logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2018
36m 15s

The Edge Effect

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
There is great comfort in the familiar. It's one reason humans often flock to other people who share the same interests, laugh at the same jokes, hold the same political views. But familiar ground may not be the best place to cultivate creativity. From science and business to music and the world of fashion, researchers have found that people with deep connec ... Show More
Up next
Mar 2
The Secret of Charisma
Charismatic leaders can inspire devotion and give people a powerful sense of meaning. They can also make us vulnerable. This week, we explore how figures across history have gained followers by offering clarity in moments of uncertainty — and why that clarity can come at a cost. ... Show More
1h 34m
Feb 23
Do You Feel Invisible?
What does it do to a person to feel overlooked? This week, psychologist Gordon Flett examines how the absence of “mattering” can fuel loneliness, depression, and even violence. He outlines how feeling valued serves as a psychological buffer, and how simple gestures can rebuild a ... Show More
1h 27m
Feb 16
Why You're Smarter Than You Think
From the time we're schoolchildren, we're ranked and sorted based on how smart we are. But what if our assumptions about intelligence limit our potential? This week, we revisit a favorite 2022 conversation with cognitive scientist Scott Barry Kaufman, who proposes a more expansiv ... Show More
1h 34m
Recommended Episodes
May 2017
The surprising secret of workplace creativity
If most people knew the enjoyable secret of workplace creativity they'd probably feel liberated from the judgement of their peers. In this episode we hear inspiration from the ideas of Lucy Kellaway (FT journalist) and scientific evidence from Professor Sandy Pentland.Professor P ... Show More
28m 55s
Oct 2025
Creating Communities Engaging in Curiosity
<p>The communities that we engage in are one of our greatest sources sparking creativity. We often have people and ideas around us that when we recognize them and make use of them can dramatically enhance our own creativity and our own learning. How to make better use of that you ... Show More
15m 49s
Apr 2018
Behaving Better Online
Humans have become the most successful species on earth because of our ability to cooperate. Often we help strangers when there is no obvious benefit to us as individuals. But today in the age when social media and the internet could be seen as a way of bringing people together m ... Show More
26m 53s
Feb 2025
Networks of the Mind
A man goes into a bar… This is the beginning of a riddle that our guest, Yoed Kennet, an assistant professor at the Technion's Faculty of Data and Decision Sciences, uses to measure creativity in subjects. In our talk, Yoed speaks about how to combine cognitive science and networ ... Show More
43m 16s
Nov 2024
Creativity without limits: Finding balance and inspiration, with Khyati Trehan
tail spinning
58m 20s
Jul 2024
Happiness Break: Pause to Look at the Sky, With Dacher (Encore)
<p>Take a moment to appreciate the beauty and vastness of the sky. Dacher Keltner guides us through a practice of pausing to turn your gaze to the sky as a pathway to awe, creativity and wonder.</p><p><strong>Link to episode transcript:</strong> <a href="https://tinyurl.com/yc5xf ... Show More
7m 3s
Jul 2022
Ed Yong and Liz Neeley: They Have Storytelling Down to a Science
<p>Stars in the field of science communication, they know how to make the rest of us want to learn about something we don’t think we care about. They even creatively inspire each other.</p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pc ... Show More
42m 54s
May 2025
How mathematics shapes human creativity
It’s commonly believed that the arts and the sciences have little in common with each other. The distinction that’s most frequently made is that the arts are creative in nature whereas the sciences are logical. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. In this episode, we catc ... Show More
33m 11s
Sep 2023
How Art and Science Intersect
We often think of art and science as existing in different — even opposite — spheres. One revolves around creativity and imagination; the other around observable facts and data — and never the twain shall meet.But really, art and science aren't as far apart as we might think. For ... Show More
49m 19s
Aug 2024
#378 — Digital Delusions
<p>Sam Harris speaks with Renée DiResta about the state of our information landscape. They discuss the difference between influence and propaganda, shifts in communication technology, influencers and closed communities, the asymmetry of passion online and the illusion of consensu ... Show More
56m 36s