This week's episode comes to us from our friends at Radiolab! Close your eyes and imagine a red apple. What do you see? Turns out there’s a whole spectrum of answers to that question, and producer Sindhu Gnanasambandan is on one far end. In this episode, she explores what it means to see — and not see — in your mind.
This episode was reported and produced b ... Show More
Oct 1
Why We Never Forget Our Teen Years, with Lisa Damour
Our brains go completely WILD when we go through our teenage years. It’s a time where it feels like every disagreement with our parents turns into World War III, and every idea that could get us killed sounds like the most fun we could ever have. In this episode, we get into the ... Show More
58m 38s
Sep 24
Stress: The Science of Chilling Out
Stress! We’re all feeling it. And besides just feeling crappy, we’re also told that stress can wreak havoc on our bodies. The internet has a million solutions: vagus nerve stimulators, deep breaths, or a hot sauna! If that doesn’t work, maybe a cold plunge? But what does the scie ... Show More
40m 22s
May 2025
Imagine a sunset, now imagine you can't
Aphantasia is the inability to see with your mind’s eye. And its discovery has made scientists ask a surprising question: What is the mind’s eye even for? (First published in 2022.) Guests: Alice Coles, artist; Adam Zeman, cognitive neurologist at the University of Exeter Medical ... Show More
23m 45s
Sep 2015
Episode 2: Near Victories
<p>Shankar Vedantam explores "almosts" and "not quites" on this episode of the Hidden Brain podcast, with the help of Monica Wadhwa, Dan Pink, and country music singer Kacey Musgraves.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https:// ... Show More
22m 5s