Mind Reading 2.0: Our Better Angels

Stories about unlikely heroes have captivated people for thousands of years. This week, social scientist Ben Rogers explores why the "hero's journey" resonates so deeply, and how the stories we tell about our own lives can shape our sense of purpose. He explains why seeing oursel ...  Show more

Pain feels like a simple message from the body. If your elbow hurts, there must be something wrong with your elbow. If your back is painfully stiff, you need some work done on your back. But psychologist Rachel Zoffness says our minds play a much larger role in our experience of ...  Show more

Humans have a built-in “negativity bias,” which means we give bad news much more power than good. Would the Covid-19 crisis be an opportune time to reverse this tendency?

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Many adults perform worse in tests of literacy and numeracy than the average ten year old. And results have worsened in the past decade. Are our brains rotting? Russia’s economy could finally be nosediving (7:20). And remembering Eichmann’s jailer, Shalom Nagar (14:00).  Listen t ...  Show more

Fraud is everywhere around us — but not everyone steals for the same reasons. This hour, forensic accountant Kelly Richmond Pope explores the motivations and implications of why we cheat the system. TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas fro ...  Show more

Americans seem to be getting ruder. Are our attempts at making ourselves better actually making us worse? This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Miranda Kennedy, fact-checked by Melissa Hirsch and Isabelle Lichtenstein, engineered by Matthew Billy and hosted by Jon ...  Show more