Transcripts for Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

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.

Description from the show’s public podcast feed.

Recent episodes

Latest episodes from the show’s RSS feed. Pick one to open Podskrift with that episode ready.

When Bad Things Happen to Good People

2026-10-05 · 92 min

When historian Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, she became fascinated by the ways people try to impose order on events they can't control. She joins us to explore what it means to live ...

How to Make a Difference: Part 2

2026-09-28 · 49 min

Think about the last time you had a discouraging thought. Maybe you told yourself, "This won't work. I'm not cut out for this." Did you take that thought as fact? Last week, we talked with psychologis...

How to Make a Difference: Part 1

2026-09-21 · 48 min

Why do some people act on the possibilities before them, while others come to believe that nothing they do will make a difference? Psychologist Martin Seligman describes his groundbreaking research on...

Why Conversations Go Wrong

2026-09-14 · 99 min

Do you ever struggle to communicate with your mom? Or feel like you and your spouse sometimes speak different languages? This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with linguist Deborah Tannen. She...

Blowing Up Your Life

2026-09-07 · 86 min

Have you ever had a flash of insight that hit you when you least expected it? How did it change your life? Psychologist Anthony Klotz studies the "jolts" that shake us out of our routines, and how the...

The Things We Don't Say

2026-08-31 · 50 min

From childhood, we're taught that honesty is the best policy. Yet in everyday life, we hedge, soften our words, and leave things unsaid. This week, we talk with psychologist Steven Pinker about why in...

What Art Does For Your Brain

2026-08-24 · 49 min

Think about the last time a piece of music stopped you in your tracks, or a novel kept you up late at night. Why do these experiences feel so powerful? Psychobiologist Daisy Fancourt says engagement w...

How to Be A Better Partner

2026-08-17 · 86 min

How Feelings Make Us Smarter

2026-08-10 · 48 min

Some people are remarkably good at reading the emotional temperature of a situation. They can pick up on what others are feeling, manage their own emotions, and respond skillfully. What's their secret...

Making the Most of Your Mistakes

2026-08-03 · 86 min

When you're learning, or trying new things, you're going to make mistakes. The trick is to try to fail in a way that gives you useful information. This week, we revisit a favorite conversation with re...

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