increase feelings of connectivity in your daily life.If you enjoyed today's conversation with Gillian Sandstrom, be sure to check out these other Hidden Brain episodes: You 2.0: The Gift of Other PeopleHow Others See You