Shankar Vedantam speaks at TED in 2022, Vancouver, BC. Photo: Ryan Lash / TED

Shankar Vedantam speaks internationally on how the “hidden brain” shapes our world. Invite him to set the tone for your conference or special event with carefully prepared remarks that generate curiosity and engagement.

Testimonials

“Your presentation, The Hidden Brain, was engaging, thought-provoking and brilliantly articulated…”
– Colleen Barros, National Institutes of Health

“We have never before had a keynote speaker receive a standing ovation.”
– Ryan Deckert, Oregon Business Association

“The Hidden Brain is an altogether spectacular read, the kind that gives the best possible hope for changing our minds … toward more fairness, greater self-awareness, and a vital integration of our intentions and our actions.”
– Maria Popova, Brainpickings

“Delivered with wit and lightness by Vedantam, ‘Hidden Brain’ is digestible without ever being dumbed down, and embodies an open-mindedness that becomes infectious.”
– Emma Dibdin, The New York Times

Recent keynote topics

UNCONSCIOUS BIAS: Highly interactive presentation acclaimed in business, educational and legal settings

MAKING CHANGE: How to use the “hidden brain” to drive change in organizations, communities and individuals

INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY: How the brain can help us — or hinder us — in coming up with breakthroughs and in making crucial decisions. Building a “learning organization”

RISK: Fear influences the behavior of investors, voters and parents. But hidden algorithms in the brain often cause our fears to be out of whack with reality. How to recalibrate your mind to focus on the things that can really do harm

COMMUNICATION: Using social science research to get ideas across — and to stick.

THE SCIENCE OF EXCELLENCE: Understanding elite performance in business, sports and the arts

THE GOOD LIFE: The surprising science of altruism, ethics and philanthropy

BIG DATA: How does the science of big data align with the ultimate big data machine — the brain?

For more information, please email speaking@hiddenbrain.org