Science Vs

Boredom: Is It Good For You?


Listen Later

We keep hearing that we need to be BORED more, with people online swearing that boredom can work magic — restoring your mind, and even supercharging your creativity. So, is boredom secretly good for us? We talk to cognitive neuroscientist Prof. James Danckert and organizational psychologist Prof. Guihyun Park to find out. 

Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsBoredom

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) They say we need more boredom

(02:06) This is your brain on boredom

(12:30) Does boredom push us into creativity? 

(22:08) Should you try to be more bored? 

(23:53) When you give your brain time to rest

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Science VsBy Spotify Studios

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

11,783 ratings


More shows like Science Vs

View all
This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

91,124 Listeners

Stuff You Should Know by iHeartPodcasts

Stuff You Should Know

78,704 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,971 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,066 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,638 Listeners

Reply All by Gimlet

Reply All

27,375 Listeners

99% Invisible by Roman Mars

99% Invisible

26,249 Listeners

Explain It to Me by Vox

Explain It to Me

7,869 Listeners

Gastropod by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley

Gastropod

3,652 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,477 Listeners

Every Little Thing by Gimlet

Every Little Thing

4,418 Listeners

The Nod by Gimlet

The Nod

3,374 Listeners

Ologies with Alie Ward by Alie Ward

Ologies with Alie Ward

24,575 Listeners

GONE by Parcast Network

GONE

2,533 Listeners

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week by Popular Science

The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week

2,183 Listeners

Without Fail by Gimlet

Without Fail

1,633 Listeners

The Receipts Podcast by The Receipts Media LTD

The Receipts Podcast

353 Listeners

Espionage by Parcast Network

Espionage

1,971 Listeners

100% Related? by Ramon Rams

100% Related?

385 Listeners

Not Guilty by Spotify Studios

Not Guilty

1,143 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,577 Listeners

Living & Learning with Reba McEntire by Spotify Studios

Living & Learning with Reba McEntire

858 Listeners

Unexplainable by Vox

Unexplainable

2,313 Listeners

Stolen by Spotify Studios

Stolen

556 Listeners

Search Engine by PJ Vogt

Search Engine

4,616 Listeners

544 Days by Gimlet / Crooked Media / A24

544 Days

48 Listeners

Shots of Science Vs by Spotify Studios

Shots of Science Vs

7 Listeners

Caife: The Lost Sound by Spotify Studios

Caife: The Lost Sound

12 Listeners

Sex, Lies & DM Slides by Spotify Studios

Sex, Lies & DM Slides

2 Listeners

Stuck with Damon Young by Spotify Studios / Crooked Media

Stuck with Damon Young

29 Listeners

Nosy Neighbors by Spotify Studios

Nosy Neighbors

8 Listeners

Cents and the City by Spotify Studios

Cents and the City

9 Listeners

Hyperfixed by Alex Goldman & Radiotopia

Hyperfixed

713 Listeners