{"podcast":{"title":"Big Brains","slug":"big-brains-1022699","podcast_index_feed_id":1022699,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/4FF7CAnQ","website_url":"https://big-brains.simplecast.com","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/2e7c76ad-7ecc-479b-8749-f0cb2f4f2dc5/a6bb7391-0c19-412c-9235-27ca5edc6296/3000x3000/bigbrains-ucpn-logo-largebrain-multicolor-rgb-black-3000.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"University of Chicago Podcast Network","episode_count":222,"summary":"Big Brains explores the groundbreaking research and discoveries that are changing our world. In each episode, we talk to leading experts and unpack their work in straightforward terms. Interesting conversations that cover a gamut of topics from how music affects our brains to what happens after we die.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-26T00:19:41.185737+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/big-brains-1022699"},"episode":{"title":"How To Use Nature To Restore Your Focus, with Marc Berman","slug":"how-to-use-nature-to-restore-your-focus-with-marc-berman","published_at":"2025-09-04T12:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/big-brains-1022699/how-to-use-nature-to-restore-your-focus-with-marc-berman","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/big-brains-1022699","url":"https://big-brains.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-use-nature-to-restore-your-focus-with-marc-berman-PgcJCvwv","audio_url":"https://afp-920658-injected.calisto.simplecastaudio.com/b15505d2-a359-4f02-b0c3-b7602dbe79f1/episodes/82c7af8c-975c-49fe-977d-e83758d75506/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=b15505d2-a359-4f02-b0c3-b7602dbe79f1&awEpisodeId=82c7af8c-975c-49fe-977d-e83758d75506&feed=4FF7CAnQ","summary":"We’re living in an attention economy—and most of us are broke. But what if the secret to restoring your focus, improving your mental health, and even reducing crime rates wasn’t found in an app or a pill, but in a tree? In this episode, we speak with University of Chicago psychologist Marc Berman, whose research on “soft fascination” and nature’s cognitive effects is reshaping how we think about everything from urban planning to depression treatment. From groundbreaking hospital studies to surprising results with plastic plants, Berman’s work uncovers the deep—and often invisible—power that natural environments hold over our minds and bodies. Whether you're a city planner, a parent, or just someone feeling mentally fatigued, this conversation may just change the way you think about a walk in the park.","meta_description":"We’re living in an attention economy—and most of us are broke. But what if the secret to restoring your focus, improving your mental health, and even redu…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1933,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/big-brains-1022699/episodes/how-to-use-nature-to-restore-your-focus-with-marc-berman/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/big-brains-1022699/how-to-use-nature-to-restore-your-focus-with-marc-berman.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}