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Hidden Brain

Hidden Brain

By: Hidden Brain Shankar Vedantam
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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.All Rights Reserved Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Do You Have Trouble Sleeping?
    19 Oct 2026

    Millions of us move through our days without getting enough sleep. We know that sleep deprivation can affect our physical health and our mood. But sleep researcher Chris Barnes says a chronic lack of good sleep can also affect how we make decisions and even what we value. He joins us to explore the forces that keep us from getting the rest we need, and offers practical strategies for getting better sleep. Later, psychologist Rachel Zoffness returns to answer your questions about the experience of pain, in our latest installment of "Your Questions Answered."

    Is your parenting style preventing your child from thriving? We explore this question — and share five practical parenting strategies we've featured on Hidden Brain — in our latest YouTube video. Check it out here, and share your parenting strategies with us in the comments!


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    1 hr and 31 mins
  • Why Am I Unhappy?
    12 Oct 2026

    We often imagine that feelings of unhappiness come from outside us — in our circumstances or the difficult people in our lives. But what if the forces that erode our happiness come from within? Psychologist George Loewenstein joins us to explore why our minds nudge us toward the negative, even when we want to feel positive. He also offers ways to better understand these forces and lessen their power over us. And on Your Questions Answered, psychologist Alison Ledgerwood returns to respond to your questions about our tendency to focus on the negative.

    What if your emotions aren't reactions to the world, but predictions that your brain is making? We discuss this mind-bending idea on our YouTube channel. Check it out, and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of our upcoming videos!


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    1 hr and 34 mins
  • When Bad Things Happen to Good People
    5 Oct 2026

    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 fully when life offers no satisfying explanation for the tragedies we may face. Then, in the latest installment of "Your Questions Answered," psychologist Lisa Miller returns to answer listener questions about the relationship between science and spirituality.

    In our companion conversation for subscribers to Hidden Brain Plus, we take a deep dive into the origins and surprising spread of the prosperity gospel that Kate has studied. If you're a subscriber, that episode is called “The Gospel of Success.” If you're not yet a subscriber, you can access a free seven-day trial at support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hiddenbrain.


    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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    1 hr and 32 mins
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