Don’t harsh my mellow

Shocking. How does our desire to enjoy the present influence whether we want to know bad news about the future? Researchers ran a series of experiments where they told people they had a 50/50 chance of receiving a painful electric shock. Then they had those same people engage in various activities, some of which were hedonic in nature, like enjoying a delicious ice cream sundae. When people were busy indulging, they were much more likely to delay receiving potentially upsetting information. In other words, they didn’t want to know whether they had been selected to receive the shock — the bad news would totally kill the delight of their ice cream. What’s more, those same people were willing to pay more for “future protection” (i.e. a shock-blocking device). The researchers called it the “hedonic opportunity cost” of paying attention to bad news. Bot by bot. How does AI affect productivity? A study looked at how AI tools might narrow or widen the performance gap between workers, depending on their educational levels. Researchers compared people doing the same tasks, such as writing an email response to a fictional boss at a burger restaurant experiencing order delays. The tasks involved crunching some numbers or analyzing data to help solve various problems. People were asked to do the tasks with and without AI assistance. Researchers then tracked accuracy, speed, and error patterns, and found that while everyone’s task improved with AI, “lower-education individuals” who were less skilled at the task did substantially better with AI than without it. The takeaway? AI seemed to help narrow the productivity gap between high and low skilled workers. Careful! If you are a parent or a teacher, you’re constantly wondering: how do I balance play and safety for the kids in my care? You don’t want to put children in danger, but you also don’t want to rob them of the joy of exploration. Listen to learn more. Do You Feel Invisible? What does it do to a person to feel overlooked? This week, psychologist Gordon Flett examines how the absence of “mattering” can fuel loneliness, depression, and even violence. He outlines how feeling valued serves as a psychological buffer, and how simple gestures can rebuild a sense of meaning in ourselves and others. Then, in the second half of the show, listeners share their thoughts on finding healing in nature. Psychologist Marc Berman returns for the latest installment of our series “Your Questions Answered.” Jean Muenchrath’s Story: After Jean was badly injured in a mountaineering accident, she had to hike through treacherous conditions to get to the trailhead. By the time she arrived, her condition was deteriorating quickly. But a stranger stepped in and went above and beyond to ensure she survived. 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. Our next stops on Hidden Brain’s live tour are just weeks away! Join Shankar for an evening of science and storytelling in Philadelphia on March 21 or New York City on March 25. He’ll be sharing seven key psychological insights from his first decade hosting the show. And stayed tuned for more tour stops to be announced later this spring! You ask this question all day long, but always get completely different answers, and yet all the answers will be correct. What is the question? There are two ducks in front of a duck, two ducks behind a duck and a duck in the middle. How many ducks are there? The answer: There are only three ducks. 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.