Hidden Brain

Today is the perfect day to (re)start your resolution. Here’s how.

Annie Duke was often the only woman at the poker table, which influenced the way people saw her, and the way she saw herself. Feeling like an outsider can come at a cost, but also can be an advantage.

This is the time of year for giving–whether that’s a holiday gift for someone we love, or a charitable donation to a good cause. But why do we give? And how can we do it better? This week on Hidden Brain: how to be more generous, get your friends and family what they actually want, and why it’s okay to regift.

This week on Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam looks at what we find funny and what, well, crosses the line. Comedian Bill Burr joins us to talk about why race, gender and Caitlin Jenner can be so funny.

The holidays are all about generousity, gratitude, and spending time with the people we love. But we all know the whole “spending time with the people we love” part has its challenges. Hidden Brain is here to help — with science-based tips to give you a happier holiday.

This week on Hidden Brain, researcher Katy Milkman explains why backup plans may make us less motivated, Dan Pink is back to discuss moral hazard, and NPR’s Adam Cole ties it all together with a song.

This week, for Halloween, the Hidden Brain podcast gets spooky. We explore the science of fear — traveling to a haunted house curated by a scientist to investigate what scares us, and why some people enjoy this sensation more than others.

In this episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, the connections between students and teachers, and how finding things in common between them might be a tool for closing the achievement gap.

In time for your Friday commute, we introduce you to a new segment called Magic Brain. Shankar explores the social science behind magic, and discovers that free choice is sometimes just an illusion.

The first episode of Hidden Brain explores switchtracking: a common pattern in conversations you’ll be accusing your partner of in no time! Plus speedy science, a cup of tea and a song from Adam Cole.