Episode 8: Back Up Plans

When historian Kate Bowler was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer, she became fascinated by the ways people try to impose order on events they can't control. She joins us to explore what it means to live fully when life offers no satisfying explanation for the tragedies we may face. ... Show More

Think about the last time you had a discouraging thought. Maybe you told yourself, "This won't work. I'm not cut out for this." Did you take that thought as fact? Last week, we talked with psychologist Martin Seligman about why some people come to believe that their actions don’t ... Show More

Why do some people act on the possibilities before them, while others come to believe that nothing they do will make a difference? Psychologist Martin Seligman describes his groundbreaking research on learned helplessness, and explains how the stories we tell ourselves about setb ... Show More

Are stickers still saving lives? Was a coral reef repaired? Did the volcano erupt? In this episode we check back in with three projects that have featured on our programme over the past four years and find out if everything went to plan. We hear from the scientist who developed a ... Show More

In some situations, having a backup plan is common sense -- but research shows that in other cases it can keep you from achieving your primary goal. Learn more in this episode of BrainStuff, based on this article: https://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/behavi ... Show More

We reflect on what moving ahead means now and give advice on when and how we should be pushing ourselves, as well as ways to protect a job you love. Guests: Kathleen McGinn and Daisy Wademan Dowling. Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network. 

Sam Harris speaks with Robin Hanson about our hidden motives in everyday life. They discuss selfishness, hypocrisy, norms and meta-norms, cheating, deception, self-deception, education, the evolutionary logic of conversation, social status, signaling and counter-signaling, common ... Show More

A behavioral scientist gives advice on how to better muddle through working from home during the crisis. She also points out the long-lasting positive changes in women’s personal and professional lives that may come from having to reset expectations and boundaries right now. Gues ... Show More

Resolutions are easy to make, even easier to break. But what if a story or idea can motivate us in a whole new way? This hour, TED speakers offer different perspectives on our most common resolutions. Guests include neuroscientists Wendy Suzuki and Sandra Aamodt, science journali ... Show More

In this special live episode, we share stories, research, and practical advice for strategic self-disclosure, and then take questions from the audience. Guest: Katherine Phillips. Our theme music is Matt Hill’s “City In Motion,” provided by Audio Network. 

We're back, and this week we're responding to a listener message all about reflecting on and recording your life (art and otherwise). Our conversations covers journaling, annual planning, and hopes/dreams for the new year. Yes we know it's an arbitrary date in the calendar, but t ... Show More