Episodes

You just might want to take your car keys to bed with you at night. Why? This episode begins with an interesting explanation – and it all has to do with your personal safety. http://worldofwonder.net/lifehack-put-car-keys-beside-bed-night/ How do you best learn something new? Probably not the way you think. There are actually proven ways to engage the brain so material really sticks. Joining me to explain what these methods are and how they work is Ulrich Boser. Ulrich has studied the science of...

Since watching a scary movie can be so stressful and even unpleasant – why do people do it? This episode begins with a discussion on why people watch them and the benefits of doing so. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070725152040.htm We all make food choices every day. And a lot of things influence those choices which can make it difficult to eat a healthy diet. To help understand how to make better food choices and resist those negative influences is Marion Nestle, PhD. Marion is t...

“ I wish I got more emails!” – said no one ever. Many of us start the day wading through emails we wish we never got in the first place. This episode begins with some easy strategies to cut down on your email clutter and lighten the load of your inbox. Source: Kaitlin Sherwood author of Overcome Email Overload (https://amzn.to/3RBsKNW) For a million reasons you already know, friends are important. Yet we tend to have fewer friends today than in the past and some people have no one at all they co...

Anyone who cooks on a grill has wondered why it is that hot dogs come in packages of ten while hot dog buns are sold in packages of eight. Why the mismatch? This episode begins with the explanation. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a40984485/hot-dogs-buns-packages/ Much of your life is powered by batteries. From your TV remote to your car to your cellphone, you rely on batteries every single day. Yet, you probably don’t know a lot about them - like why there are different sizes or why they s...

Do you save things that take up space that you know you will never, ever use again? This episode begins with some simple advice that will help you clear out some items from your home or office and free up some space for what’s really important. Source: Barbara Hemphill author of “Love It or Lose It (https://amzn.to/31wfIdq) People say that if they had to give up one of their senses, they would give up smell. After listening to this episode, you may decide to answer that question differently. Tha...

You probably don’t think of the Internet as an actual place but it really is – sort of. All of our computers have to connect to each other somewhere – and there is a place where that happens. And that place has a particular smell to it. This episode begins with an explanation. Source: Andrew Blum author of the book Tubes (https://amzn.to/3pwX3Jq). It is hard to argue with nice. Being nice to other people in generally regarded as a good thing. But you can also be TOO nice – which can cause a lot ...

Have you noticed that when you are working on a problem or trying to come up with a new idea there comes a point of diminishing returns? Then the more you try, the worse it gets. That appears to be true for everyone and there is a sweet spot after which your efforts suffer. This episode begins with a discussion on why this happens and when you should stop trying and do something else instead. https://hbr.org/2014/07/get-your-brain-unstuck When you think of the factors that impact your health, yo...

I have never found over-the-counter cough and cold medicine to be very effective at relieving symptoms and I know a lot of people feel the same. However, research indicates that there is something in your kitchen cupboard that may be more effective and is totally free of side effects. This episode begins with a home remedy that really seems to work. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-8641173/Honey-beats-antibiotics-curing-colds-Study-shows-effective-medication.html Most of the time you p...

It’s a good thing you learned math in school. Why? Because when you apply math to pizza, you will realize that there is one size pizza that is almost always a lousy deal. This episode begins with a mathematical formula that will save you real dough on your next pizza order. http://lifehacker.com/the-math-equation-that-explains-why-you-should-alwaysb-1784641566 Most of us probably wish we were a bit better at being organized so that we could prioritize tasks and do things more efficiently. Fortun...

Have you ever thought your relationship with your cellphone was a bit over the top? This episode begins with a look at how Americans use their cellphone, how often they check it, where they use it, how they use it and how they feel if they don’t have it. Then you can see where you fit in with everyone else. https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/ There is an assumption that the reason people are overweight is that they eat too much food. That the obesity problem could be solved if o...

The typewriter keyboard was invented in the 1800s. Today, the layout of the letters on a computer keyboard is essentially the same as it was back then. Maybe you have wondered why the order of the letters of the QWERTY keyboard hasn’t been changed in all that time. This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.cnet.com/news/a-brief-history-of-the-qwerty-keyboard/ You’ve heard of FOMO, right? It stands for “Fear of Missing Out” and it has become part of the language and experience for many...

There is an old adage that "opposites attract." And you do sometimes see couples that seem to prove the point. Still, just how common is it for very different people to be attracted to each other. This episode begins by explaining some research on the topic. http://www.livescience.com/5351-truth-opposites-attract.html How can you tell what someone else is REALLY thinking or what they REALLY want from you? If you know the clues to look for you can get a better idea of what is going on in their he...

Ever have a night where your dreams seem really vivid and maybe even disturbing? This episode begins by looking at the typical causes of really weird and vivid dreams. https://www.livestrong.com/article/13773031-vivid-dreams/ It may be a tough sell in our culture but being humble can actually be a powerful and effective way to build confidence, strengthen relationships and achieve success. That’s according to Daryl R. Van Tongeren, an associate professor of psychology at Hope College and author ...

Who doesn’t love a barbecue? Still, there are some dangers with outdoor cooking. For instance, when was the last time you really cleaned your grill? If you think the fire burns off all the gunk, think again. I begin this episode by discussing this and other potential problems with cooking outdoors. http://www.menshealth.com/health/5-cookout-mistakes-that-make-you-sick Did you know carrots were not originally orange? Or that expensive weddings are a bad idea? Were you aware that the Mediterranean...

Have you ever noticed how great ideas and solutions often come to you in the shower? This episode begins with an explanation as to why that often happens to so many people. https://www.headspace.com/articles/shower-epiphanies Is love an emotion? Not according to Anna Machin an evolutionary anthropologist at the Department of Experimental Psychology at Oxford University, and author of the book Why We Love: The New Science Behind Our Closest Relationships (https://amzn.to/3SzC8mp). Anna believes l...

What if you could drink without getting drunk? Or at least feel the effects of alcohol less? One professional beer taster has a way to do it and this episode begins with his technique. And it is really simple.. http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/how-to/a26328/how-not-to-get-drunk/ Processed food has really gotten a bad reputation. But is it fair? Is processed food really that bad? Just because a food has a long list of ingredients or has chemicals you cannot pronounce doesn’t necessarily m...

Your typical meeting involves people sitting in chairs talking. For many meetings, there may be a better way that yields better results. This episode begins by looking at why conducting meetings in an entirely different way can be more productive and rewarding. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/09/walking-meetingsat-linke_n_7035258.html?utm_hp_ref=business I think it's safe to say that people are generally friendly. And that’s for good reason. Being friendly is an excellent strategy most of ...

Ever get a song in your head but you can’t remember the title? This episode begins with a simple trick using your smartphone that will help identify almost any song. https://lifehacker.com/how-to-identify-any-song-just-by-singing-it-1849039953 Have you ever wondered what makes you different from everybody else? Exactly what is it that makes you the person you have become? That’s the interesting question that Chantel Prat has investigated. Chantel is professor at the University of Washington and ...

How many times did your mother tell you not to swim for half an hour after you eat or not to scratch a bug bite or don’t touch someone who has poison ivy because you can catch it? There is a lot of that summertime advice flying around. This episode begins by looking at whether this advice is true or not. https://www.silive.com/healthfit/2012/07/summer_myths_debunked.html There is something called toxic positivity. It is the idea that we should always look on the bright side, be happy, everything...

Water is amazing. Drink it and it keeps you alive. But did you know that drinking water can also make you smarter? This episode begins by explaining why that is and you may find the answer quite surprising. https://becausewater.com/7-reasons-staying-hydrated-makes-smarter/ Anyone can count. It is one of the first things children learn to do. Yet figuring out how to count took a long time and involved a lot of differing theories about math and numbers. Marcus du Sautoy is professor of mathematics...

Seems like there is always new research coming out about the benefits of coffee. This episode begins with another one – and maybe one you haven’t heard before. You just need to drink 3 cups a day – or more. https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/body/food/can-your-coffee-habit-help-protect-you-skin-cancer Probably everyone has been witness to a bully or some other inappropriate behavior and didn’t intervene. And later regretted it. It’s called “The Bystander Effect.” Why don’t people step in and cal...

You have likely heard people say that having a dog is good for you. Usually, dog lovers say that. So exactly how good is good? Do dogs really improve your health and well-being? This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/lifestyle/10-science-based-benefits-dog/ Shopping malls are an American institution. For decades they have been popular places to shop, eat, go to the movies and just hang out. But are their days numbered? Is the shopping mall a dinosaur today due...

If you took driver’s education, you probably remember being told to keep your hands at 10:00 o’clock and 2:00 o’clock on the steering wheel. That may have been some really bad advice. We begin this episode with a discussion on the best way to steer your car. http://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/9882/team-oneil-shows-how-to-position-your-hands-on-the-wheel Is it possible to get someone to tell you the truth when they don’t want to? Jack Schafer says it is. As a former FBI agent, he has developed ...

You probably hate when people don’t respond to your emails, right? Well, you may be part of the problem. Listen as I explain how this one little mistake in the subject line makes it easy for others to dismiss your emails and how to fix it. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/291896/subject-line-typos-decrease-email-engagementrates.html Why is it that bad things feel bad more than good things feel better? Someone can say 9 wonderful things about you and one negative thing – and you dwel...