Silver and Gold
The rush of victory or crush of defeat in the Olympics can flash by very quickly. But if you slow those moments down, there’s a lot to learn about human behavior.
Hidden Brain
Lonely Hearts
Jesse always wanted to fall in love. So when the perfect woman started writing him letters, it seemed too good to be true. Because it was. This week, a story about a con — with a twist. When the con was exposed, its victims defended the con artists. They still wanted to believe the lie
Vacations
Summer vacations often take time, energy and money to plan. Expectations can run unreasonably high. This week in Stopwatch Science, we dive into what research says about how to have a better getaway.
Me, Me, Me
It doesn’t take a psychologist to see narcissism in our culture of selfies. But we decided to talk to one anyway. Jean Twenge is a researcher and author of the books The Narcissism Epidemic, and Generation Me.
Smoke & Mirrors
Six months ago, Hidden Brain’s Max Nesterak made a resolution to quit smoking. But as we all know… resolutions are made to be broken. This week, we check in with Max to find out how he’s fared, and give you social science insight to help you quit your bad habits too.
Science of Deception
This week on Hidden Brain, we find out what makes humans of all ages cheat. Plus in Stopwatch Science, Dan Pink comes armed with studies on how our social context influences our cheating habits.
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Terrorism
In the wake of the mass shooting in Orlando, we explore how groups such as the Islamic State explicitly try to capitalize on the grievances and individual frustrations of potential “recruits.”
Google at Work
This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar talks to Google’s Laszlo Bock for insider tips and insights about what works — and what doesn’t work — in recruiting, motivating, and retaining a talented workforce.
Food for Thought
What do large tables, large breakfasts, and large servers have in common? They all affect how much you eat. This week on Hidden Brain, we look at the hidden forces that drive our diets.
Your Brain on Uber
Uber is built on the scourge of surge. When demand is high, the company charges two, three, even NINE-POINT-NINE times as much as normal for a ride. Riders hate it . . . but not so much that they stop riding. Yep, “dynamic pricing” has helped the company to grow into one of the largest taxi services in the world. What’s the psychology behind it? Shankar sits down with Uber’s Head of Economic Research Keith Chen to talk about when we’re most likely pay for surge, when we hate it the most, and why monkeys would probably act and feel the same way. That’s right. Monkeys.
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