
Try This: Anyone can be an altruist
24.12.2025 | 20 Min.
You can read today’s edition of The 7 newsletter here. In the meantime, we’re sharing something else you can listen to now or over the holiday weekend. It’s the first “class” of the recent Try This series on giving. 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, 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.Subscribe to The Washington Post or connect your subscription in Apple Podcasts.

Epstein files; Trump battleships; ICE messages; Banksy mural; and more
23.12.2025 | 8 Min.
Tuesday, December 23. The seven stories you need to know today.Read today's briefing.If you're not a subscriber, click here to start.Tell us what you think! Take our podcast survey: washingtonpost.com/podcastsurvey

An emerging GOP rivalry; Epstein files; gamers' brains; and more
22.12.2025 | 7 Min.
Monday, December 22. The seven stories you need to know today. Read today's briefing.If you're not a subscriber, click here to start.Tell us what you think! Take our podcast survey: washingtonpost.com/podcastsurvey

Brown University gunman; ‘Trump Kennedy Center’; how to feel wonder; and more
19.12.2025 | 9 Min.
Friday, December 19. The seven stories you need to know today. Read today's briefing.If you're not a subscriber, click here to start.Tell us what you think! Take our podcast survey: washingtonpost.com/podcastsurvey

Trump’s White House address; a crackdown on leftists; Alzheimer’s tests; and more
18.12.2025 | 9 Min.
Thursday, December 18. The seven stories you need to know today.Read today's briefing.If you're not a subscriber, click here to start.Tell us what you think! Take our podcast survey: washingtonpost.com/podcastsurvey



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