Todays guest is Tali Sharot, professor of Cognitive neuroscience at University College London (UCL) and MIT. She’s also the Director of the Affective Brain Lab at University College London, which integrates neuroscience, behavioral economics, and psychology to study the influence of emotion and motivation on beliefs and decisions. Her most recent  book is called Look Again, The Power of Noticing What Was Already There.

In this conversation, Tali  discusses her journey into neuroscience and psychology, exploring the intersection of these fields with behavioral economics. She delves into the concept of optimism, its effects on mental health and happiness, and the U-shaped curve of happiness across different life stages. There’s good news there. 

She also shares insights on the phenomenon of habituation, explaining how we adapt to both positive and negative experiences in our lives and that this can have a very unexpected impact-  both good and bad. She explores the relationship between habituation and mental health, particularly in depression. She introduces the idea of 're-sparkling’— I love that word— as a way to bolster everyday experiences and bring more novelty into our lives.  She shares how re-sparkling can revitalize relationships and experiences and how creativity thrives on unexpected connections and changes. Changing environments and habits, she says, can really boost creative thinking. 

As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse the brain sensing headband that helps to transform  your brain. Use promo code untangle 15 at choosemuse.com for your discount. 

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