Hidden Brain

By: Hidden Brain Shankar Vedantam
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  • Summary

  • Why do I feel stuck? How can I become more creative? What can I do to improve my relationships? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you’re not alone. On Hidden Brain, we help you understand your own mind — and the minds of the people around you. (We're routinely rated the #1 science podcast in the United States.) Hosted by veteran science journalist Shankar Vedantam.
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Episodes
  • The Moments that Change Us

    The Moments that Change Us
    Mar 24 2025

    Often in life, we find ourselves wrestling with a decision. But in running these mental calculations, there's something we rarely consider about the future: we might not be the same person when we get there. This week, philosopher L.A. Paul explores how life-altering events reshape who we are.

    Want more of our work on understanding your future self? Give these Hidden Brain episodes a listen:

    https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-how-to-see-yourself-clearly/

    https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-decide-already/

    https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-2-0-your-future-is-now/

    https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-ventilator/

    And for the latest insights about human behavior, delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for the weekly Hidden Brain newsletter! Each issue brings you the latest research, along with a brain teaser and a moment of joy. You can read and subscribe here: https://news.hiddenbrain.org/
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    51 mins
  • Did I Really Do That?

    Did I Really Do That?
    Mar 17 2025

    Have you ever been falsely accused of something? Many of us think there’s only one way we’d act in such a situation: we’d defend ourselves. We’d do whatever it takes to clear our name — and above all else, we’d never, ever confess to something we didn’t do. But psychologist Saul Kassin says that’s a myth. This week, we bring you a favorite 2022 episode about why we sometimes act against our own self-interest — even when the stakes are at their highest.

    In this week's episode, you'll learn about:

    • Why we often freeze and fail to defend ourselves when someone accuses us of something
    • The various types of false confessions
    • What happens in our minds when we're pressured to confess to something that we didn't actually do
    • How police interrogation tactics are being used in workplaces and other organizations
    • Potential solutions to the problem of false confessions

    For more on the psychological dimensions of criminal justice, check out our episode on the infamous Stanford prison experiment.

    And if you'd like to check out the research of Saul Kassin and others on this topic, visit our web page for this episode.

    Episode image by Tama66, Pixabay.

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    52 mins
  • When To Pivot

    When To Pivot
    Mar 10 2025

    When should you stay the course in life, and when should you shift with changing tides? This week, we bring you case studies from the world of business to explore the science of inflection points — changes that dramatically transform the course of events. Researcher Rita McGrath of Columbia University explains why we fail to see impending moments of upheaval, and what we can do to be more adept at spotting them.

    What you'll learn from this week's episode:

    • The definition of an inflection point, and how to identify it in your own professional or personal life.
    • The four stages of inflection points, and how to take advantage of them.
    • The warning signs that an inflection point might be passing you by.

    If you find today's episode to be interesting or insightful, please share it with one or two people in your life! Your recommendation is one of the best ways to help us connect new listeners to the ideas we explore on the show. And for more of our work, be sure to sign up for our newsletter. Every week, we'll bring you the latest research about human behavior, along with a brain teaser and a moment of joy.

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    50 mins

Featured Article: Care for Your Body and Mind with the Best Health Podcasts Out There


Just about any genre of podcast can improve your health in some way. Learning about something you enjoy or listening to something that makes you laugh might brighten your mood, while having a gripping listen queued up for the gym may encourage you to work out longer. But if you're looking specifically for podcasts to help guide you on the road towards better health—physical, mental, and overall—there’s no shortage to be found.

Featured Article Care for Your Body and Mind with the Best Health Podcasts Out There

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Profile Image for Laura

so very poignant and applicable

whether you're in a rough patch or not, this is a must- listen for your current and future self

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Profile Image for Jennifer Stockford

Relevant concepts to current events

I enjoy Shankar Vedantam’s voice and his insights. He chooses interesting people to interview. This show is always worthwhile to listen to.

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Profile Image for Luis Marquez

Love this podcast

Every single podcast is full of fun and knowledge, I got hook from the first time that listens to it. Will recommend to anyone.

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Insightful and useful

Loved this episode! I learned so much that I can apply to everyday conversations with everyone from my life partner to people I just met.

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Profile Image for Angie

Hidden Brain is awesome!

Closure for both parties was essential, however painful. very good story all around. thanks

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Profile Image for Monica R.

Fascinating!!!

This episode about Decoding Emotions will stick with me a long time!! Mind-blowing! I will be including this information in my lectures to professionals and students.

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My God this is Church you a prophet Brother

My why for a resilient marriage is I don't want anyone else raising my Children this podcast allows me to know the cost of raising great kids

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Profile Image for Karen Hajjoubi

The Best Podcast

Absolutely the most informative, interesting, well made, well presented, thoughtful and intriguing podcast I've found. The topics are so relevant and presented in a non-biased, apolitical and clear manner to appeal to everyone. I'm hooked.

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Profile Image for Laura Lee Queen Bee 👸🐝

Very thought provoking episode!

This podcast is great, but this episode was fantastic! Really makes you stop & think about "bad people" vs. "good people".

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Profile Image for bibliomom

Totally makes sense

The analysis, research and experiments at amazing. I would say that I believe in God in the abstract and any other attributes (punitive, kind, mercy,...) take away.

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