logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2016
27m 37s

Episode 45: What Are The Odds?

Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
About this episode
This week on Hidden Brain, coincidences. Why they're not quite as magical as they seem... and the reasons we can't help but search for meaning in them anyway. 
Up next
Yesterday
Blowing Up Your Life
Have you ever had a flash of insight that hit you when you least expected it? How did it change your life? Psychologist Anthony Klotz studies the "jolts" that shake us out of our routines, and how these moments can help us make more intentional decisions about the people we want ... Show More
1h 26m
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
Recommended Episodes
May 2016
The Science of Coincidence
<p>What are we to make of coincidence? From the numerological cats cradles we weave around famous events to the curious ways human lives converge through time, coincidence seems to fly in the face of reason and even suggest the supernatural. In this episode of Stuff to Blow Your ... Show More
50 m
Nov 2023
The Science of Coincidence
Are some people just lucky? Is there any scientific formula behind coincidences? Is randomness the norm? Brian and Robin team up with comedian Sophie Duker, mathematician Marcus Du Sautoy and statistician David Spiegelhalter to uncover the reality and the maths behind seemingly i ... Show More
42m 30s
Jul 2019
It's a small world
Learn an expression about coincidences. 
2m 37s
Mar 2021
278: Amazing And Inexplicable Coincidences | Ear Biscuits Ep.278
Is it just a coinkidink or is it actual magic? The guys explore amazing and inexplicable coincidences from mysterious dreams coming true to seemingly fateful encounters on this episode of Ear Biscuits. 
1h 9m
Sep 2020
The Real Fortune Teller
Our brain likes to play tricks on us, so it allows us to see the things we want to see and formulate biased conclusions, accordingly. In this episode, Rawane Affara explains how, at times, a child’s behavior is misunderstood and underestimated.Listen to The Ringlet on Podeopodeo. ... Show More
7m 45s
Mar 2023
47 - Boltzmann Brains: Could Reality Be An Illusion? (Rebroadcast)
<p>A whirlwind of questions brings us to an odd conclusion: could reality be an illusion created by a quantum fluctuation of a brain? This is a rebroadcast of a past favorite.<br/><br/>For ad-free episodes and other exclusives, join us for $3 a month on Patreon: https://patreon.c ... Show More
28m 2s
Sep 2024
The How is "Too Wonderful" for Us to Know
FAITH EPISODE!  What if the HOW is one of the very best parts? Let's discuss it in this episode. Some things are just TOO WONDERFUL for us to know about in advance, and there are some mysteries that lead us to realizations or opportunities we never could have seen coming. We dese ... Show More
19m 37s
Jan 2022
84. Why Do We Find So Much Meaning in Meaningless Coincidences?
<p>Why are humans so fascinated by coincidences? What do Carl Jung and an album by The Police have in common? And what did Stephen win in a bar mitzvah limbo contest? </p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> ... Show More
29m 36s