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PodMine

Shankar Vedantam

Matches in: Person
10 episodes
Jan 12, 2026• Hidden Brain

You 2.0: How to Break Out of a Rut

In this episode of Hidden Brain, psychologist Adam Alter explores why people get stuck in various aspects of life and offers insights and strategies for breaking out of ruts, understanding the psychological barriers that prevent progress, and finding ways to move forward.

1:38:02
Dec 29, 2025• Hidden Brain

You 2.0: Stop Spiraling!

A journey into the psychology of downward spirals, exploring how our minds can set us up for failure and how we can break free from negative thought patterns.

1:33:15
Dec 15, 2025• Hidden Brain

The Path to Enough

A psychiatrist explores how our relentless pursuit of pleasure can lead to addiction and unhappiness, revealing the brain's complex balance between pain and pleasure and offering strategies to reset our neural reward pathways.

1:31:58
Dec 8, 2025• Hidden Brain

The Paradox of Pleasure

A psychiatrist explores how modern society has transformed even seemingly innocent activities into addictive behaviors by manipulating pleasure-seeking mechanisms in the human brain, leading to widespread anxiety and depression.

51:15
Dec 1, 2025• Hidden Brain

Murder Mystery

A fascinating exploration of "morbid curiosity" reveals why humans are drawn to horror, violence, and true crime stories, and how consuming such content can actually help people become more psychologically resilient.

52:26
Nov 24, 2025• Hidden Brain

Parents: Keep Out!

An exploration of how excessive adult supervision can hinder children's development, with psychologist Peter Gray arguing that unstructured play and independence are crucial for kids' social, emotional, and problem-solving skills.

1:18:32
Nov 17, 2025• Hidden Brain

The Power of Family Stories

This episode explores the profound psychological impact of family storytelling, revealing how the way families share stories can shape children's identity, resilience, and emotional well-being.

1:37:05
Nov 10, 2025• Hidden Brain

Why Following Your Dreams Isn't Enough

In this episode of Hidden Brain, Stanford professor Huggy Rao explores how entrepreneurs and organizations often fail by prioritizing "poetry" (grand visions) over "plumbing" (operational details), using examples like the Fyre Festival and North Korea's unfinished hotel to illustrate the importance of executing practical details alongside passionate ideas.

1:30:07
Nov 3, 2025• Hidden Brain

How Nature Heals Us

A groundbreaking exploration of how nature can heal our minds, restore our attention, and provide cognitive benefits even when we're not consciously enjoying the experience.

1:04:39
Oct 27, 2025• Hidden Brain

Reframing the Battle of Wills

Psychologist Stuart Ablon explores why traditional approaches to changing behavior often fail, offering a collaborative problem-solving method that focuses on understanding skill deficits rather than assuming people simply lack willpower.

1:11:51