Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.
479 episodes transcribedAt the beginning of the year, many of us make resolutions for the months to come. We resolve to work out more, to procrastinate less, or to save more...
For so many people across the globe, 2020 has been a year of waiting and uncertainty. Waiting to see friends and family in far-flung locales. Waiting...
Turn on the news or look at Twitter, and it's likely you'll be bombarded by outrage. Many people have come to believe that the only way to spark chang...
Many of us struggle with self-control. And we assume willpower is the key to achieving our goals. But there's a simple and often overlooked mental ha...
If you're one of the 40 percent of Americans now working from home, you might be reveling in your daily commute to the dining room table. Or you might...
As election season comes to a close, we explore our contradictory relationship with winners and losers. We tend to idolize the powerful, but we also e...
We typically divide the country into two distinct groups: Democrats and Republicans. But what if the real political divide in our country isn't betwee...
Most of us have a clear sense of right and wrong. But what happens when we view politics through a moral lens? This week, we talk with psychologist Li...
There’s no question that 2020 has been a tough year. We're grappling with a global pandemic. A deep recession. Fresh reminders of racial injustice. Bu...
It’s been five years since we launched this podcast. Today, we want to take a moment to thank the many people who’ve helped us over the years. And we...
If you listen closely to giggles, guffaws, and polite chuckles, you can discern a huge amount of information about people and their relationships with...
If you've ever flown in economy class on a plane, you probably had to walk through the first class cabin to get to your seat. Maybe you noticed the ex...
The United States spends trillions of dollars on healthcare every year, but our outcomes are worse than those of other countries that spend less money...
Some people are good at putting themselves in another person's shoes. Others may struggle to relate. But psychologist Jamil Zaki argues that empathy i...
American culture is all about positive affirmations. Dream big! Shoot for the stars! But do positive fantasies actually help us achieve our goals? Thi...
Maya Shankar was well on her way to a career as a violinist when an injury closed that door. This week, as part of our annual You 2.0 series on person...
Sometimes, life can feel like being stuck on a treadmill. No matter how hard you try to get happier, you end up back where you started. What's going o...
There is great comfort in the familiar. It's one reason humans often flock to other people who share the same interests, laugh at the same jokes, hold...
In 2019, a novel by a new author, Gail Shepherd, arrived in bookstores. The True History of Lyndie B. Hawkins tells the story of a young white girl gr...
How do you change someone's behavior? Most of us would point to education or persuasion. But what if the answer lies elsewhere? This week, we revisit...
