“Awe is encountering vast mysteries that we don't understand.” —psychologist Dacher Keltner This week, we revisit an episode on a simple source of joy — one that’s all around us. open.spotify.com/episode/7MaY...

This week on My Unsung Hero: On her first Christmas rush shift, teenage Stephanie Cole froze at the register — until a customer helped her breathe again. The woman’s insistence that she “take your time” has stayed with her for decades. www.hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/s...

Everywhere we look, the modern world offers opportunities to give ourselves little jolts of pleasure. But these moments of delight come at a cost. This week, we revisit a conversation with Anna Lembke about the profound story of addiction in all our lives. open.spotify.com/episode/21D5...

This week on My Unsung Hero: After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian Kline realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness. www.hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/g...

This December, Hidden Brain is proud to join #PodsFightPoverty. We’re teaming up with other podcasts to raise funds to lift 3 villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Your donation goes directly to the families. Visit GiveDirectly.org/HiddenBrain to make a difference for someone who needs it.

Fred Rogers said, “Play is the work of the child.” This week on the show, we revisit an episode about the power of play. apple.co/44A0gwH

This week on My Unsung Hero: During a painful divorce, Jolena Rothweil was out of money and overwhelmed. Then a coworker slipped her an envelope with $200 and a simple message: pay it forward. www.hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/j...

"[Stories] become ways of understanding both how the world works and how we fit into that world.” This week, we revisit a conversation with psychologist Robyn Fivush about the profound impact that family stories can have on our lives. www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-...

Just a few days left until our next Hidden Brain live show! Join Shankar at the Orpheum in Los Angeles on November 22. He’ll be sharing seven key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade. More info and tickets at hiddenbrain.org/tour/

New York and Philly, we’re heading your way in 2026! Join Shankar for the next stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour – more info and tickets at hiddenbrain.org/tour/

This week on My Unsung Hero: Almost 50 years ago, a stranger’s simple question gave Stacia safety — and an example she’s tried to follow ever since. www.hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/s...

A walk in the woods can be an excellent mood booster. But having access to nature may do even more than lift our spirits. This week, the hidden power of the natural world. www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/how-...

This week on My Unsung Hero: When Silvana Clark realized she didn’t have enough money to finish the school year in college, her teacher told her she had been accepted to a scholarship. Later she learned the truth: the “scholarship” was from him. www.hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/s...

Hidden Brain is heading to Baltimore! Join Shankar Vedantam THIS Saturday, October 11th for an evening of compelling stories, thoughtful conversation, and key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade. You won’t want to miss it: www.etix.com/ticket/p/839...

This week, we continue our Love 2.0 series and our conversation with psychologist James Cordova on the art and science of mending the rifts in our relationships. www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/love...

We’ve all heard the phrase, “marriage is hard work.” But what, exactly, does that mean? This week, we kick off our Love 2.0 series with an episode on the art and science of mending troubled relationships. apple.co/4nwys41

Very few of us wake up genuinely excited to go to the office. And maybe that’s okay. Researcher Jennifer Tosti-Kharas says there are many ways of making meaning – and even finding a calling – in the work we do. apple.co/4pNjsQM

This week on My Unsung Hero: In the sixth grade, Tanya Eby's world was unraveling. One day, overcome with grief, she cried in class — and her teacher, Mrs. Welch, wrapped Tanya in a hug. www.hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/t...

What do you want to be when you grow up? From a young age, many of us absorb the idea that we all have one true calling. A purpose that revolves around what we do for a living. Researcher Jennifer Tosti-Kharas offers another way to think about it. open.spotify.com/episode/5m0Q...

The Hidden Brain tour continues! Our next stop will be in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday, October 11th! Join us for captivating stories, deep conversations, and key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade — all hosted by Shankar Vedantam. www.etix.com/ticket/p/839...

Ever noticed how people instinctively defend themselves when receiving feedback? Maybe you’ve caught yourself doing it, too. This week, we continue our conversation with neuroscientist Emily Falk to explore why we tend to push back against suggestions. www.hiddenbrain.org/podcast/its-...

The Hidden Brain tour continues! Our next stop will be in Baltimore, Maryland on Saturday, October 11th. Join us for captivating stories, deep conversations, and key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade — all hosted by Shankar Vedantam. www.etix.com/ticket/p/839...

This week on My Unsung Hero: When Juli Cobb’s car ran out of gas in the middle of the road, three men from a nearby homeless encampment rushed over to push her car to safety. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/j...

You want to get up earlier. You really do. It would make your morning so much smoother. But that alarm goes off and, against all reason, you do it — you hit the snooze button. This week, why our minds conspire against our best interests, and how we can regain some control. apple.co/3IaGL62

We’re surrounded by images of perfection: in movies, on billboards, and (ugh) on social media. This week: the consequences of chasing perfection, and how to be content without it. apple.co/4m1377Q

It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to success. This week, we revisit an episode with Thomas Curran, who says perfectionism has a dark side. Then, Allison Pugh returns to the show to respond to questions about connective labor. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/esca...

There’s still time to see Hidden Brain live! Join Shankar at one of the upcoming stops on our live tour. He’ll be sharing key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade. More info and tickets at hiddenbrain.org/tour/

This week on My Unsung Hero: After his dad left, Patrick Furlong’s guidance counselor taught him to tie a tie — and showed him he wasn’t alone. Years later, he passed that lesson on to his own son. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/p...

We all have ideas about how people are supposed to react when tragedy strikes. But psychologist George Bonanno has found that there's a gap between how we *think* people respond to tragedy and how they actually respond. This week, we look at the surprising science of resilience: apple.co/4fWnfXa

In the 1980s, the scientific consensus on growing old was grim. But more recent research shows, increasingly, that older people are happier than younger people. Why is that? In this week’s episode, we talk to psychologist Laura Carstensen on the upsides to getting older. apple.co/4mIvPv7

The Hidden Brain tour continues! Our next stop will be in Mesa, Arizona on August 23rd! Join us for captivating stories, deep conversations, and key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade—all hosted by Shankar Vedantam. bit.ly/47cwikw

It's almost time for our live show in Toronto on Wednesday, August 6th! Shankar will take a look back at seven key insights from Hidden Brain’s first ten years. Get your tickets now: admitone.com/events/hidde...

“Come on, who wants to live a life like a Stoic? I mean, aren't these the kind of people that go around with a stiff upper lip and suppressing emotions?” We continue our You 2.0 series with a look at Stoicism and how it can help us reframe life’s challenges. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-...

“The more we strive toward the goal of happiness, the more we undermine our ability to actually get there.” This week, we continue our You 2.0 series with a favorite episode about the paradox of happiness. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/happ...

Follow your passion. March to your own drummer. Land your dream job. We hear this kind of advice all the time. But what happens when the dream job doesn't bring us the satisfaction we imagine? This week, how to keep our passions alive. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/you-...

It’s been said that “he who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” This week, we explore this idea in the kickoff episode to our annual You 2.0 series. We look at the science of purpose — how and why it impacts our lives in so many different ways. open.spotify.com/episode/335N...

This week on My Unsung Hero: As a college freshman, Karen de Boer was sometimes inconsiderate to her hallmate, Pam. So when Karen missed the bus to her choir performance, she was surprised — and moved — when Pam came to her rescue. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/k...

We live in a world that feels more divided than ever. This week, we revisit an episode with sociologist Robb Willer and discuss how to bridge even the greatest divides. apple.co/44iuOlJ

We live in a world that feels more divided than ever. This week, we revisit an episode with sociologist Robb Willer and discuss how to bridge even the greatest divides. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/us-2...

This week on My Unsung Hero: Eric and his husband, Dennis, lived a life full of dance and art. Then Dennis was diagnosed with lung cancer. Before he died, they met a nurse who offered a heartfelt roadmap of what was to come. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/e...

Have you heard? Hidden Brain is on tour! This Saturday, June 21, Shankar is headed to Clearwater, Florida. Don’t miss it: www.rutheckerdhall.com/events/detai...

Happy Father’s Day, dads! In honor of dads everywhere, we bring you a bonus episode about a transit worker who gave Donald Kabara an unexpected gift: a hug from his son. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d...

"I eat spicy food. I eat food so hot it makes me uncomfortable.” This week, we talk to psychologist Paul Bloom about a curious quirk of human behavior: why we find pleasure in unpleasant — sometimes even painful — experiences. apple.co/43VZ8T4

This week on My Unsung Hero: The last place Brad Larsen saw his mom before she died was at a diner in New York. A few years later, when he went back to that diner, the bartender asked if he remembered their table, and invited him to go sit there. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/b...

"Our love of fiction is motivated by a desire to experience worst case scenarios.” Think about your favorite book or movie. Does something bad happen? This week, we talk to psychologist Paul Bloom about why we’re drawn to the unpleasant. open.spotify.com/episode/3xWP...

This week on My Unsung Hero: Darren Wayman was about to become a first-time father, and he was terrified. Then a doctor came into the delivery room and said something that changed his perspective on parenthood. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/d...

“Grievances activate revenge cravings. And those revenge cravings very much look like drug addiction.” This week, how “revenge addiction” plays out in our everyday lives — and on a global scale. apple.co/4kNPqsB

“We can fantasize about the punishment, but do we want to carry it out in the real world? That's the decisive moment.” This week, researcher James Kimmel explains where vengeance is believed to sit in the brain, and why it can exact such a high price from us. hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-...

Hidden Brain is going on tour! Come celebrate with Shankar as we mark the show’s tenth anniversary with a series of live events across the U.S. To see the tour schedule and purchase tickets, go to hiddenbrain.org/tour. See you there!

This week on My Unsung Hero: When Amy Connor went into pre-term labor with twins, one of her sons needed an emergency blood transfusion. The hospital didn't have any blood that matched the baby's blood type — until an unsung hero stepped up to help. hiddenbrain.org/unsunghero/a...