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All Seasons

Season 2017

  • S2017E01 Is Psychology a Science?

    • March 6, 2017
    • YouTube

    Psychology research can be tricky, because brains are complicated. But does that mean it isn't a science?

  • S2017E02 Are Fandoms Good or Unhealthy Obsessions?

    • March 9, 2017
    • YouTube

    Internet fandoms can get... sort of intense, but is an unwavering devotion to your Hogwarts house an unhealthy fixation or a way to reach out to others and engage in the world around you?

  • S2017E03 Can You Really Multitask?

    • March 13, 2017
    • YouTube

    You can read a book while watching SciShow on your laptop, so you might think you are multitasking, but can you really multitask?

  • S2017E04 Your Most Vivid Memories Aren't As Accurate As You Think

    • March 16, 2017
    • YouTube

    We all have memories that seem like they happened yesterday, but can you really trust them?

  • S2017E05 How Harry Potter Turns You Into A Wizard

    • March 20, 2017
    • YouTube

    Have you ever read Harry Potter and wished that you were a student at Hogwarts, studying magic with Harry, Ron, and Hermione? Well, your wish might have partially come true, without you knowing it.

  • S2017E06 Do Doorways Actually Make Us Forget Things?

    • March 23, 2017
    • YouTube

    Have you ever forgotten why you walked into a room? Turns out it's just your brain doing its job.

  • S2017E07 Does Meditation Really Affect Your Brain?

    • March 27, 2017
    • YouTube

    You might think of meditation as just a New Age trend, but it may actually benefit your brain!

  • S2017E08 How Do Babies Become Bilingual?

    • March 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Have you ever seen a kid talk to her friends in English, but to her mom in Spanish? Learning a second language can be really hard for adults, so how do bilingual babies learn two at the same time?

  • S2017E09 How Your Memory Can Be Tricked

    • April 3, 2017
    • YouTube

    Do you remember what you did a week before today? And are you sure you actually did that instead of dreaming it up? Our memory can be tricked easily. But how? Hank explains how your memories can be tricked.

  • S2017E10 Does Color Really Affect How You Act?

    • April 6, 2017
    • YouTube

    The Internet has a lot to say about how color affects our mood and behavior, but it's not as cut and dry as it may sound.

  • S2017E11 You Don't Have as Much Control as You Think You Do

    • April 10, 2017
    • YouTube

    Like a scene from a horror film, you are in a elevator, you push the close button —Hurry! The murderer is coming at you! However, again you push the close button, the door won’t close! Psych! The button is fake. But why is that most of the elevators still have those buttons?

  • S2017E12 How Well Do You Know Your Own Hand?

    • April 13, 2017
    • YouTube

    Tricking your brain isn't just fun—it can be therapeutic, too!

  • S2017E13 Do Freudian Slips Mean Anything?

    • April 17, 2017
    • YouTube

    Freudian slips are actually an artifact of how your brain processes language!

  • S2017E14 Impostor Syndrome: You're Doing Better Than You Think

    • April 20, 2017
    • YouTube

    Have you ever doubted yourself and felt like you don't deserve your job or that college acceptance letter? Well, you're not alone!

  • S2017E15 Are Violent Video Games Bad For You?

    • April 24, 2017
    • YouTube

    You might have heard that playing violent video games makes people more aggressive, but is it true or is it just a myth?

  • S2017E16 Do Personality Tests Mean Anything?

    • April 27, 2017
    • YouTube

    Like most quizzes on the internet, personality tests aren't what you would call "reliable."

  • S2017E17 Does IQ Really Measure How Smart You Are?

    • May 1, 2017
    • YouTube

    People say Einstein had an IQ of 160, and you need an IQ score higher than 130 to join Mensa. But does IQ really measure how intelligent you are?

  • S2017E18 How Stereotypes Affect Your Test Scores

    • May 4, 2017
    • YouTube

    It turns out stereotypes can affect you—whether you believe in them or not.

  • S2017E19 How Your Friends Can Affect Your Opinions

    • May 8, 2017
    • YouTube

    The people around you have a lot more to do with how you think than you might realize.

  • S2017E20 Why Does a Word Sometimes Lose All Meaning?

    • May 11, 2017
    • YouTube

    You may have experienced this before: When you repeat the same word over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over, the words suddenly sound foreign and lose all meaning, but why?

  • S2017E21 Does Birth Order Affect Your Personality?

    • May 15, 2017
    • YouTube

    I bet you’ve heard about the birth order cliche: The oldest child is responsible, the middle one is a rebel, and the youngest is spoiled. This stereotype might apply to you and your siblings, but is it universal?

  • S2017E22 Is There An fMRI Crisis?

    • May 18, 2017
    • YouTube

    As technology becomes more complex, it's easier for things to go wrong.

  • S2017E23 Do You Do More Housework Than Your Roommate?

    • May 22, 2017
    • YouTube

    You do way more housework than your slob of a roommate, right? Well, turns out your roommate might think you're the slob. Our brains are just wired that way.

  • S2017E24 Tasting Colors and Seeing Time: Superhuman Skills with Synesthesia

    • May 25, 2017
    • YouTube

    Synesthesia allows people to hear color or taste numbers—and maybe even remember some things better than the average person.

  • S2017E25 Why Do We Hate Losing So Much?

    • May 29, 2017
    • YouTube

    Whether people are gambling, haggling, or just doing their best to save lives out there, losing is tough to deal with.

  • S2017E26 What Can You Learn from Your Dreams?

    • June 1, 2017
    • YouTube

    Dreaming is very weird, but you might be able to learn something from your dreams.

  • S2017E27 Why Do People Riot?

    • June 5, 2017
    • YouTube

    Peaceful protests can help people have their voices heard, but sometimes a protest becomes a more aggressive riot. How does that happen?

  • S2017E28 How Far Will People Go to Fit In?

    • June 8, 2017
    • YouTube

    Have you ever gone along with a group even though you had your doubts? You're not alone: Research shows unanimous decisions aren't always actually unanimous.

  • S2017E29 Why Do You Want to Squeeze Cute Things?

    • June 12, 2017
    • YouTube

    The aggressive urges you might have when you see adorable things are probably related to the way you handle strong emotions.

  • S2017E30 Why Don't You Notice Obvious Mistakes in Movies?

    • June 15, 2017
    • YouTube

    Whether it's a car in the background of Braveheart or the inconsistent cliff in Jurassic Park, movies tend to have mistakes. Why don't we notice them more often?

  • S2017E31 How Do You Define A Disorder?

    • June 19, 2017
    • YouTube

    The tremendous complexity of the human brain makes it difficult for psychologists to pin down exactly how and why things go wrong, so how do we define and diagnose disorders?

  • S2017E32 Does Photographic Memory Exist?

    • June 22, 2017
    • YouTube

    Don't you think it would be nice if you had a photographic memory? But is it actually a thing?

  • S2017E33 Factitious Disorder: Why People Fake Serious Illness

    • June 26, 2017
    • YouTube

    You might have faked being sick to avoid doing something unpleasant. However, for people with the factitious disorder, faking illness isn’t quite so straightforward.

  • S2017E34 Harlow's Horrifying Monkey Experiments

    • June 29, 2017
    • YouTube

    Dr. Harry Harlow's rhesus monkey experiments in the 1950s contributed a great deal to psychologists' understanding of attachment theory. Unfortunately, his later experiments also contributed a great deal to the need for ethics regulations.

  • S2017E35 Can You Use Electricity to Supercharge Your Brain? | tDCS

    • July 3, 2017
    • YouTube

    tDCS devices claim to stimulate your brain and have psychological benefits, but do they really work?

  • S2017E36 Do Fidget Spinners Really Help You Focus?

    • July 6, 2017
    • YouTube

    Earlier this year, fidget spinners claimed their place as the hot new fad of 2017. Some people, however, claim that fidget toys could help people manage symptoms of anxiety and ADHD.

  • S2017E37 Why Colleges Used to Take Nude Photos of Their Students

    • July 10, 2017
    • YouTube

    The first week of school can be uncomfortable enough as you adjust to a new situation, but it was probably even worse back when schools made you strip down for a nude photo shoot—even if they thought they had a good reason for it.

  • S2017E38 Why Do Some People Take More Risks?

    • July 13, 2017
    • YouTube

    You decide to do something dangerous or stupid, and somewhere in your mind you know it’s risky, but you do it anyway. But why?

  • S2017E39 The Unexpected Benefits (and Risks) of Nostalgia

    • July 17, 2017
    • YouTube

    Psychologists consider nostalgia a complex emotion and it may have both benefits and risks.

  • S2017E40 Do You Have an Unconscious Mind?

    • July 20, 2017
    • YouTube

    Much like the biological processes in the rest of your body, a lot of your brain's psychological processes happen without you thinking directly about them—or even being aware of them.

  • S2017E41 What Makes A Meme Go Viral?

    • July 24, 2017
    • YouTube

    Lots of funny and iconic memes arrive suddenly and overwhelmingly in our internet life, but what's the science behind why those memes go viral?

  • S2017E42 Why Do Some People Love Horror Movies?

    • July 27, 2017
    • YouTube

    Fear is strong negative feeling and a good way for our brains to keep us out of danger, so why do some people seek it out by watching horror movies?

  • S2017E43 How Pictures of Eyes Change the Way You Act

    • July 31, 2017
    • YouTube

    At some point, you may have noticed a poster or photo with eyes on it hanging somewhere public. What you probably didn't notice is the effect that picture has on your brain.

  • S2017E44 Why Are We Attracted to People Who Look Like Us?

    • August 3, 2017
    • YouTube

    It's always a little weird when a couple looks like they could be related, but Brit explains the science behind why it's not totally creepy! It involves percentages and kind of uncomfortable rating systems!

  • S2017E45 Why Are Celebrity Crushes So Intense?

    • August 7, 2017
    • YouTube

    Your love for Rihanna or Tom Hardy may be unrequited, but that doesn't necessarily make it unhealthy.

  • S2017E46 What Do Different Brainwaves Mean?

    • August 10, 2017
    • YouTube

    The neurons in your brain don't just fire off randomly—they fire in various patterns called neural oscillations. But what do these different brainwaves mean?

  • S2017E47 Toxoplasmosis: How Parasites in Your Cat Can Infect Your Brain

    • August 14, 2017
    • YouTube

    "Crazy cat lady" stereotypes or not, there could be some actual psychological risks from hanging around so many kitties… if just one of them is harboring the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

  • S2017E48 How Swearing Can Help With Pain

    • August 17, 2017
    • YouTube

    If you've ever been chastised for erupting into profanity after stubbing your toe in the middle of the night, science has your back on this one.

  • S2017E49 Why Do We Talk to Ourselves?

    • August 21, 2017
    • YouTube

    Do you mumble to yourself while looking for your keys, or pump yourself up in the morning with a bathroom mirror pep talk? It may actually be helpful—but only if you do it right.

  • S2017E50 Are Power Poses Super Life Hacks or Super Junk?

    • August 24, 2017
    • YouTube

    Your body language can communicate a lot of information to other people, but can striking a power pose revolutionize your life?

  • S2017E51 How Do People Develop a Stutter?

    • August 28, 2017
    • YouTube

    Kings, scientists, and musicians alike have all been known to stutter. It can make speaking in front of crowds even more nerve-wracking, but is anxiety the root cause? Spoiler: probably not.

  • S2017E52 When Does Your Brain Stop Developing?

    • August 31, 2017
    • YouTube

    How do you define adulthood? It's a difficult question because that delicate brain of yours stays squishy well after you start paying your own rent.

  • S2017E53 Why Are We Loyal to Certain Brands?

    • September 4, 2017
    • YouTube

    Why do people often buy the same brands over and over again?

  • S2017E54 4 Common Misconceptions About Antidepressants, Debunked

    • September 7, 2017
    • YouTube

    Mental health is incredibly complex, due in no small part to the complicated interactions of chemicals and neuroreceptors in our brains. Here are four common misconceptions about antidepressants, and what the science behind them actually shows.

  • S2017E55 Gaslighting: Abuse That Makes You Question Reality

    • September 11, 2017
    • YouTube

    The term "gaslighting" has gained popularity in recent years, but what exactly does it entail?

  • S2017E56 This Illusion Might Not Work Depending on Where You're From

    • September 14, 2017
    • YouTube

    Optical illusions are a fun way to play with the way your brain interprets what your eyes see, but if some of them don't work for you, it might be because of where you live.

  • S2017E57 How Ads (and People) Persuade You

    • September 18, 2017
    • YouTube

    If you can recognize when you're being persuaded, it's a lot easier to make sure your opinions are actually your own.

  • S2017E58 Why Do We Sigh?

    • September 21, 2017
    • YouTube

    A sigh is often taken to be a sign of sadness, but it can indicate a lot more than that—or a lot less.

  • S2017E59 How Being Sick Changes Your Brain

    • September 25, 2017
    • YouTube

    When you’re sick you just want to be left alone. Sometimes that’s because you physically can’t move, but other times, it might have more to do with the way your immune system is connected to your brain.

  • S2017E60 Why Is That Baby Staring at Me?

    • September 28, 2017
    • YouTube

    That baby is staring at you, and you don't know why. Something in your teeth? Did you accidentally leave a tag on your clothes? Don't worry—that baby probably just likes your face.

  • S2017E61 Why We Don't Like to Wait

    • October 2, 2017
    • YouTube

    It can be frustrating to get stuck in line somewhere with no end to your wait in sight, but what about waiting is it that gets under our skin?

  • S2017E62 What We Still Don't Know About Stockholm Syndrome

    • October 5, 2017
    • YouTube

    Stockholm Syndrome has become a pop culture cliché, but the truth behind it is a little more complicated than TV might have you believe.

  • S2017E63 What Makes Satisfying Videos Satisfying?

    • October 9, 2017
    • YouTube

    You might have stumbled onto those videos of people cutting sand for 10 minutes or of machines doing a repetitive task and felt an odd sense of satisfaction while watching them. Today, we look at the psychology behind those "oddly satisfying" videos.

  • S2017E64 How to Learn While You Sleep

    • October 12, 2017
    • YouTube

    You may not be able to unlock all the secrets of the universe while you snooze, but it's still possible to reinforce what you've already learned.

  • S2017E65 Why We Hate the Word 'Moist'

    • October 16, 2017
    • YouTube

    SciShow Psych tackles the science behind what might be one of the most hated words in the English language: moist.

  • S2017E66 What Makes Something Funny?

    • October 19, 2017
    • YouTube

    It's said that the quickest way to kill a joke is to explain it, but scientists are still interested in finding out just what tickles our brains and makes us find something funny.

  • S2017E67 What Causes Near-Death Experiences?

    • October 23, 2017
    • YouTube

    The light at the end of the tunnel, the peacefulness, your life flashing before your eyes—it's all been documented thoroughly in pop culture. What usually gets left out, though, are the potential scientific explanations for what happens to your brain during a brush with death.

  • S2017E68 The Hidden Biases in WEIRD Psychology Research

    • October 26, 2017
    • YouTube

    Psychology studies can be really skewed by the WEIRD population (western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic). Why does this hidden bias exist?

  • S2017E69 Why Are We Afraid of the Dark?

    • October 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    Lots of kids are afraid of the dark, and some adults still can't stand sleeping in the complete darkness. But why are we afraid of it?

  • S2017E70 Can Trauma Be Inherited?

    • November 2, 2017
    • YouTube

    Trauma doesn't just affect the person who originally experienced it. It can also be passed down to their children and grandchildren.

  • S2017E71 The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy of Luck

    • November 6, 2017
    • YouTube

    A number of studies show that luck is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy, and you can actually create it yourself.

  • S2017E72 Cotard's Syndrome: When People Believe They're Dead

    • November 9, 2017
    • YouTube

    What would happen if you realized that you've died, but your friends and family don't seem to notice? Well, they might point out that no, you're not dead—you just might have Cotard's Syndrome.

  • S2017E73 How Restaurants Use Psychology to Make You Spend More Money

    • November 13, 2017
    • YouTube

    Restaurants have a whole bucket-load of tricks up their sleeves to get you to spend more money.

  • S2017E74 Why Is Yawning Contagious?

    • November 16, 2017
    • YouTube

    When you see someone yawn, you’re probably pretty likely to follow suit. But what makes it so contagious?

  • S2017E75 Does Giving Thanks Really Make Us Feel Good?

    • November 20, 2017
    • YouTube

    Researchers have found that the expression of gratitude gives positive effects on our both mental and physical health.

  • S2017E76 Why We're OBSESSED with Pumpkin Spice

    • November 23, 2017
    • YouTube

    You may love or hate pumpkin spice, but it is undeniably an American cultural phenomenon. Luckily, science has some insight as to why this might be.

  • S2017E77 Dyslexia: When Your Brain Makes Reading Tricky

    • November 27, 2017
    • YouTube

    While many researchers are focusing on finding a difference in brains of people with dyslexia, some new research suggests it might not just be in their brains, but in their eyes.

  • S2017E78 Why You Can't Win an Internet Argument

    • November 30, 2017
    • YouTube

    One of the internet's favorite pastimes is arguing, but very few of those arguments ever actually go anywhere. It can be frustrating to watch, but scientists have some ideas on why things play out the way they do.

  • S2017E79 Why You See Monsters in the Mirror

    • December 4, 2017
    • YouTube

    Staring into the mirror in a dark room can play some nasty tricks on your brain. Like many illusions, this can tell us about how your brain processes images.

  • S2017E80 Do Psychologists Still Use Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?

    • December 7, 2017
    • YouTube

    You've probably seen the pyramidal diagram of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It's straightforward enough but, it might be a bit too subjective to really measure human needs.

  • S2017E81 How Chronic Stress Harms Your Body

    • December 11, 2017
    • YouTube

    We can’t avoid having stress, and that’s not always a bad thing. But if you are dealing with a lot of stress every day, it might cause you physical harm.

  • S2017E82 Why Do We Get the Winter Blues? | Seasonal Affective Disorder

    • December 14, 2017
    • YouTube

    Humans may not hibernate, exactly, but that doesn't necessarily mean we're totally unaffected by the changing of seasons.

  • S2017E83 Are Repressed Memories Real?

    • December 18, 2017
    • YouTube

    You might have heard about repressed memories on TV, but those memories aren’t always what they seem. *Content warning: description of school shooting

  • S2017E84 Codependency: When Relationships Become Everything

    • December 21, 2017
    • YouTube

    Interpersonal relationships are important to humans, but there are also times when these relationships can be unhealthy.

  • S2017E85 Impulse Buying: Why You Buy Stuff You Don't Need

    • December 25, 2017
    • YouTube

    You may have noticed that checkout lines often have whozits and whatzits galore, but your opinion of them mostly depends on how a couple different regions of your brain work.

  • S2017E86 Misattribution: How We Mistake Fear for Love

    • December 28, 2017
    • YouTube

    Some emotions can feel so similar that you might mix them up and pick the wrong emotion.

Season 2018

Season 2019

  • S2019E01 The Best Ways to Keep Your Mind Young

    • January 3, 2019
    • YouTube

    You might feel like your thinking has been getting a bit slower and foggier as you get older, and that eventually happens to everybody. But how can we keep our minds young?

  • S2019E02 How the Right Tunes Can Improve Your Workout

    • January 7, 2019
    • YouTube

    Listening to music while you work out doesn’t just make the experience more fun—scientists have found music makes working out more effective, and could be the difference between a bronze medal and a gold.

  • S2019E03 Does Sensory Deprivation Really Help You Think?

    • January 10, 2019
    • YouTube

    Sensory deprivation tanks have grown in popularity recently, and while the research is not extensive, scientists have found some positive effects from spending some time without so much stimulation.

  • S2019E04 Your Favorite Food May Have Been Decided Before Birth

    • January 14, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you’re a huge fan of garlic, it turns out your time in the womb might be at least partly responsible!

  • S2019E05 Why Does Music Make You Emotional?

    • January 17, 2019
    • YouTube

    We all know that music tugs at our heartstrings. But the question of why music gives us the feels is a trickier one, and it’s something psychologists have been investigating for a long time.

  • S2019E06 Do These Eyes Freak You Out?

    • January 21, 2019
    • YouTube

    If gigantic googly eyes make you want to run away, it’s because you are responding to a supernormal stimulus. But what is it, and why our brain responds to it?

  • S2019E07 How to Clear Your Mind

    • January 24, 2019
    • YouTube

    Your brain is hard-wired to do all sorts of things when you are not consciously thinking about something. But just because it’s normal for your mind to wander doesn’t mean that it’s always good! Luckily, once you know how it works, you can find ways to control it.

  • S2019E08 How to Get to Know Yourself in a Healthy Way

    • January 28, 2019
    • YouTube

    Self-reflection could link to negative feelings, but it could also be helpful if you know how to avoid those pitfalls. So let’s learn how self-reflection works and get to know yourself in a healthy way!

  • S2019E09 Babies are Surprisingly Smart

    • January 31, 2019
    • YouTube

    Before they can walk or talk, infants start to do all sorts of cognitive feats that seem awfully smart for a baby.

  • S2019E10 Does Depression Make You More Realistic?

    • February 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    Popular culture has occasionally touched on the idea that people with depression are more objective judges of the world around them, but research has shown that’s not necessarily true.

  • S2019E11 The Real Secret to Fighting Peer Pressure

    • February 7, 2019
    • YouTube

    The advice "Just Say No" may not always work, but knowing the psychology behind peer pressure can help you maintain control when you’re experiencing it.

  • S2019E12 How Much Does Your 'Type' Really Matter?

    • February 11, 2019
    • YouTube

    Everybody has their own preferences for ideal romantic partners. But what affects you when you decide your “type," and do those types even matter?

  • S2019E13 You're More Likeable Than You Think!

    • February 14, 2019
    • YouTube

    Meeting new people is exciting, but also kind of overwhelming and you might have found yourself wondering if they really liked you. But turns out, they do really like you most of the time, and you might be just too hard on yourself.

  • S2019E14 The Magic of Being "In the Zone"

    • February 18, 2019
    • YouTube

    When you feel like you can get so much done, and nobody can stop you, you might be experiencing what psychologists call "flow." But what’s actually happening to your brain when you're in that state?

  • S2019E15 The Problem With Those 9 Personality Types

    • February 21, 2019
    • YouTube

    The Enneagram, like many personality tests, isn't well backed-up by scientific research, but its popularity in spite of that can give us a window into how the human mind works.

  • S2019E16 The Research-Backed Secrets to Getting Inspired

    • February 25, 2019
    • YouTube

    Inspiration can be a hard thing to pin down, but scientists actually have found evidence-backed ways to encourage it to happen!

  • S2019E17 Why Do Depression and Anxiety Go Together?

    • February 28, 2019
    • YouTube

    Even though depression and anxiety are different types of disorders, they tend to go together. But why can it happen?

  • S2019E18 Why You Have That Little, Lying Voice in Your Head

    • March 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you feel something inside you say, “I really don’t think you’re strong enough,” you don’t necessarily have to trust that little voice—it might not know you as well as you think it does.

  • S2019E19 Can You Give Yourself a Better Sense of Direction?

    • March 7, 2019
    • YouTube

    Some of us can’t navigate anywhere without a GPS - but are we doomed to a life of directional bewilderment? Or is there hope for us yet?

  • S2019E20 How to Turn Anxiety Into Excitement

    • March 11, 2019
    • YouTube

    Sometimes excitement can feel more like anxiety, and it turns out that they aren't that unrelated. Understanding the automatic reaction in our brains and changing our interpretation of the source might help us actually turn that anxiety into excitement.

  • S2019E21 How The Famous "Marshmallow Test" Got Willpower Wrong

    • March 14, 2019
    • YouTube

    You may know about The Marshmallow Test, a popular psychological exam to see if people have willpower, but psychologists found that it might not be measuring willpower after all.

  • S2019E22 Why Athletes Choke Under Pressure

    • March 18, 2019
    • YouTube

    Even the most skilled athletes, musicians, and performers can make mistakes on relatively simple tasks, so what’s happening in our brains when we choke, and is there something we can do to overcome these moments?

  • S2019E23 How to Form a Habit

    • March 21, 2019
    • YouTube

    We all have habits we’d love to make or break. Understanding exactly what a habit is might be the best way to start making them work for you.

  • S2019E24 The Future Of Depression Treatment

    • March 25, 2019
    • YouTube

    Dealing with depression is not easy, and the most common treatments don’t work for everyone. Could biomarkers be the key to finding more treatment options?

  • S2019E25 The Surprising Benefits of Watching Cute Cat Videos

    • March 28, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you are feeling stuck, you might get benefits to be better at the task by watching cute animal videos.

  • S2019E26 Why Perfectionism Isn’t as Good as You Think

    • April 1, 2019
    • YouTube

    People often think of perfectionism as a good thing, but it’s more than just a strong desire to do something well, and it can actually be a risk factor for several clinical disorders.

  • S2019E27 Why Baby Talk Is Good for Babies

    • April 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    You may have heard that using baby talk is bad for children’s language development, but research seems to show the exact opposite.

  • S2019E28 Psychology Hacks to Become a Better Teacher (or Student!)

    • April 8, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you are a teacher who is trying to make new lesson plans, or a student trying to learn more, we have some psychology hacks for you!

  • S2019E29 Why You Really Love That Wobbly Table

    • April 11, 2019
    • YouTube

    Multiple studies have shown that people assign a higher value to something they "made" themselves, even if they only picked out the color or tightened a few screws. Why does that happen? Psychologists have a few theories.

  • S2019E30 Why Can't We Figure Out What Causes Chemo Brain?

    • April 15, 2019
    • YouTube

    Chemotherapy can make patients much more forgetful than normal, but pinning down the cause of and solution to this phenomenon is an ongoing process.

  • S2019E31 Is The Mirror Test Just a Reflection of Human Nature?

    • April 18, 2019
    • YouTube

    The mirror test is supposed to be a way to figure out when an animal is self-aware, but there might be only one particular animal this test works well on: humans.

  • S2019E32 When Everything Feels Like a Dream - Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder

    • April 22, 2019
    • YouTube

    It's not rare to feel like we're dreaming, even right after we wake up, but when it sticks around for longer than it should, it can merit its own diagnosis: depersonalization-derealization disorder (DDD). Hank unpacks what this disorder is and how scientists and doctors are working to understand and treat it.

  • S2019E33 Why Depression Isn't Just a Chemical Imbalance

    • April 25, 2019
    • YouTube

    Depression is a common disorder, and though it might seem like we’ve got it figured out, what it is and how to treat it is actually way more complicated than we think.

  • S2019E34 Can You Become a Morning Person?

    • April 29, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you know someone who can’t start their morning without 3 cups of coffee, don’t assume they frequently stay out late partying—it’s probably genetics.

  • S2019E35 Are Sympathy Pains Real?

    • May 2, 2019
    • YouTube

    Some people can truly feel other people’s pain! But even if you aren't someone who can literally feel someone else’s sensations, your connections with people can still do some powerful things.

  • S2019E36 Will Learning Another Language Make You Smarter?

    • May 6, 2019
    • YouTube

    People used to say being bilingual was bad for your brain. Now, we know that's not true—but does it actually make you smarter?

  • S2019E37 What Is Neurofeedback Therapy?

    • May 9, 2019
    • YouTube

    Neurofeedback therapy claims to help you change behaviors by monitoring your brain waves - but how does that actually work? And what does the science behind it look like?

  • S2019E38 The Not-So-Silver Lining: When Positive Thinking Backfires

    • May 13, 2019
    • YouTube

    There are a multitude of books and motivational speakers that insist that anyone can think their way to happiness, but that advice really isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

  • S2019E39 Can You Really Change Your Personality?

    • May 15, 2019
    • YouTube

    Your personality is often treated as an immutable part of who you are, but while changing it is difficult, it’s certainly not impossible.

  • S2019E40 What Really Happened to Phineas Gage?

    • May 20, 2019
    • YouTube

    In 1848, Phineas Gage survived a seemingly unsurvivable injury to his brain, but the tale of that event has become quite colorful, and inaccurate, in many cases. So, what REALLY happened to Phineas Gage?

  • S2019E41 Why Do We Still Teach Freud If He Was So Wrong?

    • May 23, 2019
    • YouTube

    Freud is one of the most famous psychologists ever, but a lot of the things he taught are just… well, wrong. So why do we still spend so much time talking about this dude in psychology classes?

  • S2019E42 Statistics Say Screens Aren't Destroying Today's Teens

    • May 27, 2019
    • YouTube

    Looking around, you might think it’s obvious that the abundance of screens and social media are ruining our lives, but what does the research actually tell us?

  • S2019E43 Groups That Chant Together, Stay Together

    • May 30, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you've ever been part of a huge crowd, like at a sporting event, you've probably seen people clap, sing, and chant together in sync. How do big groups of individuals all manage to do the same thing at the same time, even when there's no one leading them? Well, it turns out, they kind of can't help it!

  • S2019E44 Why Eating Disorders Are Way More Common Than You Think

    • June 3, 2019
    • YouTube

    Eating disorders are very serious psychological conditions that can also be very dangerous - and they are much more common than you think.

  • S2019E45 When People Get Different Accents

    • June 6, 2019
    • YouTube

    What if one day you woke up and were suddenly speaking with a completely new accent from somewhere you’ve never lived? It sounds like a movie plot, but this rare condition is known as foreign accent syndrome.

  • S2019E46 What Do Mirror Neurons Really Do?

    • June 17, 2019
    • YouTube

    Mirror neurons are a very cool part of our brains but some people are taking it way further by making claims that they are responsible for telepathy and ESP. It goes without saying that this isn’t true, but what exactly do mirror neurons really do?

  • S2019E47 How We Manipulate Our Brains With Electricity

    • June 20, 2019
    • YouTube

    Obviously, you can’t just plant a chip in someone’s head and start manipulating their thoughts and behavior, but doctors and scientists CAN use electricity to activate or inhibit certain parts of the brain. And they can use this power to help treat serious medical conditions or mental disorders!

  • S2019E48 What Psychologists Can Tell You About Ghosting

    • June 24, 2019
    • YouTube

    Ghosting is when someone terminates a relationship by ending communications abruptly and without explanation. Whether or not you'd consider ghosting someone might have a lot to do with how you view relationships in general.

  • S2019E49 Alcohol Can Enhance Creativity—But at a Cost

    • June 27, 2019
    • YouTube

    As some say, "write drunk, and edit sober," many writers and artists use alcohol to try to get their creative juices flowing. But can alcohol really help to be more creative?

  • S2019E50 Can You Actually Become More Emotionally Intelligent?

    • July 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    Emotional Intelligence is something that’s talked about more and more in management and professional development courses. It seems like this ability is important — which means that some researchers have tried to see if you can get better at it.

  • S2019E51 Houseplants Can (Probably) Make You Happier

    • July 8, 2019
    • YouTube

    Houseplants are great for decoration and cute Instagram pictures - plus they make for pretty chill roommates. As if that wasn’t enough, there is actually some evidence that houseplants can also be good for your mental health.

  • S2019E52 How (and Why) to Find Your Life's Purpose

    • July 11, 2019
    • YouTube

    What is the meaning of life? It’s a question as old as our species, and today we’ll take a look at what purpose really means from a psychological perspective, as well as offer up a few tips on how to find yours.

  • S2019E53 The Stroop Task: The Psych Test You Cannot Beat

    • July 15, 2019
    • YouTube

    The task sounds like it should be pretty easy, but the Stroop task is a fantastic, and very well studied, example of how your brain’s automatic processing can trip you up!

  • S2019E54 Why Can I Hear This .gif?

    • July 18, 2019
    • YouTube

    Certain people can hear particular animated gifs despite them containing no audio information, and scientists have some leads on what might cause this seemingly impossible phenomenon.

  • S2019E55 Is Your Dog As Smart As A Two Year Old?

    • July 22, 2019
    • YouTube

    You’ve heard that dogs are basically furry toddlers, with cognitive abilities on par with a 2 year old human. But while that might make sense on some levels, the minds of distinct species can work very differently.

  • S2019E56 Why Do We Go All In on Lost Causes?

    • July 25, 2019
    • YouTube

    We've all experienced the sunk cost fallacy: when you are deep into a task and tell yourself that you’ve come this far, so you may as well finish it. We do this even if it's no longer logical to finish. So why do we do it?

  • S2019E57 Kids Aren't As Gullible As You Think

    • July 29, 2019
    • YouTube

    Kids get so excited to meet their favorite characters in real life, but studies show they might not really believe the the princess they met at a theme park is actually the cartoon character.

  • S2019E58 Where Are All the Women with ADHD?

    • August 1, 2019
    • YouTube

    For a long time, most people saw ADHD as “a boy thing.” Today, that mindset has started to shift, but even now, studies report that males get diagnosed significantly more often than females. So, what’s going on?

  • S2019E59 The FOMO Is Real — But You Can Overcome It

    • August 5, 2019
    • YouTube

    FOMO (the fear of missing out) is a fairly common phenomenon, especially in this digital age. It can cause you significant stress and anxiety, but luckily psychologists have come up with a few tricks to combat it.

  • S2019E60 The Dark Side of Needing Closure

    • August 8, 2019
    • YouTube

    Seeking closure is normally a good thing, but it also has a dark side. And if you’re not careful, chasing after it could set you up for some pretty bad decisions.

  • S2019E61 Why Is Riding a Bike "Just Like Riding a Bike?"

    • August 12, 2019
    • YouTube

    Even if it's in a while not riding a bike, you could probably ride it again without going through the training wheel phase. It’s because our brains do some fascinating works to store those memories.

  • S2019E62 Heads-Up: Depression Isn't the Only Postpartum Disorder

    • August 15, 2019
    • YouTube

    Having a kid does some weird things to the brain, and that can lead to or aggravate all kinds of psychiatric conditions.

  • S2019E63 Are We Inherently Good?

    • August 19, 2019
    • YouTube

    Conventional wisdom might have you believe that human beings only really start showing empathy after a few years of learning social norms and morals. However, some research suggests that this kind of compulsion to do good might be innate. As in, there from birth. Do we act with altruism simply because we’re brought up to be kind, or is it something deeper?

  • S2019E64 Spelunking in the Uncanny Valley

    • August 22, 2019
    • YouTube

    With all the CGI cat-humans going around on the internet these days, it’s hard to deny the sense of yikes known as the uncanny valley. But what exactly is this phenomenon, and why do we feel it when we do?

  • S2019E65 Why We Like Bad News

    • August 26, 2019
    • YouTube

    Even if we say we prefer good news, we're wired to pay more attention to bad news. And while it might feel like the world is becoming a more scary, dangerous place, many things are actually better now than ever, and social media might be the antidote to our fears.

  • S2019E66 You Don't Know Yourself as Well as You Think

    • August 29, 2019
    • YouTube

    How people assess their abilities doesn't often line up well with how they objectively perform. However, there does seem to be a good reason for this, as well as a way that people can get better.

  • S2019E67 The Good Behavior Game

    • September 9, 2019
    • YouTube

    There's not a lot of tried and true ways to get a rowdy classroom in control, with the exception of the Good Behavior Game. But there's one big caveat as to who it helps.

  • S2019E68 There's More Than One Bipolar Disorder

    • September 12, 2019
    • YouTube

    There are a number of stereotypes about bipolar disorder, but they stray pretty far from what the reality is—especially since there are multiple subtypes that all have their own sets of symptoms.

  • S2019E69 What "Alien Abductions" Say About Our Brains

    • September 16, 2019
    • YouTube

    You’re on the internet, so you probably know that people sometimes claim to have been abducted by aliens. When researchers start to look closely at these stories and where they come from, they begin to realize that there might be something really interesting happening here psychologically.

  • S2019E70 We Don't Know How To Type

    • September 19, 2019
    • YouTube

    "When we type, our brain is doing most of the work without our conscious input. So you can blame your brain for al teh typsos."

  • S2019E71 What Slot Machines Can Tell Us About our Brains

    • September 23, 2019
    • YouTube

    The rise of lootboxes in video games has led to numerous investigations seeking to establish just how close to gambling they are. While the science behind lootboxes is only just beginning to come in, we do know a lot about how other forms of gambling take advantage of your brain and your pocket book.

  • S2019E72 We Totally Missed a Different Kind of Dementia for Decades

    • September 26, 2019
    • YouTube

    A key part of treating a disorder, is identifying what it's not. It turns out what we thought was one form of dementia may be multiple problems.

  • S2019E73 Can These Psychology Strategies Prevent Bullying?

    • September 30, 2019
    • YouTube

    Bullying is a serious problem that can affect children’s mental health. But with these psychology strategies, teachers and parents might be able to prevent bullying at school.

  • S2019E74 How to Take the Best Notes, According to Psychology

    • October 3, 2019
    • YouTube

    It's the beginning of a new semester! We have some psychological tips that can help you to take better notes.

  • S2019E75 Why Tickle Fights Aren't Just for Kids

    • October 7, 2019
    • YouTube

    If you feel down, or need a quick happy boost, a friendly tickle fight might help you out!

  • S2019E76 How Basic Psychology Can Save Kids' Lives

    • October 10, 2019
    • YouTube

    Knowing a few things about human psychology can help us avoid some of the thousands of accidents that injure or kill children around the world every year.

  • S2019E77 The Most Common Eating Disorder You've Never Heard Of

    • October 14, 2019
    • YouTube

    When you think about an eating disorder, you might imagine restricting or purging food. But the most common eating disorder has nothing to do with either of those, and chances are you’ve never heard of it.

  • S2019E78 If You're Reading This, You've Reshaped Your Brain

    • October 17, 2019
    • YouTube

    With hard work and perseverance, we can change the way we process the world, and if you’ve learned how to read, you’ve successfully re-trained an entire area of your brain!

  • S2019E79 Want to Speak a Foreign Language Better? Have a Drink

    • October 21, 2019
    • YouTube

    Drinking could help you master the complexities of speaking a new language, and might actually help you memorize your flashcards!

  • S2019E80 The Bizarre Link Between Blindness and Schizophrenia

    • October 24, 2019
    • YouTube

    You might have heard that supposedly, no one who was born blind has ever been diagnosed with schizophrenia. But if that’s true, how those two conditions so closely related to each other?

  • S2019E81 Is Your Brain Ready for Mars?

    • October 28, 2019
    • YouTube

    Thanks to science and technology, our dream to go to Mars has almost come true! But are our brains ready for it yet?

  • S2019E82 Why Do Our Brains Have Distinct Hemispheres?

    • October 31, 2019
    • YouTube

    We used to think having a distinct left and right brain was something unique to humans. But brain lateralization has now been found in everything from chickens to spiders! Does this change our theories for why some brains work that way?

  • S2019E83 Why Diet Might Be a Big Deal for Mental Health

    • November 4, 2019
    • YouTube

    Mental health is super complicated. And many things, from your genetics to your environment, can affect it. But what you EAT might be having a big impact on your mental health, too.

  • S2019E84 Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

    • November 7, 2019
    • YouTube

    Your head feels too big and things just keep getting curiouser and curiouser. Did you step through the looking glass or is it a super rare neurological condition?

  • S2019E85 The Science Behind the Pimple Popping Phenomenon

    • November 11, 2019
    • YouTube

    For some reason, popping pimples gives many people a satisfying rush - but why? And why is there a whole television show dedicated to watching other people do it?!

  • S2019E86 Mental Health Apps: How Medicine Can Keep Up With Tech

    • November 14, 2019
    • YouTube

    There are thousands of mental health apps out there claiming to do everything from easing insomnia to treating PTSD symptoms, but are those really effective?

  • S2019E87 The Very Real Consequences of Weight Discrimination

    • November 18, 2019
    • YouTube

    Weight discrimination has very real health consequences, especially when some of the most common perpetrators are medical professionals.

  • S2019E88 How Close Are We to Growing Brains in a Dish?

    • November 21, 2019
    • YouTube

    You may have heard about a study where researchers were able to grow lumps of neural tissue that showed measurable activity – a little bit like an actual brain. Are scientists trying to grow artificial brains, and if so, what kind of ethical questions are researchers asking?

  • S2019E89 How Stores Try to Manipulate Your Senses to Sell You Stuff

    • November 25, 2019
    • YouTube

    For those of you looking to go out and actually do your holiday shopping in a store, you might want to be wary of the tricks businesses may use to encourage more spending.

  • S2019E90 'Tis The Season for Snuggles: The Psychology of Cuffing Season

    • November 28, 2019
    • YouTube

    It’s wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere, which means cold weather, shorter days, and… new relationships? It’s known as cuffing season, and there are actual psychological reasons you may be more inclined to settle down with a romantic partner - at least until the snow melts.

  • S2019E91 This Common Drug Could Stop You from Developing PTSD

    • December 2, 2019
    • YouTube

    About 10% of people who go through a traumatic experience end up developing PTSD. But one of the most common medications might actually be able to prevent it before PTSD develops.

  • S2019E92 How Psychology Can Explain the Deadly Medieval Dancing Plagues

    • December 5, 2019
    • YouTube

    From the 1200s through the 1600s, parts of Europe were afflicted with deadly, mysterious outbreaks of seemingly contagious, unstoppable dancing. While it's still unclear exactly why these "dancing plagues" happened, modern psychology may be able to provide some answers.

  • S2019E93 Why Do So Many People Fall for Robocalls and E-mail Scams?

    • December 9, 2019
    • YouTube

    Many robocalls and email scams are super blatantly obvious. Yet every year, people lose billions of dollars to these frauds - and the reasons why may be more psychologically devious than you think.

  • S2019E94 Why Are Some People So Bad at Singing?

    • December 12, 2019
    • YouTube

    “Singing badly” doesn’t just mean someone might be tone-deaf. In some cases, it’s more than just not being able to carry the right tune, and it just might be because of a condition called congenital amusia.

  • S2019E95 When Your Brain Can't Accept Reality: Anosognosia

    • December 16, 2019
    • YouTube

    If patients seem to be unaware of their obvious conditions and symptoms, it might not be that they're in denial, but their brain might actually prevent them from realizing their disabilities.

  • S2019E96 The Surprising Connection Between Reading and Rhythm

    • December 19, 2019
    • YouTube

    You might know of dyslexia as a reading disorder, but years of research suggests that people with dyslexia might struggle with processing letters because they also have trouble processing rhythm.

  • S2019E97 When Procrastination Isn't So Bad

    • December 23, 2019
    • YouTube

    It turns out that there are actually different kinds of procrastinators and sometimes, what feels like procrastination might actually be an adaptive way to get work done efficiently.

Season 2020

  • S2020E01 3 Big Things We Learned About the Brain in 2019

    • January 2, 2020
    • YouTube

    We’ve learned a lot about how the human brain works, but there are still new discoveries and mysteries each year, and 2019 was no exception. We learned pretty big things, from internal compasses, to mysterious sniffers, to brain-washing (no, not that kind)!

  • S2020E02 Your Brain's Secret to Freestyling

    • January 6, 2020
    • YouTube

    Ever wonder how that guitarist nailed that solo or how your favorite rapper can roll out so many lyrics while making it look easy? Beside lots of practice, your brain has a few tricks.

  • S2020E03 Why You're More Afraid of Sharks Than Cows

    • January 9, 2020
    • YouTube

    ons of people are afraid of sharks, but the reasons have a lot more to do with how our brains deal with risk than anything to do with these super cool sea critters. Heads up: This video contains footage of sharks.

  • S2020E04 Placebos Work Even if You Know They’re Placebos!

    • January 13, 2020
    • YouTube

    Placebos can alleviate all sorts of symptoms, but there's debate about their usage from an ethical standpoint. Of course, a doctor can't tell a patient they're taking placebos or they won't work anymore... or will they?

  • S2020E05 Being a Messy Person Has Its Perks

    • January 16, 2020
    • YouTube

    You might thing that being neat and tidy is the best way to get stuff done, but being messy actually has its perks.

  • S2020E06 What If Your Body Didn't Paralyze You During Sleep?

    • January 20, 2020
    • YouTube

    Our body is supposed to be paralyzed during REM sleep, but REM sleep behavior disorder might not allow you to stay in bed. It could even cause you to act out your dreams in real life.

  • S2020E07 When Insomnia Becomes Deadly

    • January 23, 2020
    • YouTube

    For most people, insomnia won't kill you. But in one very rare, very specific case, not only is it deadly, it's lurking in your genes.

  • S2020E08 What We Often Get Wrong About the Brain's "Language Centers"

    • January 27, 2020
    • YouTube

    About 150 years ago, scientists found the two main areas that are responsible for language production and comprehension in the brain. But it turns out they might have over-exaggerated what these parts actually do.

  • S2020E09 Rorschach: Psychology’s Most Controversial Test

    • January 30, 2020
    • YouTube

    For decades, people have used the Rorschach Test to diagnose mental illnesses and determine personality traits, which hasn't always been the best idea. But modern studies suggest that this test actually can tell us some things about the way people see the world.

  • S2020E10 Are Colors Real?

    • February 3, 2020
    • YouTube

    The sky is blue, but according to whom? Could the rules of our language affect the way we perceive color?

  • S2020E11 When Blindsight is 20/20

    • February 6, 2020
    • YouTube

    We tend to think of physical blindness like a blindfold, but it’s much more complicated than that, and in some instances, people who have lost their vision can still "see" subconsciously.

  • S2020E12 Valentine's Day Is Bad for Relationships (and That's a Good Thing)

    • February 10, 2020
    • YouTube

    Scientists have found that Valentine's Day can have a negative impact on relationships and the holiday-related obligation to be lovey-dovey may have something to do with it.

  • S2020E13 You Can Inherit Fear?

    • February 13, 2020
    • YouTube

    Everyone is afraid of something, and traditionally, we’ve thought that fears are learned. But the key to understanding some fears could lie in our DNA.

  • S2020E14 The Bizarre Future of Stroke Treatment

    • February 17, 2020
    • YouTube

    Even with rapid action, strokes can lead to lasting brain damage. So researchers are developing new techniques like freezing brains to buy time and using using parts of pork bladders to regrow brain tissue.

  • S2020E15 Why More Choices Don't Make You Happy

    • February 20, 2020
    • YouTube

    We're surrounded by choices in life, but psychologists have found that having those choices doesn't necessarily make us happy.

  • S2020E16 Magenta Is All In Your Head

    • February 24, 2020
    • YouTube

    The world is full of colors. Almost all of them can be described by a wavelength of visible light, but there are some colors out there that are just in your head!

  • S2020E17 Why Can’t I Remember My Dreams?

    • February 27, 2020
    • YouTube

    Everyone has dreams, but some people are better at remembering them than others. Scientists aren't sure why we dream, but remembering them has a lot to do with the activity in your brain, and with how well you sleep.

  • S2020E18 Why Do We Get the Spins When We’re Drunk?

    • March 2, 2020
    • YouTube

    If you're old enough to drink, you may have had a few too many cocktails and suddenly everything is spinning. Strange as it might seem, that’s not because the alcohol you drank is messing with your brain! So what causes the spins?

  • S2020E19 Why Psychology Tells Us What We Already Know

    • March 5, 2020
    • YouTube

    Hindsight bias skews our interpretation of events and information, making it seem like they were predictable or just not that surprising. This bias can cause some real problems, but the good news is, once you are aware of it, there are some things you can do to reduce its effects.

  • S2020E20 How Bad Helmets Gave Us a Map of Vision

    • March 9, 2020
    • YouTube

    The Brodie helmet, widely used during the first World War, had some serious design flaws, . But thanks to those flaws we now have a staggeringly accurate map of the brain.

  • S2020E21 Engrams: Where Your Brain Keeps Memories

    • March 12, 2020
    • YouTube

    A memory isn’t stored in your brain in a neat little package, but is instead spread across a pattern of cells in different regions. What's more, understanding this process could open the door to better treatments for conditions like Alzheimer’s or PTSD.

  • S2020E22 How You Affect Other People’s Brain Waves - Inter-Brain Connections

    • March 16, 2020
    • YouTube

    Scientists know that things like people’s heart rates, breathing, and even footfalls tend to line up when they’re doing things together, but we're learning that even the electrical activity in your brain can sync up too!

  • S2020E23 Hemispatial Neglect: When Half Your World Disappears

    • March 19, 2020
    • YouTube

    Losing half of the world sounds like a weird, abstract dream state. But for those that develop hemispatial neglect, that’s exactly what happens, without them even realizing it.

  • S2020E24 Schizophrenia May Be an Autoimmune Condition

    • March 23, 2020
    • YouTube

    Schizophrenia affects 20 million people worldwide, and we don’t exactly know how it develops, or what causes it yet. However, some research has found that it might be an autoimmune condition.

  • S2020E25 What Does Gum Disease Have to Do With Alzheimer's?

    • March 26, 2020
    • YouTube

    Regular brushing and flossing might not just keep your mouth in good shape—they might also be good for your brain.

  • S2020E26 What Parental Burnout Looks Like (and How to Avoid It)

    • March 30, 2020
    • YouTube

    Raising children is not easy, and parents can get burnt out just like anyone else. But research shows that parental burnout seems to be unique compare to other kinds of burnouts.

  • S2020E27 What Social Distancing Actually Is & What it Means for Mental Health

    • April 2, 2020
    • YouTube

    Social distancing is a time-honored, low-tech tool for slowing the spread of contagious pathogens. But it can also take a toll psychologically. Luckily, there are ways to mitigate these harms, so you can protect yourself and your community from disease while also protecting your mental health.

  • S2020E28 Why Death Photography Is So Helpful for Grief

    • April 9, 2020
    • YouTube

    Grief is a universal human experience. In the 1800s families around the world took pictures of their loved one’s bodies to cope with their loss, and today, researchers have found evidence that this unique method really does help people through the grieving process.

  • S2020E29 The Overlooked Connection Between ADHD and Sleep

    • April 16, 2020
    • YouTube

    People with ADHD often have problems getting to sleep, but is it the ADHD symptoms that causes the lack of sleep or lack of sleep that cause ADHD symptoms?

  • S2020E30 Equine Therapy: Why Horses Might Make Great Therapy Animals

    • April 23, 2020
    • YouTube

    Psychologists have been using animals in therapy for a long time, but cats and dogs aren’t the only options. Hippotherapy, also known as equine therapy, uses horses in therapies for everything from cerebral palsy to PTSD.

  • S2020E31 When Did Modern Behavior Evolve?

    • April 30, 2020
    • YouTube

    Scientists often use the phrase “anatomically modern humans” to describe the point when our ancient ancestors looked like us. But when did humans become behaviorally modern?

  • S2020E32 3 Ways Physics Can Help Us Understand the Brain

    • May 7, 2020
    • YouTube

    Brains are mysterious! Living brains are particularly tough to study, but sometimes scientists can use techniques from other disciplines to get a clearer picture. Here are some ways scientists are adapting tools developed for looking at stars and atoms to unlock the secrets of living brains.

  • S2020E33 Why Dancing Is So Helpful for Parkinson's

    • May 14, 2020
    • YouTube

    For millions of people with Parkinson’s disease, movement becomes much harder. But researchers have found that dance therapy may help them both physically and mentally.

  • S2020E34 Why the Pandemic Has Us Buying Roller Skates and Baking Bread

    • May 21, 2020
    • YouTube

    A lot of people have been pretty cooped up lately and it’s starting to bring out some strange desires in people. What context can psychology offer to help us understand what might be going on?

  • S2020E35 Borderline Personality Disorder: Sorting Fact From Fiction

    • May 28, 2020
    • YouTube

    There are so many persistent myths about Borderline Personality Disorder. But, the reality of being quote “borderline” is much more nuanced — and hopeful.

  • S2020E36 Why Is Everyone Having Vivid Dreams Right Now?

    • June 4, 2020
    • YouTube

    Vivid dreams have gotten pretty common during the Covid-19 pandemic and there’s a good psychological reason for that.

  • S2020E37 The Surprising Link Between Allergies and Suicide

    • June 11, 2020
    • YouTube

    Our mood is influenced in many ways by our environment, and researchers have discovered a possible connection between the pollen in our air and a rise in suicide.

  • S2020E38 Animal Personalities Are More Like Ours Than You Might Think

    • June 18, 2020
    • YouTube

    If you’ve ever been around animals, you know they can have different personalities, but there’s one trait that scientists used to believe was uniquely human.

  • S2020E39 Why Is It So Hard to Let Go of Grudges?

    • June 25, 2020
    • YouTube

    We all have some displeasing memories from the past that still make our blood boil. Why are those grudges so hard to let go of?

  • S2020E40 Why You Don't Really Know the Size of a Walrus

    • July 2, 2020
    • YouTube

    When you imagine a walrus, you probably picture it way smaller than it actually is. It’s because our brains meddle with our senses in more ways than you might expect.

  • S2020E41 Why Do You Always Have Room for Dessert?

    • July 9, 2020
    • YouTube

    No matter how full you are, it seems you can find room for dessert. It’s not your imagination, and once you understand why, you’ll see how you can use this weird quirk of your appetite to your advantage!

  • S2020E42 Forget Angry: Here’s How Hunger Makes You Impulsive

    • July 16, 2020
    • YouTube

    You may feel a bit grumpy when you're hungry, but hunger can affect us in more powerful ways than we realize.

  • S2020E43 Why Do Some Words Sound So... Lumpy?

    • July 27, 2020
    • YouTube

    Some words just SOUND like the thing they refer to. But are these associations come from the specific culture we were raised in, or is there something more fundamental going on here?

  • S2020E44 How to Write Directly on the Brain

    • July 30, 2020
    • YouTube

    Scientists have found a way to hack the visual process and generate shapes directly on the brain, so a person can see them without using their eyes.

  • S2020E45 5 Myths You've Probably Seen on TV

    • August 6, 2020
    • YouTube

    There are some persistent myths about human psychology that appear on TV all the time. But people are complicated, and a lot of times, what we (and these shows) take to be true about human nature… may not be as accurate as we think.

  • S2020E46 What Whistled Speech Tells Us About How the Brain Interprets Language

    • August 13, 2020
    • YouTube

    You can find groups of people from all over the world who communicate full conversation by whistling. And neuroscientists found how our brain works with whistled language is mind-blowing.

  • S2020E47 3 Friendly Robots Improving Our Social Lives

    • August 20, 2020
    • YouTube

    You might think of robots as unfeeling, and maybe even kind of cold, but some robots are specifically programmed to help people improve their social skills and emotional health. Here are a few that might make really good pals!

  • S2020E48 Why We Love Movie Villains (According to Psychology)

    • August 27, 2020
    • YouTube

    Sometimes we find ourselves falling for the cute vampire or German bank robber, and this might say a lot about how we think about ourselves.

  • S2020E49 Studying the Brain with... Quantum Mechanics?

    • September 3, 2020
    • YouTube

    Quantum mechanics may not seem like it has anything to do with human psychology, but some psychologists are starting to borrow concepts from the field to help make human behavior more predictable.

  • S2020E50 Why Is It So Hard to Remember Things Right Now?

    • September 10, 2020
    • YouTube

    If you feel like you’ve been more forgetful than normal recently, you’re definitely not alone. Your memory can have a lot to do with what's happening around you.

  • S2020E51 How Psychics Exploit Our Cognitive Biases

    • September 17, 2020
    • YouTube

    A fortuneteller's ability to read your future might seem magical, but those “psychic powers” have way more to do with psychology than the supernatural.

  • S2020E52 How Losing Your Job Changes You

    • September 24, 2020
    • YouTube

    Unexpectedly losing a job is hard, but it can also change you in the long term, setting off a cycle that may be hard to break out of, and leaving lasting effects on the way you see and interact with the world.

  • S2020E53 We Don't All Have a "Mind's Eye" | Aphantasia

    • October 1, 2020
    • YouTube

    Some people don’t have or use visual imagination, or the “mind’s eye.” Many with this condition, called aphantasia, might not even realize that they’re experiencing the world differently, but this difference offers a new window into how the brain processes imagination, emotion, and even memory.

  • S2020E54 How Political Questions Mess with Your Brain

    • October 8, 2020
    • YouTube

    It’s an election year, which means you’ve probably been bombarded with polls asking you questions about candidates and issues. But is information the only thing pollsters are after? Questions are often more than just questions. They can sometimes have a profound effect on our behavior and decisions, even if we don’t realize it.

  • S2020E55 Identity Politics: How All Your Identities Sway Your Vote

    • October 15, 2020
    • YouTube

    People throw out the term "identity politics" as a way to say that someone is wrong, but the truth is, it's something that affects the way all of us vote.

  • S2020E56 How Paintings Help You See the World Differently

    • October 22, 2020
    • YouTube

    Emerging research suggests that paintings might be more than just pretty pictures: how we process what we see in paintings might also impact the way we process the world around us.

  • S2020E57 Why Ouija Boards Are So Convincing

    • October 29, 2020
    • YouTube

    If you've ever played with a ouija board, you might have gotten the spooky sensation of an other worldly presence. But really, that's just your brain playing tricks on you.

  • S2020E58 How Fake Internet Accounts Divide Us and How to Stop Yourself From Falling for Them

    • November 5, 2020
    • YouTube

    The people behind fake posts can rely on a few tricks to get you on board. But there are ways to spot them, and ways to avoid falling for what they have to say.

  • S2020E59 Why It's So Hard to Admit You're Wrong | Cognitive Dissonance

    • November 12, 2020
    • YouTube

    Sometimes our behavior and our beliefs just… don’t match. And a lot of times this mismatch can lead to stress. What’s happening in our brains when we’re inconsistent? Can we learn anything from this discomfort?

  • S2020E60 Why Are Some U.S. Cities Declaring Racism a Public Health Crisis?

    • November 19, 2020
    • YouTube

    In addition to being a serious social issue, racism is also a serious challenge to public health. In fact, over the last year and a half, dozens of cities have declared racism a public health crisis - and today, we here at SciShow will talk through what that means and the science that supports it.

  • S2020E61 Magic Isn't Magic: It's Psychology

    • November 26, 2020
    • YouTube

    Magicians have a handy ace up their sleeve: Your brain, and they're not the only ones who know how to use it.

  • S2020E62 Why You Shouldn't Always Trust Your Gut | The First Instinct Fallacy

    • December 3, 2020
    • YouTube

    You've probably been told at some point or another to "trust your gut", but is that actually good advice?

  • S2020E63 The Dark Side of Disgust

    • December 10, 2020
    • YouTube

    We’re all super familiar with the feeling we get when we smell rotten food or see gross bodily fluids. But this visceral emotion does a lot more than that, and it’s important understand to how the darker side of disgust can influence us.

  • S2020E64 This Jawless Fish Could Help Treat Brain Diseases

    • December 17, 2020
    • YouTube

    You might expect to find these fish at the core of an ancient, distant asteroid, but we find them instead on Earth. That doesn’t mean they aren’t special, though. In fact, their immune systems may be the key to unlocking a new treatment for a human brain disease.

  • S2020E65 Why We Respond to Disasters with Altruism

    • December 31, 2020
    • YouTube

    The idea that humans react to disasters by losing control and acting selfishly is all too prevalent, especially in movies and television. But recent studies on altruism may provide evidence that this isn’t always the case, and this information could help us to better respond to such disasters.

Season 2021

  • S2021E01 How Music Can Heal the Brain

    • January 7, 2021

    Sometimes you hear music and you automatically tap your foot, or do a little dance, or walk to the beat. What’s happening in your brain that makes your body move like that? Can music’s effects on movement or speech rewire your brain?

  • S2021E02 Why Do We Have Such Long Childhoods?

    • January 14, 2021

    Compared to most animals in the vast kingdom, humans have one of the longest childhoods. And you might think this is so we have time to develop our advanced thinking skills, but scientists think it might not be that simple.

  • S2021E03 Do "Game Faces" Really Work in Sports?

    • January 22, 2021

    When it's time to play in the big game against your fiercest rivals, you might put on your "game face." But how much does this expression affect your opponents? And might you also be affecting yourself?

  • S2021E04 Why You Can’t Listen to Music While You Work

    • January 28, 2021
    • YouTube

    Some people are capable of concentrating in a storm of noise and motion, and some get distracted by the slightest squeak of a classmate’s chair. This has to do with our brain’s ability to filter, and not only are both entirely natural, each can boost our creativity.

  • S2021E05 You Read More Slowly As You Get Older — Here's Why

    • February 4, 2021
    • YouTube

    Researchers have noticed a decline in reading ability starting in your 40s. And learning more about why this happens might help us tell the difference between healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease.

  • S2021E06 Why a Bad Series Finale Ruins the Whole Show

    • February 18, 2021
    • YouTube

    Objectively, some shows end with rough final acts, but we are finding that this isn’t the only factor in our discontent. Unsatisfactory finales also reflect common types of relationships we build with fictional characters.

  • S2021E07 Is Coding a Math Skill or a Language Skill? Neither? Both?

    • February 25, 2021
    • YouTube

    There are aspects of computer code that look like language and some that seem more like algebra, and since we may be headed for a future where many people will need to learn to code, researchers are interested in figuring out how exactly the brain interprets code.

  • S2021E08 How Fast Food Can Make You More Impatient

    • March 4, 2021
    • YouTube

    Fast food was invented to help us keep up with our fast-paced world. But it’s also had some unintended psychological consequences and can influence our choices in situations that don’t have anything to do with food.

  • S2021E09 Why Does Lithium Help Bipolar Disorder?

    • March 11, 2021
    • YouTube

    There’s no doubt that lithium has a diverse list of uses. But the way that it interacts with our bodies to help treat bipolar disorder is aiding us in better understanding the disorder and potentially developing new drugs to combat it.

  • S2021E10 Why Does Crying Make You Feel Better?

    • March 18, 2021
    • YouTube

    Have you ever wondered why you feel better after a good, hearty sob? Well, it turns out the reasons are kind of a mystery, and they range from social support to brain temperature.

  • S2021E11 How to Reprogram a Brain Cell

    • March 25, 2021
    • YouTube

    In Parkinson's disease, certain kinds of neurons die over time, but it might be possible to reprogram other types of cells in the brain to replace those lost ones.

  • S2021E12 Is That Shiny Thing Pretty, or Are You Just Thirsty?

    • April 1, 2021
    • YouTube

    Humans are fascinated by shiny stuff. Not only do we find these things attractive, but we also tend to perceive them as being high quality. Well, turns out this infatuation may be related to our evolutionary relationship to water.

  • S2021E13 Meet Your Microglia: Your Brain's Overlooked Superheroes

    • April 8, 2021
    • YouTube

    When talking about the brain, neurons have been dazzling scientists for a long time. But behind every successful neuron is a glial cell - particularly one type of them: microglia.

  • S2021E14 What Neuroscience Can Learn from Meditation

    • April 15, 2021
    • YouTube

    Meditation methods and the scientific method are teaming up to explore some of the deepest questions about our existence and human nature.

  • S2021E15 Video Games Hack Your Brain (In a Fun Way)

    • April 22, 2021
    • YouTube

    Most of us can probably think of a time when we were enjoying a video game and then suddenly...it's 2 am. And that may not be entirely your fault! Video games are designed with elements that suck you in and put you in a state of flow, making it easy to miss how just much time is passing.

  • S2021E16 Communication While Dreaming

    • April 29, 2021
    • YouTube

    It’s hard to study dreams because it’s not like you can communicate back and forth with someone while they’re asleep...at least you couldn’t, until now!

  • S2021E17 The Secret World of Temper Tantrums

    • May 6, 2021
    • YouTube

    Temper tantrums are more complex than just a toddler's unbridled rage. And recent research into what toddlers are thinking and feeling can help us better support kids’ healthy development!

  • S2021E18 Why Do We Have Bright Ideas in the Shower?

    • May 13, 2021
    • YouTube

    Have you ever had a great idea or a burst of insight while taking a shower? Well, it turns out that shower thoughts are more than just an internet phenomenon, and understanding them better can help us harness their power for good!

  • S2021E19 The Neuroscience of Tongue Twisters

    • May 20, 2021
    • YouTube

    We’ve all been tripped up by tongue-twisters. That’s the whole point! But at a neuroscientific level, they’re as difficult to understand as they are to say.

  • S2021E20 The Overlap of Autoimmunity and Mental Health Conditions

    • May 27, 2021
    • YouTube

    Our immune systems aren't just critical to our physical health. It turns out they may play a big role in our mental health, as well. And learning more about how these two aspects of our health are interconnected can help us develop more effective treatments for mental health conditions — and help destigmatize them in the process. Please note: the following video discusses mental and physical health, but we are not doctors, and nothing we say should be taken as medical advice.

  • S2021E21 Why You Think You Look Better in Selfies

    • June 3, 2021
    • YouTube

    You might have had the experience of heading out for the night, feeling good, snapping a few selfies with friends that memorialize for all time how great your hair is looking. But the next day, you’re tagged in someone else’s photos and… yikes. How did you look so good in your photos and not in your friends’? Was that actually what you looked like all night?

  • S2021E22 Why YOU Should Take a Break to Watch This Video

    • June 17, 2021
    • YouTube

    You’ve probably been there before, working hard on your job until your brain gets all mushy and fuzzy. But small breaks, like watching this video, can help you in multiple ways! Just, don’t fall into any cat video rabbit holes.

  • S2021E23 Your Brain on Retail Therapy

    • June 24, 2021
    • YouTube

    After a bad day, you might feel like you deserve a treat and order that pair of shoes you've had your eye on. But psychologists have wondered if that impulse purchase can end up leaving you feeling more unfulfilled than happy.

  • S2021E24 The Tiny Molecule Responsible for Startle Syndrome

    • July 8, 2021
    • YouTube

    Flinching in response to an unexpected loud noise might not be pleasant, but it's also not a problem for most people. For one family, however, getting startled would cause their bodies to go stiff and fall.

  • S2021E25 Do we have more than 5 senses?

    • July 15, 2021
    • YouTube

    The Greek philosopher Aristotle used sensory experiences and body parts to propose that humans have five senses. But almost as soon as he proposed them, people noticed things that didn’t fit the bill. And the debate has continued ever since because it all comes down to what we consider a sense.

  • S2021E26 The Human Neocortex Isn’t as Special as We Thought

    • July 22, 2021
    • YouTube

    For a long time, scientists considered the neocortex the brainiest part of the human brain – an obvious candidate for the thing that makes us unique. But in some ways, it’s not that different from other mammals’ brains. So researchers have started looking at other places to figure out what makes us distinctly human.

  • S2021E27 Is Teletherapy Really Effective?

    • August 12, 2021
    • YouTube

    Remote mental health services have been around for a while, long before the pandemic. So, we've had plenty of time to study how well they work, and there are some encouraging findings.

  • S2021E28 Remote Control Brain Receptors

    • August 24, 2021
    • YouTube

    We have a powerful way to study how brains work thanks to a relatively new technology called chemogenetics. With chemogenetics, scientists can give an injection to mice that turns specific parts of their brains on or off!

  • S2021E29 Are Your Eyes Part of Your Brain?

    • September 9, 2021
    • YouTube

    When you think of a brain, you probably imagine that pink, wrinkly organ in your skull, but we don’t have to stop there! Neither the brain’s functions, nor its cells, are confined to the organ we normally think of as the brain.

  • S2021E30 The Sound of Your GPA Slipping Away

    • September 30, 2021
    • YouTube

    Researchers have noticed some trends in the relationship between academic performance and noise. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t sound good.

  • S2021E31 Have You Seen That Face Before?

    • October 8, 2021
    • YouTube

    You’re probably familiar with that flash of recognition that happens when you see a person and suddenly realize it is someone you know, but neuroscientists have been trying to understand exactly how our brains do this for years.

  • S2021E32 What Squids and Frogs Taught Us About How Brain Cells Talk

    • October 22, 2021
    • YouTube

    Back in the early days of neuroscience, we didn't study the animals you might expect to learn about how brain cells communicate.

  • S2021E33 Dopamine Isn’t Just a Happy Chemical

    • October 29, 2021
    • YouTube

    When we think of the neurotransmitter dopamine, we often imagine it, and other molecules in our brains, as doing one specific thing. But that's just flat out wrong!

  • S2021E34 How Self Care Can Save the Environment

    • October 30, 2021
    • YouTube

    If you're feeling anxious about climate change, you're not alone, but taking steps to help the world might also help you.

  • S2021E35 The Taste of Color

    • November 11, 2021
    • YouTube

    To the average tongue, the color "red" doesn't have a flavor or a smell. But color can affect how we perceive the world in so many ways - including how things taste and smell!

  • S2021E36 Your Brain on Psilocybin

    • November 18, 2021
    • YouTube

    Humans have been taking psilocybin-containing mushrooms for centuries, but there has been recent research into the therapeutic possibilities of this molecule.

  • S2021E37 How Our Brains Learn Consciousness

    • November 25, 2021
    • YouTube

    Neuroscience is abound with debates over the nature of consciousness. Which makes sense, because it’s a very abstract idea. We know we are conscious, but theories of why, how and what brain activity causes it are still simply that: theories.

  • S2021E38 Your Nose Does More Than You Give It Credit For

    • December 9, 2021
    • YouTube

    You might thank your nose for letting you experience the lovely aromas of a good soup, but you probably wouldn't think to thank it for helping you experience other people's emotions!

  • S2021E39 Can This AI Hear Alzheimer’s on the Phone?

    • December 16, 2021
    • YouTube

    It can be tough to diagnose Alzheimer's disease, but a team of researchers believes that artificial intelligence might be able to do it just by listening.

  • S2021E40 Why Is It So Hard to Make a Decision?

    • December 23, 2021
    • YouTube

    Even when you know what you want to do, sometimes actually doing the thing is hard. Luckily, research suggests a few ways you can make it a little easier.

  • SPECIAL 0x19 The Psychology of Senses | Compilation

    • April 11, 2022

  • SPECIAL 0x20 Cinema Psychology | Compilation

    • May 16, 2022

  • SPECIAL 0x21 Being a New Parent is Hard | Compilation

    • June 13, 2022

  • SPECIAL 0x22 What Can We Learn From Our Sleep? | Compilation

    • July 25, 2022

Additional Specials