Brain Games
An examination of the nature of human perception and how it can be fooled.
Genre: Documentary, Comedy, Game-Show
Cast:Jason Silva , Bert Thomas Morris , Apollo Robbins , Eric Leclerc , Jim Coan , Keegan-Michael Key , Lior Suchard , Cara Santa Maria , Coren Apicella , Sri Sarma , Brian Scholl , Brianna Cohen , Neil Patrick Harris , Jonah Berger , Max Darwin , Chess Stetson , Carl Windom Carlito , Shara Ashley Zeiger
S1.E1 ∙ Watch This!
Hack into the ultimate supercomputer--the human brain--as Hollywood filmmakers use color, light, motion, depth and sound to create mind-bending sensory illusions.
S1.E2 ∙ Pay Attention!
Magician David Copperfield and a team of experts test, trick, and fool the brain using an elegant form of attention control.
S1.E3 ∙ Remember This!
Brain Games investigates every piece of the memory puzzle, from how we recognize faces to how we can move memories from short-term to long-term storage.
S2.E1 ∙ Focus Pocus
Think your field of vision is really in focus, or that your brain is focusing on everything happening in front of you? Think again. Brain Games reveals the secrets behind the mysteries of focus and attention.
S2.E2 ∙ It's About Time
Ever wonder why a watched pot never boils? Explore what makes your brain tick when it comes to time.
S2.E3 ∙ Motion Commotion
This is a show about your brain and how it perceives motion. Evolving in a world that is constantly moving, the human brain had to develop a pretty sophisticated sense of motion in order to survive. This episode stops to ask some deceptively simple questions--What really is motion? Is the movement that you see real?
S2.E4 ∙ Don't Be Afraid
Our experts examine the brain's internal tug of war between fear and rationalization. Whether boarding an airplane or walking down a spooky street at night, we see how dread and anticipation build feelings of fear. Putting our host's emotions to the test, Apollo Robbins challenges Jason Silva to a game of Russian roulette.
S2.E5 ∙ Power of Persuasion
This episode unveils the subtle tactics that advertisers, marketers and con men can use to get you to do what they want, without you noticing.
S2.E6 ∙ What You Don't Know
Brain Games reveals how the "illusion of knowledge" plagues the human brain and why we fall victim to the notion that we understand more than we actually do.
S2.E7 ∙ Battle of the Sexes
Brain Games reveals just how differently males and females are wired.
S2.E8 ∙ Seeing Is Believing
Seeing is believing, right? Not necessarily. It all depends on your perspective. In this episode of Brain Games, mind-bending illusions will show you the ways in which your visual perceptions can be surprisingly off.
S2.E9 ∙ You Decide
Every time you make a decision, your brain enters an often invisible battle between risk and reward. Through a series of addictive interactive games, surprising experiments, and relatable experts you'll learn astonishing facts about how you make decisions - and how to get better at making them.
S2.E10 ∙ Use It or Lose It
All the latest research says that your brain needs exercise to stay youthful and fit. Wonder junkie Jason Silva and deception specialist Apollo Robbins are going to put your brain to the test with a serious workout.
S2.E11 ∙ Illusion Confusion
Brain Games reveals how optical illusions are a great way of showing the powerful mechanisms at work that allow your brain to perceive three dimensions.
S2.E12 ∙ Liar, Liar
Host Jason Silva and deception specialist Apollo Robbins break down why we lie and what happens in the brain, even though science tells us that the truth is physiologically and neurologically easier.
S3.E1 ∙ Battle of the Ages
Explore your brain and how it doesn't always act its age. Through a series of games and experiments, you'll discover how your daily routines might be aging you.
S3.E2 ∙ In Living Color
Is an apple actually red, or a leaf really green? Think again. With a series of interactive games and fascinating experiments, the shocking truth is revealed that color is just an illusion created by your brain. Find out how!
S3.E3 ∙ Laws of Attraction
Journey into the secrets of long-term relationships, and play along to discover what attracts two people together beyond conscious control-including a shocking revelation of the one body part that often predicts compatibility.
S3.E4 ∙ Trust Me
With fun and interactive games, you'll learn to trust others a bit more and your brain a bit less.
S3.E5 ∙ Stress Test
This is a show about your brain and stress. You'll see how your brain manages stress and how stress also manages you. From traffic jams to screaming babies, angry bosses to bill payments, you're surrounded by stress every day. But stress has a purpose, and you'll discover why it's a good thing in many situations, even though it can overwhelm you. That said, don't let stress stress you out--there are ways to manage it! Through a series of interactive games and experiments, you'll discover how stress works--and how to handle it better.
S3.E6 ∙ What's Going On?
Whether it's remembering where you parked the car, or just finding the light switch in the morning, navigating your busy world can be tough. Luckily your brain has a built-in navigation system to help make sense of your surroundings. In fact, recent discoveries prove that the brain uses place cells and direction cells to help get us to where we're going. In this episode we explore spatial awareness. It's how your brain tells you where you are. Through a series of games and experiments we'll test the boundaries of your brain's hardwired sense of direction, and prove how you aren't always aware of your surroundings or even your body. Plus you'll learn a surprising technique to enhance your spatial memory.
S3.E7 ∙ Retrain Your Brain
It's easy to upgrade the electronics you rely on every day; can you do the same with your brain? Put your brain to the test with a series of interactive games and experiments that reveal hidden mental shortcuts, and how to give enhance it.
S3.E8 ∙ Mind Your Body
Your mind and body are connected in countless ways, and some are more mysterious than others. Discover how your mind and body sometimes work together like the best of friends-and how they sometimes betray each other like the worst of enemies.
S3.E9 ∙ In It to Win It
What's it about the human brain that makes you want to win--even at all costs? Through a series of competitions, play along as two teams duke it out. Learn what drives you to compete, why some are born competitors, and why it's good for you.
S3.E10 ∙ Follow the Leader
Ever wonder why yawns are so contagious? Like it or not, much of your behavior is influence by copying others. Through a series of games and experiments, discover whether your brain is a born leader--or a born follower.
S4.E1 ∙ Compassion
Join host Jason Silva in interactive games and experiments to explore your brain's capacity for compassion. Discover if you were born naughty or nice and explore the chances of finding a psychopath among your family and friends.
S4.E2 ∙ Addiction
Learn all about addictions and why some can actually be good for you. Find out why you can't stop checking your phone and why that awful pop song gets stuck in your head. And, discover one of the most addictive sounds in the world.
S4.E3 ∙ Language
Discover how language is the closest thing humans have to telepathy and how you communicate without words every day. Guest Sri Sarma, a biomedical-engineer from John Hopkins University, leads a discovery of language and how humans create meaning.
S4.E4 ∙ Risk
Nearly every choice you make involves some calculated risk. Explore how your brain evaluates risk in everyday situations and discover why we're all born as risk-takers. Learn to assess risk like your life depends on it, because it does.
S4.E5 ∙ Battle of the Sexes II
Find out how the male brain and female brain differ when they are pitted against each other in games and experiments. Learn which gender is victorious in the battle of the sexes.
S4.E6 ∙ Superstitions
Learn about your superstition and why humans believe in things that have no basis in reality. Discover why your brain may be hardwired to be superstitious and if it's possible to read minds.
S4.E7 ∙ Food
Discover the brain's role in your choice of food and what makes you hungry. Through interactive games and experiments, you will learn why you overeat and whether taking comfort in comfort food is good for you.
S4.E8 ∙ Anger
What if getting angry had less to do with what's going on around you, and more to do with what's going on inside your brain? Explore why your brain gets angry and what you can do about it.
S4.E9 ∙ Patterns
Have you ever noticed that life is a series of routines, done in the same order, day after day? Whether you realize it or not, your daily routine is really a pattern. Learn how, when processing the world, your brain is always filling in the blanks.
S4.E10 ∙ Intuition
The power of intuition--when you know something to be true without knowing why--is one of the mind's greatest mysteries. Test your intuition and learn how your brain makes decisions without you having to think about it.
S5.E1 ∙ Common Sense
From knowing when to cross the street to avoiding hot stoves, your brain is constantly making judgments that you likely take for granted. We chalk it up to common sense - but just how common is it? Through interactive games and mind-bending challenges, unravel your mental shortcuts and learn how to harness the power of collective thinking. Play along to understand how your common sense can either lead you astray or keep you on the right track.
S5.E2 ∙ Left vs. Right
Whether you're a left-handed artist or a right-handed accountant, we all use both sides of our brains. But is there any science behind the notion that the left half or our brain is the creative side while the right half is more logical? In this episode about your left and right brain, we're going to put you through a series of games and experiments designed to find out how the two sides operate, what they really control, and whether or not one side of your brain dominates the other.
S5.E3 ∙ Morality
Have you ever wondered where your morality comes from? Is it ingrained in your brain, set by religion, or does society dictate what you deem as right or wrong? Through a series of interactive games and experiments, we'll test the strength of your moral fiber. Play along and discover how your brain makes countless moral decisions every single day. We're going to mess with your mind as we show you how outside influences like clothing, attitude, and your own evolutionary survival may sway your brain...and your morals.
S5.E4 ∙ Money
This is a show about your brain and money. It's present in every corner of our lives-we earn it, spend it, manage it and often obsess over it, but how well do we really understand it? If you play along you'll understand why your brain gets excited when you think you're getting a deal, why there's no such thing as a free lunch, and you'll learn how to stop paying more for less.
S5.E5 ∙ Paranormal
Have you ever seen a ghost? Have you ever known something was going happen before it happened? If so, you may share a link with the paranormal. Or it might just be your brain playing tricks on you. Whether you're a skeptic or a believer in the supernatural, you have to admit there are things out there your brain just can't quite explain. This is an episode about your brain and the paranormal. Get ready for a series of games and experiments designed to prove you actually know more about the unknown than you think. We're going to put your sixth sense to the test by exposing you to some very ghostly illusions-think you can spot a ghost? We'll also reveal the secret science behind a séance that blindsided our brave volunteers. Finally, we'll put your paranormal beliefs to the ultimate test in a home-buying experience from hell. If you play along, you might discover that you're not as skeptical of the supernatural as you think.
S5.E6 ∙ Memory
In this episode about memory, we're going to show you what memory is, why you even have one, and why you keep forgetting where you put those darn keys! And if you play along you'll see why forgetting can actually be a good thing! It's going to be a night to remember...on Brain Games.
S5.E7 ∙ Misconceptions
This is a show about your brain and the widely held myths you believe to be true. Through a series of fun and interactive games and experiments, you'll discover whether or not you only use 10% of your brain, if size really does matter and whether listening to Mozart actually makes you smarter.
S5.E8 ∙ Peer Pressure
Are you a unique individual? Are you a rebel - or do you give into peer pressure? If you think you have full control of your thoughts and actions - think again. It turns out the clothes you wear, the food you eat, and even the way you walk has less to do with you and more to do with everyone else. We'll explore the idea that your brain may be hardwired to want to fit in.
S5.E9 ∙ Logic
In this episode of BRAIN GAMES, we put your problem-solving skills to the test as we lead you through a labyrinth of logic games. Every day, you use logic to get things done, from dressing for the weather, choosing the best route to work, to deciding what to eat for dinner. Through a series of interactive games and experiments, you'll learn about the power and the limitations of your logical abilities. Studies have found that logic is something you develop and hone with practice, so play along as we present puzzles and illusions that will help strengthen your brain.
S5.E10 ∙ Faces
Your face is pretty remarkable. Whether you've got a baby face, a poker face, or a face only a mother could love... your identity is deeply rooted in your own unique face. And with over 40 muscles twisting and contorting, your face allows you to express a near infinite number of emotions and feelings. But not only are you capable of making faces -- your brain is also highly adept at recognizing what other peoples' faces are saying to you. In this episode about faces, we're going to mess with your mind and show you that there's more to a face than meets the eye. And if you play along, you'll discover the most important feature of your face, how staring can make you want to fight or take flight, and why looking at just parts of a face won't always give you the whole picture.
S6.E1 ∙ Positive Thinking
Do you sometimes hear a little voice in your head, an inner critic that keeps you from performing at your best? What if we told you there's a way to change what that voice is telling you that will improve your performance in just about anything you try? It might come as a surprise, but research shows thinking positive is more than just a warm and fuzzy idea. And in this episode about positive thinking, we're going to show you how thinking positive can change your thoughts, your reality, and even your life! We're going to mess with your mood to show you what really makes that glass seem half empty or half full; why people who stand tall, stand happy; and how to turn that frown upside down.
S6.E2 ∙ Scams
Pay close attention - what you discover in this episode of Brain Games will keep you from falling for a scam. In a robbery, the victim is forced to give up money or possessions. In a scam or con, the victim hands over their valuables willingly. Each year, millions of people around the world fall for some sort of scam or fraud. Through a series of interactive games and experiments, you'll discover how easily your brain is deceived. Scammers and con artists make it their business to know how your brain works, and how to use its flaws to their advantage. Play along to discover how your brain is wired to initially believe everything it hears, what it finds most tempting in an ad or sales pitch, and how simply being human can lead you into some sticky situations.
S6.E3 ∙ Sleep
The average adult spends more than 220,000 hours - or roughly 25 years - in bed sleeping. That's one third of your life spent in slumber!1 But what exactly is sleep - and why do we spend so much time doing it? In what could be our most ambitious Brain Games experiment ever, we keep 3 volunteers awake for 36 hours in order to answer just that.
S6.E4 ∙ Perspective
In this episode of Brain Games, you'll see how your brain gets tripped up by odd angles, how light and shadows play a crucial role in your perception of the world, how you can radically shift the way you see reality, and how your brain isn't always as honest with you as you think. Through a series of games and experiments, you'll discover why you shouldn't always believe what you see.
S6.E5 ∙ Animal vs. Human
On this beastly episode, it's going to be heads vs. tails as we pit humans against animals in series of unique competitions. And if you play along, you'll discover how a bird can eat like a horse, a dog can be jealous like a baby, and how a chimp can make you look like a chump. Who will win this interspecies showdown? Don't bet on the wrong horse.
S6.E6 ∙ Imagination
This is a show about your brain and its imagination. We often associate imagination with creativity and the arts, but we don't always think about how important it is to our daily lives. If you play along you'll see how you can use your imagination to solve daily problems, you'll learn how to tap into the imaginative process, and that, with a little help, you can keep the good ideas flowing.
S7.E1 ∙ Meet the Brain
Explore the Hever Castle with Dr. Knight of the University of Hertfordshire and a memory game, and a paint-by-numbers exercise at Butler's Wharf with the University of Oxford's Dr. Hicks and inversion eyewear. Get ready to meet your brain. It will engage you, amaze you and help you understand yourself like never before. After all, it's the one physical system on earth capable of looking at itself.
S7.E3 ∙ Brains Behaving Badly
Brains have an evolutionary predilection toward bad behavior.
S7.E4 ∙ Life of the Brain
Jason Silva heads to the New Jersey Shore to see where your brain started as a baby where it is going as an adult and into old age.
S7.E5 ∙ Super Senses
Jason Silva leads viewers through a series of games and experiments designed to show that the brain has far more than just five senses.
S7.E6 ∙ The Survivor Brain
Four survivors from different walks of life take on different types of challenges, from getting lost while trail trekking to socializing over beer. Watch to see how each one survives or thrives in different circumstances, and ultimately learn what's the best kind of brain when we see who wins out overall across some tough competition.
S8.E1 ∙ Male Brain vs. Female Brain
Actors Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard face off in a series of Battle of the Sexes games designed to illustrate the differences between female and male brains.
S8.E2 ∙ Ted Danson: Fact or Fiction
Actor Ted Danson and special guests The Blue Man Group play along with host Keegan-Michael Key as we learn how our brains distinguish fact from fiction. Games include identifying real vs. fake news headlines. Additionally, master mentalist Lior Suchard predicts who's lying when it comes to hiding a treasured object, and Danson takes a ride through the show's mental obstacle course, known as the Gauntlet.
S8.E3 ∙ Drew Brees: Performance
NFL football player Drew Brees puts his brain to the test with a series of mental challenges exploring how humans have hacked their brains; Keegan and Drew play a game called Draft Day, which shows how the brain must react quickly and be flexible.
S8.E4 ∙ Kids vs. Adults
Actors Anthony Anderson and Marsai Martin face off in a series of games with host Keegan-Michael Key.
S8.E5 ∙ Jack Black: Music
Jack Black and his Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass join Keegan-Michael Key to learn how music affects the brain. Games and demonstrations include a round of musical mad libs, "Odd-itory" illusions and experiments that show how music can affect our perception of images, emotions and even taste. Mentalist Lior Suchard asks Black to think of any song in the world and tries to guess it correctly.
S8.E6 ∙ Mark Cuban: Power and Money
Keegan-Michael Key welcomes billionaire CEO and reality star Mark Cuban to the show.
S8.E7 ∙ Rebel Wilson: Love and Attraction
Actress Rebel Wilson joins Keegan-Michael Key to explore the power of the subconscious when it comes to falling in love.
S8.E8 ∙ Tiffany Haddish: Movie Magic
Actress Tiffany Haddish and director Jordan Peele join Keegan-Michael Key to play games that show how Hollywood pros manipulate our brains to make us feel genuine emotion while watching movies.
