Episodes

When you talk to your partner, there is something you do – or don’t do, that can predict with amazing accuracy whether or not your relationship will survive and thrive or crash and burn. I start this episode with an explanation of what that is exactly. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/06/happily-ever-after/372573/Time may be constant but we all experience time differently in different situations. Marney Makridakis author of the book, Creating Time: Using Creativity to Reinvent the Clock and Reclaim Your Life (http://amzn.to/2yjzCr3) reveals how to improve the way you experience the passing of time. She also explains how you can make time – or at least the way you perceive it – either speed up or slow down.You know you should drink a lot of water but you may not know all the reasons why. When you hear them, you may just want to go get yourself some water. http://www.bustle.com/articles/121825-5-ways-drinking-enough-water-changes-your-bodyNo one ever said parenting was eas…

Do you like getting robocalls on your phone? Of course you don’t. So this episode begins with a simple way to stop robocalls for free – and it really works. Source: Interview with Aaron Foss founder of www.Nomorobo.comYou are breathing now – and that’s a good thing. However, you are likely not breathing correctly. When you DO breathe correctly, amazing things can happen according to journalist James Nestor, author of the book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art (https://amzn.to/36MehbD). While you might think you don’t need to learn about your breathing – listening to this segment will change your mind. And you will breathe better.You likely have a box with old VHS video tapes that you said you were going to have transferred one day. Listen as I explain how time is running out. In fact the time may have come and gone. http://www.audioholics.com/audio-technologies/cd-and-dvd-longevity-how-long-will-they-last and http://conservativecommandosradioshow.com /facts_about_old_video_tape_d…

Could driving while dehydrated be as dangerous as driving while drunk? This episode begins with some fascinating research that shows a link between dehydration and driver error – and the results are surprising. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/driving-while-dehydrated-can-be-just-as-dangerous-as-drinkdriving-study-suggests-10187670.htmlHow do you get a lot of things done without feeling overwhelmed? That’s what I discuss with time management expert Sam Bennett author of the book Start Right Where You Are: How Little Changes Can Make a Big Difference for Overwhelmed Procrastinators, Frustrated Overachievers, and Recovering Perfectionists (https://amzn.to/2ZKmwDs). She discusses how to take control of your day and accomplish the important tasks – and how NOT to be one of those people who is always complaining about how much they have to do and how busy they are.When you interact with other people you make judgments about them. You also make judgements about how they are judging…

Just like food, medications have expiration dates. But just how accurate are those dates? Is it better to take an expired medication or no medication at all? We’ll explore that as we begin this episode of the podcast. http://vitals.lifehacker.com/is-it-safe-to-take-expired-drugs-1769146595When you cook on the grill, there are a lot of theories on how you should or shouldn’t do it. But a lot of those theories are wrong. To help you understand how to best use the outdoor grill to create the best flavor possible and cook food correctly is Chef Todd Mohr. Todd is a certified culinary educator and founder of WebCookingClasses.com. Listen and hear some great tips and techniques just in time for summer outdoor cooking season. Are you good at asking questions? Former CNN reporter Frank Sesno, author of Ask More (http://amzn.to/2ncfmCZ) explains the power and rewards of being able to ask the right questions – and how to really listen to the answers.Do you ever get up and pace when you are thin…

Some days it is just hard to get up and get going. So this episode begins with some interesting ways to get motivated and accomplish your goals on those days. All these strategies I discuss have been scientifically researched. http://www.purewow.com/wellness/time-management-tips-for-procrastinatorsIf you would like to be more persuasive, you really need to hear what James Crimmins has to say. James has spent his career in advertising and the world of persuasion. He has a unique definition of what persuasion is and discusses the science that anyone can use to help get people to do what you want. James is the author of the book 7 Secrets of Persuasion (https://amzn.to/2LVqf97)If you own land, how far down do your rights extend – and how far up in the sky. Listen as I explain how much of the earth and sky is yours. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/3216/how-far-down-do-property-lines-goWould you consider yourself “globally literate”? To be globally literate is to understand how th…

Does a full moon really bring out craziness in people? Does it cause more car accidents and hospital admissions? This episode begins with a look at whether or not the moon really affects human behavior – or at least why so many people believe it does. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/stop-blaming-the-moon-says-ucla-scientistBeing happy is a big goal for almost everyone. And finding it is often a struggle. Joining me with some insight and science regarding how we can all be happier is Tim Bono, a lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis where he teaches courses on the Science of Happiness and author of the book Happiness 101: Simple Secrets to Smart Living & Well-Being (https://amzn.to/3cPVgY3).Every child is told a million times to “stop fidgeting!” However, in some cases fidgeting may be the perfect thing to do. Listen as I discuss how fidgeting can help you learn better and improve cognitive performance, despite what your grandmother told you. http://www.inc.com/thompson-…

While it is hard NOT to get angry sometimes, anger can take a toll on your health and lifespan. I’ll discuss some research that explains what is and isn’t worth getting angry about.What does it take to have a happy relationship? You are going to hear some of the simplest, smartest and easiest advice to follow that can instantly start to transform your relationship. And it comes from Arielle Ford, author of The Soulmate Secret (https://amzn.to/36dpn97). Her website is www.soulmatesecret.com.Why are unhappy people so unhappy? It turns out that unhappy people often get stuck being unhappy because of certain behaviors that keep them stuck. Listen to discover what those behaviors are and what to do to break out of them.Also, are you using your mind correctly? The demands of the world require your mind to adapt but it doesn’t always adapt very well. For example, we think we multi-tasking is a good way to get more done – when in fact, it is not. It’s just not what the brain is wired for. Tho…

Smells can have a really interesting effect on you. They can make you happy, improve concentration and boost your energy. This episode begins with an explanation of which scents do what. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/26/scents-and-wellbeing_n_5193609.htmlIf the thought of having to negotiate with someone turns you off – you will love this. Alexandra Carter is an expert at negotiating and her approach is fascinating and simple to understand and execute. It’s all about asking the right questions. Alexandra is a Clinical Professor of Law and Director of the Mediation Clinic at Columbia Law School and author of the book Ask for More: 10 Questions to Negotiate Anything (https://amzn.to/2T6WaY8)If your computer has a camera, it is important to remember that hackers could be watching you. Listen as I explain how to protect yourself from hackers hijacking your camera and watching you when you are unaware. http://us.norton.com/yoursecurityresource/detail.jsp?aid=webcam_hackingWalking m…

Some foods get a bad rap – and undeservedly so. This episode begins with a list of foods you probably think are unhealthy but really aren’t all that bad according to science. http://www.businessinsider.com/foods-people-think-are-bad-unhealthy-that-arent-2017-3/When you have too little confidence, that can be a real obstacle to success at anything. Then again, having too much confidence can mess things up as well. So how do you have the right amount of confidence and use it to your advantage? Here to discuss that is Don Moore, professor of management at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and author of the book Perfectly Confident (https://amzn.to/3cuzZTr).Do cats really care about humans or do they just tolerate us because we feed them and give them a place to live? Listen and hear some fascinating research. http://people.com/pets/study-your-cat-probably-loves-you-more-than-it-loves-food-take-that-dogsWe have all heard the advice that when you are online you need to be careful …

Have you ever put your car in “Drive” while it is still rolling backwards a little bit? People do it all the time – yet it is terrible for your car. I’ll explore this and several other things drivers do that can ruin their car and hurt the value. https://www.thrillist.com/cars/10-ways-you-didn-t-know-you-re-ruining-your-car-how-to-make-your-car-last-longerBelieve it or not, your own perceptions often deceive you. For example, would you notice something unusual if it popped out in front of you? You would think so. But it turns out you are not as observant as you think you are. Daniel Simons author of the book, The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us (http://amzn.to/2eLXgaX) explains why you completely miss much of what you think you see and how those distorted perceptions can cause you trouble.Why do people get goose bumps? Does it serve some sort of evolutionary purpose? Listen and discover the surprising answer. http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/ever-wonder-wh…

It is a bicyclist's nightmare – dooring! It is when someone in a car along the side of the road opens the door just as you drive by and – WHAM! It happens a lot more than you might think – and it probably ALMOST happens a lot more. There is an interesting way to prevent it that comes from the Netherlands. Listen and find out what it is. http://www.rd.com/advice/travel/open-car-door-right-hand/1Have you ever wondered who discovered fire or who invented the wheel? You might think it was too long ago to ever figure out but Cody Cassidy has done the research and was actually able to trace it all back to discover the answers to these and other questions like who invented clothes and who drank the first beer. Cody is the author of the book Who Ate the First Oyster?: The Extraordinary People Behind the Greatest Firsts in History (https://amzn.to/2WMDa2f) and he joins me to reveal some of these fascinating firsts. If you need a job, it may be tempting to respond to online job posts but that t…

Every year a lot of pedestrians crossing the street get hit by cars. So if you are out walking around, there is one technique that will drastically reduce your risk of getting hit. This episode begins with that explanation of that technique that will help you stay safe. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-key-to-crossing-the-street-safely-eye-contact-1427734205Plastic is a relatively new invention. The vast majority of plastic in the world has been made only since the 1950s. Researchers are concerned about all this plastic because of its potential effects on the planet as well as on humans and other creatures. In fact, it seems we are unknowingly eating plastic – a lot of it. The cover story for the June 2020 issue of Consumer Reports magazine is titled How to Eat Less Plastic (https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2020/06/index.htm) which looks at the problem of plastic in our world. The article’s author is science journalist Kevin Loria and he joins me to explain what he found an…

If you use a wire brush to clean your outdoor grill – you should stop because someone could get hurt. I’ll start this episode by explaining why. http://www.aol.com/article/2016/05/31/study-highlights-serious-dangers-of-using-wire-bristle-grill-bru/21386551/We don’t hesitate to treat physical wounds – but emotional wounds are things we tend to shrug off and assume time will heal – except sometimes it doesn’t. Psychologist Guy Winch author of the book Emotional First-Aid (http://amzn.to/2qH30nb) explores these wounds caused by failure, guilt and rejection and how to treat them.Your personal and professional success depends a lot on how well people can trust you. Consultant and speaker David Horsager, author of the book The Trust Edge (http://amzn.to/2rLg1QH) explains how important trust is and how to be more trustworthy.Look around and you will see a lot of fashion mistakes committed by men. We’ll discuss the big ones – according to Esquire magazine. http://www.esquire.co.uk/style/fashi…

Why are names so hard to remember? This episode begins with an explanation and an experiment that explains why so many of us forget people’s names and what we can do to remember names better. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/03/the-moses-illusion-explains-why-you-cant-remember-names.htmlDo you ever get defensive? Actually we all do. We also have to deal with others who get defensive with us. What is going on here? Why do people get defensive? It turns out to be all about fear according to Jim Tamm. For 20 years, Jim worked as a judge helping defensive people resolve their disputes. Today he is a consultant with his own firm called Radical Collaborations (https://www.radicalcollaboration.com) and he is author of the book Radical Collaborations: Five Essential Skills to Overcome Defensiveness and Build Successful Relationships (https://amzn.to/2VVYJhN) . As an expert on defensiveness, Jim explains where it comes from and how to deal with it both within ourselves and others. The relatio…

Birds are building nests and laying eggs all over the place this time of year. And you have probably heard that if a baby bird falls out of the nest you shouldn’t put it back because the mother will abandon the baby. Is that true? Listen to hear the surprising answer. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2287/if-you-handle-baby-birds-will-their-parents-shun-themAlmost everyone dreams of being a successful entrepreneur. So, what separates the good entrepreneurs from the truly great ones? That is what Christopher Lochhead set out to discover. Christopher is a CEO marketing coach, speaker and author of the book Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets (https://amzn.to/3bQYzxJ). Listen as he explains how really successful business owners position their ideas and products to dominate the competition.Speaking in front of people is scary for almost everyone. Yet it is also absolutely necessary for pretty much all of us whether at school or in a meeti…

Have you ever heard of misophonia? It’s a real thing. If you have it, that means that certain sounds – like someone chewing their food with their mouth open or slurping their soup – drive you crazy. But people who have misaphonia also have something else going for them that is actually pretty good. I’ll explain what that is. http://www.newsy.com/videos/hate-chewing-sounds-call-yourself-creative-then-just-deal/Have you ever wanted to learn something new like a foreign language or a musical instrument? Maybe you didn’t bother because it would just take too long to get proficient at it. Well, maybe according to Josh Kaufman, author of the book The First 20 Hours (http://amzn.to/2ix9SUN). According to Josh, what you do in those early hours of learning can really accelerate you learning curve.If you ever stay at hotels you need to be aware of a scam that is amazingly easy to fall for if you don’t know what it is. So, I’ll fill you in. http://www.thedailyberries.com/beware-new-hotel-scam-ch…

Have you ever had a headache that seemingly came on for no apparent reason? This episode begins with an interesting and unusual list of reasons why headaches happen and you likely haven’t heard of many of them before. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/common-headaches-17/mild-moderate/slideshow-headache-triggersAre humans meant to work long hours? Could it be that working less could actually make us more productive and happier? That’s the case made journalist Celeste Headlee author of the book, Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving (https://amzn.to/3cKMOJ8). Celeste reveals the benefits of working less including more profit for business and better health for workers and offers examples of famous, productive people who worked a pretty short day.Ever wonder why people look back so fondly on the past, yet we often fear and worry about the future? There is something called “hindsight bias” and I’ll explain what it is and why we often long for t…

You probably never think about it until you get a rental car – but why do some cars have the gas tank door on the left side and others have it on the right? This episode begins with the unusual and very practical reason why. http://www.rd.com/advice/travel/car-gas-tanks/Everyone complains. Some people complain A LOT more than others. Yet, when you stop and think about it, complaining does little good and it tends to turn other people off. Will Bowen has spent a long time exploring the world of complainers. He speaks on the subject; he distributes bracelets that remind people not to complain (over 11 million so far) and he is author of the book A Complaint Free World (https://amzn.to/3bxdtZR). He joins me to explain why people complain and explains the spectacular benefits to not complaining – and a great strategy to stop it.To order a bracelet go to: www.AComplaintFreeWorld.orgEvery cook has wondered if adding a bay leaf to a recipe really makes a difference. Well, it’s been tested. L…

Do you swear? Sometimes – at least for some of us – it is hard NOT to. And it just may be appropriate when you are in pain. Some fascinating research offers some real benefits of profanity – when used sparingly. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4826634/Swearing-raise-tolerance-pain-study-reveals.htmlThere is an interesting phenomenon in sports – and that is, how some teams dominate a sport for several years. They become a dynasty. So what is it that causes that? Is it superstar players or excellent coaching? No. Those things are important but not the differentiating factor according to Sam Walker. Sam has been an editor and sports columnist at the Wall Street Journal for 20 years and author of the book, The Captain’s Class: The Hidden force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams (http://amzn.to/2wBoB6H). Sam discovered one special element of winning teams that you will never guess. And it turns out it is applicable to teams in business and organizations as well as sports.Does …

You probably aren’t spending as much time outside as you used to and that can be a big problem. This episode begins with the important reasons why you should be spending more time outside – even if you have to wear a mask or be all by yourself. http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/benefits-of-nature/Having friends is vital. You may be realizing that now more than ever since you aren’t able to be with friends like before. Friendship seems to be a human need according to Lydia Denworth, a science journalist, contributing editor at Scientific American and author of the book Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond (https://amzn.to/3bhQFNl). Lydia joins me to explain the fascinating science of friendship and how people become friends.If you are having trouble sleeping, there is one simple thing you can do to improve your sleep and more importantly, improve your DEEP sleep. Listen and discover what that is. http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/sle…

Since you only have one chance to make a good first impression, this episode begins with some scientifically tested techniques that will instantly make you look better and smarter to the people you meet. http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/12-ways-to-look-smarterWe all know it is important to be a good listener – but beyond listening is “validation.” When you can validate the person you are talking to, amazing things happen according to Michael Sorenson who is a podcaster, coach and author of the book I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships (https://amzn.to/2Kao7JL). He joins me to explain how to validate someone and why it is so powerful.  Also, here is the link to his podcast: https://michaelssorensen.com/i-hear-you-podcast/We hear a lot about the importance of washing your hands to wash away germs and bacteria but washing your hands may also help you wash away bad luck and bad experiences. Listen as I explain this unusual phenomenon. http://news…

Noise is more than just annoying. Noise can affect your health, your work and your mood. This episode begins with a look at just how much trouble noise can cause in your life. http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/7-ways-noise-can-affect-your-healthYour personality is what makes you – you. But where did it come from? Can you improve your personality? Professor Brian Little, author of the book, Who Are You, Really? The Surprising Puzzle of Personality (http://amzn.to/2vWHYm7) examines why you are who you are and how much of your personality is changeable and how much is set in stone.If you think someone is lying to you, there are a few words and phrases to look out for. Liars tend to use certain language that can help you determine if they are being truthful or not and I’ll tell you what to listen for to spot a liar. Source: You Can’t Lie To Me (https://amzn.to/3elH4an) by Janine DriverAlso, have you ever just clicked with someone? You know that feeling of instant connection? It…

You know you shouldn’t go food shopping when you are hungry because you will end up buying more junk food. It turns out that when you are hungry, you shouldn’t go shopping for ANYTHING – not just food. Listen as I explain why. http://www.womansday.com/life/work-money/default/a49921/dont-buy-anything-on-an-empty-stomach/You know the phrase, “It’s not rocket science.”? The implication of that is that rocket science is really hard and rock scientists must be really smart. And they probably are. So how can you think like one? Former rocket scientist Ozan Varol joins me to explain. Ozan is now retired from rocket science. Today he is a law professor and podcaster (his podcast is called Famous Failures) and he is author of the book, Think Like A Rocket Scientist (https://amzn.to/2VxeHh1). We all know that eating fruits and vegetables is good for your health and your looks. Listen as I discuss how eating produce can also make you more attractive. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC…

Want to be more attractive? There has actually been some interesting research on what makes people appealing to others and this episode begins by exploring ways you can instantly make other people notice you – and like what they see. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-attract-the-opposite-sex-2013-7?op=1It is conventional medical wisdom to take a pill to lower your fever or to put ice on a sprain or to be sure to take all your antibiotic pills even if you feel all better. Yet all those common practices and others, are bad medicine according to Dr. Paul Offit, a professor of pediatrics at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia and author of the book Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far (https://amzn.to/2RoRAUp). Listen and Dr. Offit offers an eye opening explanation of why we persist in doing these types of things and what we should be doing instead.  It is easy to let exercise slip, especially with gyms and parks being closed and all of us cooped up inside. Yet exercise is exac…