BRAIN WAVES
Love on the mind. When we fall in love, we’re said to feel it in our hearts, but it’s actually the brain, of course, that processes this complex emotion. And a recent study has found that love resides in different parts of the brain, depending on the type of love in question. Researchers presented study volunteers with different statements meant to evoke six different kinds of love. (For example, “You see your newborn child for the first time. The baby is soft, healthy and hearty — your life's greatest wonder. You feel love for the little one.”) They then measured brain activity to see which areas of the brain responded to different types of love. “In parental love, for example, there was activation deep in the brain's reward system in the striatum area while imagining love, and this was not seen for any other kind of love,” said study author Pärttyli Rinne. “Closer affiliative bonds elicit stronger feelings of love, which are associated with more activation in the reward pathways,” the researchers explained. For more insights, check out the full study.
Rejecting hate. How long does racist ideology persist? Researchers explored whether areas of the U.S. with a history of more Ku Klux Klan activity also show higher levels of modern racial bias. With the help of Project Implicit Data and the Anti-Defamation League H.E.A.T. Map , they found something counterintuitive: while white supremacist activity remains higher in these areas, overall racial bias—both implicit and explicit—tends to be lower. As the study put it, “Historical legacies of hate can have counter-intuitive consequences and cause positive racial attitudes toward oppressed group members.” In other words, communities that used to be hotbeds of Klan activity have changed over time, leading to more awareness, reckoning, or even a rejection of those old ideologies. The finding suggests that there is a lasting backlash to hateful ideas. “Our findings illustrate that… even a legacy of hate and terror can spawn hope.”
TMI. It’s no exaggeration to say that the world in 2025 can be … a lot. Sometimes it may seem that tuning it all out is our only option. This week on Hidden Brain, we talk with researcher Sarah Jaquette Ray about how we can reclaim our sense of efficacy and purpose in the face of big, systemic problems like climate change. Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
We Need to Talk: Just because we've been doing something for a long time doesn't mean we're doing it right. This may be particularly true when it comes to our skills as conversationalists. This week, we bring you the first of a two-part look at what makes someone skilled at talking with others.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
David Jefferson’s Story: When David's wife fell ill, a friend went above and beyond to help the family cope.
Don’t forget to send us the story of your unsung hero! Record a voice memo on your phone and email it to myunsunghero@hiddenbrain.org.
MIND GAMES
What goes up, but does not come down?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
Ask this question all day long, but always get completely different answers, and yet all the answers will be correct. What is the question?
Answer: What time is it?
A MOMENT OF JOY
Here’s one for our fellow tab hoarders.
Have an idea for Hidden Brain? A story you want to share with us? Send an email to ideas@hiddenbrain.org. Listen to us on Spotify, Apple, Amazon Music or your favorite podcast platform.