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Invisibilia

Latest episodes

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23 snips
Jul 8, 2016 • 57min

Frame of Reference

What shapes the way we perceive the world around us? A lot of it has to do with invisible frames of reference that filter our experiences and determine how we feel. Alix Spiegel and Hanna Rosin interview a woman who gets a glimpse of what she's been missing all her life – and then loses it. And they talk to Daily Show correspondent Hasan Minhaj about which frame of reference is better – his or his dad's.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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15 snips
Jul 5, 2016 • 13min

Bonus: Mr. Kitt

In this special podcast bonus, Lulu Miller tells the story of William Kitt, a resident of the Broadway Housing Communities, featured in our episode "The Problem with the Solution". William Kitt was insane, by his own definition. But he no longer believes he is, because of what he calls the Greatest Scheme of All.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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38 snips
Jul 1, 2016 • 57min

The Problem with the Solution

In this episode we find that the solution can be the problem. The hour begins with a charming couple from Utah who stumble across a clever fix to their clogged drain problem one day while they are showering together. For them, the impulse to fix the problem leads to a happy adventure into the world of patenting and manufacturing a new product. From there, the hour takes a turn to explore how this very same impulse to fix a problem — the impulse that has led the human species to invent telephones and bicycles and rocket ships — has surprising consequences when it comes to the problem of mental illness. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Jun 28, 2016 • 6min

Bonus: Four-Minute Mile

In a special podcast bonus, Lulu Miller tells the story about a young runner who always thought he had it in him to break the four-minute mile, until a potential change in personality made him question if he was the same runner.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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39 snips
Jun 24, 2016 • 55min

The Personality Myth

In America personality is often seen as destiny. Whether you're a famous CEO like Steve Jobs or a serial criminal like Hannibal Lecter, most of us think that our position in life has a lot to do with our personality. This episode looks more closely at this belief. We start at a Court House where lines of people who are getting married describe the personality of the person with whom they are to be joined for life. Then travel to a prison in Ohio where a woman has struck up a work relationship with a prisoner who it turns out did something far worse than she imagined. Finally Lulu talks to a scientist to come up with a complete catalogue of all the things about us that actually do stay stable over the course of our lives. They look at everything from cells to memories until ultimately they come up with a list — but it's a really short list.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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25 snips
Jun 17, 2016 • 59min

The New Norm

You probably don't even notice them, but social norms determine so much of your behavior - how you dress, talk, eat and even what you allow yourself to feel. These norms are so entrenched we never imagine they can shift. But Alix Spiegel and new co-host, Hanna Rosin, examine two grand social experiments that attempt to do just that: teach McDonald's employees in Russia to smile, and workers on an oil rig how to cry.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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May 20, 2016 • 4min

Season 2 Trailer

On June 17th Invisibilia is back for Season 2! Invisibilia explores the invisible forces that shape human behavior – thoughts, emotions, assumptions, expectations. Check out the trailer for the upcoming season!Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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Feb 14, 2015 • 5min

BONUS: Inside Out!

Alix and Lulu present a bonus podcast about why "Inside Out" was considered as a possible name for the show, but ultimately wasn't chosen.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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7 snips
Feb 13, 2015 • 57min

Our Computers, Ourselves

In Our Computers, Ourselves, a look at the ways technology affects us, and the main question is : Are computers changing human character? You'll hear from cyborgs, bullies, neuroscientists and police chiefs about whether our closeness with computers is changing us as a species.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
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21 snips
Feb 6, 2015 • 55min

The Power Of Categories

The Power Of Categories examines how categories define us — how, if given a chance, humans will jump into one category or another. People need them, want them. The show looks at what categories provide for us, and you'll hear about a person caught between categories in a way that will surprise you. Plus, a trip to a retirement community designed to help seniors revisit a long-missed category.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

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