Hidden Brain — Podcast Ad Analysis
7 episodes analyzed
1 min ads · 2% of episode is ads
3.9 ads/episode
Top sponsors: Non-English/garbled audio segment, Listener voicemail solicitation, YouTube channel promotion, Segment transition promo, Outro/credits
Why do I feel stuck? How can I become more creative? What can I do to improve my relationships? If you’ve ever asked yourself these questions, you’re not alone. On Hidden Brain, we help you understand your own mind — and the minds of the people around you. (We're routinely rated the #1 science podcast in the United States.) Hosted by veteran science journalist Shankar Vedantam.
PodSkip has analyzed 7 episodes of Hidden Brain, averaging 3.9 ads per episode (2% of runtime).
The Empathy Gym
May 18, 2026
Some people are good at putting themselves in another person's shoes. Others may struggle to relate. But psychologist Jamil Zaki argues that empathy isn't a fixed trait. This week, we revisit a…
4 ads · 3 min · 0% ads
The Cowboy Philosopher
May 11, 2026
In 2009, an old man died in a California nursing home. His obituary included not just his given name, but a long list of the pseudonyms he’d been known to use. In this classic 2019 episode, we trace…
1 ads · 1 min · 0% ads
Radical Acceptance
May 04, 2026
Last week, we looked at the hidden beliefs that can leave us feeling stuck in life. This week, in the second part of our conversation with behavioral scientist Dave Evans, we talk about radical…
Designing a Life that Matters
Apr 27, 2026
We tell ourselves that meaning comes from impact, passion, or finding the “one right path.” But these beliefs can leave us feeling stuck —even when our lives look perfectly fine on paper. Behavioral…
4 ads · 2 min · 0% ads
Do You Feel Loved?
Apr 20, 2026
What’s the difference between being loved and feeling loved? Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky joins us to discuss the distinction, and how we can create a stronger feeling of closeness in our…
4 ads · 2 min · 0% ads
How to Change the World
Apr 13, 2026
Does power truly flow from the barrel of a gun? Pop culture and conventional history often teach us that violence is the most effective way to produce change. But is that common assumption actually…
The Debt Trap
Apr 06, 2026
We like to think that good financial decisions come down to discipline and basic math. But the psychology of money turns out to be deeply complicated. Researcher John Dinsmore explains the hidden…
When It's Okay to Lie
Mar 30, 2026
Should you tell a harsh truth if it will only cause pain? Or is it sometimes kinder to keep someone in the dark? Psychologist Emma Levine explores the unwritten rules that guide when people feel it’s…
Group Think
Mar 23, 2026
How do the groups you identify with shape your sense of self? Do they influence the beer you buy? The way you vote? In this favorite episode from 2021, psychologist Jay Van Bavel explains how our…
Rethinking Depression
Mar 16, 2026
We tend to see depression as an illness to eliminate, evidence that something has gone wrong in the brain. But what if low mood serves a purpose? Psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg examines the…
Yuck! The Science of Disgust
Mar 09, 2026
Disgust is a strong emotion, one designed by evolution to protect us from danger and diseases. But disgust also spills into other areas of our lives, influencing our morals, our intuitions about…
The Secret of Charisma
Mar 02, 2026
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…
Do You Feel Invisible?
Feb 23, 2026
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…
Why You're Smarter Than You Think
Feb 16, 2026
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…
Coming Clean
Feb 09, 2026
Last week, we talked with psychologist Leslie John about the costs of keeping secrets. Today, Leslie returns with a look at the psychological power of self-disclosure. She says the moments of…
Keeping Secrets
Feb 02, 2026
We all carry secrets, from harmless omissions to life-changing truths. But secrecy isn’t neutral: hiding takes mental work and can harm our health and relationships. In this week’s show, and in our…
You 2.0: Trusting Your Doubt
Jan 26, 2026
We conclude our month-long You 2.0 series with a look at the hidden power of doubt — not as weakness or indecision, but as a tool that helps us make better choices and navigate an uncertain world…
You 2.0: The Practice of Patience
Jan 19, 2026
Patience can sometimes feel like a lost art, particularly in a culture that prizes competition and the idea of "failing fast." But psychologist Sarah Schnitker says patience is a vital skill for…
You 2.0: How to Get Out of a Rut
Jan 12, 2026
There are times in life when the challenges we face feel insurmountable. Authors succumb to writer’s block. Athletes and artists hit a plateau. People of a certain age fall into a midlife crisis…
You 2.0: Cultivating Courage
Jan 05, 2026
Why do some people act bravely in a crisis, while others flee or freeze up? Today, we bring you the second part of our You 2.0 series on the mental obstacles that can block us when we're charting a…
You 2.0: Stop Spiraling!
Dec 29, 2025
The start of a new year is a natural moment to set goals for ourselves. But doing so can also be a little daunting. Today, we kick off a series designed to help you understand and grapple with the…
The Reset Button
Dec 22, 2025
Many of us rush through our days, weeks, and lives, chasing goals and just trying to get everything done. But that can blind us to a very simple source of joy that’s all around us. This week, we…
The Path to Enough
Dec 15, 2025
This week, we bring you the second part of our 2023 conversation on the perils of too much pleasure. Psychiatrist Anna Lembke explains the neuroscience behind compulsive consumption. She also shares…
The Paradox of Pleasure
Dec 08, 2025
All of us think we know what addiction looks like. It’s the compulsive consumption of drugs, alcohol, or nicotine. But psychiatrist Anna Lembke argues that our conception of addiction is far too…
Murder Mystery
Dec 01, 2025
Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true crime? Why do we crane our necks to see the scene of a crash on the highway? Psychologist Coltan Scrivner says that our natural morbid curiosity…
Parents: Keep Out!
Nov 24, 2025
If you’re a parent or a teacher, you’ve probably wondered how to balance play and safety for the kids in your care. You don’t want to put children in danger, but you also don’t want to rob them of…
The Power of Family Stories
Nov 17, 2025
There’s a tradition around many Thanksgiving dinner tables that’s as consistent as pumpkin pie: the family stories that get told year after year. Sometimes these stories are funny; sometimes they…
Why Following Your Dreams Isn't Enough
Nov 10, 2025
Entrepreneurs typically have no shortage of passion, heart, and vision. But at Stanford University, Huggy Rao says there are other elements that may matter more when it comes to whether their…
How Nature Heals Us
Nov 03, 2025
We've known intuitively for centuries that spending time in nature can give us a boost. But it’s only recently that scientists have begun to identify exactly what it is about the outdoors that has…
Reframing the Battle of Wills
Oct 27, 2025
It can be frustrating when people do things we don't want them to do. A friend cancels plans at the last minute. A child refuses to get dressed for school. Before long, our resentment builds, and…