A Slight Change of Plans A Neuroscientist’s Curious Approach to Dying

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At age 59, neuroscientist David Linden received a startling diagnosis of heart cancer. Even in the face of a terminal illness, David is continuing to think like a scientist. He shares what he’s learned from watching his mind grapple with his own mortality, and how the diagnosis has changed his experience of time. Maya and David also discuss the power of curiosity and how it can aid us in moments of profound suffering.

If you would like to hear more conversations like this, check out another episode from the archive: “The Life-Changing Diagnosis.”

The Host

Dr. Maya Shankar

Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist who served as a Senior Advisor in the Obama White House, where she founded and served as Chair of the White House Behavioral Science…