Hidden Brain

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.

11/26/2025

“In many ways adults have taken over children’s lives. And I think the cost of that is that it takes away from children’s own opportunities to figure things out for themselves.”

If you’re a parent or a teacher, you’re constantly asking yourself how to balance risk and safety for the kids in your care. Tip too far in one direction, and you can put children in danger. Go too far in the other, and you deprive kids of the joy and power of exploration. This week, revisit a conversation with psychologist Peter Gray about how this balance has changed for many children, and how that change is shaping their minds.

If you are a parent or a teacher, you're constantly wondering: how do I balance play and safety for the kids in my care? You don't want to put children in danger, but you also don't want to rob them of the joy of exploration. This week, we talk with psychologist Peter Gray about how this balance has...

11/20/2025

This week on My Unsung Hero: During a painful divorce, Jolena Rothweil was out of money and overwhelmed. Then a coworker slipped her an envelope with $200 and a simple message: pay it forward.

During a painful divorce, Jolena was out of money and overwhelmed. Then a coworker slipped her an envelope with $200 and a simple message: pay it forward.

11/19/2025

After Robyn Fivush got married, she noticed something about her then-husband's family: they told the same story every year, without fail, at Thanksgiving.

“And it had to get told the same way, with the same punchlines, every year.”

This week, how family stories shape who we are.

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 11/17/2025 · 1h 37m

11/18/2025

Think it’s impossible to remain passionately in love over the long haul? You should check out this episode, which we’re thrilled to share was just selected as one of the Best Episodes of 2025 by Apple Podcasts!

Podcast Episode · Hidden Brain · 04/28/2025 · 50m