Hidden Brain

09/02/2025

It’s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to academic, athletic and professional success. This week, we revisit an episode with psychologist Thomas Curran, who says perfectionism has a dark side. Then, sociologist Allison Pugh returns to the show to respond to listener questions about connective labor.

08/30/2025

There’s still time to see Hidden Brain live! Join Shankar at one of the upcoming stops on our live tour. He’ll be sharing key insights from Hidden Brain’s first decade. More info and tickets at https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/

08/28/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: After his dad left, Patrick Furlong’s guidance counselor taught him to tie a tie — and showed him he wasn’t alone. Years later, he passed that lesson on to his own son.

08/27/2025

We all have ideas about how people are supposed to react when tragedy strikes.

But psychologist George Bonanno has found that there's a gap between how we *think* people respond to tragedy and how they actually respond. This week, we look at the surprising science of resilience — and how our popular understanding of trauma, even if well intentioned, can inadvertently create new forms of suffering.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 08/25/2025 · 50m

08/27/2025

It can be shocking when someone who experiences a tragedy responds in ways that we wouldn’t. But we all experience adversity differently.

In this week’s episode, psychologist George Bonanno discusses resilience, the rise of online “trauma dumping,” and how our popular understanding of trauma, even if well-intentioned, can inadvertently create new forms of suffering.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5sbG5oMV2d20kcuO00ljU2?si=o_-YJ_G0SrO1ErAP2ZZZtg

08/26/2025

It’s normal to feel devastated after a major loss or setback in life. But researchers have found that many of us recover from life's blows more quickly than we might expect.

This week, psychologist George Bonnano explains why we may be more resilient than we think.

08/21/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: Ashley Ludlow struggled with guilt after her mother died. Ashley had been the one to request the "Do Not Resuscitate" order her mother had wanted. Then a nurse called and put her mind at ease.

08/20/2025

Have you ever fallen asleep in school or during a work meeting? This week, psychologist and neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang explores why so many of us feel apathetic at school and at work, and how to cultivate the magic of engagement.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 08/18/2025 · 1h 22m

08/19/2025

Hey Arizona! We’re headed your way. Join us for the latest stop on our “Perceptions Tour,” as Shankar shares key insights from the first decade of Hidden Brain. Tickets are going fast: https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/

08/16/2025

The Hidden Brain tour continues! Our upcoming stops include Mesa, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Join Shankar as he takes a look back at seven key insights from Hidden Brain’s first ten years. Don’t miss it: https://hiddenbrain.org/tour/

08/14/2025

Aging isn’t just a biological process. Our outlooks and emotions also change as we age, often in ways that boost our well-being. Psychologist Laura Carstensen unpacks the science behind this surprising finding, and shares what all of us can learn from older people.

Then, as part of our ongoing series, “Your Questions Answered,” we bring Laura Carstensen back to answer listeners' questions and share more of her research on what it means to live well as we age. https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/the-best-years-of-your-life/

08/14/2025

The Hidden Brain tour continues! Our upcoming stops include Mesa, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. Join Shankar as he takes a look back at seven key insights from Hidden Brain’s first ten years. Don’t miss it: