It happens to the best of us ? we blank on someone's name, or forget an important meeting, or bomb a test we thought we'd ace. In this week's installment of our You 2.0 series, we talk to cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham about the mysteries of memory: how it works, why it fails us, and how to build memories that stick. 

For more of our You 2.0 series, listen to our episode on how to say no.

Saying no to someone who asks for something is often easier said than done. Maybe it's a boss who wants you to take on a new assignment. Or your kid's teacher, seeking volunteers for a field trip. Or a friend who asks you to lend her money. How should we respond to these demands on our time, energy, and resources? This week, psychologist Vanessa Patrick explores why it's so hard to say no, and how we can set boundaries that will make it easier to do so. 

If you haven't yet caught the first two episodes in this year's You 2.0 series, you can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website: 

You 2.0: The Gift of Other People

You 2.0: Taking Control of Your Time 

Thanks for listening! 

Many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day. We struggle to make time for all the competing demands at work and at home, and inevitably feel like we're letting someone down. But what if there were a way to reclaim our time and, as a result, get more joy out of our lives?  In the second episode of this year's You 2.0 series, psychologist Cassie Mogilner Holmes explains how we've fallen victim to the illusion of time scarcity, and what we can do to spend our time more wisely. 

If you enjoy today's episode, check out last week's kick-off to our series, "You 2.0: The Gift of Other People."

Are you someone who strikes up a conversation with the person next to you on the train? Or do you keep your eyes fixed on your phone? Do you offer gratitude to friends and family? Or do you assume that they already know how you feel? This week, in the kickoff to our annual You 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Nicholas Epley about our interactions with other people, and how we can make them more rewarding.

If you enjoy today's episode, check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes: 

A Secret Source of Connection

How Others See You 

Relationships 2.0: An Antidote to Loneliness

Whether in your personal life or at work, you've probably experienced what it?s like to have people reject your requests. To be told that what you want is unfair, or heavy-handed. And you've likely been in the opposite position as well ? pushing back against requests that step on your freedom. This week, we talk to psychologist Benjamin Rosenberg about how we respond to infringements on our sense of autonomy, and how we can avoid sparking this resistance in our interactions with other people. 

If you know someone who would like today's episode, please share it with them! And if you enjoy our show, please consider trying a free seven-day trial of our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+. If you use an iPhone, you can sign up at apple.co/hiddenbrain. If you use an Android device, you can find Hidden Brain+ at support.hiddenbrain.org. Thanks for listening! 

When we meet new people, we?re often drawn to those with a commanding presence or a dazzling personality. But it turns out that a very different trait ? humility ? is important in the long term. This week, in the first of a two-part discussion, we talk with psychologist Daryl Van Tongeren about different kinds of humility, and how this overlooked quality can play a powerful role in workplace dynamics and romantic relationships. 

If you like today's episode, be sure to check out part two of our conversation, exclusively for Hidden Brain+ listeners. We talk with Daryl Van Tongeren about existential humility ? being open to the idea we might be wrong about life's biggest unknowns. It's the episode called "Asking the Big Questions." To listen to Hidden Brain+ with a free seven-day trial, go to apple.co/hiddenbrain or support.hiddenbrain.org. 

When we think about misinformation, we often focus on blatant errors or deliberate attempts to deceive us. But in recent years, social scientists have found that misinformation comes in many flavors ? many of which are far more subtle than obvious falsehoods. These forms of misinformation prey on our mental blindspots, and take advantage of our passions and loyalties. This week, economist Alex Edmans explores the many insidious forms of misinformation, and how we can all get better at separating fact from fiction.

For more of our work, please consider joining our podcast subscription. Hidden Brain+ is where you?ll find exclusive interviews and deeper dives into the ideas we explore on the show. You can try Hidden Brain+ with a free seven-day trial at apple.co/hiddenbrain. Or if you?re an Android user, sign up at support.hiddenbrain.org.

We're always told to reach for that next ring, work that third job, go to that boisterous party after a long day at work. You only live once ... right? But psychologist Netta Weinstein says that when we constantly engage in achievement and distraction, we lose something essential about ourselves. This week, she makes a case for solitude, and examines what happens when we seek a quieter, more reflective interior life.

If you like today's episode, check out our two-part series on mindfulness:

Seeking Serenity: Part 1

Seeking Serenity: Part 2

As we move through the world, it's easy to imagine we're processing everything that happens around us and then deciding how to respond. But psychologist and neuroscientist Norman Farb says our brains actually navigate the world by coming up with mental maps. These maps act like an autopilot system, allowing us to navigate our lives more efficiently. But sometimes, they can lead us astray, leaving us stuck on a path of negativity and unhappiness. This week, we talk with Norman Farb about how we can update our internal maps and see the world more clearly. 

If you like this episode, be sure to check out part two of our chat with Norman Farb for Hidden Brain+. That episode is called "Making Sense." You can try Hidden Brain+ for free with a seven-day trial by going to support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hiddenbrain. 

Cognitive scientist Nafees Hamid studies the minds of people drawn to radical or fringe ideas. This week, he takes us on a deep dive into the motivations of people on the brink of extremism ? and those who have already been radicalized. We examine what prompts people to turn to violence, and how to pull them back from the seductive appeal of extremist ideas.

Interested in learning more about the themes and ideas we discussed today? Check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes:

Romeo and Juliet in Kigali

Moral Combat

Our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+, is now available across devices and podcast platforms. You can join on either Apple Podcasts or via our Patreon page. Thanks for your support of the show ? we truly appreciate it! 

You know that negative voice that goes round and round in your head, keeping you up at night? When that negative inner voice gets switched on, it?s hard to think about anything else. Psychologist Ethan Kross has a name for it: chatter. In this favorite conversation from 2022,  we talk with Ethan about how to keep our negative emotions from morphing into chatter. 

Our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+, is now available across devices and podcast platforms. You can join on either Apple Podcasts or via our Patreon page. Thanks for your support of the show ? we truly appreciate it! 

Across every domain of our lives, our minds have a tendency to get accustomed to things. In fact, the brain seems evolutionarily designed to focus on the new and unexpected, on novel threats and opportunities. In our daily lives, this means we take wonderful things for granted. We cease to appreciate amazing people, or the good fortune of being healthy. This week, neuroscientist Tali Sharot explains why we get used to things ? and how to see with fresh eyes.

Our podcast subscription, Hidden Brain+, is now available across platforms and devices. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial at support.hiddenbrain.org or apple.co/hiddenbrain. Your subscription provides key support to help us build you many more episodes of Hidden Brain. We?re truly grateful. 

Some think of religious faith as just that: a leap of faith. But psychologists are increasingly filling in the gaps in our understanding of how beliefs shape ? and are shaped by ? the human mind. This week, psychologist Ara Norenzayan explores features in the brain that are tied to our capacity for faith. And he shows how all of us, both religious and non-religious people, can use this knowledge to find more meaning in our lives.

For more of our reporting on religion and the mind, be sure to check out our episode "Creating God."
 

Have you ever had an unexplainable feeling of emptiness? Life seems perfect - and yet - something is missing. This week, sociologist Corey Keyes helps us understand where feelings of emptiness come from, how to navigate them and why they're more common than we might assume.

If you missed it, make sure to listen to last week's episode on Why Trying Too Hard Can Backfire On You. Thanks for listening!

Thinking is a human superpower. On a daily basis, thinking and planning and effort bring us innumerable benefits. But like all aspects of human behavior, you can sometimes get too much of a good thing. This week, we talk with philosopher Ted Slingerland about techniques to prevent overthinking, and how we can cultivate the under-appreciated skill of letting go. 

To hear more of our conversation with Ted Slingerland, be sure to check out our Hidden Brain+ episode with him, available now. You can join Hidden Brain+ via Patreon or Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening! 

The human drive to invent new things has led to pathbreaking achievements in medicine, science and society. But our desire to create can keep us from seeing one of the most powerful paths to progress: subtraction. In a favorite conversation from 2022, engineer Leidy Klotz shares how streamlining and simplifying is sometimes the best path to innovation. 

Today's episode concludes our Innovation 2.0 series. If you've enjoyed these episodes, please tell a friend about them! They can find all of the stories in this series in this podcast feed, or at https://hiddenbrain.org/. Thanks for listening! 

Most of us love to brainstorm with colleagues. But so often, our idea-generating sessions don't lead to anything tangible. Teams fill up walls with sticky notes about creative possibilities and suggestions for improvement, but nothing actually gets implemented. Some researchers even have a name for it: "innovation theater." This week, we explore the science of execution. Psychologist Bob Sutton tells us how to move from innovation theater . . . to actual innovation.

You can find all the episodes in our Innovation 2.0 series in this podcast feed, or on our website, hiddenbrain.org. 

Think about the last time you asked someone for something. Maybe you were nervous or worried about what the person would think of you. Chances are that you didn?t stop to think about the pressure you were exerting on that person. This week, we continue our Innovation 2.0 series with a 2020 episode about a phenomenon known as as ?egocentric bias.? We talk with psychologist Vanessa Bohns about how this bias leads us astray, and how we can use this knowledge to ask for the things we need. 

Did you catch the first two episodes in our Innovation 2.0 series? You can find them in this podcast feed or on our website. And if you're enjoying this series, please share it with a friend or family member. Thanks! 

Have you ever been in a situation where you felt that people wrote you off? Maybe a teacher suggested you weren't talented enough to take a certain class, or a boss implied that you didn't have the smarts needed to handle a big project. In the latest in our "Innovation 2.0 series," we talk with Mary Murphy, who studies what she calls "cultures of genius." We'll look at how these cultures can keep people and organizations from thriving, and how we can create environments that better foster our growth.

Do you know someone who'd find the ideas in today's episode to be useful? Please share it with them! And if you liked today's conversation, you might also like these classic Hidden Brain episodes: 

 The Edge Effect

The Secret to Great Teams

Dream Jobs

Why is it so hard to guess where we're meant to be? To predict where we'll end up? Nearly all of us have had the experience of traveling down one road, only to realize it's not the road for us. At the University of Virginia, Saras Sarasvathy uses the lens of entrepreneurship to study how we plan and prepare for the future. We kick off our new "Innovation 2.0" series by talking with Saras about how we pursue goals and make decisions.

Do you know someone who might benefit from our conversation with Saras about expert entrepreneurs? Please share it with them if so! And be sure to check out our other conversations about how to get out of ruts and figure out a path forward: 

Who Do You Want to Be?

You 2.0 : How to Break Out of a Rut

If you're a parent or a teacher, you've probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kids in your 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 changed ? for parents and children alike ? and what we can do about it.

For more of our reporting on children and parents, check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes:

Kinder-Gardening

Bringing Up Baby 

We've all had those days when all we want is a little treat. Maybe it's a bag of chips, an ice cream sundae or a glass of wine. But sometimes, these desires become all-consuming. This week on the show, psychiatrist Judson Brewer helps us understand the science of cravings, and how we should respond to them. 

If you liked today's conversation, be sure to check out other Hidden Brain episodes about ways to regain a feeling of control over your life: Creatures of Habit and Taking Control of Your Time.

Anthropologist Tom Pearson was devastated after his daughter Michaela was diagnosed with Down syndrome. When he began to examine that emotional response, he found himself wrestling with questions that have roiled his field for decades. Early anthropologists would often compare people of different backgrounds and abilities, asking questions like: How is one group different from another? Which one is stronger or smarter? And how do we understand people who don?t fit our expectations? This week, we talk with Pearson about his family?s story, and the evolution of our thinking on disability and difference.

If you liked today's show, be sure to check out these classic Hidden Brain episodes:

"Emma, Carrie, Vivian"

"Why You're Smarter than You Think"

If you've ever taken an economics class, you were probably taught that people are rational. But about 50 years ago, the psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky began to chip away at this basic assumption. In doing so, they transformed our understanding of human behavior. This week, we remember Kahneman, who recently died at the age of 90, by revisiting our 2018 and 2021 conversations with him. 

If you enjoyed this look at the work of Daniel Kahneman, you might also enjoy our conversations about behavioral economics with Kahneman's friend and collaborator Richard Thaler: 

Misbehaving with Richard Thaler 

Follow the Anomalies 

Have you ever sat across from your spouse, colleague or friend and realized that while they may be hearing what you're saying, they aren't actually listening? Poor listening can lead to arguments, hurt feelings, and fractured relationships. But the good news is that active, thoughtful listening can profoundly benefit both people in the conversation. This week on the show, psychologist Guy Itzchakov helps us understand where interactions go awry, and how to become a more attentive listener. 

For more of our work on how to better connect with the people in your life, check out these episodes:

 Why Conversations Go Wrong with Deborah Tannen

A Secret Source of Connection with Amit Kumar

Relationships 2.0: What Makes Relationships Thrive with Harry Reis

Relationships 2.0: How to Keep Conflict from Spiraling with Julia Minson 

Many of us believe we know how we?d choose to die. We have a sense of how we?d respond to a diagnosis of an incurable illness. This week, we revisit a 2019 episode featuring one family?s decades-long conversation about dying. What they found is that the people we are when death is far in the distance may not be the people we become when death is near.

If you enjoyed today's episode, here are some more classic Hidden Brain episodes you might like:

The Cowboy Philosopher

When You Need It To Be True 

Me, Myself, and Ikea 

Thanks for listening! 

A little more than a decade ago, researchers began tracking an alarming trend: a dramatic uptick in anxiety and depression among young Americans. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt, like many other researchers, says the increase is related to our use of social media and devices. But he believes it?s also deeper than that ? connected to our deepest moral beliefs and how they shape the way we view the world. He says there are simple steps we can take to improve the mental health of kids growing up in the smartphone era.

For more of our work on how technology is shaping our lives, check out our two-part series "The Paradox of Pleasure" and "The Path to Enough."  And don't miss our classic episode on social media, "Screaming into the Void."

Fear is a normal and healthy response to things that may harm us. But fear can also hold us back from doing the things we want to do. This week, we talk to psychiatrist and neuroscientist Arash Javanbakht about the psychology of fear ? how it helps us, how it hurts us, and what we can do to harness it.

For more on the science of fear and anxiety, including how you can overcome it, check out our episode A Better Way to Worry.

Over the past few weeks, we've been exploring the psychology of partisanship, and how to effectively handle disagreements with those around us. This week, we conclude our US 2.0 series by turning to the past. We talk with journalist Steve Inskeep about how one of the most important leaders in American history ? Abraham Lincoln ? grappled with the pressing moral question of his time. When, if ever, is it worth compromising your own principles for the sake of greater progress?

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out our 2018 conversation about Thomas Jefferson with historian Annette Gordon-Reed. It's the episode called "A Founding Contradiction" in this podcast feed, or you can listen on our website.  

We typically divide the country into two distinct groups: Democrats and Republicans. But what if the real political divide in our country isn?t between ?left? and ?right?? What if it?s between those who care intensely about politics, and those who don?t? This week, we bring you a favorite 2020 conversation with political scientist Yanna Krupnikov, who offers an alternative way to understand Americans? political views.

For more of our reporting on the intersection between politics and psychology, check out our episode about political hobbyism. You might also like this classic episode about how we come to our political values and beliefs. Thanks for listening! 

Conflicts are inevitable ? both at a global scale and in our personal lives. This week, in the latest in our US 2.0 series, psychologist Peter Coleman explains how minor disagreements turn into major rifts, and how we can defuse even the most salient of disputes in our lives.

Interested in learning more?

For additional ideas about how to keep conflict from spiraling, check out our conversation with researcher Julia Minson. And for a look at how violence shapes political outcomes on a global scale, be sure to listen to our interview with political scientist Erica Chenoweth. 

There's a saying that's attributed to the Dalai Lama: in the practice of tolerance, one's enemy is the best teacher. It's a nice idea, but in reality, when people don't share our values, it's hard for us to tolerate theirs. This week, we talk with sociologist Robb Willer about the common mistakes we make in trying to persuade others of our point of view ? and how we can break out of our echo chambers.

Did you catch last week's kick-off to our US 2.0 series? You can find it in this podcast feed, and here. 

The United States, we?re told, is increasingly a house divided. Conservatives and progressives are so alienated from each other that conversation is virtually impossible. But are we really as divided as we?re led to believe? As we begin what promises to be a pivotal election season, we're kicking off a new series about how we form our political beliefs. We're calling it "US 2.0." We begin with psychologist Kurt Gray, who studies how we think about our political allies and  opponents ? and how these insights can help us to chart a new path forward. 

Have you tried to talk with someone who disagrees with you about politics? Have you found effective ways to get through? If you?d be willing to share your stories with the Hidden Brain audience,  along with any questions you have for Kurt Gray, please record a voice memo and email it to us at [email protected]. Use the subject line ?politics.?  And thanks!

We rely on our memory to understand the world. But what if our memories aren't true? This week, we talk to psychologist Elizabeth Loftus about the malleability of memory ? what we remember, and what we think we remember.

For more on the science of memory, including how you can strengthen your own ability to recall information, check out our episodes Remember More, Forget Less and Did That Really Happen?
 

We spend more and more of our lives staring at screens. Our cellphones, smartwatches and laptops allow us to communicate instantly with people across the globe, and quickly look up obscure facts. But our digital devices are also altering our brains in profound ways. This week, psychologist Gloria Mark explores how our ability to focus is shrinking, and offers ways to protect our minds in a world filled with endless distractions.

Want more suggestions on how to stay focused in a distracting world? Here are a few additional episodes to check out:

You 2.0: Deep Work

Taking Control of Your Time

And if you love Hidden Brain, please consider joining Hidden Brain+, our podcast subscription! You can find it on Apple Podcasts, or by clicking  here. 

Most of us feel that our emotions are reactions to those outside of us. Someone cuts us off in traffic, and we say that the other driver made us upset. A friend brings over food when we're sick, and we say the friend offered us comfort. But psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett argues that our feelings are not, in fact, responses to the world ? they're really predictions about the world. And she says we can exercise more control over those predictions than we realize.

Did you know that Hidden Brain now has an app? You can download it and try out our first game ? designed to help you sharpen your facial recognition skills ? here. 

When we're learning, or trying new things, mistakes are inevitable. Some of these mistakes provide us with valuable information, while others are just harmful. This week, we kick off the new year with researcher Amy Edmondson, who explains the difference between constructive failures and those we should try to avoid. 

If you know someone who would enjoy this episode, please share it with them. And thanks for listening! We look forward to bringing you many new Hidden Brain episodes in 2024. 

Humans have wrestled with questions about identity and purpose for millennia. So it?s no surprise that the insights of people who lived hundreds or even thousands of years ago have stood the test of time. This week, philosopher Tamar Gendler explores how three great thinkers from ancient Greece understood the human psyche, and what we can still learn from their wisdom today.

If you know someone who would enjoy this episode, please share it with them. And thanks for listening! We look forward to bringing you many new Hidden Brain episodes in 2024. 

When was the last time you set a goal and struggled to reach it? Perhaps you're trying to write a novel but can't seem to get started. Or maybe you want to master a sport, but you keep making the same mistakes over and over again. This week, organizational psychologist Adam Grant guides us through the science of human potential, and teaches us how to uncover our own abilities.

If you love Hidden Brain, please consider joining Hidden Brain+, our podcast subscription! You can find it on Apple Podcasts, or by clicking  here. 

We like to tell kids, ?Don?t judge a book by its cover.? But from a very early age, we humans are doing just that ? judging others based on how they look. This week, we bring you the second part of our look at the science of beauty and talk with psychologists Vivian Zayas and Stefanie Johnson about how appearances can often lead us astray.

If you haven't yet heard the first episode in this series, be sure to check it out! It's called "The Mystery of Beauty," and you can find it in this podcast feed, or on our website. 

Think about the last time you were struck by a gorgeous painting in a museum, or heard a song that brought you to tears. All of us know what it?s like to be stopped in our tracks by a beautiful sight. But scientists are still puzzling over why this is the case. What?s the point of beauty? Why is it seemingly so important to us? This week on the show, neuroscientist Anjan Chatterjee explains the function of beauty in our daily lives. Then, Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek describes how beauty served a purpose in some of the biggest scientific breakthroughs of our time.

In case you missed it, make sure to listen to the last installment of our Healing 2.0 series, The Power of Apologies. Plus, if you're looking for a holiday gift for the Hidden Brain fan in your life, be sure to check out our online shop for mugs, t-shirts, and more!

Why is it so hard to say 'I'm sorry?' In the final episode of our Healing 2.0 series, we talk with psychologist Tyler Okimoto about the mental barriers that keep us from admitting when we've done something wrong, as well as the transformative power of apologies.

If  you liked this episode, check out the rest of our Healing 2.0 series. And if you know someone who would benefit from the ideas we explored in this series, please share these episodes with them. Thanks! 

In 2019, Justin Harrison's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer. But by the time she died, he had figured out how to keep a part of her alive...forever. This week, the strange and provocative story of a man who believes that grief is not inevitable ? that we can, in a way, cheat death.

If you missed the earlier installments of our Healing 2.0 series, you can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website: Life After Loss, What We Gain from Pain, and Change Your Story, Change Your Life.

You've probably heard that people who lose a loved one may go through what are known as the "five stages" of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. But many people find that their grief doesn't follow this model at all. In the latest installment of our Healing 2.0 series, we revisit our 2022 conversation with resilience researcher Lucy Hone. Lucy shares the techniques she learned to cope after a devastating loss in her own life. 

If you missed the earlier installments of our Healing 2.0 series, you can find them in this podcast feed, or on our website:  Healing 2.0: Change Your Story, Change Your Life and Healing 2.0: What We Gain from Pain. 

We?ve all heard the saying, ?What doesn?t kill you makes you stronger.? But is there any truth to this idea? This week, we explore the concept of post-traumatic growth with psychologist Eranda Jayawickreme. He finds that pain can have benefits ? but not necessarily the ones we expect.

Enjoy this episode? Make sure to check out last week's kick-off to our Healing 2.0 series, where we explore how the stories we tell about ourselves shape our lives in profound ways.  

We all tell stories about ourselves, often without realizing we?re doing so. How we frame those stories can profoundly shape our lives. In the kickoff episode to our month-long series on healing, psychologist Jonathan Adler shares how to tell our stories in ways that enhance our wellbeing.

Do you know someone who would enjoy Hidden Brain? Please tell them about this episode. And thanks for listening!  

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

Do you know someone who would enjoy Hidden Brain? Please tell them about this episode. And thanks for listening!  

As we move through our lives, we have to make decisions both big and small. Some are banal: What will I eat for breakfast today? Should I drive or bike to work? Others are more complicated: How much should I contribute to my 401k? What career should I pursue? Today on the show, behavioral economist Richard Thaler explains why our decision making is often far more nuanced than economic models would suggest.

If you missed last week's show on how to keep yourself from getting conned, you can find it here: How to Spot a Scam.

We like to think that con artists only prey upon the weak, or gullible. But psychologist Dan Simons says all of us can fall victim to scams, because the best scammers know how to take advantage of our biases and blindspots. 

Did you miss last week's episode about perfectionism? You can find it here. And thanks for listening!  

Perfectionism is everyone?s favorite flaw. It?s easy to assume that our push to be perfect is what leads to academic, athletic, and professional success.  But psychologist Thomas Curran says perfectionism has a dark side, and that there are much healthier ways to strive for excellence. 

Do you know someone who would enjoy Hidden Brain? Please tell them about this episode. And thanks for listening!