Remember how awkward and confused you felt as a teen? It's a time of so many big changes – growth spurts, body hair, and acne, just to name a few – but perhaps the most radical transformation is going on inside the adolescent brain. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta dives into the neuroscience of the teen brain with psychologist Valerie Reyna to figure out how teens make decisions and weigh risks. Plus, tips for teens (and anyone who’s been a teen) on how we can support one anot...
Feb 15, 2022•22 min•Ep. 335
Love is in the air... but today we’re talking neurochemicals, not roses! CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the brain science behind falling in love and the surprising similarities to addiction. Plus, expert tips on how to keep love alive during the pandemic, and one therapist’s secret to healthy relationships. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Feb 08, 2022•31 min•Ep. 334
Our memories are imperfect treasures – dear to our hearts but not necessarily accurate snapshots of reality. CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to neurobiologist Michael Yassa about how memories are stored in the brain, why we forget, and what we’ve gotten wrong about how it’s supposed to work. To help understand the mechanisms of memory, we meet a woman who remembers absolutely everything... and a man who can’t even recall what he ate for breakfast. Plus, actionable tips f...
Feb 01, 2022•27 min•Ep. 333
Why do some days fly by, while others never seem to end? Have we been stuck in a time warp since March 2020? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to astronaut Christina Koch about how her perception of time changed during her 11 months in space – the single longest spaceflight by a woman. Plus, we hear from an experimental psychologist about why our time perception has felt so off in the pandemic, and a philosopher shares the secret to “mental time travel” ... no time machine...
Jan 25, 2022•29 min•Ep. 332
The twists and turns of this pandemic have left many of us uncertain of what to expect in the year ahead. But did you know that simply changing your expectations can have a tangible effect on your wellbeing? CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to science writer David Robson about the ways our expectations can impact our lives, for better or for worse. Plus, concrete tips for how we can use the scientific phenomenon of the “expectation effect” to sleep better, eat healthier, ...
Jan 18, 2022•32 min•Ep. 331
Does it feel like you are in an endless holding pattern? We asked a waiting expert for her top tips on how to create control when you don't know what's coming next. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 11, 2022•6 min•Ep. 330
As we ring in a New Year, Dr. Sanjay Gupta hears from Chasing Life listeners about the steps they plan to take to live healthier and happier lives in 2022. Plus, guest experts share their tips for achieving your resolutions. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jan 04, 2022•12 min•Ep. 329
Seeing red? Listen to a quick refresher from our episode on anger management. You'll hear the key takeaways from Dr. Sanjay Gupta's conversation with Professor Brad Bushman so you can learn how to make anger work for you instead of against you. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Dec 28, 2021•6 min•Ep. 328
We're taking off this week for the holidays, but wanted to share with you another of our favorite podcasts. A Slight Change of Plans is hosted by our friend Maya Shankar, who you might remember as our nudge theory expert from earlier this season. In her series, Maya looks at the science of human behavior and who we become in the face of big change. What makes a ballerina, a world-class chef, or a civic activist great? Psychologist Angela Duckworth says the answer is GRIT — a power combo of passi...
Dec 21, 2021•37 min•Ep. 327
While season 3 of Chasing Life is in production, here's an episode of CNN's Margins of Error that you'll love. A surprising percentage of people today, including CNN resident numbers guy Harry Enten, hate making and receiving phone calls. Our reluctance to dial in, is affecting everything from national polling to workplace relationships to our levels of anxiety. Harry asks why we’re avoiding phone calls and whether we can be coached through our telephone-related nerves. To learn more about how C...
Dec 14, 2021•27 min•Ep. 326
After a terrible accident, a woman wakes up in the hospital with a traumatic brain injury. She records her experiences with doctors and friends, as she grapples in real time with the way her brain has changed. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to her about her remarkable journey and shares his insight as a neurosurgeon. And we explore what it means, for all of us, to find strength and perspective in the face of life's greatest challenges. To learn more about how CNN protects...
Dec 07, 2021•33 min•Ep. 325
How do you treat a disease where the cause is unknown and each patient’s symptoms are unique? CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to pain expert Dr. Carmen Green about what causes chronic pain, how it can be treated, and which patients are more likely to get care. Plus, meet a man who feels no pain and a woman who figured out how to cope with hers. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoi...
Nov 30, 2021•29 min•Ep. 324
For many of us, Thanksgiving means reuniting with friends or family we haven’t seen in a while. But before you gather around the dinner table, CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta has tips to share for keeping loved ones safe from Covid-19. Plus, Dr. Gupta invites us into his home where he and his daughters prepare a special family recipe that’s sure to warm up any holiday gathering. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ...
Nov 23, 2021•14 min•Ep. 323
Is it possible that the right foods could prevent and even treat cancer? Or that a healthy diet could alleviate your depression and anxiety? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta heads into the kitchen to explore how food can actually be a powerful medicine for our bodies and minds. Plus, psychiatrist, nutritionist and professional chef Dr. Uma Naidoo shares what everyday foods we should be eating to improve our health, and cooks us a brain-healthy dish perfect for Thanksgiving. You...
Nov 16, 2021•32 min•Ep. 322
CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy about vaccinating younger children. They also get candid about the mental, physical and emotional tolls of the pandemic on our youth. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nov 09, 2021•28 min•Ep. 321
From doomscrolling to comfort food, bad habits are hard to break – so where do we begin? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta explores the relationship between habits, addiction and anxiety with neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr. Judson Brewer, from Sharecare and Brown University. They discuss the brain science behind forming and breaking habits, and Dr. Brewer explains why willpower doesn’t always work. Plus, we hear from listeners facing bad habits of their own and learn tips fo...
Nov 02, 2021•31 min•Ep. 320
Fear brings with it a kind of powerful temptation: people want to know fear, to confront it, and maybe even conquer it. In the lead up to Halloween, we're devoting an episode to all things scary. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett about the science of fear, and how our approach to coping might be all wrong. We go deep inside the human brain and venture into a haunted house, to figure out why so many of us seek out fear, and what that c...
Oct 26, 2021•30 min•Ep. 319
We’re always waiting for something, whether it’s in line for your morning coffee, on hold with customer service, or waiting for life-changing medical results. So how can we get better at waiting and make it feel less excruciating... maybe even fun? CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks with waiting expert Professor Kate Sweeny to understand the science of waiting, why we evolved to hate it, and what we can do to deal with waits in our day-to-day lives. Plus, get the inside sco...
Oct 19, 2021•29 min•Ep. 318
What if we told you that every time you make a decision, there are subtle factors beyond your control that steer your choice? It turns out, the way the options are laid out for us – on restaurant menus or even government forms – has a significant impact on the choices we make. Once we understand how these so-called “nudges” work, we can use them to improve our lives: everything from managing exercise routines to curbing the opioid epidemic. CNN's Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta dive...
Oct 12, 2021•26 min•Ep. 317
Trust is hard to build and all too easily broken. It’s the essential foundation for all our relationships, and the glue that keeps our society together. But over the past two years, many Americans have lost trust in our government, our medical institution, and each other. On today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with trust expert Professor Karen Cook about the reasons why we trust, how we can foster it, and how we can restore it when it’s been lost. And Dr. Sha...
Oct 05, 2021•32 min•Ep. 316
As one of the few female rockstars of the 1970s and ‘80s, Joan Jett was frustrated by the misogyny and disrespect she experienced ... but rather than be consumed by her anger, she channeled it into her music with hits like “Bad Reputation.” And she’s not the only one who’s felt that experience of seeing red, especially now. There’s so much to be angry about in the United States: political divisiveness, an ongoing global pandemic, racial injustice, and even just everyday life not going as planned...
Sep 28, 2021•28 min•Ep. 315
Covid-19 taught the world a tough lesson: if we aren't prepared for a viral threat, the consequences can be catastrophic. But what does it mean to be truly prepared? The question feels more urgent now that public health officials warn that many of us may experience another pandemic in our lifetimes. CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta turns to former F.D.A. Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who anticipated our current crisis and offers specific recommendations for preventing the ne...
Sep 21, 2021•28 min•Ep. 314
Record-breaking temperatures resulting from climate change are occurring more often, lasting longer, and are more intense than ever before. This is a problem that affects us all, putting our lives at risk. On today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Dr. June Spector from the University of Washington about how we can take better care of our health during extreme heat. And we’ll also learn why some city neighborhoods are hotter than others. To learn more about ...
Sep 14, 2021•21 min•Ep. 313
Grief is something we all experience at different stages of life, even more so during this pandemic. But what happens when you must mourn the loss of your own child? CNN journalists Andrew Kaczynski and René Marsh received terrible diagnoses within months of each other: their infant children had brain tumors. Yet in the midst of great tragedy, they found strength in chasing a cure for others. So in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Dr. Sanjay Gupta shares the great strides being made in...
Sep 07, 2021•30 min•Ep. 312
Chasing Life returns on September 7, but until then, here's an episode of Hidden Brain. Having a sense of purpose can be a buffer against the challenges we all face at various stages of life. Purpose can also boost our health and longevity. Cornell University psychologist Anthony Burrow explains why purpose isn't something to be found — it's something we can develop from within. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...
Aug 24, 2021•50 min•Ep. 311
While season 2 of Chasing Life is in production, here's an episode of NPR's Life Kit you'll love. Burnout is common across the globe, and the pandemic has only exacerbated it. In this episode, experts unpack the signs of burnout and how you can gain more control over your work and your life. To learn more about how CNN protects listener privacy, visit cnn.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Aug 10, 2021•24 min•Ep. 310
For the past year and a half, the pandemic has kept many older adults apart from their loved ones. But now that people are getting vaccinated, many older Americans are finally reuniting with their friends and family. On today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta gives CNN's Don Lemon advice about reuniting with his risk-averse mother now that they’re both vaccinated, Dr. Preeti Malani explains how to best support the older adults in our lives through the pandemic and beyon...
Jul 27, 2021•26 min•Ep. 309
The upcoming Tokyo Olympics will be one of the few Games ever to take place during a global pandemic. That means zero fans in the host city, no family or friends allowed and a ban on cheering. What effect will all of this have on the athletes? CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to two-time Olympic rower Gevvie Stone about this week’s competition and her difficult decision to postpone medical residency an extra year to train. Dr. Gupta also hears from an athlete whose Olympi...
Jul 20, 2021•25 min•Ep. 308
It’s been a challenging time to start a family: some had to halt fertility treatments during lockdown, while others re-evaluated whether to have children at all. For today’s episode, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta hands things over to CNN reporter Chloe Melas to talk about the journey of having kids, as well as her own personal story with infertility. Melas speaks with fertility expert Dr. Tia Jackson-Bey about barriers that low-income, minority and LGBTQ patients face when acc...
Jul 13, 2021•28 min•Ep. 307
Scientifically speaking, what is the purpose of laughter? Why is it so important for our brains and well-being? And how might it help us get back to “normal” as we emerge from the pandemic? CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta speaks with Emmy- and Grammy-nominated comedian Tig Notaro about telling cancer jokes after her 2012 breast cancer diagnosis and why she actually laughed a lot during quarantine. We also hear from humor expert and psychologist Janet Gibson, as well as medical c...
Jun 29, 2021•25 min•Ep. 306
