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Boredom: Is It Good For You?

April 30, 2026 · 33 min

Show notes

We keep hearing that we need to be BORED more, with people online swearing that boredom can work magic — restoring your mind, and even supercharging your creativity. So, is boredom secretly good for us? We talk to cognitive neuroscientist Prof. James Danckert and organizational psychologist Prof. Guihyun Park to find out.

Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsBoredom

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) They say we need more boredom

(02:06) This is your brain on boredom

(12:30) Does boredom push us into creativity?

(22:08) Should you try to be more bored?

(23:53) When you give your brain time to rest

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.


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