Something You Should Know

UPGRADE TO SYSK PREMIUM! To unlock ad-free listening to over 1,000 episodes plus receive exclusive weekly bonus content, go to ⁠⁠⁠ https://SYSKPremium.com⁠ Everyone knows exercise is good for you. But have you ever thought HOW it is good for you? This episode begins by explaining exactly what the benefits are both mentally and physically. And the benefits are substantial. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389 Ever find yourself caught in a loop of “what ifs”? You imagine things going wrong — even when there’s no real reason to worry. That constant sense of dread and worst-case thinking is more common than you think. But why does your brain do that? And more importantly, can you break the cycle? In this episode, Dr. David Carbonell, a clinical psychologist specializing in anxiety disorders and author of The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You Into Expecting the Worst (https://amzn.to/44b5MTJ) reveals the surprising reason we’re wired to expect the worst — and practical ways to quiet that anxious voice in your head. Did you know the font you choose can change how people feel, think, and even behave? From restaurant menus to warning signs, fonts quietly influence your decisions — often without you realizing it. Listen as we explore the surprising psychology of type with Sarah Hyndman, graphic designer and author of Why Fonts Matter. (https://amzn.to/3DTCvlA). Discover how something as simple as a typeface can evoke emotion, convey trust, and shape your perception in powerful ways. Ever get chills from your favorite song or feel an emotional high when the beat drops? You’re not imagining it — music can light up the brain much like a drug does. In this segment, we dive into the fascinating science behind music’s powerful effects on the mind and body. Discover why you crave certain songs, how music triggers pleasure and reward centers in the brain, and whether it’s possible to actually become addicted to music. https://www.dancemusicnw.com/study-proves-music-addiction/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 August 2025

What if starting your meal with a mediocre appetizer could actually make the main course taste better? In this surprising opening segment, we dive into the psychology of taste and explore clever, science-backed tricks to make your food taste better — using your brain, not just your palate. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3139067/ We’re all being influenced by algorithms every day — from what we watch and buy to what we believe. But what exactly is an algorithm, how does it work, and can you fight back against its invisible influence? Math professor and author Noah Giansiracusa breaks it all down and shares practical ways to take back control from the algorithms quietly shaping your life. Noah is an associate professor of mathematics at Bentley University whose work has appeared in Scientific American, Time, Wired, Slate, and the Washington Post. He is author of the book Robin Hood Math: Take Control of the Algorithms That Run Your Life (https://amzn.to/3U66fnt). Hard work gets all the glory — but rest may be just as essential. Neuroscientist Joseph Jebelli reveals how letting your brain idle can improve creativity, memory, and emotional health. Joseph is the author of the book The Brain at Rest (https://amzn.to/458OlWb). This conversation might just convince you that doing nothing is actually one of the healthiest things you can do. Think you lose most of your body heat through your head? Believe urine is sterile? Think again. In this quick and eye-opening segment, we bust some of the most common — and most stubborn — myths about your body that many people still believe. https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19547125/lies-about-your-body/?cid=isynd_PV_0615 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 August 2025

What if you were convinced you got a good night’s sleep even if you didn’t? It turns out what you believe can actually determine if you do or don’t feel tired the next day. How can this possibly be true? This episode starts with an explanation which could be very useful one day when you didn’t sleep well. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24417326/ Many times in your life you have felt totally bored. What exactly is boredom? Is it a feeling or maybe it is a lack of a feeling? Does feeling bored ever serve a purpose? Then there is that phrase, “I’m bored to death.” Can that actually happen – death by boredom? Here for a fascinating discussion on the topic of boredom is psychologist James Danckert, author of the book, Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom (https://amzn.to/3ePmnsq). On one end of the scale are thrill seekers and daredevils who jump out of airplanes or climb dangerous mountains. On the other end of the scale are people who would rather stay home and read a book by the fire. What is the difference? What cause thrill seekers to do what they do? What is it they gain from those experiences? That is what Ken Carter is here to reveal. Ken is a board-certified clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Oxford College of Emory University and author of the book Buzz!: Inside the Minds of Thrill-Seekers, Daredevils, and Adrenaline Junkies (https://amzn.to/35FIwCn) One day your car’s check engine light will come on. It’s a pretty vague warning that doesn’t tell you much. What could it be? Sometimes it’s nothing. In fact, often it is nothing. Listen as I reveal one of the most likely reasons it comes on and the simple fix. Source: Phil Edmonston author of The Lemon-Aid Car Guide (https://amzn.to/33wtJaC) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 11 August 2025

UPGRADE TO SYSK PREMIUM! To unlock ad-free listening to over 1,000 episodes plus receive exclusive weekly bonus content, go to ⁠⁠ https://SYSKPremium.com⁠ You probably have a drawer where you keep spare batteries for when you need them. But if some or all those batteries are loose and floating around that drawer, it could be dangerous. This episode begins with an explanation and a better way to store batteries. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/612670/never-store-batteries-your-junk-drawer Just how French are French fries? Why are frankfurters also called hot dogs and why do we have 2 names. Why is it called cream soda when there is no cream in it. And since chickens don’t have fingers, where do chicken fingers come from? These are some of the questions we explore as we look at the interesting origins of some favorite foods with Kim Zachman author of There’s No Cream in Cream Soda: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Drinks (https://amzn.to/3QA1bay) and There’s No Ham in Hamburgers (https://amzn.to/47pasrQ). It is not an unusual experience to log in to social media and see something that outrages you. It happens frequently but is it deliberate? Why do we allow ourselves to be triggered by these things? This online outrage affects all of us and sometimes in very surprising ways. Here to explain how is Tobias Rose Stockwell. He is a writer and researcher whose work has been featured in The Atlantic, WIRED, NPR and the BBC. He is author of the book Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy―And What We Can Do About It (https://amzn.to/3QxXLVs). Have you ever left the grocery store on a hot summer day and worried about getting the food home quickly? After all, you don’t want things to thaw out or go bad. So realistically, how much time do you have before you need to worry? Listen and I’ll tell you what the science says. https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/keep-groceries-food-safe-in-hot-car/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 August 2025

UPGRADE TO SYSK PREMIUM! To unlock ad-free listening to over 1,000 episodes plus receive exclusive weekly bonus content, go to ⁠⁠ https://SYSKPremium.com⁠ People don’t drown the way you think they do. Someone could drown right in front of you, and you might not notice. It happens all the time. This episode begins by revealing what to look for to spot a drowning person. https://www.thehealthy.com/first-aid/silent-signs-of-drowning/#ixzz3dGUMjhU8 In the United States, we have an expectation of privacy. We are entitled to a private life. But it wasn’t always that way. The idea of privacy is a fairly recent innovation. For a long time, the feeling was you don’t need a private life – unless of course, you have something to hide. Are you entitled to a private life? Is your privacy being eroded by government and technology? Listen as I discuss the history of and future of personal privacy with Tiffany Jenkins. She is a cultural historian and author of the book Strangers and Intimates: The Rise and Fall of Private Life (https://amzn.to/4f2wxAs). Do you feel in control of your time? Do you get the things done that are important? Managing time is tricky and complicated. Things change, priorities get shuffled and there is always more to do. How do you get a handle on it all? Here with some great help is Risa Williams, a psychotherapist, speaker, and wellness coach who specializes in time management and goal setting. Risa is author of the book Get Stuff Done Without the Stress (https://amzn.to/4m5Iw2A) Do pick-up lines ever work on women? What’s the best thing to say if you meet someone you are interested in? What should you not say? As you might imagine, there is research on this which I share in this episode. https://www.businessinsider.com/9-facts-about-flirting-2015-6? PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 August 2025

UPGRADE TO SYSK PREMIUM! To unlock ad-free listening to over 1,000 episodes plus receive exclusive weekly bonus content, go to ⁠ https://SYSKPremium.com As people age, changes in the eyes require that some to get reading glasses to see things clearly close-up. What’s odd is that women seem to require reading glasses at an earlier age than men. Why? Listen as I reveal the interesting answer. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/06/120623144946.htm?utm_source=chatgpt.com We all want to get along and be liked but some people take it to the extreme. These are people pleasers. They worry about what other people think of them. If someone doesn’t return a phone call right away they fear that person is mad at them. If the boss offers criticism they worry they are going to be fired. You may be a people pleaser or know others who are. People pleasing is exhausting. Here with some insight and advice is Meg Josephson. She is a psychotherapist with a particular interest in this topic and she is the author of the book Are You Mad at Me?: How to Stop Focusing on What Others Think and Start Living for You (https://amzn.to/46dZjvR) Here is the link to Meg’s videos on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@megjosephson Social media and algorithms are impacting language in some ways you can’t imagine. While it is not unlike how other media (television, movies, books etc.) have altered language in the past, this is coming from a very different place for very different reasons. And the momentum seems to ramp up in middle schools. Here to explain this is Adam Aleksic, a linguist and content creator whose work has been mentioned in the New York Times, The Economist, and The Guardian. Adam is author a book called Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language (https://amzn.to/40Oc9gX) There are two theories on how to hang a roll of toilet paper. Some say the end should roll down the front while others say the end should roll down the back. Who is correct? Well, it depends. But I can tell you what the inventor of toilet paper had in mind. Listen and find out. https://www.digitaljournal.com/life/yes-there-is-a-correct-way-to-hang-toilet-paper/article/435790 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Whether you want to lose weight, grow thicker, fuller hair, or find relief for anxiety, Hers has you covered. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 4 August 2025

It might seem odd, but a lot of dogs get stolen in the United States. Like most other things, it’s all about money. This episode begins with an explanation and a warning about your pet. https://petkeen.com/dognapping-dog-theft-statistics/ Being sensitive is a good thing. Being told you are TOO sensitive is more of an insult. It is perceived as a weakness, as if there is something wrong and the way to fix it is to toughen up. That isn’t going to work according to Jenn Granneman. Yes, being sensitive can be difficult at times but it is also a superpower. Listen as Jenn champions those who are labeled “too sensitive” with research to support her beliefs. She also has some insight for those people who are not highly sensitive but have sensitive people in their lives. Jenn is author of the book Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World (https://amzn.to/456D3Qu). You probably don’t think about it but recorded sound plays a major role in your life. Music, podcasts, radio, movie and TV sound –it is all very important to us. From Thomas Edison’s first cylindrical recordings to today’s digital downloads and streaming, the history of recorded sound is a story worth hearing. And here to tell it is Jonathan Scott author of the book Into the Groove :The Story of Sound From Tin Foil to Vinyl (https://amzn.to/3Kh1d2Q). Even if it is only occasionally, there are still plenty of people who use paper checks to pay for things. If you are one of those people there is something you need to consider the next time you order new checks. https://www.idtheftcenter.org/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠ DELL: Upgrade your learning experience during Dell Technologies’ Back to School event with AI PCs starting at $749.99! Discover a smarter way to learn at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 August 2025

Your body temperature is about 98 degrees. So why does it feel so hot when you walk outside in 98-degree heat? Shouldn’t you feel just right? I’ll explain all this as I begin this episode. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/50080/why-do-we-feel-hot-temperatures-lower-our-body-temp We all know that stores and online retailers use strategies to influence how we shop and how much we buy. There are the obvious ways they do it and some subtle ways you may miss. Yet, when you understand these strategies, it can make you a better shopper and make you immune to their manipulation. Here to take us behind the scenes of the retail world is Kate Hardcastle. She has worked with iconic brands such as Disney and American Express and she is the author of the book The Science of Shopping: How Psychology and Innovation Create a Winning Retail Strategy (https://amzn.to/3TLXgrr). Life is full of setbacks. You get fired, you break up with the love of your life, you get sick… there are always setbacks. Yet, you often hear people say in hindsight, “It was the best thing to ever happen to me!” As horrible as setbacks feel when they happen, they can set you up for great success. Here to explain how is Amy Shoenthal She is a journalist, marketing executive and author of the book The Setback Cycle: How Defining Moments Can Move Us Forward (https://amzn.to/44SQAgo). Here is the link to Amy’s website: http://www.thesetbackcycle.com Every summer you hear stories of people being attacked by an alligator or a shark or a bear. Those stories are scary but how common are animal attacks on humans? How vigilant should we be? Listen as I reveal some interesting statistics on animal attacks that may just ease your mind. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/16/chart-the-animals-that-are-most-likely-to-kill-you-this-summer PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠ DELL: Upgrade your learning experience during Dell Technologies’ Back to School event with AI PCs starting at $749.99! Discover a smarter way to learn at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 2025

If you enjoy eating nuts – good for you! Nuts are healthy. But you might be surprised to hear just how healthy they are - and you don’t have to eat very many to get the benefits. This episode begins with a look at a fascinating study on nuts that has been going on for decades. https://www.herbazest.com/news/nut-consumption-may-prolong-life “It’s right on the tip of my tongue!” We have all had that experience of not being able to recall a word but feel like it is just out of reach. It’s different than simply not being able to recall something because you have forgotten it. This phenomenon is something people actually study and since it is something that has happened to you, I am sure you will find this fascinating. My guest is Anne Cleary, a professor of psychology at Colorado State University. Her research examines odd memory phenomena like déjà vu and these tip of the tongue experiences. She is author of a book called Tip of the Tongue States: Retrieval, Metacognition, and Experience (https://amzn.to/4eLbuST) Are you good at making conversation? Do you know how to assert yourself without being argumentative? Do you tend to talk too much when less would be better? Do you really listen to the other person or just wait for your chance to talk? Being good at conversation is a critical skill and one of the real experts at it is here to help. Jefferson Fisher is a lawyer and sought after speaker on the topic of verbal communication – and he is author of the bestselling book The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More (https://amzn.to/3IpnddR). There is a pretty good chance that you are watering your lawn too much and doing it incorrectly. At least that is according to Consumer Reports. Listen as I reveal their expert advice that will save you time and money and still give you a beautiful green lawn. https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/lawn-care/lawn-care-tips-to-get-yard-ready-for-summer-a2730228925/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠ DELL: Upgrade your learning experience during Dell Technologies’ Back to School event with AI PCs starting at $749.99! Discover a smarter way to learn at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 July 2025

Things can get dangerously hot in the summer. The interior of your car, the sidewalk, even your patio furniture can heat up in the summer sun and burn you. Listen as I reveal just how hot these things can get. https://www.rd.com/article/things-that-get-dangerously-hot/ You’ve likely noticed that some things are harder to learn than others and that some people learn faster than others. Are there ways to make learning easier and quicker for those of us who aren't rocket scientists? Yes, according to my guest Daniel Willingham. He is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of several books including Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (https://amzn.to/43Lkb8N). Listen as he explores the fascinating process of how we learn. People argue a lot. And it makes you wonder if it ever does any good. Does arguing actually accomplish something or does it leave people more upset and polarized than before? Perhaps there a better way to resolve problems without arguing. That is what my guest Linda Bloom specializes in. She and her husband Charlie are veteran marriage counselors and seminar leaders who have authored several books including An End to Arguing: 101 Valuable Lessons for All Relationships (https://amzn.to/3Y5J5yR). It's common advice that when you are mad, you should count to 10 before you say anything. That way, you give yourself a chance to calm down and not say something you later regret. Is that really a good strategy? Listen to hear some interesting research on the topic. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2168645/Angry-Counting-worst-thing–makes-furious.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠ DELL: Upgrade your learning experience during Dell Technologies’ Back to School event with AI PCs starting at $749.99! Discover a smarter way to learn at ⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 July 2025

Like a supermarket, major airports are laid out and configured to try to get you to spend money while you are there. Listen and discover how they do it and when you are most likely to open your wallet at an airport. https://www.neatorama.com/2015/06/11/12-Behind-the-Scenes-Secrets-of-Airports/ How many times have you used "therapy-speak" to descibe someone - words like toxic or narcissist or psychopath? It’s a handy and very descriptive way to talk about someone – but there are potential problems with doing it. Those words are often used by psychologists to describe serious conditions that most of us are not equipped to diagnose. And there are other bigger concerns which you will hear about from my guest, Isabelle Morley. She is a clinical psychologist, couples therapist and a contributing author to Psychology Today. She is also author of the book called They're Not Gaslighting You: Ditch the Therapy Speak and Stop Hunting for Red Flags in Every Relationship (https://amzn.to/40xjTUr) Fun and work are a bit like oil and water – at least in many workplaces. But maybe if work was more fun, people would do better work, stay at their jobs longer and improve the quality of their lives. So says my guest, Bree Groff. She is a leading expert in company culture and a senior advisor at the global consultancy SYPartners. Her clients have included leaders at Target, Pfizer, Microsoft, Calvin Klein, NBCUniversal, and Alphabet. Bree is author of the book Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously) (https://amzn.to/4kwSklg) Listen as she explores ways to incorporate more fun at work and why it is such a great idea. UPS drivers drive a lot. And you just might find that some of the strategies and hacks they use to navigate around town could be useful to you. Listen as I reveal some driving tips from UPS. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60556/18-secrets-ups-drivers PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠⁠ DELL: Upgrade your learning experience during Dell Technologies’ Back to School event with AI PCs starting at $749.99! Discover a smarter way to learn at ⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 July 2025

“Let me sleep on it.” That always seems like a good idea when a big decision has to be made. But is there true wisdom in that advice? This episode starts with the answer. https://www.newswise.com/articles/sleep-on-it-is-sound-science-based-advice# Ever feel like you are being watched? Ever walk into a room for something and forget why you did? Ever felt “in the zone” – like you could do no wrong? We all have these weird mental experiences but why? Do they serve a purpose? Here to reveal the explanation behind these and other similar things is Dr. Jen Martin. She is an award-winning educator from the University of Melbourne and author of the book Why Am I Like This?: The Science Behind Your Weirdest Thoughts and Habits (https://amzn.to/3C5wgdb) According to research, the average person will influence 80,000 people in their lifetime. That’s a lot of potential to do good. With simple acts and kind words you can do more for people than you can imagine - if you do it right. That’s according to my guest Tommy Spaulding. He is an author, speaker and former CEO of Up With People. He is also author of the book The Gift Of Influence: Creating Life-Changing and Lasting Impact in Your Everyday Interactions (https://amzn.to/3e0FXSl). Listen as Tommy tells inspiring personal stories that will motivate you to make a difference in someone’s life. What’s one phrase that a good negotiator will never use? Listen and as I reveal that phrase you want to avoid because it could come back to bite you. Source: Jim Thomas author of Negotiate To Win (https://amzn.to/3V0G4h4). PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠⁠ DELL: Upgrade your learning experience during Dell Technologies’ Back to School event with AI PCs starting at $749.99! Discover a smarter way to learn at ⁠⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2025

Why is it that people seem to come up with good ideas in the shower? Could there really be something special about the shower experience that generates great thoughts and simple solutions? This episode begins with some interesting research about the magic of the shower. https://www.headspace.com/articles/shower-epiphanies The strangest things can affect your health. For example, your birthday or if there is a parade or a 10K in your town. Even if there is EZ Pass on a highway somewhere near you can affect your health. It sounds odd and you may ask: How can that be? To answer that and explain all of this is my guest Anupam B. Jena. Bapu, as he is called, is a medical doctor, economist, Harvard professor and author of the book Random Acts of Medicine: The Hidden Forces That Sway Doctors, Impact Patients, and Shape Our Health (https://amzn.to/3Y54hF4). In our culture people take great pride in their work and career. A job can become part of our self-worth and identity. Is that a good thing? For some it is – but it is not true for everyone according to Simone Stolzoff. He is a journalist who has written for The Atlantic, WIRED and numerous other publications. He is also author of the book The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work (https://amzn.to/44MYZjI). Simone explains why seeking out the perfect job at the expense of other aspects of life can be trouble. Could brushing your teeth help you lose weight? Maybe. It’s apparently all about WHEN you brush them. Listen as I explain how good dental hygiene can reduce the size of your waistline. https://www.popsci.com/does-brushing-your-teeth-affect-your-appetite/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠ DELL: The Black Friday in July event from Dell Technologies is here. Upgrade for a limited-time only at ⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 July 2025

Shampoo, lotions, guns, knives and a lot of other things are confiscated at airport security checkpoints every day. What happens to all those things? Can you ever get them back? This episode starts by taking a look. https://www.rd.com/article/return-confiscated-items-tsa/ Even if you don’t believe in them, you probably participate in some superstitions. Maybe you knock on wood or avoid walking under a ladder or steer clear of black cats. Where do these superstitions come from? Why do they still exist since we know they don’t really do anything? Here to explain this is Arie Kaplan, who has written numerous books and graphic novels and is also a television writer. Arie is author of a book called The Encyclopedia of Curious Rituals and Superstitions: Ancient and Remarkable Traditions That Will Captivate Your Mind (https://amzn.to/44xpZ8m). It is the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride through Boston. While you likely learned something about it in school, there is much more to the story you probably don’t know. Not only was Paul Revere a skilled horseman, he was also a “self-taught” dentist, bell maker and an excellent silversmith and engraver. And there is much more to his legacy as you will hear from my guest Kostya Kennedy. He is a former senior writer and editor at Sports Illustrated and has written books about Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio and Pete Rose. He is also author of the book, The Ride: Paul Revere and the Night That Saved America (https://amzn.to/4klhtyY). What is the best way to construct a fire? There is one right answer whether you are building a campfire, a bonfire or stacking charcoal in your grill. What’s strange is – you instinctively know how to do it. Listen as I explain. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/461717 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠ DELL: The Black Friday in July event from Dell Technologies is here. Upgrade for a limited-time only at ⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2025

There is an experience some of us (but not all) are able to have called autonomous sensory meridian response or ASMR. It can be triggered by a soft monotonous voice explaining something as well as other triggers. Sounds weird, right? Listen as I explain how it works, why science doesn’t recognize it as a real thing but for many of us, it is a wonderful sensation, and I will tell you how to experience it. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/53220/listening-soft-voices-can-cause-brain-orgasms The YouTube video link mentioned is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHiKxytbCWk Difficult conversations are never fun, but they are necessary. Whether you are negotiating for a raise or having a tough conversation with your spouse or friend, there are ways to make these conversations go better for you and everyone involved. Here to offer some expertise on this is Ryan Dunlap a former police detective and hostage negotiator. He has been involved in a lot of high stakes negotiations in his career and he is author of the book How to Untie a Balloon: A Negotiator's Guide to Avoid Popping Under Pressure (https://amzn.to/3Ia2c72) What are the best practices for living a long and healthy life? There are many theories on this but here to discuss the science of longevity is John Tregoning who explains that living a long life may best be accomplished by living a good life. John is Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Imperial College London and has published over sixty academic papers. He is author of the book, Live Forever?: A Curious Scientist's Guide to Wellness, Ageing and Death (https://amzn.to/4kc9B2J). How do you write a good business email? Interestingly, there are some common mistakes people make that water down the message in business emails by making them sound more like personal emails. Listen as I reveal how to avoid that. https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/7-common-habits-that-kill-credibility.html#ixzz3c6aUXNnN PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠ DELL: The Black Friday in July event from Dell Technologies is here. Upgrade for a limited-time only at ⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2025

Not all that long ago, people felt paying bills by sending a check in the mail was the best way to do it. Today, it seems like a bad idea. In fact, banks and the post office are recommending against it. Listen as I reveal why. https://www.businessinsider.com/post-office-check-fraud-mailing-be-careful-usps-scam-2023-6 There are a lot of weird but true stories out there. And this episode offers you several of them!. For instance, how one U.S. President prevented his own assassination and how Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr’s unique drumming style is due to exorcisms. And, how the Los Angeles Dodgers paid someone to cosmically beam positive messages to players during games from 3000 miles away. And there’s more... These stories all come from my guest Dan Schreiber. Dan hosts a podcast called There is No Such Thing As a Fish (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-such-thing-as-a-fish/id840986946) and he is author of the book The Theory of Everything Else: A Voyage Into the World of the Weird (https://amzn.to/43eruph) How the very best athletes perform at their peak can teach us all something about life and how to do our best at what we do. Here to explain this is Sally Jenkins who has been a columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post for over twenty years. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 and in 2021 was named the winner of the Associated Press Red Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Sports Journalism. She is the author of 12 books including The Right Call: What Sport Teaches Us About Work and Life (https://amzn.to/44wtc6y). If you have been to Trader Joe’s, I’m sure you have noticed that the people who work there wear different colored Hawaiian shirts. Perhaps you have wondered what the different kind of Hawaiian shirts mean or why they are so friendly and why they keep ringing that bell? Listen as we peak behind the curtain at Trader Joe’s. https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-slang-terms-only-employees-know-2023-7?utm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠ DELL: The Black Friday in July event from Dell Technologies is here. Upgrade for a limited-time only at ⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 July 2025

While people may not point it out to you when you use the wrong word – they DO notice. This episode begins by setting the record straight on the right words to use that people commonly get wrong. For instance, when do you use take or bring, further or farther, ironic or coincidental and others? https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/misused-words-make-smart-people-look-dumb-dr-travis-bradberry/ For every person on earth, there are 1.4 billion bugs. We share the world with bugs, and we owe them our very existence. How can that be? Here with the explanation and some fascinating intel about all the bugs that surround you is Karyn Light-Gibson. She is an educator and author of the book, Bug Life: How Bees, Butterflies, and Other Insects Rule the World (https://amzn.to/40sTJlp) You’ve probably used an emoji in texts or social media posts. You add a smiley face or a balloon emoji to punctuate what you are saying. But there is much more to the emoji story than you ever knew. For example, the emoji you send in a text is not necessarily the emoji the recipient sees – which can alter the meaning completely. Here to reveal the fascinating story of the emoji is Keith Houston, author of the book Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji (https://amzn.to/3Gg4r82). How you handle and prepare food can impact how healthy those foods are – for better or worse. Listen as I reveal how strawberries, garlic and yogurt can be made healthier with just a little effort. https://www.cnn.com/2015/05/25/health/eating-foods-wrong/index.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at ⁠https://forhers.com/something⁠ DELL: The Black Friday in July event from Dell Technologies is here. Upgrade for a limited-time only at ⁠https://Dell.com/deals⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 2025

Having good friends can help you live longer, see the world more positively and make you look more attractive. How can that be? Listen as I explain. https://www.thehealthy.com/family/relationships/friends-facts/ We are learning more and more about the healing power of music. You already know music can help your mood or help you relax or give you motivation. But it also can help with depression, Parkinson’s disease, dementia and who knows what else? Why does listening to music and making music seem to have such positive effects? Joining me to reveal the latest research on this is Stefan Koelsch. He is a neuroscientist and music psychologist who has held positions at Harvard University and is currently a professor at the University of Bergen, Norway. Stefan is also author of the book, Good Vibrations: Unlocking the Healing Power of Music (https://amzn.to/44vkdoK). The adolescent years have a reputation of being difficult. For many teens it can be a time of rebellion, testing boundaries, pushing limits, risky behavior and emotional struggle. For others – not so much. So, what goes on in the adolescent brain that causes these things? Do teens typically “grow out of it?” How were your adolescent years? Is it different and more difficult to be a teen today? Here with some answers is Matt Richtel. He is a Pulitizer prize winning reporter for the New York Times who spent nearly two years reporting on the teenage mental-health crisis for the paper’s multipart series Inner Pandemic, and he is author of a book called How We Grow Up: Understanding Adolescence (https://amzn.to/4kcS22F). Food can taste different depending on the environment. For example, the lighting, the music and other factors can influence what you think you are tasting and enjoying. Listen as I reveal what makes food taste great and not so great. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3105122/Oxford-professor-s-astonishing-tips-make-food-taste-better.ht PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! SHOPIFY: Shopify is the commerce platform for millions of businesses around the world! To start selling today, sign up for your $1 per month trial at https://Shopify.com/sysk QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! HERS: Hers is transforming women’s healthcare by providing access to affordable weight loss treatment plans, delivered straight to your door, if prescribed. Start your initial free online visit today at https://forhers.com/something DELL: The Black Friday in July event from Dell Technologies is here. Upgrade for a limited-time only at https://Dell.com/deals Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2025

Why do people seem to get sick when (or just after) they fly? Many believe it is the recirculated air on the plane that everyone is breathing. That is probably not the reason. This episode starts by explaining what the real culprit is and how to protect yourself. https://www.rd.com/article/recirculated-air-on-airplanes/ It is amazing how often we miscommunicate with other people. It happens when we speak, or send a text or email, on the phone – it happens all the time. The trouble is that what we think we are saying is not necessarily what people are hearing. And that causes problems. Here to explain how this typically happens and how to prevent miscommunication is Roger Kreuz, an associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Memphis and a professor in the university’s psychology department. He is also author of the book Failure to Communicate: Why We Misunderstand What We Hear, Read, and See (https://amzn.to/44lnHaE) You probably don’t think much about the chemicals in your clothes, but they are there. They are applied to clothes to make them anti-wrinkle, anti-odor, stain resistant and a bunch of other reasons. The problem is that those chemicals aren’t all that effective and they can be harmful. Joining me to explain why you haven’t heard much about this and why you need to know it is Alden Wicker. She is an award-winning journalist and author of the book To Dye For How Toxic Fashion is Making us Sick (https://amzn.to/3pt4Vzj). Food cravings are a real thing. And it’s not just pregnant women who get them. One interesting way to curb cravings is with pickles. Listen as I explain how. http://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-some-pregnant-women-crave-pickles-and-ice-cream.htm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 July 2025

Who hasn’t had a brilliant idea or revelation while taking a shower? It seems the shower is a place where we do some of our best thinking. Why is that? This episode starts with an explanation. https://www.headspace.com/articles/shower-epiphanies What is love? Is it an experience, or an emotion or something else? According to Anna Machin, an evolutionary anthropologist at Oxford University, love is a human need that is as important as food, sleep or water. Listen to our discussion and you will realize how important having love in your life is and how it impacts your health and longevity. Anna is the author of the book Why We Love: The New Science Behind Our Closest Relationships (https://amzn.to/3SzC8mp). Death is a hard subject for many of us to discuss. Yet, it is hard not to be curious about it because it affects us all – when we lose someone or when ultimately we must face it ourselves. However, it is not a tough topic for Caitlin Doughty to discuss. Caitlin is a mortician, funeral home owner and bestselling author and she talks about death in a much lighter and interesting way. Listen as she joins me to discuss some of the fascinating things about death such as: What happens if the person next to you on an airplane dies? What is embalming? Is it true that hair and fingernails continue to grow after death? Can you keep your father’s skull after he dies? Caitlin is the author of Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? (https://amzn.to/3SArg7C). Your refrigerator likely has a drawer for produce. And that turns out to be a lousy place to keep it. As you have no doubt experienced, the produce drawer is where a lot of food goes to rot and die. There is a better place to keep produce so it actually gets eaten. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120430140027.htm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 July 2025

Everyone is bound to make a typo in an email. What’s interesting though is the reader will often see that typo and alter the way they interpret your message – sometimes in a good way, sometimes in a bad way. Listen to discover how this works. https://www.businessinsider.com/typos-in-emails-2015-5 The science of weather forecasting has come a long way in the last few decades. Interestingly, forecasters are not only improving their accuracy but also how they communicate the information to you and me. With more and more extreme weather (hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, high winds/fires etc.), this becomes more important for everyone. Here to explain how and why is Thomas Weber, former executive editor of TIME who has taught journalism and publishing at Columbia University, New York University and Princeton. He is author of the book Cloud Warriors: Deadly Storms, Climate Chaos―and the Pioneers Creating a Revolution in Weather Forecasting (https://amzn.to/4edBLsY). While we are all human, there are interesting differences between us. Some of those differences, such as height, weight, skin color, even the size of your spleen, are dictated by where you live and where your ancestors came from. Listen as I discuss these amazing ways the human body adapts to its environment with Herman Pontzer. He is a professor of evolutionary anthropology and global health at Duke University whose work has been reported in the New York Times, the BBC, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Scientific American. He is author of the book Adaptable: How Your Unique Body Really Works and Why Our Biology Unites Us (https://amzn.to/4nucZsX). If you are keeping a secret right now (even if it is a good secret), it could be a bigger burden on you than you imagine. Listen as I explain why and offer a suggestion on what to do with that secret. https://now.tufts.edu/2012/06/12/how-burdensome-are-secrets Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2025

How do spiders find their way into your house? This episode starts by revealing how it happens and some ways to make your home less appealing to spiders, so they stay outside. https://www.prevention.com/life/a32332424/how-to-get-rid-of-spiders/ Unless you are some sort of grouch, you probably laugh at something almost every day. Have you ever thought about what makes something funny? Do humor and laughter influence you in some way? Is it true that laughter is the best medicine? Why do we seek out comedy in movies, TV shows or in clubs? Researchers have studied the role humor and laughter play in our lives and what they find is fascinating. Here for a discussion on this is Caleb Warren, an assistant professor at the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona, former assistant professor at Texas A&M University. He is the lead author of a study titled, What Makes Things Funny (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1088868320961909). It's interesting that water is everywhere, yet it is a precious resource. Without water, we wouldn’t be here. The amount of water on earth remains constant but the population has grown so much that it puts a strain on the water supply. Extreme weather, pollution and contamination are also threats. So, why can’t we take the salt out of ocean water and solve all the water problems forever? And what about the water you drink? Is tap water safe or should you drink bottled water? Here to discuss all this is Peter Gleick ,co-founder, president-emeritus, and Senior Fellow of the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development, Environment, and Security in Oakland, California and author of the book The Three Ages of Water: Prehistoric Past, Imperiled Present, and a Hope for the Future (https://amzn.to/431foQo). People debate the question of when is the best time to exercise – morning, afternoon or evening? Before you can answer that, there are factors you must consider like the type of exercise and the kind of person you are. Listen as I explain it. https://www.livestrong.com/article/447879-morning-vs-evening-cardio/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat, perfect for your summer lifestyle! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2025

People sometimes cheat on their partner. Not everyone – but some do. This episode begins with some insight into one big reason that causes infidelity in a marriage or relationship. https://www.thoughtco.com/why-people-cheat-on-their-partners-3026688 We are surrounded by information on every topic you can imagine. The problem is that if you want to learn how to do something, you could spend an eternity learning and never get to the doing – because there is always more to learn. The solution to this is to learn less according to Pat Flynn. He is a leading serial entrepreneurs, online marketer and podcaster who has mastered the art of "lean learning" – to learn just enough. Pat joins me to explain how it works. Pat is author of the book Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less (https://amzn.to/4jTHGol) and host of the podcast Smart Passive Income (https://www.smartpassiveincome.com/spi/). The world of economics may sound a bit academic but your whole life and the decisions you make are all about economics. And once you understand that, you can learn how things like game theory, uncertainty, overthinking and other economic principles can help you navigate life. Here to explain how to do that is Daryl Fairweather. She is chief economist at Redfin, where she analyzes US housing markets and consumer behavior as well as a member of the academic advisory council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and a former senior economist at Amazon. Daryl is author of the book, Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work (https://amzn.to/3ZyDbs0). Some people prefer to go barefoot – particularly in the summer. But there is a belief that it is illegal to go barefoot in certain public places or even to drive a car barefoot. Is it? Listen and discover the legal truth about going barefoot. http://www.thebarefootalliance.org/lawsregulations/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat, perfect for your summer lifestyle! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 June 2025

Summer brings ice cream, popsicles and other frozen treats – all of which can cause painful brain freeze. Why does that happen, and can you stop it? Listen as I explain what brain freeze is and a really good remedy for it. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-freeze-why-does-ice-cream-give-you-headaches/ To make changes in your thoughts, personality and behavior takes a lot of work over a long period of time. Well, maybe for some things. However, there are some quick and simple strategies to tackle some more common psychological problems. Here to explain many of them is Richard Wiseman. He is a professor of psychology and the autor of several books including, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change A Lot (https://amzn.to/4jWvNh7) You spend a lot of your time living in your imagination. Daydreaming, mind wandering, reminiscing, anticipating – all happen in your imagination and those things can take up to half of your day. Joining me to take a look into how your imagination works is Adam Zeman. He is Honorary Fellow, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and author of the book The Shape of Things Unseen: A New Science of Imagination (https://amzn.to/3Tfu3VH) Are you absolutely sure your car is not currently under a recall? Surprisingly many people don’t take their cars in for recall repairs. Consequently, many cars on the road are under a recall and the driver has no idea. Listen and I will tell you how to find out if your car is currently under a recall. And it will take less than a minute. https://www.autoblog.com/maintenance/consumers-dont-care-about-recalls Here is the website I mention in the story: www.SaferCar.gov Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2025

Being sure to get enough sleep is one of the suggestions for people trying to lose or control their body weight. What’s the connection? How does sleep affect weight loss? This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.webmd.com/obesity/features/cant-shed-those-pounds The English language is full of weird little phrases like: “Cut to the chase.” “Made from scratch.” Close but no cigar.” Where do these strange sayings come from? That’s just one of the topics about our language I discuss with Erin McCarthy, VP/Editor-in-Chief of MentalFloss.com and author of the book Mental Floss: The Curious Compendium of Wonderful Words (https://amzn.to/443Ihfz). In our discussion she also discusses words people hate the most – but use anyway, and she tells the story of how McDonalds (the burger place) went to war with the dictionary. Ever wonder what you will be like in the future? How will you be different 10 years or 20 years from now? To help you understand who your future self will likely be and what you can do now that will help your future self later is Hal Hershfield. He is professor of marketing, behavioral decision making and psychology at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and author of the book Your Future Self: How to Make Tomorrow Better Today (https://amzn.to/42Y2G4V) Honey has been used for centuries to treat burns and wounds. Is it effective for that? Well, it turns out to be more complicated than you might think. I’ll explain why. https://www.uclahealth.org/news/medical-grade-honey-is-viable-tool-in-wound-care# Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 21 June 2025

It makes sense that if you want to cut down on the amount of spam email you get, just unsubscribe from those emails. WAIT! That could make things worse. There is a better way to handle spam emails, and I begin this episode by explaining how. https://www.yahoo.com/news/warning-hitting-unsubscribe-unwanted-emails-115900557.html Predicting the future is a losing game most of the time. Still, a lot of influential people spend a lot of time and money trying to do it. People forecast where the stock market is going, they predict trends in fashion, technology and everything else. It makes you wonder if all that effort and money trying to predict the future actually helps to make it happen. So why is the future so unpredictable? What forces do shape the future? Joining me to discuss this is Glenn Adamson, former director of the Museum of Arts and Design, New York. He has held appointments as Senior Scholar at the Yale Center for British Art and he is the author of the book, A Century of Tomorrows: How Imagining the Future Shapes the Present (https://amzn.to/442HOfb). People have been floating the idea of a 4-day workweek for over 60 years. Yet it is still not the norm. Why hasn’t it caught on? Is it a good idea? Will it ever be a real thing? Here with some interesting insight into the 4-day workweek is Juliet Schor. She is an economist, and professor of sociology at Boston College. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, People and 60 Minutes. She is also the author of a book called Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter (https://amzn.to/4jQSvr0). There are a lot of weight loss programs and strategies available for people. But what if there was one simple, common sense, easy to do tactic that is proven to help people lose weight effectively? There is. It so simple. And I will tell you exactly how to do it. https://www.ornish.com/zine/proven-benefits-keeping-food-journal/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 June 2025

Can drinking tea make you happy – or do happy people just like to drink tea? There is definitely a connection between tea and mental health, and this episode begins with an explanation. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25657295/ Artificial Intelligence is either the next big thing that will transform our lives or the worst thing ever that will curse humanity. So, what is the truth? Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Gary Rivlan has taken a hard look at AI and joins me to discuss the good and the bad and reveals how AI will affect us all. Gary has been writing about technology since the mid-1990s, he is author of 9 books and his latest is called AI Valley: Microsoft, Google, and the Trillion-Dollar Race to Cash In on Artificial Intelligence (https://amzn.to/4dXcfIl). You have likely noticed that the world is pretty noisy. The big concern is that noise has a big impact on our health. It’s not just hearing loss that is the problem. Noise is connected to heart disease, premature death and other health issues that we all need to be aware of. Here to explain how noise affects you and what we can all do about it is Chris Berdik. He is a journalist who has investigated the dangers of noise in our world and he is the author of a book called Clamor: How Noise Took Over the World - and How We Can Take It Back (https://amzn.to/45cyYhe). There is something that women can do with their voice that can make them seem more attractive to men. What’s interesting is that if men try to do it, it has the opposite effect. Listen as I explain what that is. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140411153320.htm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2025

Where is the best place to take a nap? Anyone who has napped in a hammock knows how great it can be. This episode begins by explaining why naps are better in a hammock and why your next nap should be in one. https://www.livescience.com/14680-hammock-rocking-improves-sleep.html It can be hard to say no. After all, you don’t want to let people down or have them think you are not a team player. But think about all the times you have said yes and wish you hadn’t. If you find saying no to be hard, you will be interested in some interesting research that says HOW you do it is what really matters. You can say no to almost anybody and people will generally accept it. Here to explain how you can say no and feel good about it is Professor Vanessa Patrick from the University of Houston and author of the book The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No That Puts You in Charge of Your Life (https://amzn.to/3MUs6KE). There is a lot of emphasis today on finding happiness. Yet about 40% of people say they are unhappy. Perhaps chasing happiness is the wrong goal. After all, no one is happy all the time. Happiness comes and goes. Maybe instead of a happy life we should be seeking a life of satisfaction. Here to reveal the important distinction between happiness and satisfaction and why a satisfied life is a better goal is Dr Jennifer Guttman. She is psychologist in private practice and author of the book Beyond Happiness: The 6 Secrets of Life Satisfaction (https://amzn.to/43mzyoB). We all know that maintaining eye contact is important when talking with someone. Listen as I discuss how one simple eye contact technique triggers just the right hormones that will make you more intriguing to the person you are looking at. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26704066 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat, perfect for your summer lifestyle! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 14 June 2025

A lot of things impact an employer’s decision to hire you or not. But one thing you may not have considered is where you fall in the order of interviewees. Listen as I explain why you want to be the fourth person interviewed. ⁠https://finance.yahoo.com/news/why-always-fourth-during-round-191931348.html⁠ Why did you turn out the way you did? Was it because of your parents, your siblings, your environment or all the above? What about birth order - does that really influence the direction your life takes? What do parents of successful kids tend to do more than other parents? All these questions and more are answered in my discussion with Susan Dominus. She has looked at the research on this and found that a lot of what we believe about how kids turn out is wrong. Susan is a writer for the New York Times and author of a book called ⁠The Family Dynamic: A Journey into the Mystery of Sibling Success (https://amzn.to/3ZgfK6z).⁠ Did you know that compared to many other species, humans have a high rate of genetic diseases. Wouldn’t you think by now that evolution and "survival of the fittest" would’ve weeded those out? What science has recently discovered, about DNA and genetics is astonishing and is helping us understand how genetics work, how diseases are passed on, how genes can mutate and make us sick, why we have such a high rate of genetic diseases and how we may soon be able to fix or prevent some of it. Joining me to discuss this is Lawrence Hurst. He is a professor of evolutionary genetics at the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and author of the book, ⁠T⁠he Evolution of Imperfection: The Science of Why We Aren’t and Can’t Be Perfect (https://amzn.to/3ZgOjJS)⁠⁠ There are things in your kitchen you need to get rid of. Over time we bring things into the kitchen that we never need, never use that take up a lot of valuable space. Listen as I offer some suggestions on what you can get rid of right now with no regret whatsoever. ⁠⁠https://www.delish.com/food/a63527523/6-things-you-should-never-keep-on-your-kitchen-counter-according-to-organizational-experts/⁠ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat, perfect for your summer lifestyle! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠⁠⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 June 2025

We are sharing a bonus episode of the Superhero Leadership podcast, hosted by Marvel's former CEO and legendary turnaround expert, Peter Cuneo. Each week, Peter is joined by top performers from business, media, and beyond, leaders who have mastered the art of impact, resilience, and vision. Together, they explore Peter’s 32 leadership essentials, revealing what it really takes to rise, inspire, and lead with purpose. In this episode, Jon Harris, CEO of AthLife, explores how leaders create lasting impact by empowering others, fostering empathy, and embracing lifelong learning. From his journey as DePaul basketball captain to building programs that support athlete development off the field, Harris shares insights on creating a service-driven culture, learning from failure, and making space for others to lead— on the court, in business, and beyond. Listen to more Superhero Leadership episodes at https://link.mgln.ai/sysk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 June 2025

The next time you or your kids get a shot at the doctor’s office or face anything that you know is going to be painful, there is a little trick you can use that should reduce the pain substantially. Listen as I explain what it is. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27514-hold-your-breath-to-dampen-the-pain-of-an-injection/#.VVTKyZO_Heb What is it about persuasive people? They just have that “something” that makes us want to listen, to be around them, and in many cases, do what they ask. Why are some people more persuasive than others? What strategies can we all use to be more influential and persuasive. Here to offer some great insight into the workings of persuasion is Abbie Maroño. She is a scientist and a practitioner in the field of human behavior and is recognized by the US Department of State as being in the top 1% of behavior analysis experts. She has delivered specialized behavioral analysis training to the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement agencies. She is author of the book The Upper Hand: Mastering Persuasion and Getting What You Want with the Science of Social Engineering (https://amzn.to/4jwGF59) What feels good and is good for you? Simply being kind - altruism. The research is clear that acts of kindness not only benefit the receiver of the kindness, they benefit the giver in many surprising ways. Joining me to reveal just how good it is to be kind is Nicole Karlis. She is a health and science journalist whose work has been published in Salon, The New York Times, and Marie Claire and she is author of the book, ⁠Your Brain on Altruism: The Power of Connection and Community during Times of Crisis (https://amzn.to/4kv1iAb). As men age and get their “dad-bod” women tend to be forgiving. When women get heavier as they age, men are less forgiving. Why the double standard? Listen as I explain one theory as to why this is so. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19921539/why-women-accept-dad-bods/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat, perfect for your summer lifestyle! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2025

The next time you or your kids get a shot at the doctor’s office or face anything that you know is going to be painful, there is a little trick you can use that should reduce the pain substantially. Listen as I explain what it is. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27514-hold-your-breath-to-dampen-the-pain-of-an-injection/#.VVTKyZO_Heb What is it about persuasive people? They just have that “something” that makes us want to listen, to be around them, and in many cases, do what they ask. Why are some people more persuasive than others? What strategies can we all use to be more influential and persuasive. Here to offer some great insight into the workings of persuasion is Abbie Maroño. She is a scientist and a practitioner in the field of human behavior and is recognized by the US Department of State as being in the top 1% of behavior analysis experts. She has delivered specialized behavioral analysis training to the U.S. Secret Service, FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement agencies. She is author of the book The Upper Hand: Mastering Persuasion and Getting What You Want with the Science of Social Engineering (https://amzn.to/4jwGF59) Did you know that compared to many other species, humans have a high rate of genetic diseases. Wouldn’t you think by now that evolution and "survival of the fittest" would’ve weeded those out? What science has recently discovered, about DNA and genetics is astonishing and is helping us understand how genetics work, how diseases are passed on, how genes can mutate and make us sick, why we have such a high rate of genetic diseases and how we may soon be able to fix or prevent some of it. Joining me to discuss this is Lawrence Hurst. He is a professor of evolutionary genetics at the Milner Centre for Evolution at the University of Bath and author of the book, The Evolution of Imperfection: The Science of Why We Aren’t and Can’t Be Perfect (https://amzn.to/3ZgOjJS) There are things in your kitchen you need to get rid of. Over time we bring things into the kitchen that we never need, never use that take up a lot of valuable space. Listen as I offer some suggestions on what you can get rid of right now with no regret whatsoever. https://www.delish.com/food/a63527523/6-things-you-should-never-keep-on-your-kitchen-counter-according-to-organizational-experts/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Get your summer savings and shop premium wireless plans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Factor meals arrive fresh and ready to eat, perfect for your summer lifestyle! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Stick to the staples that last, with elevated essentials from Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2025

Are you keeping a secret? Everyone does - usually more than one. The problem with keeping secrets is that it is a burden that impacts your life in ways you may not realize. This episode begins with an explanation. ⁠⁠http://now.tufts.edu/articles/how-burdensome-are-secrets⁠⁠ The world of work has changed quite a bit in the last few years. Today, more people are not just looking for a paycheck or promotion, they are looking for meaning in what they do. Another big change is that many workers today have more than one job. People relate to their work and their employer differently than they used to. Bruce Feiler has been watching and researching these changing trends and joins me to discuss what these changes mean and what opportunities they create for all of us. Bruce is the author of six consecutive New York Times bestsellers including ⁠⁠The Search: Finding Meaningful Work in a Post-Career World (https://amzn.to/3OKgwUI)⁠⁠ It seems like just about everyone today has allergies. But it wasn’t always this way. How do we get allergies? Why do some people get them while others do not? While allergies and little more than a nuisance for some of us, they are a serious health problem for others. Here to discuss what everyone needs to know about allergies is Theresa MacPhail. She is a medical anthropologist, and associate professor of science and technology. She is also author of the book ⁠⁠Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World (https://amzn.to/43d9uwb)⁠⁠ You know that exercise is good for your health. But did you know it is also good for your sex life? Listen as I reveal how people who exercise regularly have a lot more fun in the bedroom and feel better about their own sex appeal. ⁠⁠https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/a776324/can-exercise-lead-to-a-better-sex-life/⁠⁠ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 7 June 2025

Ask anyone if they prefer fresh or frozen fish and almost everyone says – Fresh! But it turns out to be not so simple. A lot of fish you think is fresh may have been frozen at some point. This episode begins by unraveling this issue of fresh or frozen fish and which is better. https://www.thespruceeats.com/frozen-fish-better-than-fresh-fish-1300625 How do you solve a problem before it even becomes a problem? The perfect example is changing the oil in your car. You do that to prevent problems from happening later. And it turns out a lot of problems in life can be solved – or prevented - that way if we just change how we look at them. That’s according to Dan Heath author of the book Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen (https://amzn.to/3atB1Os). Listen as he reveals this way of preventing problems that everyone can put into practice. Our tendency is to add. When the government sees a problem, they add a new law. When there is a problem at work, management adds a new rule. We add. But what if a better solution is to subtract? Take away a law or a rule or remove an obstacle. We tend not to think that way, but we should according to my guest Leidy Klotz. Leidy is a professor of engineering and architecture at the University of Virginia and author of the book Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less (https://amzn.to/3olHXG5). If you have a sweet tooth you would like to tame – the solution just might be a pickle! Listen as I explain. http://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-some-pregnant-women-crave-pickles-and-ice-cream.htm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at⁠ https://Dell.com/ai-pc⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 June 2025

Zoom and other platforms have made virtual meetings very convenient and allow people in different locations to gather together in one place. Still, virtual meetings can be inefficient and can waste a lot of time if people aren’t aware of some common don’ts. This episode starts with a list of things not to do or say that can streamline those meetings. One thing that sets us apart from all other animals is our ability to speak and communicate with a complex language. So, we talk. We talk to each other, to ourselves and to no one in particular. The process of creating speech is complicated and it turns out it does more than just communicate our thoughts. there are a lot of benefits to talking out loud and to ourselves. We need to talk according to my guest Maryellen MacDonald. She is a cognitive scientist and professor of psychology and language sciences at the University of Wisconsin−Madison. She is also author of the book More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World (https://amzn.to/44VKNZ5). You often hear the term – “brainwashing” but what is it really? How does it work to get people to join a cult or believe some fringe theory that most people think is crazy? It’s interesting that we only think people have been brainwashed if what they believe differs from what we believe. Here to help us understand brainwashing is Rebecca Lemov. She is a historian of science at Harvard University and author of the book ok The Instability of Truth: Brainwashing, Mind Control, and Hyper-Persuasion (https://amzn.to/3Fw8Pzn). Price optimization. It’s a term that describes why you may be paying more for car insurance than you need to even if you’ve been a loyal customer to your existing car insurer. Listen and you could end up saving a lot of money. https://consumerfed.org/testimonial/consumer-federation-of-america-sends-letter-highlighting-opposition-to-price-optimization/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! CARAWAY: If you have been eyeing their internet famous 12 piece cookware set, now is the perfect time to buy! Enjoy fast, free shipping, easy returns, and a 30-day trial. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/SYSK you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase. Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: Introducing the new Dell AI PC . It’s not just an AI computer, it’s a computer built for AI to help do your busywork for you! Get a new Dell AI PC at https://Dell.com/ai-pc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2025

How does tickling work? You can’t tickle yourself. But if you are the ticklish type, you’ll start laughing if you know someone is about to tickle you even though they haven’t touched you yet. This episode begins with the weird ways tickling works. http://www.livescience.com/3882-tickle.html You know what is interesting about our 7-day week? It is totally artificial. In other words, the other ways we measure time - such as days, hours, months and years – those are based on the sun, the moon, the rotation of the earth and other things – but the week is just made up. Still, it seems to work very well. Imagine life without the week. Keeping a schedule would be extremely difficult. Here to discuss where the 7-day week came from and why it is so important is David Henkin, a professor of history at the University of California at Berkley and author of book The Week: A History of the Unnatural Rhythms That Made Us Who We Are (https://amzn.to/3InCDwl) There are a lot of cat lovers in the world. So, how did cats become household pets in the first place? They haven’t always been. In fact, having an indoor cat didn’t become a normal thing until the 1930s. There is an interesting story here and here to tell it is Jonathan B. Losos an evolutionary biologist at Washington University and author of the book The Cat’s Meow: How Cats Evolved from The Savanna to Your Sofa (https://amzn.to/41PpAe1). If you have valuables in your home, where do you put them, so a burglar won’t find them? Maybe in the freezer? In the closet? Well, you could but there’s a place burglars almost never look. Listen and I will tell you where that is. https://www.rd.com/list/where-do-burglars-look/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Wins⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 31 May 2025

It is hard to imagine how intricate and complicated your eyes are. This episode starts with a look at some of the amazing things your eyes do and how they work to allow you to see the world. https://www.buzzfeed.com/acuvue/impossibly-cool-facts-you-may-not-know-about-yo#.kjpwxlkvO Anxiety is a huge problem. It appears more people are more anxious today than ever before. Why is that? What causes anxiety in the first place and more importantly, what can you do to lower your anxiety? Here with some wonderful insight into all of this as well as offering very practical suggestions to reduce anxiety is Martha Beck. She is a Harvard-trained sociologist and speaker who is the author of a book called Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose (https://amzn.to/4dyqWRV) For decades, science fiction has given us various versions of talking computers. And today we have Alexa and Siri that utilize pretty cool technology that allows you to speak a question and hear an answer back. But talking machines go back a long time and their history is fascinating. And what is the future of talking computers and machines? Have they reached their potential or is there more to come? Listen to my guest Sarah A. Bell. She is a writer and professor who studies the impact of information technologies on the world. She is author of the book, Vox ex Machina: A Cultural History of Talking Machines (https://amzn.to/4k8FfyU) We all know the importance of frequent handwashing. Still there are a few things many of us unknowingly get wrong that can put us at risk of catching or spreading germs. Listen as I explain what they are. https://www.foxnews.com/health/biggest-handwashing-mistakes-could-increase-germs-viruses PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Wins⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 29 May 2025

Is it healthier to be short or tall? Not that you can do much about it – but this episode begins by exploring some interesting health differences between the tall and the short. https://www.bbc.com/news/health-32117018 All of us have had the urge to get revenge on someone for something they did to us. Seeking revenge is a very powerful feeling that many people cannot control. Yet, more often than not, getting revenge is not that satisfying and you often end up regretting it - road rage being the perfect example. James Kimmel, Jr. joins me to help us understand why feelings of revenge are hard to tame and what you can do when you feel revenge to de-escalate the situation. James is a lecturer in psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine, a lawyer, and the founder and co-director of the Yale Collaborative for Motive Control Studies. He is author of a book called The Science of Revenge: Understanding the World's Deadliest Addiction--and How to Overcome It (https://amzn.to/3SPx8v2). Fear of snakes is very common. Lots of people hate them - but the fact is they are fascinating creatures which have adapted to survive everywhere on earth (except one place). There are snakes that lay eggs and snakes who have live births. There are snakes that eat every day and snakes that eat only once a year. And just how dangerous are they? That depends. Listen as I talk with Stephen S. Hall, a science writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, Wired, Science, and more. He is author of the book Slither: How Nature’s Most Maligned Creatures Illuminate Our World (https://amzn.to/44OPyne). People like to put their best foot forward on social media and often they will brag about a promotion or romance or post a photo of their new car or boat. But how is that actually received by the people who see it? Listen as I reveal what people think about this sort of “humble bragging.” https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/05/150512104037.htm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Wins⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2025

It is hard to imagine life without sunglasses. So, who came up with the idea – and when? We begin this episode by going way back to the very first pair of sunglasses and I’ll reveal how our modern-day sunglasses came about not all that long ago. ago. http://www.glasseshistory.com/glasses-history/history-of-sunglasses/ We have all felt that sense of wonder. It’s that feeling you get when you first see the Grand Canyon or an incredible sunset or the stars above against a really dark sky. Sadly, we often lose our sense of wonder as we get older. Still, your sense of wonder is worth holding on to and developing further, according to Monica Parker. She has spent many years helping people discover how to lead lives full of wonder. Monica is author of the book The Power of Wonder (https://amzn.to/3I5F5Y4). Listen as she explains the amazing benefits of finding wonder in your world. What is money and how does it work? It may seem like a simple question yet, there is a lot of misunderstanding about it. One example is that some people worry about the federal government running out of money. What if the government can’t pay its bills? Well, that can’t happen according to L. Randall Wray, a professor of Economics at Bard College, Senior Scholar at the Levy Economics Institute and author of Money for Beginners: An Illustrated Guide (https://amzn.to/42BuPPG). Listen as he discusses how money works, how it has changed and what the future of money is. Some people claim they can get by on 4 or 5 hours of sleep? Really? What happens when people who sleep very little are tested against people who get a good night’s sleep? Listen as I explain what happens to people who try to perform on very little sleep. https://www.restoringhealth.center/how-many-hours-of-sleep-do-you-actually-need PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at ⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Wins⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 24 May 2025

Do happy couples have more sex or does having more sex make couples happy? This episode begins with some surprising insight into that question. https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2015/may/more-sex-does-not-lead-to-happiness.html There is something about board games. Chess, checkers, backgammon, Monopoly, Parcheesi – we like to play board games. What’s fascinating is people all over the world love board games and have for centuries. Why is there this universal appeal? What do these games do for us? Here to offer up the answers and explanations is Tim Clare, an award winning writer and author of the book Across the Board: How Games Make Us Human (https://amzn.to/4kmAZvo). Everyone knows exercise is important. Still, a lot of people shy away from it. What is it that turns some people off while other people truly enjoy it? Is there a way to motivate people to exercise more beyond just telling them, “Exercise is good for you”? Can people who hate exercise learn to love it? How much exercise is enough to make a difference? Here to explore all of this is Katy Bowman who is the author of 11 books and a frequent speaker on the topic of movement and exercise. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, and Good Housekeeping and she has been on The Joe Rogan Experience, The Today Show and now she is here. Her latest book is I Know I Should Exercise, But...: 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them (https://amzn.to/4dmWdHs). Do you have a calling? A passion? Not everyone does – or at least not everyone knows what it is. Listen as I reveal some questions you can ask yourself that might help you uncover what you are really called to do with your life. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/passion/201505/6-signs-that-a-passion-or-calling-is-true PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at ⁠⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Wins⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 22 May 2025

People prefer to pay for things with plastic more than cash today. While it is convenient, it creates a problem that is likely costing you quite a bit of money. This episode begins by explaining the problem and how to solve it. https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/software/people-twice-likely-spend-using-card-than-cash/ So many English words are pronounced nothing like they are spelled. Cough, salmon, laugh, doubt, and calf are just a few examples and I am sure you can come up with more. Why is this? Why can’t the spelling of words match the pronunciation? Well, that’s an interesting question with multiple answers. It’s not that people haven’t tried to fix this problem. Joining me to explain why English spelling is so bizarre is Gabe Henry who is author of the book, Enough Is Enuf: Our Failed Attempts to Make English Easier to Spell (https://amzn.to/3GP36VT) It’s mind boggling to think about the infrastructure of a city - all the systems that must work for that city to function. There is water, waste, electricity, transportation, communications and more. How does it all work? Here with some insight is Sybil Derrible, a professor of urban engineering and director of the Complex and Sustainable Urban Networks Laboratory at the University of Illinois Chicago. He is author of the book, The Infrastructure Book: How Cities Work and Power Our Lives (https://amzn.to/3Fb6utx). There is a stigma about doing things alone. Many of us would feel uncomfortable going to a restaurant or the movies by ourselves. While the thought of it might feel odd, it could actually be quite pleasurable – at least that is what some interesting research says. Listen as I explain https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/05/the-unexpected-pleasure-of-doing-things-alone/392486/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ROCKET MONEY: Cancel your unwanted subscriptions and reach your financial goals faster! Go to ⁠https://RocketMoney.com/SOMETHING⁠ QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! DELL: The power of Dell AI with Intel inside is transforming the world of pro sports! For the players and the fans who are there for every game. See how Dell Technologies with Intel inside can help find your advantage, and power your wins at ⁠⁠https://Dell.com/Wins⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2025

Drinking water is what keeps you from becoming dehydrated. What you may not know is that there are other factors that can speed up your dehydration that may require you drink even more water than you think. This episode begins by explaining what causes this to happen even when you think you are taking in plenty of water. https://www.eatingwell.com/article/8034255/sneaky-reasons-youre-dehydrated-nothing-to-do-with-water/ Have you ever felt stuck? May you've felt stuck in a job or a relationship or maybe you are stuck trying to come up with a new idea. Sooner or later, we all feel stuck. Luckily, for over 20 years, Adam Alter has studied “stuckness” to help people understand how and why it happens and most importantly how to get unstuck. Adam is a professor of marketing at New York University’s Stern School of Business. He also holds an affiliated professorship in social psychology at NYU’s psychology department and he is author of the book Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most (https://amzn.to/3O2uH7d). We've all heard the advice that to live a long and healthy life you should eat right, exercise, get enough sleep, reduce stress, etc. The problem is that as advice goes – it is pretty vague. Good thing my guest is here. Peter Atia, MD. Peter serves on the editorial board for the journal Aging. He is the host of the podcast, “The Drive”, (https://peterattiamd.com/podcast/ ) which covers topics such as health, medicine, and longevity. He is also the author of a monster best-selling book called Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (https://amzn.to/3VTaWBa). Don’t you hate it when someone on a car trip says, “I feel carsick”? There are a lot of ideas on the best way to deal with car sickness but not all of them are effective. Listen as I explain what really works to help prevent motion sickness and alleviate the symptoms once someone starts to get that horrible nauseous feeling. https://www.ahchealthenews.com/2016/05/13/tips-preventing-treating-motion-sickness/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! CARAWAY: Get 10% off your next purchase, at ⁠⁠https://Carawayhome.com/SYSK⁠⁠ or use code SYSK at checkout. Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 17 May 2025

A lot of people drink coffee in the morning to kickstart the day. Interestingly, how you drink it (when, how many cups, length of time between cups, etc.) influences the kick that you get. This episode begins by explaining the best way to consume your morning brew for maximum benefit. https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a15327/coffee-most-caffeine/ I’m sure you’ve had a gut feeling about something. You didn’t have to think about it – you just knew! That is your intuition at work. But what is it? Is intuition just a knee jerk reaction to something or is it something more – perhaps some deep inner wisdom? Is it reliable? Should you trust it? Joining me to talk about that is Elizabeth Greenwood. She is a writer whose work has appeared in the New York Times, The New Yorker, Esquire, and GQ, and she is author of a book called Everyday Intuition: What Psychology, Science, and Psychics Can Teach Us About Finding and Trusting Our Inner Voice (https://amzn.to/3H0TN4U). It is astonishing to contemplate all the things around you that have been manufactured. Everything you can see that is not a plant, an animal or dirt – someone manufactured it. That means a person designed it, got the materials, assembled it, packaged it up and shipped it. How does that happen? What is the process that keeps it all going? Here to discuss this is Tim Minnshall. He is an engineering academic who works at the University of Cambridge, and he is author of the book, How Things Are Made: A Journey Through the Hidden World of Manufacturing (https://amzn.to/43bsRHf). Why do cars break down? Surprisingly, they mostly break down for just one of a few reasons – which are often preventable. Listen as I reveal what those reasons are and how to prevent them from happening. https://roadsidesurvival.com/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! CARAWAY: Get 10% off your next purchase, at ⁠https://Carawayhome.com/SYSK⁠ or use code SYSK at checkout. Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 15 May 2025

It is so tempting. The gas pump clicks off indicating that your tank is full but there is that urge to squeeze out a few more drops. Should you? This episode begins by explaining what happens when you do that. ⁠https://cluballiance.aaa.com/the-extra-mile/advice/car/seo-should-you-really-top-off-your-gas-tank⁠ Apple is a huge company worth $3 trillion. It makes money from products (iPhone, computers, smart watch etc.) and services (App store, Apple Pay etc.). Most Apple products are made and assembled in China and the impact Apple has made in China is astonishing and a story you must hear. Here to tell it is Patrick McGee. He was the Financial Times’s principal Apple reporter from 2019 to 2023. Previously, he was a reporter at The Wall Street Journal and is now the author of the book ⁠Apple In China: The Capture of the World’s Greatest Company (https://amzn.to/4cXXwfC).⁠ We love to laugh. We seek it out. We go to comedy clubs and watch funny movies in order to laugh. Why do we do that? What is it about laughter that makes us feel so good? What makes something or someone funny? Joining me for an interesting discussion about this is Jesse David Fox, Senior Editor and comedy critic at Vulture. He also hosts a podcast called ⁠Good One (https://www.vulture.com/good-one)⁠ and he is author of the book, ⁠Comedy Book: How Comedy Conquered Culture―and the Magic That Makes It Work (https://amzn.to/4iIRnW5).⁠ All cancer is scary but pancreatic is particularly horrible because it often goes undetected until it is too late – and because no one really knows what causes it. Interestingly, there does seem to be a link between pancreatic cancer and sunlight. Listen as I explain. ⁠https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150430082151.htm⁠ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! CARAWAY: Get 10% off your next purchase, at ⁠https://Carawayhome.com/SYSK⁠ or use code SYSK at checkout. Caraway. Non-Toxic cookware made modern. MINT MOBILE: Ditch overpriced wireless and get 3 months of premium wireless service from Mint Mobile for 15 bucks a month at ⁠https://MintMobile.com/something⁠ ! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2025

If someone tells you how a book or movie ends - does it spoil the whole thing? Is it not worth watching or reading it? Or could knowing the ending first make the experience even better? Listen and find out. ⁠https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/spoiler-alert-spoilers-make-you-enjoy-stories-more⁠ You may not remember this but about 20 years ago, personal computers and other electronic devices came with big instruction manuals. Of course, now they don’t. We expect computers and just about everything else today to be user-friendly. Instructions should be minimal. This idea of “user-friendly” and the desire for a “positive user experience” is a fairly new thing that we can trace back to a point in time not very long ago. Cliff Kuang is a user experience designer and author of the book ⁠User Friendly: How the hidden rules of design are changing the way we live, work, and play (https://amzn.to/37T1Vi0).⁠ Listen as he explores the evolution from complicated to easy – which is just the way we like it. Should you bother trying to change someone’s mind? After all, we know arguing doesn’t work and neither does rational explanation. Perhaps it just isn’t worth the effort – we should just let people believe what they want to believe. Eleanor Gordon Smith has researched this topic and written a book about it called ⁠Stop Being Reasonable: How We Really Change Our Minds (https://amzn.to/2R9OxQQ). ⁠Listen as she explains her research on why changing someone’s mind is so difficult. In almost every workplace, some people complain that it is too hot while others say it is too cold. Regardless of your position on the subject, there is a way to feel comfortable no matter where the thermostat says. Listen to the explanation. is. ⁠https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/09/office-too-cold-shoes/502184 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! SHOPIFY:  Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠ and upgrade your selling today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 10 May 2025

Which side is your good side? You know, the side of your face you point toward the camera when someone takes your picture. We all have a good side. And I bet I know which one yours is. https://newsfeed.time.com/2012/04/24/which-side-is-your-good-side-here-comes-the-science/ You are exposed to a lot of music every day. Sometimes it is music you seek out and want to listen to as well as music that plays in the background – in stores, in elevators, in a doctor’s office. All that music affects your brain in interesting ways. Here to explain how is Sara Leila Sherman. She is a musician and educator, who studied and pioneered innovation in music as a tool for learning and personal growth. She is coauthor of the book Resonant Minds: The Transformative Power of Music, One Note at a Time (https://amzn.to/4jDM6Aq). Many prescription drugs do amazing things to help people. Still, there are frequent stories of drugs that go wrong. They either don’t work or they turn out to cause harm or even death. Isn’t the FDA supposed to make sure that doesn’t happen? How do bad drugs get approved? Is the process broken? Here to offer some great insight into this is Jerry Avorn, MD. Who is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. He created a leading research center at Harvard to study medication use, outcomes, costs, and policies and has written hundreds of papers that have appeared in medical literature as well as opinion pieces in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He is author of the book Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take (https://amzn.to/4lRlT2E) Many people look back fondly on the good old days. Were they really that good? For some, the past seems so much better than the present, and they love to reminisce fondly about a better and simpler time. Listen as I explain why the past looks so wonderful to many of us and just how good it really was. https://www.elephantjournal.com/2014/08/why-we-long-for-the-good-old-days-why-they-never-really-existed-marianne-stenger/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠⁠ right now! QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to ⁠https://Quince.com/sysk⁠ for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! SHOPIFY:  Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at⁠⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠⁠ and upgrade your selling today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 2025

Why is salmon pink? What is the shelf life of a Twinkie? What do almonds and peaches have in common? These are just a few of the fun food facts we cover to kick off this episode. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/food-facts_n_4788746 How many times would you guess the “Like” button is pressed by people every day around the world? You are about to find out and it is a lot! Where did the like button come from? Why is it so important? What does it do for the person who does the liking and for the person (or business) who gets your “like”? Listen to my guest Martin Reeves, who has explored the history of the like button and why it has become such a big part of our lives. Martin is chairman of the BCG Henderson Institute, a think tank for developing new business ideas and he is co-author of the book Like: The Button That Changed the World (https://amzn.to/4cTgCUn). What is going on right now in your body is astonishing. Things like tears and your breath and even mucus. It is all fascinating and worth understanding. (And I promise we do not get really gross!) Joining me for this discussion is Cutter Wood, who has thoroughly explored and researched this topic and written a book called Earthly Materials: Journeys Through Our Bodies' Emissions, Excretions, and Disintegrations (https://amzn.to/4lPEJHw) You have likely had the dilemma of owning a favorite pair of shoes that need to be repaired and the question is – do you fix them or just get a new pair? Listen as I reveal what the experts say that determines the answer to that question. https://www.businessinsider.com/should-i-repair-or-replace-my-shoes-2015-4 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!!! FACTOR: Eat smart with Factor! Get 50% off at ⁠https://FactorMeals.com/something50off⁠ TIMELINE: Get 10% off your order of Mitopure!  Go to ⁠https://Timeline.com/SOMETHING⁠ INDEED: Get a $75 sponsored job credit to get your jobs more visibility at ⁠https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING⁠ right now! QUINCE: Elevate your shopping with Quince! Go to https://Quince.com/sysk for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns! SHOPIFY:  Nobody does selling better than Shopify! Sign up for a $1 per-month trial period at⁠ https://Shopify.com/sysk⁠ and upgrade your selling today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2025

Are you one of the many people who enjoys a morning cup of coffee? If so, listen to the beginning of this episode which explains why you should smell your coffee when you drink it because it can help you think better and be more productive. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6881620/ In many urban areas, the number one use of land is for – parking. In fact, the United States has 4 parking spaces for every car. So, it makes you wonder then why it is so hard to find a parking spot when you need one. You are about to find out why from my guest Henry Grabar. He is a staff writer at Slate, and author of the book Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World (https://amzn.to/3RyHcbq). Listen and you will understand why parking is such a big deal. Microbes are those tiny organisms you can’t see without using a microscope. This includes things such as germs, bacteria, and fungi. Microbes have a reputation of being something dangerous – that can cause illness. While that is true for some microbes, most of them don’t cause harm and some are even good for you. This should come as good news since you have trillions of microbes on you and inside of you. Here to take us on a journey through the invisible world of microbes is Jake Robinson. He is a microbial ecologist and author of the book Invisible Friends: How Microbes Shape our Lives and the World Around Us (https://amzn.to/44pGRwR) Many people claim to have food allergies – that actually don’t have them. They just think they do. What they really have is a food intolerance and there is a big difference. Listen as I explain. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/food-allergy/expert-answers/food-allergy/faq-20058538 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 3 May 2025

Want to get someone to like you – or like you more? If so, there is a simple thing you can do that can work wonders to improve your likeability. This episode begins with this simple technique. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/let-their-words-do-the-talking/201608/people-will-you-if-you-make-them-laugh Why are we here? You must have thought about this question. I mean, here we are, intelligent creatures hurtling through the universe on this tiny little planet. Why? What’s the point of it all? What had to happen for us to be here? These are questions that science has struggled with but is now finding more and more insight into the real reasons we exist. Here to reveal what we do know is Tim Coulson, a professor of zoology at Oxford University whose teaching and research have earned him multiple awards. He is author of the book The Science of Why We Exist: A History of the Universe from the Big Bang to Consciousness (https://amzn.to/4jLgb0n). There is a growing type of relationship that doesn’t even have a proper name. It’s 2 people in a partnership and they are not romantically connected but they are more than friends. They are more than best friends. They often live together, are in each other’s wills, travel together and essentially live as partners. How do these partnerships begin? Who are the people in them? Why is this a growing arrangement? The first person to really look at this is my guest, Rhaina Cohen. She is an award-winning producer and editor for NPR’s documentary podcast, Embedded and her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Washington Post, The New Republic and elsewhere. She is author of the book The Other Significant Other (https://amzn.to/42unjsn). You probably have no idea what all is involved when you sneeze. It’s really quite something! And it involves a lot of different muscles to make it happen. Listen and you will learn things about why and how you sneeze and when you can and cannot sneeze. https://www.medicinenet.com/11_facts_about_sneezes_and_sneezing/article.htm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 1 May 2025

Kibosh, chicanery, affluent and Seuss (as in Dr. Seuss) are words a lot of people mispronounce. This episode begins with the correct pronunciation of these and other mispronounced words you may not be aware you are saying incorrectly. http://mentalfloss.com/article/32273/11-common-words-youre-probably-mispronouncing You (or someone you know) have most likely dropped your phone in the toilet, spilled coffee on your laptop or had some other electronic device suffer “death by liquid.” Our electronic devices are very much NOT water-proof. Why is that? That horrible feeling you get when you get your devices wet is a combination of guilt, panic and horror. Yet, it happens to almost everyone. Why can’t they make these devices more resistant to liquids? That is an interesting question which I explore with Rachel Plotnick. She is a historian and cultural theorist whose research and teaching focus on information, communication, and media technologies. She is also author of the book License to Spill: Where Dry Devices Meet Liquid Lives (https://amzn.to/3Ru1xyz). Stress kills! But it is also good for you. In fact, GOOD stress can actually counter the effects of the bad stress in your life. So, what is the difference between good and bad stress? And how can you make stress work for you? Here to explain all this and the science behind it, is Dr. Sharon Bergquist, MD. She is an award-winning physician and visionary researcher renowned for spearheading a science-based approach to applying lifestyle as medicine. She has a Ted-Ed video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-t1Z5-oPtU) about how stress affects you which has been viewed over 8 million times and she is author of the book The Stress Paradox: Why You Need Stress to Live Longer, Healthier, and Happier (https://amzn.to/43XOj4B). Most of us have some trouble remembering the names of people right after we meet them. It seems doing something with your eyes and making a few movements with your body can help you recall names according to some research. Listen and I’ll tell you how it works. https://www.livescience.com/1473-moving-eyes-improves-memory-study-suggests.html Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2025