Episodes

Not all that long ago, just about everyone had a landline home telephone. It had one phone number and everyone in the house used that number. Things sure have changed. How have they changed? This episode begins by discussing how many U.S. homes still have landlines, how many don’t and (surprisingly) how many U.S. homes have no telephone of any kind at all. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/study-only-40-percent-us-households-have-landline-135212 Body language and nonverbal communication can...

Interruptions can be infuriating - especially at work. They can ruin your concentration and your productivity. However, there may be an upside to getting interruptions that balance out those negatives. I begin this episode with information about a new study that shows that interruptions have a silver lining. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210803175253.htm Is being an introvert or extrovert determined by conditioning or are you born that way? And is being one better than the other?...

Even though you know money is filthy dirty, it can still make you feel good. This episode begins by explaining how the simple act of handling money can make you feel a lot better if you are feeling a bit down. And the weird thing is, it doesn’t even have to be your money. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/6199932/Counting-money-makes-people-feel-better-about-themselves.html When you walk into a tidy, clean and organized room, does it make you feel better? Calmer? It does for ...

Do you hold hands with your mate? If you don’t, you probably should. This episode begins with a brief discussion on the benefits of holding hands - and I bet you haven’t heard them before. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/05/fashion/05hands.html Who doesn’t like a bit of juicy gossip? The fact is everyone gossips and it turns out to be a good thing. Gossip serves a lot of useful functions in our personal and professional lives. Frank McAndrew is one of the leading researchers on gossip and he joi...

If you are not a celebrity, how do you get a table at a busy restaurant that is all booked up? This episode begins with some advice that can often work wonders in getting you that table - if you do it right. Source: Frank Luntz author of Words That Work (https://amzn.to/37Ay5A8) Every family wants to be happy. Still, many are not and are quite dysfunctional. So, when you look at families that ARE happy, what do those families do to create that sense of happiness and calm and reduce the tension a...

Selling items on eBay can be fun and profitable. And there are a few little tricks than can make it even more profitable. I begin this episode by revealing some strategies above and beyond good photos and descriptions that can bring you more money. that. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/a38347/how-to-make-money-on-ebay/ We have all heard things like; workers improve when they get feedback or a company’s culture is the key to success. And everyone knows that good leadership is what make...

Ever watch a TV chef put seasoning on food? Often, they sprinkle the herbs and spices from high up? This episode begins with an explanation of why they do that and why you should to. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5791-sprinkling-seasonings-from-high-up Do you believe in luck? Sure, everyone gets lucky occasionally but are there things you can do that will make you lucky more often and make you actually feel like a lucky person? After being in a serious car crash, Karla Starr became in...

“Sometimes you need a good cry.” How many times have you heard that advice? So what does the science say? This episode begins by looking at whether crying is really good for you - or if that is just something people say. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00614.x The food you eat affects you in some interesting and unusual ways. For example, eating something sweet can actually make you a sweeter person - for a while. If you eat something you think is fat, your body wil...

When it comes to easing traffic congestion, sometimes the solution is worse than the original problem. This episode begins with a tale of how trying to ease traffic tends to cause more of it. It’s all about “build it and they will come.” (Source: Edward Humes author of the book Door to Door https://amzn.to/2EQKFNs). To be successful, it’s important that you get really good at one specific thing as soon as possible. In other words, you have to specialize. While that concept seems to make sense, i...

Everyone likes to laugh, and it turns out there are some real health benefits to laughter. This episode begins with how laughing may just be the best medicine. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19968254/live-laugh-love/ Drinking alcohol is something people have been doing for centuries. Why? Is the appeal of drinking just to get that buzz or is there more to it? Why are some people able to drink socially while other people have had their lives destroyed by alcohol? Are there really any healt...

Some people always seem to look great in photographs. How do they do it? This episode begins with some simple tricks that will make anyone look better in any photo - every time. https://www.diyphotography.net/seven-tricks-help-smile-naturally-look-great-photos/ How do you get people to give you what you want? You usually have to ask - but it’s all in how you ask according to Dr. Meg Myers Morgan, an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma and author of the book, Everything is Negotiabl...

While we tend to be very good at noticing our failures, keeping track of all your victories is a much better idea - even the little victories. This episode begins with an explanation of why those little victories can propel you into big ones and why keeping a list is such a great idea. http://www.lifehack.org/398112/science-explains-how-writing-down-tinyachievements-every-day-changes-our-brains You are surrounded by colors, shapes, objects, nature and light. All of those things have an effect on...

Everyone doodles. It is just something we do, especially when listening to a boring speaker. Yet doodling is actually not a distraction - it can really help your memory. Listen as I begin this episode by explaining how. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226210039.htm Is the Internet messing with your mind? It certainly is according to Nicholas Carr who took a close look at the research on this for his book The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains (https://amzn.to/2Va...

Do you like your signature? What message does it send to the people who see it? This episode begins with some insight into how other people might make assumptions about you based solely on how you sign your name. https://graciousliving.typepad.com/the_write_event/2003/11/what_does_your_.html Do you spend money on things that really make you happy? Is another pair of shoes or pair of pants really going to make a positive difference in your life? We often think so at the time of purchase but prett...

We can all do a little bit to improve our driving skills. For example, do you turn your headlights on when you drive during the day? You should – and that is just one of several things I discuss that can instantly make you a better and safer driver. http://www.cracked.com/article_20106_6-little-known-driving-tips-that-couldsave-your-life_p2.html Have you been hacked? Most certainly you have - everyone has according to Marcus Carey who is a cybersecurity expert and what you call a “white hat hack...

Wi-Fi is great except when the microwave oven is on. At least that is the case in my house. Whenever we turn on the microwave oven in the kitchen – it screws up the Wi-Fi. Why is that? And is there anything you can do to prevent or fix that? This episode begins by exploring the microwave/Wi-Fi conflict. http://io9.com/why-does-your-microwave-oven-mess-with-the-wi-fi-connec-1666117933 There is a general belief that times go by faster as you get older. And most of us have experienced the “times fl...

A common ingredient listed on perfumes, colognes, soaps and lotions is “fragrance.” That doesn’t tell you much. This episode begins with an explanation of why manufacturers don’t have to list more detail than that and why you should be at least a little concerned. https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/fragrance/ Why do we get headaches? What is jet lag? How does vomiting actually work? What causes bad breath and how do you get rid of it? Dr. Sarah Holper author of the ...

Everyone know that texting and driving is dangerous. But why is it so much more dangerous than driving and drinking coffee or driving and talking to a passenger or driving and tuning the radio? This episode starts with what turns out to be a very good answer to that question. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/uoh-ass050916.php Asking questions is important. That’s how we learn new things and connect with other people. So it stands to reason that asking better questions will help lea...

In the last several years, a lot of different kinds of salt have popped up on store shelves. It used to be just salt and kosher salt. Now there is sea salt, Himalayan salt, pink salt and a million more it seems. So what’s the difference? This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sea-salt/faq-20058512 Love is interesting. We crave it and yet love can also be the source of incredible pain and misery. Truth is t...

You have probably noticed that aluminum foil has a shiny side and a dull side. Why? What’s the difference - and why do some recipes call for it to be either shiny side up or shiny side down? This episode begins with an explanation. https://culinarylore.com/food-science:aluminum-foil-shiny-side-up-or-down/ How did radio technology help create the quartz watch? How did railroad technology reshape how we celebrate Christmas? How did the telegraph change the way we speak? These are just a few of the...

Anyone who travels knows you often don’t sleep well on the first night at your new destination - especially if you have travelled across time zones. This experience is so common it has a name – it is called the “First Night Effect.” This episode begins with an explanation for why it happens and some advice to counter the effects. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2816%2930174-9 You know you have a mind but what exactly is it? I know that’s a weird question but think about i...

When you order something online, do you then track the package to see where it is and when it is coming? This episode begins with the results of a survey about how people track their orders and why and how they hate it when a package is late. https://blog.4over.com/delivery-tracking-consumers-statistics Do you know how soap and moisturizers work? Do you know how caffeine keeps you awake? It’s all chemistry! Everything you do and everywhere you go there is a lot of fascinating chemistry going on ...

You’ve washed your hands a million times. Yet there is a pretty good chance you are probably doing it incorrectly. Over the last year and a half we have all learned that hand washing is important - still people often to spend the time or use the right technique. So we begin this episode with some expert hand washing advice. https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/10-ways-youre-washing-your-hands-wrong Nothing is more infuriating to me than paying sneaky little fees. There are fees for ...

Are you neat or messy? You most likely have a preference for either a neat or a cluttered work environment. There is a general assumption that neat is better - but is it? It apparently depends on what type of work you are doing. Those two types of environments have an impact on you that affect the way you think. We begin this episode by exploring that. https://www.medicaldaily.com/clean-environment-leads-healthier-behavior-messy-desk-inspires-creativity-249383 Have you seen those videos shot by ...