How Our Brains Learn

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

The Science of Mind Reading: Unlocking the Secrets of Human ThoughtJoin us in this fascinating episode of The Science of Mind Reading, where we delve into the intriguing world of understanding human thoughts and emotions. Can we read minds, or is it just an illusion? In this epis ...  Show more

A scientist asked people to sit in a silent room for 15 minutes. Almost half of them decided to give themselves a painful electric shock instead. What is it about our brains that makes our relationship with silence so strange? And should we learn how to listen to it? This is the ...  Show more

How can some people taste sounds? What’s happening in the brain of those who feel other’s sensations as their own? And why might we have evolved some of these extraordinary abilities in the first place? In this focus episode of How We’re Wired, join producer Dr Eva Higginbotham a ...  Show more

This week on Schauer Thoughts we’re discussing cognitive labor: what it is and isn’t, situations you use it in, and how to tell when someone is using you for your cognitive labor via thought-terminating cliches! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the discussion. Also, I do want to apolog ...  Show more