BRAIN WAVES
Na na na na na na na na.... If you need another reason to go to the movies, a new study suggests that superhero films can make us more empathetic. In one experiment, some study volunteers were shown action scenes from the movie Batman v Superman. A control group watched a video of colorful shapes forming various patterns — not nearly as exciting. Despite the violence in the Batman flick, people were measured as having higher levels of empathy after watching the action scene versus the shapes video. The participants reported that they identified with Batman as a character, and researchers say this was the key to boosting empathy.
Decisions, decisions. We all occasionally suffer from what’s called “decision fatigue,” which is when we run out of the mental bandwidth to make confident choices. The consequences of decision fatigue can be small (maybe you choose the wrong restaurant for dinner) or they can be big (maybe you decide the future of a stranger). So how can we get better at making stronger, smarter decisions? "One simple strategy is to make fewer daily decisions, tackling your to-do list over multiple days, or even removing some rote decisions from your day altogether,” a TED-Ed video suggests. It’s also less exhausting to give other people advice about a tough decision than it is to make that tough decision yourself. In other words, “it can be helpful to imagine your decisions as someone else’s before considering how the consequences impact you specifically.”
Word up. We don’t give a second thought to most of the words we use. But if we pay close attention to the patterns in speech and writing, we can understand profound things about others, and even ourselves. Listen to learn more.
ON THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCAST
When I Feel What You Feel: So often when we think about emotions, we think about how we experience them as individuals. But what happens when we experience them with dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of other people? This week, we kick off a new series called Emotions 2.0. In our first episode, psychologist Amit Goldenberg looks at how group dynamics shape – and sometimes distort – how we feel.
ON THE MY UNSUNG HERO PODCAST
Jackie Briggs’ Story: A stranger noticed Jackie at a conference, and realized something was wrong. A favorite episode from our archives.
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
A man is pushing his car. He stops in front of a hotel and immediately knows he is bankrupt. How did he know this?
LAST WEEK’S PUZZLE
A petri dish hosts a healthy colony of bacteria. Once a minute every bacterium divides into two. The colony was founded by a single cell at noon. At exactly 12:43 (43 minutes later) the petri dish was half full. At what time will the dish be full?
Answer: The dish will be completely filled at 12:44.
A MOMENT OF JOY
Congratulations to this best Halloween costume winner.
IN MEMORIAM
We were sad to learn about the passing of psychologist Philip Zimbardo. Zimbardo is known for his groundbreaking work on the psychology of good and evil. Many of the topics we’ve discussed on Hidden Brain have referenced his famous but controversial Stanford Prison Experiment. We were fortunate to have him as a guest on our show.
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.