What’s really going on inside the brain of an altruist? Why do altruists care so much more for a stranger who needs help? Why are they so willing to give away a kidney?

In this episode from the Washington Post’s “Try This” podcast, host Cristina Quinn explores what it means to be an altruist with Abigail Marsh, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University. Together, they break down how altruists view their own actions and how others can become more altruistic too.

Marsh offers insight into what scientists know about altruists and shares surprising findings from her own research. She also tells us how you can build the muscle of giving more in simple steps that fit your lifestyle.

Read more about Marsh’s work on altruism here.

Also, read Washington Post Brain Matters columnist Richard Sima’s story on how doing good is good for you.

To hear more, check out “Try This” wherever you listen to podcasts.

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In September, the U.S. military began striking boats suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean. Since then, questions about the legality of these strikes have swirled. Last week, The Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth gave a spoken order to kill everyone before a Sept. 2 attack, according to officials. The commander of the mission later made the decision to strike two survivors of the attack who had been clinging to the wreckage. Today on the politics roundtable, we’ll discuss the fallout, and why both Republicans and Democrats are increasing their scrutiny of Hegseth’s leadership at the Department of Defense.

And, after brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in October, President Trump hoped to do the same for Russia and Ukraine. But his efforts have fallen short.

Host Colby Itkowitz speaks with Matthew Choi, the co-anchor of our politics newsletter, The Early Brief, and White House reporter Michael Birnbaum.

Today's episode was produced by Laura Benshoff, Josh Carroll, and Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sean Carter. It was edited by Reena Flores. Thanks also to our politics editors.

Subscribe to The Washington Post here. Watch this episode on YouTube here.

The note-taking applications on our phones are often where we go to jot down a quick reminder, a draft of a text message or a packing list. These simple text editors are there, on our phones, ready to document our fleeting thoughts.

But what do these notes from yesterday, or last month, or three years ago say about ourselves?

Post Reports co-host Elahe Izadi recently took on this question and asked strangers if she could look into their notes app. Host Colby Itkowitz chats with Elahe about what she learned from this little social experiment.

Today’s show was produced by Thomas Lu. It was mixed by Sam Bair and edited by Ariel Plotnick.

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