Podcast Picks: A Slight Change of Plans with Maya Shankar

Hosted by: Maya Shankar // pushkin.fm

"We've all had a moment in our lives that changes everything." For Maya Shankar, that moment was quicker than she would've ever thought possible.

A violinist from a young age, Shankar dreamed of becoming a concert violinist and was well on her way until a quick but life-altering injury during practice — a pop in her finger — derailed those dreams and set her on a new path.

Now a cognitive scientist with a doctorate in the field, Maya Shankar studies how and why we change over time. From small moments like hers to larger, more drawn out events, her podcast aims to understand how minor and major life changes affect human behavior and mentality.

The deep, intimate conversations Shankar has with her guests shows just how intricate the human brain is. While some may gravitate to the more famous guests —Tiffany Haddish, Kacey Musgraves, and Hillary Clinton, to name a few — the real treasure is in the lesser known interviewees. From a Black man who inspired hundreds of people to leave the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups to a blind woman who goes from home cook to professional chef, each episode brings its own set of surprises, realizations, and touching stories.

Named by Apple as the Best Show of the Year in 2021, A Slight Change of Plans tackles the difficult questions about who we are and what we become in the face of change.

Apple Podcasts // Stitcher // Spotify