A Slight Change of Plans
You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year 2021 Editor's Note: Maya Shankar blends compassionate storytelling with the science of human behavior to help us understand who we are and who we become in the face of a big change. Maya is no stranger to change. “My whole childhood revolved around the violin, but that changed in a moment when I injured my hand playing a single note,” says Shankar, who was studying under Itzhak Perlman at the Juilliard School at the time. “I was forced to try and figure out who I was, and who I could be, without the violin." Maya soon discovered a new path in the field of cognitive science, where she earned her PhD as a Rhodes Scholar studying how and why we change. Her insights into human behavior ultimately led her to create A Slight Change of Plans—Apple Podcasts’ Best Show of the Year in 2021. You’ll hear intimate conversations with people like Tiffany Haddish, Kacey Musgraves, and Riz Ahmed, as well as real-life inspirations, like John Elder Robison, who undergoes experimental brain stimulation to deepen his emotional intelligence, Daryl Davis, a Black jazz musician who inspires hundreds of KKK members to leave the Klan, and Shankar herself, who had her own “slight change of plans” earlier this year. The show also explores the science of change with experts like Adam Grant and Angela Duckworth. "What I love most about this show is that the content is evergreen," says Shankar. "You can listen to episodes in any order and at any time."
Latest episodes
23 snips
Oct 17, 2022 • 42min
The Art and Science of Gathering
Priya Parker is an expert in group dialogue and conflict resolution, and she uses her unique background to rethink how we come together. Priya teaches us how to turn our gatherings into opportunities for more meaningful connection with others.
You can follow the show on Instagram @DrMayaShankar.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 10, 2022 • 44min
A First Responder's Call for Help
As a firefighter, Christy Warren made rescuing people her life's work. Her toughness earned her praise from her peers. But after decades of rescuing others, suddenly Christy became the one who needed saving.
You can follow the show on Instagram @DrMayaShankar.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
103 snips
Oct 3, 2022 • 43min
The Science of Regret
Author Daniel Pink teaches us how to transform our relationship with regret so that we can live happier, more fulfilling lives.
You can follow the show on Instagram @DrMayaShankar.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Oct 3, 2022 • 44min
A 6 Year Old Changes History
Civil rights icon Ruby Bridges is our guest today. She shares what it was like to be the first African-American student to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana in 1960. Ruby was just six years old at the time, and it would be years before she fully appreciated her role in advancing civil rights in America.
You can follow the show on Instagram @DrMayaShankar.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Sep 26, 2022 • 2min
Sneak Peek: Season 5 of A Slight Change of Plans!
Hey Slight Changers! (drumroll please…) We’re back with Season 5 of A Slight Change of Plans next Monday! Each week, we’ll hear stories of change from remarkable people and learn more about the science of change so we can live happier, healthier lives. Here’s a sneak peek.
You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
5 snips
Jul 28, 2022 • 31min
Maya's Slight Change in Perspective
Hi Slight Changers — I recently recorded a deeply personal essay with my friends at Meditative Story. It's about my philosophy on life and existence. This essay took months to pull together because it required revisiting my childhood, as well some challenging years I had in early adulthood. But it was so worth it — this episode is so close to my heart and I hope you enjoy listening to it. As always, reach out to me with any reflections or thoughts at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
For more episodes like this one, check out the Meditative Story podcast feed at: listen.meditativestory.com/MayaShankar.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jul 11, 2022 • 47min
A Theranos Whistleblower
You can follow the show on Instagram @DrMayaShankar.
Erika Cheung’s first job out of college was as a scientist at the now infamous biotech company, Theranos. Erika realized early on that the company’s proprietary technology was not delivering accurate blood results to patients. And even though she had so much to lose by speaking out, she saw no other option.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
15 snips
Jul 5, 2022 • 33min
The Science of Motivation
You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
Dr. Ayelet Fishbach is a professor of psychology, and an expert on the science of motivation. She'll teach us how to set smarter goals, and give us science-based strategies to help us reach them.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 27, 2022 • 31min
A Holocaust Survivor's Story
You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
Edith Eger was just 16 years old when the Nazis forced her and her Jewish family onto a cattle car to the Auschwitz concentation camp. Today, Edith is 94 years old, and a psychologist who specializes in post-traumatic stress disorder. She shares how learning to control her own mind helped her to survive the Holocaust.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jun 20, 2022 • 38min
Jeopardy! Changed My Life
You can follow the show at @DrMayaShankar on Instagram.
Scott Menke never thought he had a particularly compelling personality, but he did feel he stood out in at least one way: he had a natural ability to learn and remember interesting facts. He put that knowledge to the ultimate test as a contestant on the TV trivia game show Jeopardy! Scott was surprised when viewers responded not just to his performance but to who he was as a person.
If you’d like to keep up with the most recent news from this and other Pushkin podcasts be sure to sign up for our email list at Pushkin.fm.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
