Hidden Brain

Ep. 71: The Fox and the Hedgehog


Listen Later

The Greek poet Archilochus is known for the phrase, "The fox knows many things; the hedgehog one big thing." This week, we'll use this metaphor as a way to understand two different cognitive styles. The first is that of a tactician who is comfortable with nuance and contradiction (the fox), the second is that of a big thinker, motivated by one organizing idea (the hedgehog). We'll explore this idea through the story of a pioneering surgeon whose hedgehog tendencies led him to great triumphs, and a heartbreaking tragedy.

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

Hidden BrainBy Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6
  • 4.6

4.6

40,284 ratings


More shows like Hidden Brain

View all
Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,115 Listeners

Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,941 Listeners

This American Life by This American Life

This American Life

90,844 Listeners

Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,189 Listeners

The Moth by The Moth

The Moth

27,299 Listeners

Planet Money by NPR

Planet Money

30,823 Listeners

Freakonomics Radio by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

Freakonomics Radio

32,260 Listeners

TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

22,054 Listeners

Invisibilia by NPR

Invisibilia

21,655 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

111,785 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

15,977 Listeners

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos by Pushkin Industries

The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos

14,393 Listeners

People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

People I (Mostly) Admire

2,137 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,237 Listeners

My Unsung Hero by Hidden Brain

My Unsung Hero

1,165 Listeners