Do you ever stop to wonder if the way you see the world is how the world really is? Economist Abhijit Banerjee has spent a lifetime asking himself this question. His answer: Our world views often don't reflect reality. The only way to get more accurate is to think like a scientist — even when you're not looking through a microscope. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you’d like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org ....
Mar 07, 2022•52 min
Do you ever struggle to communicate with your mom? Or feel like you and your spouse sometimes speak different languages? In the final episode of our "Mind Reading 2.0" series, we bring back one of our favorite conversations, with linguist Deborah Tannen. She shows how our conversational styles can cause unintended conflicts, and what we can do to communicate more effectively with the people in our lives. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you’d like ...
Feb 28, 2022•52 min
Turn on the news, and you'll be bombarded with stories of people who lie, cheat, and kill. Most of our public and economic policies take aim at these sorts of people — the wrongdoers and the profiteers. But is there a hidden cost to the rest of us when we put bad actors at the center of our thinking? Do the measures we put in place to curtail the selfish inadvertently hurt our capacity to do right by others? In the latest in our "Mind Reading 2.0" series, we revisit a 2020 episode with behaviora...
Feb 21, 2022•45 min
It’s easy to spot bias in other people, especially those with whom we disagree. But it’s not so easy to recognize our own biases. In the latest in our "Mind Reading 2.0" series, we revisit a favorite conversation with psychologist Emily Pronin . We'll look at one of the most bewildering aspects of how we read minds — in this case, our own. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you’d like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org ....
Feb 14, 2022•48 min
It's not easy to know how we come across to others, especially when we're meeting people for the first time. Psychologist Erica Boothby says many of us underestimate how much other people actually like us. In the second installment of our Mind Reading 2.0 series, we look at how certain social illusions give us a distorted picture of ourselves. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you’d like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org ...
Feb 07, 2022•51 min
As we go through life, we’re constantly trying to figure out what other people are thinking and feeling. Psychologist Liane Young says this ability to assess other people's thoughts is an extraordinary feat of cognition. But this mental superpower can sometimes lead us astray. This week, we kick off a new series exploring how we understand — or fail to understand — the minds of other people. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you’d like to support o...
Jan 31, 2022•49 min
Sanaa is on her train ride home when an angry man begins threatening her. Before he gets too close, a stranger intervenes. Please share the story of your unsung hero with us! To do so, record a voice memo on your phone and email us at [email protected].
Jan 28, 2022•7 min
Life is often filled with hardships and tragedies. For thousands of years, philosophers have come up with strategies to help us cope with such hardship. This week, we revisit a 2020 conversation with philosopher William Irvine about ancient ideas — backed by modern psychology — that can help us manage disappointment and misfortune. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org....
Jan 25, 2022•52 min
Everyone wants to be loved and appreciated. But psychologist Harry Reis says there’s another ingredient to successful relationships that’s every bit as important as love. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.
Jan 17, 2022•49 min
It's 1979, and Wendy is eight years old, crying alone in an airport. Then she sees a woman in white walking towards her. In a few weeks we'll be running these episodes exclusively on the My Unsung Hero feed . Please don’t miss any of these wonderful stories — subscribe now on Apple , Spotify , or wherever you get your podcasts....
Jan 14, 2022•6 min
The rift between police and Black Americans can feel impossible to bridge. But in his work with police departments across the U.S., Yale psychologist Phillip Atiba Goff has found novel ways to address the problem. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org....
Jan 10, 2022•49 min
All of us make choices all the time, and we may think we're making those choices freely. But psychologist Eric Johnson says there's an architecture behind the way choices are presented to us, and this invisible architecture can influence decisions both large and small. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org....
Jan 03, 2022•49 min
At the beginning of the year, many of us make resolutions for the months to come. We resolve to work out more, to procrastinate less, or to save more money. Though some people stick with these aspirations, many of us fall short. This week, we revisit our 2019 conversation with psychologist Wendy Wood , who shares what researchers have found about how to build good habits — and break bad ones. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support o...
Dec 27, 2021•49 min
Justin is sitting on the side of the freeway, hoping someone will help him fix his busted wheel. Right around the time he’s about to give up, a van pulls over. Would you like to share the story of an unsung hero who helped you in a moment of need? If so, please record a voice memo and send it to [email protected].
Dec 24, 2021•6 min
Bababa, dadada, ahgaga. Got that? Babies are speaking to us all the time, but most of us have no clue what they're saying. To us non-babies, it all sounds like charming, mysterious gobbledegook. To researchers, though, babbling conveys important information about a baby's readiness to learn. This week, we'll revisit a favorite episode exploring the language and behavior of the newest members of the human family. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you...
Dec 20, 2021•50 min
We all have times when we feel like a fraud. Psychologist Kevin Cokley studies the corrosive effects of self-doubt, and how we can turn that negative voice in our heads into an ally. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.
Dec 13, 2021•49 min
It's 1994, and two men corner Leah on a dark street as she's walking home. Then she sees a car, and a glimmer of hope. To hear more stories like this, subscribe to our new podcast, My Unsung Hero . And we'd love to hear your own story: send a voice memo to [email protected].
Dec 10, 2021•4 min
It’s psychologically simpler to see the world in black and white. But reality often comes in shades of gray. This week, how our minds grapple with contradictions, especially those we see in other people. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org.
Dec 06, 2021•48 min
If you’re working from home, you might be reveling in your daily commute to the dining room table. Or you might be saying, “Get me out of here.” In the final episode of our Work 2.0 series, economist Nicholas Bloom joins us from his spare bedroom to ponder whether working from home is actually working. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! And if you'd like to support our work, you can do so at support.hiddenbrain.org....
Nov 29, 2021•49 min
Tony is angry at his English teacher, Mrs. Holman, for making him stay after class. But on the last day of school, she takes his hand, and tells him something he'll never forget. To hear more stories like this, subscribe, and enjoy!
Nov 24, 2021•5 min
Editor's note, December 6, 2024: Since we first published this episode with Francesca Gino in 2018, other researchers have raised concerns about the integrity of her work. In 2023, a group of scientists publicly alleged that she had fabricated data in some of her studies. You can find more information about their analysis at Data Colada.org . Gino has denied these allegations. A number of Francesca Gino’s studies have been retracted by the journals that published them, including a study about ka...
Nov 22, 2021•49 min
Many of us spend our workdays responding to a never-ending stream of emails and texts. We feel stressed out and perpetually behind on our to-do list. But what if there was a better way to work? This week, we revisit a favorite conversation about "deep work" with computer scientist Cal Newport . And we'll visit a lab that's studying whether brain stimulation can improve our ability to handle multitasking and interruptions. If you like this show, please check out our new podcast, My Unsung Hero ! ...
Nov 15, 2021•50 min
Today we're sharing another episode of our new podcast, My Unsung Hero. To hear more stories like this, subscribe, and enjoy! It's a few days after her mother's death, and Terri Powers is at the checkout line in a grocery store. As she turns to leave, the bagger stops her, and asks a question.
Nov 12, 2021•4 min
The world of play and the world of work are often seen as opposites. But they may have more in common than we think. In the second installment of our new Work 2.0 series, Ethan Mollick makes the case that we can make our jobs more engaging by incorporating elements of games. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more about human behavior and ideas that can improve your life, subscribe to our newsletter at news.hiddenbr...
Nov 08, 2021•53 min
Introducing new ideas is hard. Most of us think the best way to win people over is to push harder. But organizational psychologist Loran Nordgren says a more effective approach is to focus on the invisible obstacles to new ideas. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more about human behavior and ideas that can improve your life, subscribe to our newsletter at news.hiddenbrain.org ....
Nov 01, 2021•50 min
We’ve grown accustomed to viewing climate change as an enemy we must urgently defeat. But is that the right metaphor for the greatest existential problem of our time? This week, we consider how to reframe the way we think about life on a changing planet. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more about human behavior and ideas that can improve your life, subscribe to our newsletter at news.hiddenbrain.org ....
Oct 25, 2021•49 min
Today we're sharing another episode of our new podcast, My Unsung Hero. Subscribe, and enjoy! In 2008, while driving to work, Rick Mangnall crashes into a slab of granite rock. He's hanging upside down in his seatbelt when he sees an old Ford truck pull over across the road.
Oct 22, 2021•6 min
In 1978, Judy, Lyn and Donna Ulrich were driving to a volleyball game when their Ford Pinto was hit from behind by a van. The Pinto caught fire, and the three teenagers died. This week, we revisit a 2020 episode with a former Ford insider who played a key role in weighing the risks associated with the Pinto. And we consider what his story tells us about a question we all face: is it possible to fairly evaluate our past actions when we know how things turned out? If you like our work, please cons...
Oct 18, 2021•53 min
Self-criticism is often seen as a virtue. But psychologist Kristin Neff says there’s a better path to self-improvement — self-compassion. She says people who practice self-compassion are more conscientious and more likely to take responsibility for their mistakes. If you like our work, please consider supporting it! See how you can help at support.hiddenbrain.org . And to learn more about human behavior and ideas that can improve your life, subscribe to our newsletter at news.hiddenbrain.org ....
Oct 11, 2021•52 min
My Unsung Hero is here! We're excited to share one of the first episodes of our new podcast. Episode one features listener Jackie Briggs from Portland, Oregon. In 2006, a stranger noticed an unusual mark on Jackie's arm, and realized something was wrong. You can subscribe to My Unsung Hero here.
Oct 08, 2021•6 min
