
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.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 693 | Founded | 11 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Social SciencesArtsSciencePerforming Arts | |||

Why does one bad experience have the power to overshadow an otherwise good day? Psychologist Alison Ledgerwood explores the negativity bias, the deeply human tendency to hold on to what went wrong and overlook what went right. She explains why our mi... more
We all have moments in our lives when we see someone who could use a helping hand. It could be a friend who recently went through a breakup, or an older person trying to load groceries into their car. We tell ourselves we should help, but then someth... more
You’re not the same person with your friends as you are with your co-workers or your kids. So who are you, really? This week, political scientist Eric Oliver explores why we often feel divided within ourselves, and how we can learn to live more peace... more
For centuries, people have described creativity as something mysterious: a flash of insight, a whisper from the muse, a sudden idea that seems to arrive out of nowhere. Psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis explores the hidden mental processes that lead to th... more
People also subscribe to these shows.




Dependably interesting. Shankar has the best podcast voice! Topics are awesome. Just love this show
One year later and this continues to be true.
This is a terrific show ! You could learnt a lot from this great show!
I'm always impressed by the comprehensive knowledge presented in these podcast episodes. I very much appreciate the background work to bring us these succinct presentations. Thank you.
Hi Shankar, no doubt great topics and guests and interview style. Just one thing grinds me that throughout each pod you repeat your name ad nauseum.
Please accept this feedback is constructive and comes from a good place.
Keep on keeping on!!
Designing a life that Matters, so many people need to listen to this
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Spotify | #192 | |
Spotify | #6 | |
Spotify | #132 | |
Apple Podcasts | #126 | |
Apple Podcasts | #2 | |
Apple Podcasts | #3 |
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
Thoughtful conversations grounded in behavioral science explore why people think, feel, and act the way they do. Episodes frequently feature psychologists, economists, historians, and policy researchers who unpack topics like self-disclosure, happiness, leadership, group dynamics, and decision making. Across formats, expect data-driven insights, real-world experiments, and practical guidance for personal growth, healthier relationships, and more effective organizations. A standout aspect is the rigorous use of research and expert perspectives to illuminate everyday psychology, often framed with compelling stories and accessible explanations. If you're curious about the science behind human behavior and how to apply it to work, life, and rel... more
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Hidden Brain. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Hidden Brain and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Hidden Brain, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Hidden Brain, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
To see how many followers or subscribers Hidden Brain has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
These podcasts share a similar audience with Hidden Brain:
1. TED Radio Hour
2. Radiolab
3. This American Life
4. Freakonomics Radio
5. Fresh Air
Hidden Brain launched 11 years ago and published 693 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Hidden Brain from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Hidden Brain. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
Recent guests on Hidden Brain include:
1. Eric Oliver
2. Ap Dijksterhuis
3. Joseph Henrich
4. Steve Winnick
5. Stasha Shepard Silverman
6. Kevin Coffey
7. Dave Evans
8. Sonja Lyubomirsky
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.