How much do you know about your mind? Hidden Brain, one of NPR’s longest-running shows, uses cutting edge science to demystify some of the brain’s strangest tendencies. Explore the reaches of your own mental hardware with a few of our favorite episodes.
Who’s Your Host
Shankar Vedantam is a writer, journalist, and science correspondent. His hosting magic lies in weaving together a wide range of scientific studies without ever letting the conversation get dull. You’ll never find neuroscience to be this funny, joyful, or shot through with real human emotion.
What’s It All About
Why do cities with more green space have a lower crime rate? Why do you crave fatty foods when you’re hungover? With the expertise of guest scientists, Hidden Brain explores the psychological phenomena we experience and unpacks the scientific reasons why they are so.
Why We Love It
For a science podcast, Hidden Brain is actually quite funny. It takes a special kind of wit to make you laugh while talking about neuroscience, and Shankar Vedantam’s got it.
Where To Start
We’ve all heard the cliché, “practice makes perfect,” but how much practice does it take, and what kind? Psychologist Angela Duckworth joins the show to talk about grit, the subject of her life’s research.
Best For
Why is it that so many middle and upper-class people in the United States, one of the world’s richest countries, feel unsatisfied with their income? Tune in for the deep dive answers with social psychologist Keith Payne.
Best for: Understanding the Lonely
A true classic of Hidden Brain’s long history, this episode from 2015 has become a timeless reminder of Shankar’s chops as a creative writer. What begins as an empathetic look into the lives of sad old men catfished by a con artist evolves into a surprising investigation of who or what we all choose to love and why.