logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2017
23m 8s

Eyes Wide Open: Part 1

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
Randy Gardner broke a world record in 1963, when he was only 17 years old. His feat? Going 11 days without sleeping. Randy, now 71, shares his wisdom about staying up past your bedtime — and why none of us should attempt to recreate his teenage stunt — on this week's Hidden Brain. 
Up next
Aug 31
The Things We Don't Say
From childhood, we're taught that honesty is the best policy. Yet in everyday life, we hedge, soften our words, and leave things unsaid. This week, we talk with psychologist Steven Pinker about why indirect speech is such a fundamental part of human relationships. How long can yo ... Show More
50m 2s
Aug 24
What Art Does For Your Brain
Think about the last time a piece of music stopped you in your tracks, or a novel kept you up late at night. Why do these experiences feel so powerful? Psychobiologist Daisy Fancourt says engagement with the arts can help to regulate our emotions, build resilience, and support lo ... Show More
49m 18s
Aug 17
How to Be A Better Partner
When we look at the people we love, how clearly do we really see them? This week, we talk with psychologist Edward Lemay about how our fears, desires, and insecurities can shape our perceptions of our partners — sometimes creating the very reality we expect. He explains how we ca ... Show More
1h 26m
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2020
You Snooze, You Lose
No sleep tonight! 17-year-old Randy Gardner stayed awake for days on end, in what started as an experiment to see if sleep deprivation could induce paranormal abilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 
6m 25s
Jul 2023
Elementary | World Records
<p>Put down the bowl of... what IS that... there&#39;s no world record for eating the most chicken feet, and you fell asleep three hours after setting out to break the world&#39;s record of staying awake the longest. Plus it&#39;s seriously time to throw away that storage unit fu ... Show More
12m 30s
Dec 2020
Two Whats?! And A Wow! - Sleep On It
Guy Raz is making a schedule for the perfect slumber, and while Mindy might find his color-coded snoozing chart unusual, it's not half as unusual as the sleeping habits of some animals. On this round of Two Whats?! And A Wow!, we challenge you to separate the fact from fiction on ... Show More
11 m
Oct 2022
Sleep, Unconsciousness & the Brain. With Dr. Adrian Owen
Dr. Adrian Owen, a renowned neuroscientist, discovered that individuals in a persistent coma could still communicate- and he went one step further and listened to what they wanted to say. He’s also performed the largest sleep and cognition study in the world, and demonstrated why ... Show More
45m 37s
Apr 2016
How To Never Grow Old
It's common to hear, "I'm getting older so I need to workout less" or "I'm not 21 anymore so I need to become less of a dreamer and more practical." The vast masterpieces of art, business, science and humanity were not constructed by practical people. And many of them were far ol ... Show More
7m 21s
Apr 2023
2112: How Little Sleep Can You Get Away With? by Hector Arnold
Hector Arnold with Core Spirit talks about how little sleep you can get away with Episode 2112: How Little Sleep Can You Get Away With? by Hector Arnold Core Spirit’s mission is to help people find their path to personal freedom. They are a social platform aggregating diverse med ... Show More
10m 47s
Mar 2024
Ep50 "Why do we spend 1/3 of our lives asleep?" (Sleeping & Dreaming Part 1)
Why do we spend 1/3 of our lives in the strange doppelganger state of sleep? Can we die from a lack of sleep? How long is it possible to keep yourself awake (and why does the Guinness Book of World Records no longer track that)? Why are some people night owls and some morning lar ... Show More
1h 15m
Jul 2021
Third State
In the 1950s, Armond Aserinsky became the most famous kid in science. The 9-year-old son of Eugene Aserinksy, a tough, obstinate grad student who discovered REM sleep, Armond saw the pains of discovery up close, as his dad’s first test subject. REM, which some likened to another ... Show More
55m 1s