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Shankar Vedantam

Mentioned 5 times across 2 podcasts this week

This Week's Pulse

Shankar Vedantam recently took his long-running podcast to the stage, performing Hidden Brain Live at the Stanford University Dinkelspiel Auditorium on May 16, following an appearance on Here & Now to discuss the psychological framework of radical acceptance.

While Shankar Vedantam focuses on high-level cognitive science, his recent work on Hidden Brain continues to lean into the uncomfortable mechanics of human behavior. On a recent episode, he noted, "Recently, I heard a shocking statistic. 80% of people lie to their doctors. 80%." It is a signature Vedantam move: identifying a jarring data point to anchor a broader meditation on social trust.

The show is increasingly positioning itself as a diagnostic tool for modern isolation. In a conversation with Jamil Zaki on the episode "The Empathy Gym," Vedantam challenged the premise of digital connectivity, stating, "We know we have the capacity to connect with large numbers of other people, but we're connecting in often the superficial way instead of this deeper way." This critique of modern infrastructure suggests that the host is moving away from purely internal psychological states toward the external environments—like the big cities he mentioned—that dictate our mental health.

Expect the upcoming tour dates to further bridge the gap between Hidden Brain's podcast-first format and the demand for live, interactive Q&A sessions. Whether this pivot toward "radical acceptance" signals a softer tone for the program or just a rebranding of his existing inquiry into human secrets remains to be seen.

Where it's discussed

The Cowboy Philosopher

Hidden Brain

Shankar Vedantamneutralfrom “The Psychology of Secrets and Disclosure”

Host of the podcast Hidden Brain.

“You're listening to Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. [gentle music] This is Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam. Recently, I heard a shocking statistic. 80% of people lie to their doctors. 80%. [upbeat music]”

Shankar Vedantamneutralfrom “The Burden of Secrets”

Host of the show who facilitates the discussion on secrets and their psychological effects.

“When we come back, what happens when you learn that someone has been keeping a secret from you? You're listening to Hidden Brain. I'm Shankar Vedantam.”

The Empathy Gym

Hidden Brain

Jamil Zakineutralfrom “The Impact of Urbanization and Technology on Empathy”

Host who explores the irony of living in crowded cities while feeling isolated.

“And there's a deep irony there, isn't there, Jamil? I mean, when we live in these big cities, we're living cheek by jowl with lots of other people, but in some ways we're not connecting with them, and the same goes with the internet. We know we have the capaci…”

Jamil Zakineutralfrom “The Double-Edged Sword of Empathy”

The podcast host interviewing Jamil Zaki.

“You've done some very interesting work with police officers where you brought to bear this insight that you just talked about. Uh, tell me about that work and tell me about how sometimes the right recommendation might actually be to tell people, "Behave a litt…”

Leslie Johnneutralfrom “The Power of Shared Experience in Disclosure”

Host of the segment who facilitates the discussion on secrets and support groups.

“So Leslie, I'm struck by the contrast between Jeremy's different experiences of sharing his secret, and I'm also struck by the fact that he received the most support from other people who had been through what he went through. Have you studied the power that s…”