This is hidden brain.
I'm Shankar Vedantam.
Psychologists have always been interested in studying how we make sense of the world.
Over and over, in many fields of research, one theme has recurred.
What we see, hear and feel is not just about what's in front of us.
In the 18 hundreds, early researchers began working in a branch of psychology called psychophysics.
It looked at how, for example, we can easily spot a single burning candle in a dark room.
But put that same candle in a brightly lit room and the flame can be hard to spot.
In other words, the context or frame around that burning candle matters.
And that's true for many aspects of our lives.
If you break your foot the night before your wedding, you might feel very sorry for yourself.
But if all you experience during a war is a broken foot, you would consider yourself extremely lucky.
Frames also shape how we think about our jobs.
This week on hidden brain, the second installment of our new series, work 2.0.
Last week we looked at how many organizations fail to notice the frictions that hold them back.
Today we explore how smart companies and governments are reinventing the world of work by changing the frame around it.
The world of work and the world of play are different worlds.
At least they seem that way.
When we are at work, we are supposed to be serious.
Play is the opposite of that.