Episodes

We’ve all heard the advice that when you buy new clothes you should wash them first before you wear them. But what’s the reason? Is it more of a “just to be safe” idea or is there a real concern? This episode begins with an explanation.https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2010/11/wash-and-then-wear-unwashed-clothes-may-have-formaldehyde/index.htm Understanding the science of weight loss has come a long way in just the past several years. It isn’t just, “eat fewer calories than you burn.” The...

We know that smiling is a universal human expression of happiness. Everyone smiles - in fact, even babies born blind smile. What is the purpose of smiling? So, what does smiling do for you? Why are we attracted to a person’s smile? Listen as I begin this episode with a brief look at smiling. https://www.livescience.com/5254-smiles-innate-learned.html We have all kinds of rituals. There are religious rituals, family rituals, holidays rituals, personal rituals – rituals are everywhere. By definiti...

You might think that a good way to get closer to someone is to do them a favor. Yes, that might work – but there is another technique that is even more effective and takes less effort. This episode starts with an easy way to bond you with someone you want to get to know better. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-initiative/201605/the-power-merely-requesting-favor Scams and identity theft are a constant threat– and the scammers keep getting better and better. So, it is critical to unders...

What would happen if you were walking by the Empire State Building right at the time someone dropped a penny, and it hit you on top of your head? Listen as this episode begins with the science behind this hypothetical experiment that reveals whether you would live or die. Source: Bill Sones author of Can A Guy Get Pregnant? https://amzn.to/3ZZbwkF What does it smell like on the moon? What would it feel like to walk on other planets? These are some of the questions we explore as we take an imagin...

Restaurants are crawling with germs. It’s not all the restaurant’s fault – where there are people, there are going to be germs. This episode begins with a look at the germiest things in restaurants that you may want to avoid touching or at least wipe down. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/germ-infested-areas-restaurants_n_2159281.html Christmas is chock full of customs. We travel home for the holidays, we wrap Christmas gifts, we eat Christmas foods, we sing Christmas songs, and the lis...

Listening to music with air pods or headphones can damage your hearing. To prevent this, you need to understand the common causes of hearing loss. This episode begins with an explanation so you can avoid the problem while still enjoying your favorite music. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hearing-loss/symptoms-causes/syc-20373072 How many times have you heard people say, “You can’t change other people!” Well, that’s not exactly true according to my guest, Peter Bregman. Peter is a...

How often do you clean your cellphone? Chances are you don’t do it often unless the screen starts to get a little gross. This episode begins with some interesting intel that will have you cleaning your phone much more often than you likely do now. https://www.statefoodsafety.com/Resources/Resources/the-dirty-cell-phone-25-127-bacteria-per-square-inch# We all face big challenges in life. Yet, when it comes to the things that really take a toll and wear us down, it’s the little hassles and frustra...

For years, mattresses and pillows carried a warning tag that said “Warning: Do Not Remove This Tag Under Penalty of Law”. Although they have softened the language a bit, there is still a warning. So why does anyone care if you remove the tag on your own pillow? This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.livescience.com/33039-why-do-mattresses-have-do-not-remove-tags.html As important and natural as sleep is, it is a problem for almost everyone to either fall asleep or stay asleep at le...

How good are you at predicting how things will turn out in your life? How often have you said, “If only I get this thing, I’ll be happy...” or “If I lose my job, it will be a disaster…” . Generally, these kinds of predictions are wrong. Things often turn out much differently than we think they will. This episode begins by looking at why that happens. https://drhappy.com.au/2010/11/14/happiness-is-balancing-the-past-the-present-and-the-future/ Did you know that Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song...

Why is the most popular pencil the # 2 pencil? What’s wrong with #1? And why are most pencils yellow? If you took an average pencil and drew one continuous line until there was no more pencil left – how long would that line be? This episode begins with some interesting intel on one the world’s most popular writing instruments. https://www.straightdope.com/21343238/how-come-you-see-2-pencils-but-no-1-pencils Seth Godin is one of those rare people who gets you thinking about things differently. To...

What if you could get more done in less time? That would sure come in handy around the holidays – or any time. This episode begins with a simple strategy that works great even though only one in five people do it. http://www.balancetime.com/ Every culture on the planet has some sort of religion. Why? What is it that religion does for people that makes it so popular? For one thing, people who practice a religion – any religion – report some real benefits to their life, health and longevity accord...

You know what stops a lot of people from asking their boss for a raise? It’s worrying about what the boss will think of them – just because they asked. Will he or she think of you as greedy, ungrateful or what? If you have ever thought that way, you need to hear something interesting from a top negotiation expert. Source: Michael Wheeler author of The Art of Negotiation (https://amzn.to/4g4yb4c). The holiday season is full of rituals and traditions. We have Christmas trees, ornaments, food, song...

Have you ever heard of the word – shadenfreude. It’s when you are amused by or laugh at someone else’s failure or misfortune. We’ve all done it, and this episode begins by explaining why we do it and what it says about you. https://www.livescience.com/17398-schadenfreude-affirmation.html Why in the world would you need someone else to tell you how to sleep, breathe and hydrate yourself? You are about to find out when you listen to my discussion with Dr. Michael Breus. He is regarded as one of th...

Most brands and businesses have a logo. Designing and creating logos is both art and science it seems. And the FedEx logo is considered one of the most magnificent logos ever created. It has won countless awards and people who know logos say it is terrific. This episode begins with a look at why the FedEx logo is so revered. special. https://turbologo.com/articles/fedex-logo/ Do you play? We tend to think of play as something for children but there are some real benefits for adults to add more p...

People need physical touch and too many of us are not getting enough of it. The result is something called “touch starvation.” This episode begins by explaining what happens when people are deprived of skin-to-skin contact, why it is so prevalent and what we need to do about it. https://www.webmd.com/balance/touch-starvation Have you ever wondered how long you will live? Other than “living sensibly,” are there really things you can do that will prolong your lifespan significantly? Biologist and ...

Most refrigerators come with a light inside. It goes on when you open the door. It’s very helpful. So why doesn’t the freezer have a light too? This episode begins with the interesting explanation. https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/07/why-is-there-a-light-in-the-refrigerator-and-not-the-freezer/ Have you ever heard someone say they have no regrets? They’re lying. We all have regrets and the pain they cause is all too real. However, the pain of regret can be extremely helpful in makin...

We live in a culture that has a definite bias towards neatness. But it makes you wonder – is being neat objectively better than being messy? This episode begins by looking at the difference between neat and messy people and whether neatness is all it’s cracked up to be. Source: David H. Freeman author of A Perfect Mess (https://amzn.to/3X6IsnK) Think of how much money people spend on skin care – from soaps, creams, moisturizers, and all those other products at the skin care counter. Do they act...

How many photographs have been taken worldwide in the history of photography? And how many just this year? These are a few of the fascinating facts that begin this episode that I know you’ll end up repeating at upcoming holiday parties that will make you sound so interesting! Source: John Mitchinson author of 1227 Quite Interesting Facts to Blow Your Socks Off (https://amzn.to/4fP4vaX). To hear it said, artificial intelligence is the greatest thing in the world or the beginning of the end of civ...

Maybe you’ve noticed that simply having friends has gotten expensive. Meeting for lunch, drinks after work, dinner at a restaurant can cost a lot! Interestingly, the cost of friendship is affecting the quality and quantity of friendships in a significant way. Listen as I explain. https://www.badcredit.org/studies/friendship-spending-statistics/ What are some of the traits, behaviors or practices that truly successful people do? That is a question that has been tackled by William Vanderbloemen, f...

“Sit up straight!” You’ve probably heard it since you were very young, and it turns out to be good advice. Your posture can affect your physical and mental health in ways you may not realize. This episode begins by revealing the importance of posture and how to instantly improve it. https://bit.ly/3NT6aQ5 The automobile has changed our world in so many ways. If it weren’t for the car we wouldn’t have roads, bridges, and tunnels and all the hotels and motels we stay at. So many things simply woul...

Women apologize more than men. Why is that? This episode looks at the likely reason and it may surprise you. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0956797610384150 Marijuana has come a long way. A few decades ago, it was considered a very dangerous and illegal drug. Today, recreational use of marijuana is legal in a lot of places and smoking it is just not a big deal. While people have their beliefs about it, what does the science say? What is in marijuana? How has it changed? Is it dangerous...

When you are on the phone in a noisy environment, you probably cover your other ear to hear the phone better. Bad idea. This episode reveals a better way to help you hear someone in that situation. https://www.oklahoman.com/article/3206007/strange-but-true-improve-clarity-of-phone-calls It’s hard to imagine life without the Internet today – still we have lost a lot of things to the Internet. Maps, handwritten letters, the big thick rolodex, even our solitude has disappeared and given way to the ...

When you shop for big ticket items like a house or car, it matters what day you choose to go – and probably for reasons you hadn’t thought of. This episode begins with the best and worst days to house hunt or car shop. https://www.weatherads.io/blog/how-weather-affects-consumer-behavior-and-purchase-decisions Clutter can really sneak up on you. First, it’s a drawer, then a spare closet, then the extra bedroom gets filled with all sorts of stuff. By then you have a house full of clutter that can ...

How do you decide when to throw food out? If you go by the date printed on the package, you could be wasting a lot of money. Listen as this episode begins with an understanding of what those dates mean and when you can ignore them. https://www.greenvillebusinessmag.com/2024/02/01/478977/sell-by-use-by-best-by-food-experts-decipher-the-meaning-of-expiration-dates The real fascination with UFOs began with one incident in 1947. Ever since then, there have been endless sightings of objects flying i...