Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.
472 episodes transcribedWe can’t go back and change the past. We can’t erase trauma and hardship. But what if there was a way to regain control of our personal narratives? In...
Why is my friend late? How does nuclear fission work? What occurs when I sneeze? We all need to understand why certain things happen. Some researchers...
For generations, it was difficult, even dangerous, to express a sexual orientation other than heterosexuality in the United States. But in recent year...
If you've taken part in a religious service, have you ever stopped to think about how people become believers? Where do the rituals come from? And wha...
Being able to see what’s happening around us can help us make smart decisions. But knowledge — especially knowledge of how others perceive us — can al...
Why do some relationships last, while others falter? In this bonus episode, Shankar looks at one thing successful couples do well.
Stereotypes are all around us, shaping how we see the world – and how the world sees us. On the surface, the stereotypes that other people hold should...
Physicist Richard Feynman once said, “The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.” One way we fool...
Around the world, people are grappling with the risks posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. How do our minds process that risk, and why do some of us proces...
All of us are surrounded by brands. Designer brands. Bargain-shopper brands. Brands for seemingly every demographic slice among us. But have you ever...
It’s human nature to hide parts of ourselves that produce shame or anxiety. We tend to skip over details that could change how others perceive us. But...
It's easy to spot bias in other people, especially those with whom we disagree. But it’s not so easy to recognize our own biases. Psychologist Emily...
At the beginning of the year, many of us make resolutions for the months to come. We resolve to work out more, to procrastinate less, or to save more...
For so many people across the globe, 2020 has been a year of waiting and uncertainty. Waiting to see friends and family in far-flung locales. Waiting...
Turn on the news or look at Twitter, and it's likely you'll be bombarded by outrage. Many people have come to believe that the only way to spark chang...
Many of us struggle with self-control. And we assume willpower is the key to achieving our goals. But there's a simple and often overlooked mental ha...
If you're one of the 40 percent of Americans now working from home, you might be reveling in your daily commute to the dining room table. Or you might...
As election season comes to a close, we explore our contradictory relationship with winners and losers. We tend to idolize the powerful, but we also e...
We typically divide the country into two distinct groups: Democrats and Republicans. But what if the real political divide in our country isn't betwee...
