Hidden Brain

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

Episodes

Total: 543

Episode 65: Tunnel Vision

2017/3/21

When you're hungry, it can be hard to think of anything other than food. When you're desperately poo

There are some topics about which it seems no amount of data will change people's minds: things like

Nearly a year ago, we ran an episode about one of the world's most intractable divides: the Israeli–

Making jokes about politics is a tradition as old as America itself. These days, of course, comedian

What would drive someone to take another person's life? When researchers at the University of Chicag

Episode 61: Just Sex

2017/2/14

We all know casual sex isn't about love. But what if it's not even about lust? Sociologist Lisa Wade

A recent paper found that black patients receive less pain medication for broken bones and cancer. B

Barely a week after assuming office, President Donald Trump set off a worldwide firestorm when he de

In the months since the presidential election, many have noted that lots of Americans live in bubble

It's inauguration season, which means balls, parades, and celebrations. We may love the pomp and cir

Episode 57: Slanguage

2017/1/10

Young people have always used language in new and different ways, and it has pretty much always driv

At one time or another, many of us feel stuck: in the wrong job, the wrong relationship, the wrong c

Maya Shankar was well on her way to an extraordinary career as a violinist when an injury closed tha

There is a replication "crisis" in psychology: many findings simply do not replicate. Some

Look down at what you're wearing. You picked out that blue shirt, right? And those boots — you decid

It sounds like the plot of a movie: police discover the body of a young man who's been murdered. The

Many of us spend lots of time and energy trying to get organized. We KonMari our closets, we strive

Episode 52: Losing Face

2016/11/22

It happens to all of us: someone recognizes you on the street, calls you by name, and says hello...

Episode 51: What Happened?

2016/11/15

On the morning after election day, pundits, pollsters, politicians, and citizens woke up feeling stu

We didn't hear very much about climate change during this election cycle — and social science resear