Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.
507 episodes transcribedMany of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably...
Are you someone who strikes up a conversation with the person next to you on the train? Or do you keep your eyes fixed on your phone? Do you offer gra...
Whether in your personal life or at work, you've probably experienced what it’s like to have people reject your requests. To be told that what you wan...
When we meet new people, we’re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling personality. But it turns out that a very different trait...
When we think about misinformation, we often focus on blatant errors or deliberate attempts to deceive us. But in recent years, social scientists have...
We're always told to reach for that next ring, work that third job, go to that boisterous party after a long day at work. You only live once ... right...
As we move through the world, It's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologi...
Cognitive scientist Nafees Hamid studies the minds of people drawn to radical or fringe ideas. This week, he takes us on a deep dive into the motivati...
You know that negative voice that goes round and round in your head, keeping you up at night? When that negative inner voice gets switched on, it’s ha...
Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, the brain seems evolutionarily designed to focus on...
Some think of religious faith as just that: a leap of faith. But psychologists are increasingly filling in the gaps in our understanding of how belief...
Have you ever had an unexplainable feeling of emptiness? Life seems perfect - and yet - something is missing. This week, sociologist Corey Keyes helps...
Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumerable benefits. But like all aspects of human behavi...
The human drive to invent new things has led to pathbreaking achievements in medicine, science and society. But our desire to create can keep us from...
Most of us love to brainstorm with colleagues. But so often, our idea-generating sessions don't lead to anything tangible. Teams fill up walls with st...
Think about the last time you asked someone for something. Maybe you were nervous or worried about what the person would think of you. Chances are tha...
Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that people wrote you off? Maybe a teacher suggested you weren't talented enough to take a certain cl...
Why is it so hard to guess where we're meant to be? To predict where we'll end up? Nearly all of us have had the experience of traveling down one road...
If you're a parent or a teacher, you've probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kids in your care. You don't want to put children in...
We've all had those days when all we want is a little treat. Maybe it's a bag of chips, an ice cream sundae or a glass of wine. But sometimes, these d...
