Loss and Renewal

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 offering clarity in moments of uncertainty — and why that clarity can come at a cost. ...  Show more

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 feeling valued serves as a psychological buffer, and how simple gestures can rebuild a ...  Show more

Imagine being so drawn to a pursuit as a kid, it consumes most of your waking hours, rapidly becomes your identity, and is the thing you believe you’ll devote your life to, and then, in the blink of an eye, it’s taken away. That’s what happened to Maya Shankar, who fell in lov ...

Today we welcome Maya Shankar to the podcast. Maya is a cognitive scientist and the creator and host of the podcast, “A Slight Change of Plans”. It was awarded as the Best Show of 2021 by Apple and received an Ambie award from the Podcast Academy in 2022. Maya has a postdoctoral ...  Show more

Cognitive Scientist Dr. Maya Shankar is guest-hosting all week! Today, she discusses how we can forge a new (and maybe even better) path when obstacles get in our way. Dr. Shankar also shares her personal story of how she found a new passion after a sudden injury ended her career ...  Show more

This week's Rewind features cognitive scientist Dr. Maya Shankar. Today, she talks about the impact that big changes have on our self-identity, and how we can see ourselves differently to weather the storms we face in life. If you'd like to hear some great stories about personal ...  Show more