The Science Of Getting Out Of Your Head | Annie Murphy Paul

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Oct 20, 2025

Annie Murphy Paul, a science writer and speaker known for her work on learning and cognition, explores the concept of the extended mind in this engaging discussion. She reveals how our bodies and surroundings can enhance our thinking, advocating for movement breaks and fidgeting to boost creativity. Annie shares insights on how gestures aid communication and emphasizes the importance of collaborative thinking. She also addresses the unequal access to resources that foster better cognitive practices, urging a return to playful, embodied learning.

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INSIGHT

Mind Extends Into The World

The mind extends beyond the skull into the body, surroundings, relationships, and tools.
Annie Murphy Paul argues thinking assembles from environmental raw materials, not just brain tissue.

ANECDOTE

Philosophy Sparked The Book

Annie discovered Clark and Chalmers' 1998 article "The Extended Mind" while reading philosophy mid-book.
That article reframed her project from a learning manual into exploring thinking beyond the skull.

ADVICE

Practice Body Scans Daily

Do regular body-scan practices to increase interoception and notice internal signals like heart rate.
Use those signals as additional data when making decisions and track outcomes to calibrate accuracy.

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An acclaimed science writer on how to upgrade your mind by using more than your head.

Annie Murphy Paul is a science writer and TED speaker. Her latest book is The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain.

In this episode we talk about:

Why upgrading your mind involves more than just using your head.
How our bodies, surroundings, and relationships all have the power to enhance our thinking.
Practical strategies for “thinking with the body,” including interoception, the role of intuition, movement breaks, and even fidgeting.
The importance of gesture and movement—why sitting perfectly still actually makes thinking harder for many of us.
Tips for “thinking with your surroundings”—from stepping outdoors to using evocative objects and whiteboards to organize your ideas.
The social side of thinking: how to learn from experts, think with peers, and harness the intelligence of groups.
The challenges—and potential—of group collaboration, avoiding the pitfalls of groupthink, and fostering what psychologists call “groupiness.”
The concept of “extension inequality”: why access to the resources that enhance thinking—like nature, movement, and mentorship—is not distributed equally, and why that matters.
And finally, why returning to the way kids learn—using hands, bodies, play, and connection—might actually be good for all of us.

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