Hidden Brain

12/12/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: On her first Christmas rush shift, teenage Stephanie Cole froze at the register — until a customer helped her breathe again. The woman’s insistence that she “take your time” has stayed with her for decades.

On her first Christmas rush shift, teenage Stephanie froze at the register — until a customer helped her breathe again. The woman’s insistence that she “take your time” has stayed with her for decades.

12/10/2025

Everywhere we look, the modern world offers opportunities to give ourselves little jolts of pleasure. But these moments of delight come at a cost. This week, we revisit a conversation with Anna Lembke about the profound story of addiction in all our lives. https://open.spotify.com/episode/21D59wYq4N2KkvJ2htLMiF?si=6eb7fad93b5048e5

Hidden Brain · Episode

12/10/2025

Looking for a holiday gift for a Hidden Brain fan? How about tickets to one of our live shows? Join Shankar for one of the 2026 stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour – more info and tickets at

Are there parts of our minds that are hidden from us? This question launched the Hidden Brain podcast ten years ago. Since then, the program has helped millions of listeners accomplish their goals, improve their relationships, and develop a deeper understanding of their emotions. Now, host and creat...

12/09/2025

“It's not that dopamine is good or bad, it's that dopamine is essential for survival. And it keeps us moving and always looking for the next thing."

Anna Lembke studies the science of addiction. She says our understanding of what it means to be addicted is far too narrow. This week, we revisit a two-part episode on modern addiction and the mechanisms that keep us in a state of constantly seeking pleasure.

All of us think we know what addiction look like. It’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or ni****ne. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argues that our conception of addiction is far too narrow — and that a broader understanding of addiction might help us to understand why so many people ...

12/05/2025

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a movie that had been released years earlier became a surprise hit. It was a film ... about a global pandemic. In this week’s episode, why we’re drawn to dark and scary stories.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 12/01/2025 · 52m

12/04/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian Kline realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness.

12/03/2025

"This was dubbed the 'snuggle theory of horror,' and this early idea was [that] the reason people enjoyed horror movies was because they could kind of live out these cultural expectations of how they were supposed to react."

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime, despite saying we want more uplifting shows and movies? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity is an evolved tool — it lets us learn about danger, regulate fear, and feel a sense of mastery in a safe setting. We'll examine how frightening stories provide low-risk rehearsals for real-world uncertainty.

Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity serves a purpose. We talk with Coltan about our fascination with tales of murder and mayhem, and wh...

12/03/2025

We reached listeners in 165 countries on Spotify this year. Thank you for listening, supporting, and making our show part of your world.

12/02/2025

This December, Hidden Brain is proud to join . We’re teaming up with other podcasts to raise funds to lift three villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Your donation goes directly to the families who know best what they need. Visit GiveDirectly.org/HiddenBrain to make a difference for someone who needs it most.

Join us in sending life-changing cash to 700+ Rwandan families, with your favorite podcasters helping deliver ~$1,100 per family to spend on what they need most. While match funds last, your donation will be 1.5x matched, and every $100 you give becomes $150 for families in need.

11/28/2025

Play makes children happy. It's also the case with other kinds of independent activities — children feel good, they feel proud when they can do things by themselves.”

In this week’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Peter Gray about how to help children thrive.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0tWUpO2lesLNnQ90MX0E8R?si=OtHWq1rITgyLQ0bODKcRSg

Hidden Brain · Episode

11/27/2025

As we spend the day giving thanks, we’re reflecting on an episode about gratitude —what gets in its way, and how we can cultivate more of it:

One of the mysteries of human behavior is that it’s often easier to focus on what’s going wrong than on what’s good in our lives. Why is that? Psychologist Thomas Gilovich studies the barriers that prevent us from feeling gratitude, and how we can overcome them.

11/26/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: After fainting at work on her first day on the job, Emily Vinson found comfort not from coworkers — but from a customer.

After fainting at work on her first day on the job, Emily found comfort not from coworkers — but from a customer.