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This week on My Unsung Hero: A Christmas Eve drive in a new town left Mary Klein lost and alone — until a couple pulled over to help. What they did next turned her loneliest holiday into a lifelong memory.

In our modern world, we are surrounded with endless opportunities for pleasure. We can puff, sip, and swipe almost anytime we like. This week, we continue our series on how too much pleasure can lead to pain — and the crucial role of community in helping us reset our brains.

“We’ve reached some kind of tipping point in terms of abundance, where what started out as a good thing…is actually contributing now to our suffering.” This week, we continue our two-part conversation with psychiatrist Anna Lembke on the downsides of overabundance, along with

This week on My Unsung Hero: On her first Christmas rush shift, teenage Stephanie Cole froze at the register — until a customer helped her breathe again. The woman’s insistence that she “take your time” has stayed with her for decades.

Everywhere we look, the modern world offers opportunities to give ourselves little jolts of pleasure. But these moments of delight come at a cost. This week, we revisit a conversation with Anna Lembke about the profound story of addiction in all our lives.

Looking for a holiday gift for a Hidden Brain fan? How about tickets to one of our live shows? Join Shankar for one of the 2026 stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour – more info and tickets at

“It's not that dopamine is good or bad, it's that dopamine is essential for survival. And it keeps us moving and always looking for the next thing.” Anna Lembke studies the science of addiction. She says our understanding of what it means to be addicted is far too narrow. This

In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a movie that had been released years earlier became a surprise hit. It was a film ... about a global pandemic. In this week’s episode, why we’re drawn to dark and scary stories.

This week on My Unsung Hero: After being diagnosed with breast cancer, Gillian Kline realized she has one day left to choose a new health insurance plan. Her HR representative helped her navigate the decision — and modeled extraordinary kindness.

“This was dubbed the 'snuggle theory of horror,' and this early idea was [that] the reason people enjoyed horror movies was because they could kind of live out these cultural expectations of how they were supposed to react.” Why are so many of us drawn to horror, gore, and true

We reached listeners in 165 countries on @Spotify this year. Thank you for listening, supporting, and making our show part of your world. #spotifywrapped2025

This December, Hidden Brain is proud to join #PodsFightPoverty. We’re teaming up with other podcasts to raise funds to lift three villages in Rwanda out of extreme poverty. Your donation goes directly to the families who know best what they need. Visit https://t.co/c65EnctGPt to

“Play makes children happy. It's also the case with other kinds of independent activities — children feel good, they feel proud when they can do things by themselves.” In this week’s episode, we revisit a conversation with Peter Gray about how to help children thrive.

As we spend the day giving thanks, we’re reflecting on an episode about gratitude —what gets in its way, and how we can cultivate more of it: https://t.co/CzLcmKoZvw

This week on My Unsung Hero: After fainting at work on her first day on the job, Emily Vinson found comfort not from coworkers — but from a customer.

Fred Rogers said, “Play is the work of the child.” This week on the show, we revisit an episode about the power of play. https://t.co/9As3gG6kRT

Our final stop in LA was a great night full of connection and insight, made possible by @Atlassian. Are you feeling a little stuck at work lately? You’re stuck in too many meetings. You’re stuck trying to wrangle teammates. Get your team unstuck with video messaging from Loom by

This week on My Unsung Hero: During a painful divorce, Jolena Rothweil was out of money and overwhelmed. Then a coworker slipped her an envelope with $200 and a simple message: pay it forward.

New York and Philly, we’re heading your way in 2026! Join Shankar for the next stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour – more info and tickets at

Think it’s impossible to remain passionately in love over the long haul? You should check out this episode, which we’re thrilled to share was just selected as one of the Best Episodes of 2025 by @ApplePodcasts! https://t.co/zS8cdqDeE8