This is Hidden Brain, I'm Shankar Vedanthan.

On this week's episode, we're talking about backup plans.

Research Akiti Milkman shares her study on why it's not always a good idea to have a plan B.

It may make you less motivated to pursue your primary goals.

Dan Pink is here for another round of stopwatch science.

So these are glorious times for scholars who research moral hazard.

And we invited Matthew McConaughey to talk about the importance of backup plans in the movie Interstellar.

Some kind of vehicle up there.

Space station? Both.

Lianneig.

How do you get it off the ground?

That's why there's plan B.

But Matthew was a little busy.

So we went with our plan B and invited my friend Adam Cole from NPR Science Desk Instead.

Hello, having some real flashbacks to junior prom right now.

Just getting Adam, you were always plan A.

That sounds a lot better, yeah.

Adam, just like the last time, I want you to listen to all the ideas in this episode and come up with a song that ties it all together.

Do you think you could do that?

Well, I'll try, but if I can't do it, do we have some sort of backup plan in place?

Here's the thing Adam, we don't.

And to understand why we don't, you need to listen to this next set of ideas.

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