Most Useful Podcast Ever

Roy, Peter, Jacqui and Kevin tell Steve Casner, NASA research psychologist and author of Careful: A Users Guide to Our Injury Prone Minds, stories of times we've made big mistakes to find out why humans do dumb stuff. We also try to make a phone call using an Amazon Echo, and test a commuter bike with a crazy gear shifter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our guest on the podcast this week is a very smart, very adventurous dude named Brendan Leonard, a climber, ultrarunner and general outdoorsman who recently wrote a book called The Great Outdoors: A Users Guide. He gives us tips on how to survive everything that can go wrong while you're out on an adventure, from darkness to cold to rattlesnakes. We also test golf shoelaces, and the Curious Idiot gets into a fight with a scrolling webpage. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the latest installment of The Fast and The Furious out this weekend, Scott Eastwood, who plays a character named Little Nobody in the film, stopped in to the Popular Mechanics office to race the staff with remote control cars. But it turns out Eastwood has actual race experience, and he tells us all about it in this week's episode. Also this week: Roy Berendsohn talks saws, and we challenge editorial assistant James Lynch to a handyman's obstacle course. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Peter and Kevin watched the show "Jungletown" on Viceland this week and wondered how the show's volunteers were doing such a poor job of running a PVC water system to their home site. So they asked Roy, who didn't pull any punches. Meanwhile, Kevin spent some time out in the woods testing weird new camp stoves, and Daniel Espinoza, the director of the new sci-fi horror flick Life, calls in to explain how horror movies scare you. Prepare to be shocked! Prepare to be entertained! Prepare to learn cool stuff from movies and TV shows! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To kick off today's show, we talk to PM Autos Editor, Ezra Dyer, who recently visited the NYPD Fleet Services Division—the guys responsible for keeping the department's 6,000 cop cars in good, running condition. Ezra explains what the average car owner could learn from watching how New York's Finest take care of their cars. Then, James Lynch and Matt Allyn stop by the studio to answer some of my questions about St. Patrick's Day. After that, we talk to Dr. Marvin Pritts, a plant expert from Cornell University, about what we can do to salvage our gardens after a winter of unpredictable weather. Finally, on today's testing table, Peter Martin shares a life lesson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show, we offer up helpful tips for three things that will likely be driving you mad this March. First up, we talk to Tim Chartier, professor of mathematics and computer science Davidson College, about "March Mathness," his statistically driven approach to mastering bracketology for this year's NCAA Basketball Championship. Then Alex George talks us through the latest home security devices, so you won't have to lose your mind worrying about your empty house on ski weekends (especially once you've stashed your tournament winnings). Finally, Peter Martin comes to the testing table with a new body fat testing device that not only tells you how out of shape you are, but also gives you a workout plan to get ready for warmer weather. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show, in light of the emergency at the Oroville Dam in California, we talk to Rachel Sears, the director of FEMA’s Floodplain Management Division, to find out what to do if there's a flood risk near you. Then Katie Macdonald tries to get resident curmudgeon Peter Martin excited for Mardi Gras. Finally, Jacqui and Matt Allyn run wantonly around the office, but make sure to signal their turns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show we ask: Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya? First, we get the lowdown on all the prop bets for this year's Superbowl. Not who wins, or the number of points scored by the Falcons or the Pats, but the good stuff—how often will we see Beyonce? How long will the national anthem last? Then we talk Superbowl snacks with our friends at Delish. Finally, Jacqui, Kevin, and Peter try out a bag of Tostitos chips that can save you from driving drunk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Popular Mechanics Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn is a font of mechanical knowledge. In this episode, we asked him to give us his top tips for winter, and ended up learning about physics, fans and tumblesnow. On the testing table, we try out an $8,000 camera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you ready to turn some of our awesome life tips into full-time habits? Then check out this episode, which includes tricks for changing your life from Stanford researcher BJ Fogg, who studies the ways technology influences health habits and started the website tinyhabits.com. After that, we dig in deep with some Shop Notes for the New Year. And beer lover Matt Allyn tests a fitness tracker called THE BEAST. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Popular Mechanics editors spend all day researching cool tech, tools, and toys. We asked a few to stop by the recording studio and tell us what they want for the holidays. The suggestions might just inspire you to spend your gift cards. And if you're home for the holidays and struggling with your parents' 50-character WiFi password, tech editor Alex George is here to help you out. Finally, on the testing table, we ask all our talking tech whether Santa is real. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After helping the staff of Popular Mechanics learn how to build a backyard weather station for the print magazine, ABC News Chief Meteorologist Ginger Zee calls in to explain how snow works and what you can do about it. Roy Berendsohn helps Kevin Dupzyk get his Christmas tree straight, and we ill-advisedly speed-taste a beer advent calendar. Beer-vent calendar? We're calling it a beer-vent calendar. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What the heck are you gonna do with all that leftover turkey? The Most Useful Podcast Ever calls the Butterball Turkey Talk-line to get some ideas (as well as some amazing stories of Thanksgiving dinners gone wrong). We also get some tips on finding Cyber Monday deals, and finally finish our Amazon Alexa scotch tasting... which continues to not go well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A couple of weeks ago, your intrepid hosts tackled a 10-mile mud race in the middle of New Jersey to tell our listeners the best way to attempt obstacles like monkey bars, barbed wire crawls, and the dreaded Atlas carry. We even invited ASOne Fitness trainer and Death Race finisher Mark Merchant on the show to whip our butts into shape. After that, Kevin and Jacqui debate the merits of a Gore-tex running shoe, and pretty much the whole staff gets in on a whiskey tasting with Amazon Echo's Alexa, which goes.... not so well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you ready for the most useful Halloween weekend yet? This week, the staff of Popular Mechanics goes on a field trip to Stumpy's Hatchet House in Eatontown, New Jersey to learn how to throw hatchets (at targets, not monsters, but still.) After that, we talk about our brand new microphone and scare the crap out of each other with a new, creepy game that will take over your smartphone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Useful Podcast Ever's TV buying saga continues this week with Roy Berendsohn's advice on mounting a TV on the wall. We talk to NC State University food safety professor Ben Chapman about Botox, lemon jelly and judging the canning competition at the North Carolina State Fair. And Matt Goulet watches a creepy movie on a short-throw projector while camping in the woods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Most Useful Podcast Ever meets its first beer cicerone, James Watt, who is also the cofounder of Brewdog. He tastes a few random beers we got together and the results are very impressive. On this episode, Popular Mechanics technology editor Alex George and TV fan and executive editor Peter Martin also help host Jacqui Detwiler buy a TV on the air, and senior home editor Roy Berendsohn brews coffee using a machine from a company that usually makes power tools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hurricanes take a huge toll on buildings and cities, but have you ever wondered if they do anything useful? According to Frank Marks, director of NOAA's hurricane research division, they do. This week is a special two-expert episode, as Ash Fulk, returning guest and pitmaster at Hill Country Barbecue, returns to help us test the new Crafthouse by Fortessa smoking box. Finally, we talk to senior home editor Roy Berendsohn about a home renovation problem, and he gives us advice on generators for tailgating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's show, we give advice on tipping, so you'll finally know for certain how stingy your friends really are. Then Roy drops by to answer a few questions about cabinetry, courtesy of our producer. And Peter Martin destroys a computer before finding out if he can destroy the Popular Mechanics podcast hosts in a push up contest (after drinking HFactor hydrogen rich water). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the temperature in New York city in the 90s, the Most Useful Podcast Ever asks Luke Belvel, an expert on heat exhaustion from the University of Connecticut’s Korey Stringer Institute, for some essential cooling tips, including whether panting like a dog works for humans. We also learn what to look for in a kayak from the owner of Manhattan Kayak Club, and the staff plays football indoors. Plus, tech editor Alex George has a secret to tell you about iOS 10. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not all summer Olympic sports are as well known as swimming and gymnastics. How much do you know about steeplechase, the triple jump and racewalking? Not much? That's ok. This week's episode delves into the rules and history of unusual Olympic events, as well as who to watch for if they turn up on your TV. We also talk to a leather expert from Wickett & Craig tannery about keeping leather nice in wet weather, and we send our fact checker out on a run in a pair of Cole Haan dress shoes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's cool that Pokemon Go is getting teenagers (and... um... adults) excited about spending time in outside, but there are lots of ways to have fun in public parks and gardens. On today's episode, we play true or false with Gerard Lordahl, director of GrowNYC's Open Space Greening Program, about crazy gardening hacks, like painting strawberries to fool birds. We go on location in Central Park to test out a spotting scope, and, yes, we have a millennial teach us how to play Pokemon Go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Guest hosts Cameron Johnson and Kevin Dupzyk talk to Elias Cairo of Olympia Provisions about curing meat for summer picnics. Regular guest Matt Goulet tries to make executive editor Peter Martin care about birds. Roy stops by to learn about ratcheting socket wrenches (and learns about the rap term "ratchet"), and we test a sous vide machine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We made our intern sit on the phone with customer service for his whole first week. Now he gives us the best strategies for minimizing your wait time and frustration. Then, the Curious Idiot learns what Snapchat is, and two editors test some new-fangled shaving tools. Plus Roy Berendsohn teaches us how to strip — but not in the way you’re thinking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To get the smartest hi-tech tips for traveling well, we talk to Robert Birge and Krista Pappas of Lola, an app that brings travel agents into the 21st century. We also have travel blogger Johnny Jet tell us where to find a bathroom in an unfamiliar city, and get the lowdown on the dirty tricks airlines use to prevent you from getting compensation for missed flights from AirHelp cofounder Nicolas Michaelsen Finally, the Testing Table gets heated when Matt Goulet professes his love for Spirit Airlines. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that it’s summer, the Most Useful Podcast Ever is excited to get outside. On this episode we learn about preventing allergies, selecting mushrooms, shucking oysters and preventing pit stains. To the backyard! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This might be the best episode we’ve done where we talk the least. First we play a game with Popular Mechanics auto editor Ezra Dyer called 30 Second Car Salesman, then Momentum Drums, a musical group that builds their own rigs and light up drums, stops by the office to make music out of tools. Finally, we test the first prototypes of fully wireless earbuds, which, unlike Bluetooth headsets, actually seem kinda cool. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Taxes are boring, but comedian and certified public accountant Greg Kyteisn’t. On today’s Most Useful Podcast Ever, he gives us tax tips thatwon’t make you fall asleep on your desk. After that, Alex George tells ushow to pimp your WiFi, Roy Berendsohn explains the particleboard family, and the Testing Table goes camping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

April Fools Special Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Most Useful Podcast Ever, Austin Robey, founder of Brooklyn 3D-printing studio MakeMode, stops by to tell us who stands to benefit most from the 3D printing revolution. Then, associate editor Matt Goulet tries out four methods of peeling hardboiled eggs, senior home editor Roy Berendsohn tells us about the old song that made everyone confuse concrete and cement, and some of the staff members break their keyboards and try to find a better way to wake up. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Most people breathe into their shoulders instead of into their chests, causing a host of physical problems and increasing stress. Clinical psychologist and breathing expert to law enforcement Belisa Vranich stops by the Most Useful Podcast Ever to give us a simple equation that makes it easier to breathe correctly. Then, on our testing table, Prohibition Distillery whiskeymaker Brian Facquet explains how (and whether) to age whiskey at home. And Senior Editor Roy Berendsohn stops by with a powertool that looks like a Greek monster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Apple’s battle over phone security in the news, the Most Useful Podcast Ever finds out how to keep your iPhone safe from criminals. Then, in honor of Popular Mechanics’ annual Survival issue, Shane Hobel of Mountain Scout Survival School stops by to teach us that there’s more than one way to start a fire, and we play a game of intra-office Survivor, in which executive editor Sean Manning does not fare well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just in time for the big game, we invite Hill Country Market Barbecue pitmaster Ash Fulk into the Popular Mechanics workshop to teach us all about nachos. Then we test new Sam Adams nitro beers you can serve with those nachos, and learn the trick to optimizing your television for sports. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk to Bridgestone Winter Driving instructor Mark Cox, about Anti lock brakes, what to do if you're in a skid, and the difference between all those tires you see at the tire store. The we take a look at the best in from this years Outdoor Retailer Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Now that there’s finally enough ice to go ice fishing, we asked Minnesota fishing guide Scott Merwin for tips on doing it right. We figure he’ll know: He managed to catch six fish while being interviewed. After that, Curious Idiot Kevin Dupzyk finds out the best way to share photos from his vacation to Cuba, and the Testing Table tries out easy ways to to hard things. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On today's episode, in advance of your New Year’s Eve party, we take science into our own hands and test a variety of hangover prevention products—on ourselves. Our post-office party Testing Table is a little bit groggy but hopefully still informative. Just in case it’s not, we also talk to Dr. Jason Burke, the founder of Hangover Heaven in Las Vegas, a clinic that treats hangovers. He tells us why they are so debilitating, and which hangover remedies we should take next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our editors suggest gifts for all those you may have in your life, from that teenager you don't know so well, to your girlfriend's Dad. Plus, we'll explain how to talk about technology to the older generation, and we test out which vacuum flask will keep your coco the warmest. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, chef Wylie Dufresne demonstrates the best way to carve whatever fowl you might be having this Thanksgiving, whether it’s a traditional turkey, or, as it was in our podcast studio, an overcooked rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods supermarket. Then, at the testing roundtable, we crash test Motorola’s new shatterproof phone, the Droid Turbo 2, and see if a copper-infused t-shirt can help us jump father, stretch better, or even look good. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amateur astronomer Ed Ting explains why the contributions of hobbyists like himself are still vital in the field of astronomy and helps others launch their own star obsessions with tips about telescopes, telescope targets, and light pollution. On Testing Table, we review Apple's new extra large iPad Pro, a vibrating physiotherapy ball that could shake your house down, and technology that threatens to disrupt your package. (Hint: It’s men’s underwear). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk to a professional haunted house designer Larry Kirschner about how you can creep out your crib for the holiday with items you have around the house. Then, in this week's Testing Table, we have the Great Pumpkin Carve Off—we test out three pumpkin carving tools and then taste test some candy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We chat with Todd Strauss-Schulson, director of the new movie The Final Girls, about how he created the unique and creative shots in his film, and how we can make our own movies more interesting. Plus we'll go for a ride on a carbon fiber skate board, blow bubbles in our bourbon, and sniff out trouble. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk to Sam Polcer, director of comunications for Bike New York, about the best way to move in the city and how cars and bikes can all just get along. Then Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn gives us the dirt on how to put your lawn to bed for the winter. And our Testing Table takes a field trip to Central Park, to shoot some hoops with a new app that tracks your shots, and to test glide the new Monorover. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In our last episode, “Sleep,” senior editor Andrew Del Colle reviewed an Audi diesel car. Shortly after posting that episode, news broke of Volkswagen’s cheating during diesel fuel emissions tests. In this special episode Andrew returns to discuss the VW scandal and its implications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you have trouble sleeping, cross “astronaut” off your list of future careers. Residents of the International Space Station watch the sun set and then rise again every 90 minutes, meaning in one 24-hour period they experience about 16 cycles of the sun. Talk about confusing your circadian rhythm. But even earth-dwellers experience their fair share of problems with sleep—about 1 in 5 Americans struggle with getting to bed at night or staying alert during the day. To get some insight on how you can get some shut eye, we spoke to Dr. Charles Czeisler, the chief of the division of sleep and circadian disorders at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, as well as our insomniac editorial assistant Cameron Johnson to get some tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You know how, when you show up to a barbecue, the first thing everyone looks at is what’s in your hand? It’s usually a sixer of some summer-friendly brew—Bell’s Oberon or Abita Strawberry—a package of brats, a bag of kettle-cooked potato chips. If you’re really creative, maybe a tray of handmade burgers with a dash of Worcestershire and chopped onions mixed in.But let’s say you want to impress your fellow Labor Day barbecue guests, and you didn’t have time to you suck at doing the cannonball, and you’re not the guy in charge of the play list. There is still hope: Show up with a bag of crabs. In this episode we talk to Spike Gjerde, a Baltimore based James Beard award winning Chef, to get the hard sell, on soft-shell crabs. He'll explain how to choose, clean and cook your crabs, and how to eat them. Plus we introduce a new segment we're calling, The Curious Idiot. Wherein editor Kevin Dupzyk finally learns how to Bluetooth his phone with Tech editor Alex George. And final, we'll head to the testing round table and suit up for a talk about cameras, breathing, and the golden age of overalls. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Sitting is the new smoking” might be the most tired health cliché of the decade. Yeah, we get it. Spending the whole day in a chair isn’t healthy. Thing is: it’s not wrong. Sitting at work contributes to such diseases as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, even cancer. And even after-work exercise might not be able to compensate for the ill effects. Back pain we get, but how does just sitting cause cancer? For one thing, when you spend a lot of time seated, cells in your muscles can become resistant to insulin, the agent that drives sugar from your bloodstream into your cells to be used, says James Levine, a doctor of endocrinology and a professor of medicine at the Mayo Clinic. That causes a huge spike in blood sugar and triglycerides, the fat cells in your blood, right after you eat. If you continue sitting after eating, your blood sugar levels can remain high for two or three hours. Meanwhile, your body will continue producing extra insulin to try to push the sugar levels down. Diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer are all associated with high blood sugar and high insulin. But if you take a walk after you eat, even for just 15 minutes, your triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar will be halved. Here’s where the standing desk comes in: Even without thinking about it, on average, people with standing desks end up walking an extra 1 to 2 hours per day, making them more physically active and reducing insulin resistance, which can improve health in innumerable ways. In short, standing itself isn’t going to solve your health problems, but it will position you, literally, to do more walking, which could prolong your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One of the scariest things about living in New York city in the summer is that you're constantly being dripped on. You can never be sure if it's rain, or somebody else's sweat, or air conditioner condensation, or worse, humidity that collects on the ceiling of the subway station and then drips on your face. Basically the only way to get away from that is to stay inside, or join the mass exodus from the city to get to real water at the beach. So on today's episode we looked into tips that could improve either situation. We asked a sculptor in north Florida how to make a stand-up paddle board you can ride on waves or flat water. Then we learned about hacking an air conditioning window unit to fit an outdated electrical system.And last, because we're going a little stir crazy, we made up a game show slash drinking game, and used it to test a new iPhone mounted breathalyzer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When buying a freezer, most of us consider the size and energy usage of a new model, but not other factors that can influence freezer burn and flavor. In this edition of PM’s Most Useful Podcast Ever, we play with a flash-freezing machine made by a scientific supply company and talk to Penn State University food scientist Luke LaBorde to find out how frozen food works and what you can do to keep stored meats and vegetables tasty. We also talk to Popular Mechanics’ Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn about hard and soft water, and consider whether we’d use Phiaton’s BT 220NC headphones, Flugz Hearing Protection Earplugs, and a very strange food substitute called Soylent. This episode is sponsored by Braintree. To learn more, and for your first $50,000 in transactions fee-free, go to braintreepayments.com/USEFUL Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new podcast for getting things done. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices