Episodes

Getting kids – or even some grownups – to eat their vegetables can be frustrating. However there are some simple techniques that researchers at Cornell University have studied that appear to be quite effective Listen and I’ll tell you how and you’ll discover the fascinating side effects of improving your reputation as a cook and a human being amongst your family members. And who wouldn’t want to do that? http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/OP/Loving_CookYou likely don’t give a lot of thought to how important strangers are to you because, well, they are strangers. However, certain strangers can play a far more important and seemingly mysterious role in your personal and professional success. Melinda Blau, author of the book Consequential Strangers (https://amzn.to/2NdVWKv) joins me to discuss this. Do you or someone in your circle get motion sickness? Ever wonder why that is and the best cure for it? I’ll discuss some interesting findings from a leading researcher on motion sickness that…

Not drinking enough water is a big problem. And while being a little dehydrated won’t kill you, dehydration does have a lot of significant and negative effects on your physical and mental wellness. This episode starts with a look at some surprising findings. http://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/5-signs-dehydration-besides-color-your-peeLanguage controls what you think and how you think it. Imagine how differently you would think if you didn’t have words like “left” or “right”? Or what if your language had no specific numbers? Well it turns out there are languages like that. And the differences in languages, including English, frame the way you think according to Lera Boroditsky who is a professor of cognitive science at the University of California San Diego. She has a fascinating TED talk on this subject which led me to her. Here is the link:  https://www.ted.com/talks/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_thinkYou’ve surely been told the importance of maintaining go…

It is rare to see a UPS truck turning left. Sure, sometimes they have to but they try not to. And there is a really good reason why that we can all learn from. I begin this episode with a discussion on that. (http://mentalfloss.com/article/60556/19-secrets-ups-drivers) Could it be you are not as smart as you think you are? Apparently so according to David McRaney author of the book and host of the podcast called You Are Not So Smart (https://amzn.to/2tGvPTq). David explains some of the interesting quirks and flaws of the human brain that make us think the way we do – that also makes our perception quite inaccurate a lot of the time.I bet you’ve wondered if it helps to pay your credit card bill early. Well, if you carry a balance it does. I will explain a simplified version of the math to show you how. You may not get rich from doing it but it certainly worth knowing and can save a fair amount of money over time. http://www.bankrate.com/finance/credit-cards/pay-credit-card-bill-early-a…

There is only one right way to build a fire. It has always been this way and it is unlikely anyone will ever come up with a better way. Interestingly, you probably already do it. I start this episode with an explanation on how to build the perfect fire. http://www.pratt.duke.edu/news/firePeople tend to ask for help all wrong! Humans like to help, we get joy from helping and if you ask the right way, you will often get the help you want. It’s HOW you ask that really matters. Social psychologist Heidi Grant, author of the book Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You https://amzn.to/2MRA4Ep has explored the research and when you hear what she has to say, you will become better and more effective at asking for help.How you prepare some food has an impact on how healthy it is for you. For example, you shouldn’t cut strawberries until just before you eat them – but for garlic the opposite is true. You should peel and chop and let it sit for a while first. Why? I’ll explain and tell y…

Want to feel REALLY good? Watch this YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHiKxytbCWk. It’s a dull and boring video about folding towels and will make you (or at least many people) get chills and give you a “brain orgasm.” Why? No one really knows for sure but I’ll explain what is known about it as I start this episode.How could 95% of the universe be missing? Why is it that science can’t quite explain why we need to die or how free will works? Michael Brooks joins me for a fascinating discussion on things that baffle science. Michael holds a PhD in quantum physics and is author of the book 13 Things that Don’t Make Sense : The Most Intriguing Scientific Mysteries of Our Times (https://amzn.to/2JSTD17) and he is co-host of the podcast series Science(ish) which looks at the scientific issues raised by popular culture fiction such as Hollywood films and TV.A lot of the time you use the word “that” in a sentence, it is totally unnecessary. Oh, and so is “totally” as in totally …

When you search for something in Google does it matter what order you put the words in? What about punctuation – does that matter? We start this episode with the best ways to optimize Google searches to get the best results. (https://edu.google.com/coursebuilder/courses/pswg/1.2/assets/notes/Lesson1.5/Lesson1.5Wordordermatters_Text_.html)What makes someone beautiful? Can you really become more beautiful? These are important questions because beauty and attractiveness have some clear benefits for everyone. Rachelle Smith, associate professor of psychology at Husson University, is author of the book The Biology of Beauty (https://amzn.to/2JOKMtn). Rachelle joins me to explain the importance of your own beauty and how to maximize what you have. If you are going on a job interview it matters whether you are the first person interviewed or the last person or better yet, the fourth person. I’ll explain why. (http://www.businessinsider.com/always-go-fourth-during-interviews-2015-5)Seemingly …

Do nice guys finish last? Sure, there are a lot of successful nice guys but there are a lot of successful jerks too. So which is it? The answer may actually lie somewhere in between. This episode begins with some interesting insight into that (http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/06/why-it-pays-to-be-a-jerk/392066)Humans are motivated by….what? Traditional thinking has been that carrots and sticks – in other words rewards or punishments are the best way to get people to do things. Well that may work but there are other ways that are better says Daniel Pink, author of the book Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us (https://amzn.to/2LNHze7). Daniel joins me to offer some advice on how to successfully motivate yourself and others.Friends are important but I bet you didn’t know just HOW important. Let’s put it this way… research shows not having a strong social network is equal to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. And that’s just one of the things I discuss abo…

Humans are programmed to flirt. It’s the beginning of the process that keeps the species going forward. And while some people are clearly better at the art of flirting – there is some science to it as well. I begin this episode with scientifically proven ways to improve your flirting skills.  (http://theweek.com/articles/448643/how-flirt-according-science)One thing that makes us human is our creativity. We are all creative and many of us could be even more creative according to Allen Gannett. Allen is the CEO of Track Maven, a software analytics firm and he has been on the top “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes magazines. He is also the author of the new book The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea at the Right Time (https://amzn.to/2Jt9vaH). Allen joins me to reveal some fascinating science behind creative people and the creative process that we can all benefit from.It turns out that not all olive oil is what it appears to be. In fact a lot of extra virgin olive o…

Ever feel good about saving a spider because you took it out of your house and put it outside rather than killing it? It seems like a noble thing to do. But what you may not know is what is likely to happen to that spider once you put it outside. This episode of the podcast starts with that interesting explanation. (http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/curated/spider-myths)You probably don’t think about it much but the way your body heals itself from illness and injury is really remarkable. We are learning more and more about how the healing process works and how to enhance it. Joining me to shed some light on all of this is Wayne Jonas, MD, professor of medicine at Georgetown University and author of the book How Healing Works. (https://amzn.to/2JB911l )We all make typos when we write emails. But what you probably realize is that those typos alter the impact of your message – sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a bad way. Listen as I explain. (https://www.aol.com/2015/06/01/your-emai…

Mental health is complicated. But there are some things that can trigger depression in almost anyone. I begin this episode with a list of things that can cause you to lose your objectivity and make you sad if you let them. (https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/therese-borchard-sanity-break/surprising-reasons-young-people-get-depressed/)If you knew there was a good chance that you could get a discount on a new shirt or pair of pants or a vacuum cleaner – but you had to ask – would you? It turns out that you can get discounts on many items in retail stores by asking but you have to ask the right way. To find out how listen to my discussion with Emily Hunter. Emily Hunter. Emily is an associate professor of management at Baylor University's Hankamer School of Business, where she teaches negotiation and conflict management. (https://business.baylor.edu/directory/?id=Emily_M_Hunter)Who hasn’t felt guilty about not visiting grandma or some other friend or relative? You go when you can but…

When you sit down to eat, several things affect how MUCH you eat and how much you enjoy the food. I begin this episode by revealing how the environment and atmosphere of the room in which you are eating can have a big impact. When you learn the details, you can use this information to help you eat less while enjoying your food more. (http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/outreach/musiclight.html)Sometimes people in relationships cheat. No secret there. But why? Are we programmed to cheat? Are humans, by nature, NOT monogamous? And what can you do if there has been cheating in your relationship? These are all important questions addressed by my guest Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg. Dr. Rosenberg is a board certified addiction psychiatrist, sex addiction counselor and he is author of the book Infidelity: Why Men and Women Cheat (https://amzn.to/2J2slRL) He also has a quiz on his website so you can assess your cheating potential. Go to : https://drkenrosenberg.com/When you go to a business function y…

Does having more sex make a couple happier – or is it just that happier couples have more sex? We begin this episode by looking at which is the cause and which is the effect. (http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2015/may/more-sex-does-not-lead-to-happiness.html)You likely know the importance of staying out of the sun and using sunscreen when you are in the sun. But proper skin care involves much more than that. As we begin the unofficial start of summer, Dermatologist and plastic surgeon Anthony Youn, M.D., explains some important facts about skin care you may not know and offer simple and practical tips to keep your skin looking and staying younger. Dr. Youn is the author of the book The Age Fix (https://amzn.to/2GTve5o), he is host of the podcast, The Holistic Plastic Surgery Show (http://www.dryoun.com/podcast/) and his website is www.dryounonline.com Here’s an interesting physics question: Let’s say you have to get from point A to point B in the pouring rain. Will you get wet…

Years ago coffee was called “The Think Drink” in a marketing campaign. Those were the golden days of coffee. Later coffee was demonized as something that caused all kinds of health problems. Later it turned out, coffee had health benefits and was just fine to drink – but not too much. So we begin this episode with a look at the research to discover whether coffee is good or evil. (http://www.rd.com/slideshows/coffee-myths/#slideshow=slide6)Ever think about what traits or behaviors or illnesses may have been passed down to you by your parents and ancestors? What will you pass down to your children and their children? Can you really inherit your mother’s laugh or your father’s depression? Heredity is a fascinating and often misunderstood topic. To help sort it all out is Carl Zinmmer. Carl is a writer for The New York Times and author of the book, She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions and Potential of Heredity (https://amzn.to/2IG8KKR).  Couples fight about money more than…

No one likes getting a shot at the doctor’s office. But there is something you can do to ease the pain. We begin this episode with a little strategy that can cut the pain in half. But you have to do it just right. (https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn27514-hold-your-breath-to-dampen-the-pain-of-an-injection/)Music plays an important role in our lives – but why? We don’t need it to survive yet every culture on the planet has music of some sort. John Powell, author of the books Why You Love Music (https://amzn.to/2IC5PTG) and How Music Works (https://amzn.to/2kcOYrP) joins me to examine the fascinating role music plays in our lives and why we like the music we like.Buying something that is biodegradable or has biodegradable packaging sound like a good thing. However, things don’t really biodegrade in a landfill like you think they would. Listen as we explore that topic. (http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/biodegradable-waste.html) Have you heard of the “New Power”? It is the power …

You know what is one of the most common decorating mistakes people make? It is hanging art on the walls incorrectly – usually too high. I’ll explain a simple rule that art galleries and museums use and you should too. (https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-high-to-hang-pictures/)Imagine asking 45 successful, billionaire entrepreneurs what made them successful. That’s exactly what Robert Jordan did for his groundbreaking book, How They Did It: Billionaire Insights from the Heart of America (https://amzn.to/2rNN18u). Robert joins me to discuss how we can all put these principles to build our own success.What if I told you that one-third of the fish in your store could be mislabeled? And that you may not be getting what you think you are? That is just one of the interesting facts about supermarkets I share in this episode. (http://www.thedailymeal.com/11-secrets-supermarkets-dont-want-you-know-slideshow)How often have you been told to stop wasting time? Well it turns out that is often r…

When you have a meeting it is usually sitting down in an office at a table. That just may be one of the worst ways to conduct a meeting and maybe it is why nothing much gets accomplished. There is a better way and it is something Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and others do. I’ll explain what that is as we begin this episode. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/09/walking-meetings-at-linke_n_7035258.html?utm_hp_ref=business)If you cook, you are a scientist. Food science is fascinating and when you understand it you instantly become a better cook. Dr. Stuart Farrimond is author of the book, The Science of Cooking ((https://amzn.to/2KYJT2C)  and he joins me to explain the science behind cooking the perfect cut of meat, how to best cook vegetables and how to choose the best pan to cook in. What are the ten most dangerous minutes to drive a car? That’s just one of the things you’ll learn when I explain how even good drivers can get better with a few simple techniques from the people at …

What is the stronger motivator – reward or punishment? In other words, does hurt more to lose something than it feels good to gain something? We start this episode t with a look at some interesting research into this. (https://source.wustl.edu/2015/05/carrot-or-stick-punishments-may-guide-behavior-more-effectively-than-rewards/) Some people are just way too nice. They sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others. They are so worried about what other people think of them that always want to please rather than offend. Aziz Gazapura used to be one of those people and he is now on a mission to help people stop being too nice and start being bold and authentic and do what’s right for them – not just what’s right for everybody else. Aziz is the author of the book Not Nice: Stop People Pleasing, Staying Silent, & Feeling Guilty... And Start Speaking Up, Saying No, Asking Boldly, And Unapologetically Being Yourself (https://amzn.to/2I7IW68) When your car breaks down it is likely for …

What color lipstick makes a woman most attractive? Do women prefer a beard on a man or not? What can anyone do to make themselves more attractive? We begin this episode by exploring this. (https://www.healthyway.com/content/ways-to-be-more-attractive-according-to-science/)Entrepreneurship is alive and well. So should you start a business? Maybe you already have. When you think about it, people who drive for Uber or rent out a room in their house on Airbnb are being entrepreneurial. So are people who simply decide to go freelance and do what they have always done – but do it as a consultant or contractor rather than as an employee. There are many ways to be an entrepreneur – but is it a smart thing for most people to do? Here to discuss that with me is Scott Shane. He is a professor of entrepreneurial studies at Case Western University and author of the book, Is Entrepreneurship Dead? (https://amzn.to/2rouVd7)I hate waiting in line. I imagine most people do. It turns out there is a who…

The more decisions you make during the day, the worse you get at it. It’s called “decision fatigue” and everyone gets it. Listen as we begin this episode and discover just how it happens and what you can do about it. (http://jamesclear.com/willpower-decision-fatigue) What does your stuff say about you? Tons, according to my first guest, Sam Gosling. Sam sent investigators and scientists to snoop around people’s homes and offices to discover what can be learned by their belongings. The results are in his book, Snoop: What Your Stuff Says about You (https://amzn.to/2HR1VSs). Sam joins me to explain what he discovered. You probably don’t think a lot about food – but there are some fascinating things worth knowing. So we will explore things like how much food you eat in a year; the shelf life of Twinkies (if there is one) and what may be lurking in your peanut butter. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/17/food-facts_n_4788746.html)The bacteria in your gut could actually have a signifi…

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 that? We start this episode by exploring the microwave/Wi-Fi conflict. (http://io9.com/why-does-your-microwave-oven-mess-with-the-wi-fi-connec-1666117933) Time sure flies when you are having fun. We’ve all had that experience but have you ever wondered why that is? Why should time seem to travel faster at one time and slower at other times even though time is constant? Is it possible to deliberately make time seem to move faster or slower? Alan Burdick is a staff writer and former senior editor at The New Yorker who spent 10 years researching this phenomenon. The result is his book, Why Time Flies (https://amzn.to/2rd4Rlg) . He joins me to reveal what he discovered. If you have some vodka around the house, you should know that it is good for more than mixing cocktails. For example, it is an insect repellent and it’s great for washing win…

When you go grocery shopping it is hard to resist the urge to buy things you know you shouldn’t. Temptation is down every aisle! So what can you do? There is a simple yet very effective technique that will help you resist those urges.  (http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/OP/Trigger_Apple) You probably know someone you would consider powerful. So how did they get their power? Where did it come from? And can you be more powerful? Listen to Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of Organizational Management at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and author of the book Power: Why Some People Have it and Others Don’t (https://amzn.to/2I1hfN4). He explains how anyone can be a much more powerful presence. Do you like kale? It has been called a super food and it now finds its way into all kinds of salads and other dishes. But a few years ago hardly anyone ate kale. So why and how did it become so popular? Is it really so great? You won’t believe the story. (https://spoonuniversity.com/…

One way to blow your credibility in any conversation or in anything you write is to misuse or mispronounce words or phrases. So this episodes starts with some commonly misused words and phrases to make sure you are using them correctly. (https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/10-speaking-and-writing-errors-that-erode-your-credibility.html)  Taking risks can be good – or bad. It’s all in how you approach the risk and it also seems to depend on how old you are. Kayt Sukel, author of the book The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution, and Chance (https://amzn.to/2HjkQoE) joins me to explain how important it is to take risks but also how to be a better risk taker so that you win more than you lose – and also how to learn from the risks that fail.Do you neatly fold your towel after a shower and place it on the towel rack? Or maybe you hang it on a hook? Well those are terrible things to do if you plan to use that towel again tomorrow! I’ll explain why. (https://www.goodhousekee…

Of course you know better than to talk on your phone while driving – but you should also tell other people in the car to stay off their phones as well. This episode starts with a discussion on why passenger’s phone conversation can be trouble for the driver. (http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2010/05/half-heard-phone-conversations-reduce-performance) How well do you sleep? Before you answer you should know that you may not HAVE the answer. So many people sleep so poorly, they don’t even know what good sleep is – or feels like. For some real insight into how people sleep and how we can all sleep better, listen as I speak with sleep medicine specialist Chris Winter, M.D., author of the book The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It (https://amzn.to/2JVEHMd) Anyone who spends time on Facebook knows that feeling of, “Why does everyone else’s life seem so wonderful compared to mine?” There is now research that proves this happens to everyone who goes on Facebook and …

Passengers get kicked off airline flights a lot more than they used to. Do airlines have the right to just give people the boot for any reason? This episode begins by explaining why you can get kicked off any flight for almost any reason. (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/04/09/how-to-get-kicked-off-flight/?intcmp=HPBucket) The idea of “creating excellence” really became popular back in 1982 with the publication of the huge, best-selling book, In Search of Excellence (https://amzn.to/2qAE2qB) . So how have things changed since then? Co-author Tom Peters joins me to talk about that as well as discuss his new book The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last (https://amzn.to/2H2XQdo). Tom one of those people who always makes you think so I am sure you will find this conversation engaging.   Which is better for your car – synthetic motor oil or conventional motor oil? To answer that you need to know the difference so I’ll explain that and tell y…