logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
31m 17s

The science of manipulation

Our Media
About this episode
Why do we humans seem to be so easily influenced or even fooled? On one hand this can be done for entertainment, in a Las Vegas stage magic show for example, but on another it can be used for more nefarious purposes such as con artists tricking people into sharing their bank account details. In this episode, we speak to science writer and BBC Science Focus ... Show More
Up next
Aug 23
The secret world hidden in the ground below us
Though we’re often not aware of it, the ground beneath our feet is teeming with an abundance of life and activity – from the complex networks of fungi and tangled roots put down deep into the Earth by the plants that live on its surface to the staggering variety of organisms that ... Show More
36m 44s
Aug 20
The truth about the Nazi fascination with alternative medicine
It’s widely documented that during the time of the Third Reich, the Nazi Party employed a legion of scientists to aid them in their goals of military superiority and ethnic cleansing – particularly in their pursuit of eugenics and development of cruel nerve agents and chemical we ... Show More
24m 53s
Aug 16
What we’re getting wrong about narcissists
Oftentimes in popular culture we’ll hear the term narcissist used to describe a person who has an inflated opinion of themselves, a big ego or someone who tends to overestimate their own abilities. However, in psychology, narcissistic personality disorder is defined as a diagnosa ... Show More
28 m
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2016
Episode 36: Science of Deception
<p>This week on Hidden Brain, we find out what makes humans of all ages cheat. Plus in Stopwatch Science, Dan Pink comes armed with studies on how our social context influences our cheating habits.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.ads ... Show More
19m 24s
May 2013
Ventriloquism: The Science of Dummies
<p>Ventriloquism: The Science of Dummies: It's time to rediscover ventriloquism, the surprisingly deft art of illusion that relies on a keen sense of comic timing and obsessive technique from the performer, as well as a buy-in into the illusion from the audience member. Why do we ... Show More
30m 25s
Jan 2023
Persuasion: Part 2
<p>Think back to the last time someone convinced you to do something you didn't want to do, or to spend money you didn't want to spend. What techniques did that person use to persuade you? This week, we continue our look at the science of influence with <a href="https://search.as ... Show More
50m 21s
Sep 2019
Lab 014: Art of Con
Whether it’s robocalls, catfishing, Tekashi 6ix9ine, or Aunt Becky - it seems like everyone is out here scamming!! But why do WE keep falling for them? We turned to Dr. Lasana Harris to help us understand human motivations and interpersonal behaviors making us susceptible to thes ... Show More
31m 26s
Oct 2023
How to manipulate the masses
Can governments manipulate their citizens? Can everyday people be convinced to munch on insects? Are humans akin to wild hogs? And can we learn how to resist manipulation? In today’s episode, ex-Cambridge Analytica employee Patrick Fagan attempts to answer these questions, and mo ... Show More
33m 42s
Nov 2024
E12 - The Art of Manipulation
In this episode of <em>Break the Psycle Podcast</em>, we explore the twisted world of manipulation — its history, its many forms, and whether it’s always as bad as it sounds. From the origins of gaslighting (shoutout to the 1938 play <em>Gas Light</em>) to the emotional maneuvers ... Show More
1h 2m
Dec 2019
Why We Love Surprises
<p>Why do we fall for surprise endings? It turns out that our capacity to be easily fooled in books and movies is made possible by a handful of predictable mental shortcuts. In this 2018 conversation, we talk with Vera Tobin, one of the world's first cognitive scientists to study ... Show More
28m 24s
Feb 2025
The Science of Illusion with Teller
<p>Why does magic fool us so easily? Is our perception of reality just an illusion? Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-host Gary O’Reilly explore the neuroscience behind magic with magician Teller (of Penn & Teller) and neuroscientist Susana Martinez-Conde.</p><p>NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons ... Show More
50m 59s
Dec 2018
Spoiler Alert!
<p>Why do we always fall for surprise endings? It turns out that our capacity to be easily fooled in books and movies is made possible by a handful of predictable mental shortcuts. We talk this week with Vera Tobin, one of the world's first cognitive scientists to study plot twis ... Show More
28m 24s
Jan 2021
461: Erik Vance | The Curious Science of the Suggestible You
Erik Vance (@erikvance) is an award-winning science journalist and author of Suggestible You: The Curious Science of Your Brain's Ability to Deceive, Transform, and Heal. What We Discuss with Erik Vance: How the human tendency for patternicity can be used to inoculate ourselves a ... Show More
1h 9m