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Something You Should Know

Something You Should Know

1,288 episodes — Page 10 of 26

Ep 960Hidden Ways Movies and TV Influence You & Why You Need to Brush Your Tongue

You can search online for information on just about any topic. Recently there was an interesting article posted on the Reader’s Digest website regarding some topics you probably shouldn’t search. This episode begins with a fun look at some of those topics that might be better the less you know. https://www.rd.com/list/things-never-google-search/ You likely have a sense that when you watch TV or a movie, it has an impact on you. What you probably didn’t realize is how big a deal those influences are. They not only affect you mentally and emotionally, they can cause physical changes in your body. TV and movies also influence the culture at large as well as the economy, science and even the future. To discover how, listen to my guest Walt Hickey. Walt is a Pulitzer prize winning writer and author of a fascinating book called, You Are What You Watch: How Movies and TV Affect Everything https://amzn.to/3Qpymgs) What goes on in your mouth can make a big difference in your overall health and happiness. How you brush, the way your tongue sits in your mouth, if you have your wisdom teeth removed – all these things matter more than you might realize. Here to explain how is Tersa Yang, DDS. She is an award winning dentist and educator who has taught clinical dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry, and she is author of the book Nothing But the Tooth (https://amzn.to/490LQGq) Listen and you will discover new things that are going on in your mouth you never knew. It may just be a good idea to set an alarm to go off every work day at 2pm. Why? Well according to one time management expert, there is something you can do then that can make your whole day more rewarding. Listen and I’ll explain what that is. https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/time-management/how-to-stop-procrastinating-00000000055280 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 202348 min

Ep 959SYSK Choice: How Choice Architecture Works & The Benefits of Selfishness Done Correctly

Seems like everyone hates passwords. If they are too random, you forget them. If they are too obvious, you could be hacked. This episode begins with a quick and easy formula to create passwords that are easy to remember and no one else will ever guess. Source: Eran Katz author of Where Did Noah Park The Ark (https://amzn.to/3at5fmx). When you make a choice – any choice, your decision is influenced by so many factors. For example, the order the options were presented to you and who presented them has an influence on your choice. There is a name for this. It is “choice architecture” and it is fascinating and important to understand. One of the leading experts on choice architecture is Eric Johnson, Director of the Center for Decision Sciences at The Columbia Business School and author of the book The Elements of Choice: Why the Way We Decide Matters (https://amzn.to/3mK49bN). Listen as Eric reveals how other people and situations influence what you choose and how you influence the choices other people make – even if you don’t realize it. Most of us probably think that being selfish is wrong. However, that may be a false belief. In fact, maybe we should all be a little more selfish a little more often. That’s according to Michelle Elman. Michelle is a coach and speaker who has been named 1 of the 50 most inspirational women in the UK. Her book is called The Joy of Being Selfish (https://amzn.to/3AvyQq8) and she joins me to discuss the benefits of taking better care of your needs and desires and setting up boundaries for others. We all know everyone lies sometimes. And we all do it for the same reasons. Listen as I explain why we lie, how lying works and how it starts very early in life. https://www.ted.com/speakers/kang_lee PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game that's super easy to play. Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Planet Money is an incredible podcast with stories & insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 21, 202352 min

Ep 958The Awesome Power of Pure Joy & Hidden Distractions That Suck Your Time

Wi-Fi being what it is, sometimes it slows down and things get glitchy – shows stop streaming, games glitch out and other weird things seem to happen. Wouldn’t it be great if you could prioritize which devices in your house get first dibs on the bandwidth? Well actually there is a way. This episode begins with an explanation of how to do it. https://www.popsci.com/diy/prioritize-devices-on-your-wifi-network/ What is the difference between joy and happiness? They are definitely not the same thing. You can make the case that joy is what creates happiness. There is so much to joy and those special moments in life that create it, that it is worth understanding how joy works. For instance, there are things that are universally joyful around the world. Things like balloons and bright colors bring joy to virtually everyone. Ingrid Fetell Lee is an expert on joy and has a blog called The Aesthetics of Joy (https://aestheticsofjoy.com) . She is also author of the book Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness (https://amzn.to/3a4f8GM). She joins me to discuss how we can all bring more joy into our lives and why it is so important to understand the science of joy. Most of us spend more time on our electronic devices than we realize – way more time. The statistics are staggering. What’s worse is that all the time you spend on your phone or other devices is time you are NOT spending doing something else and not spending time with other people. Joseph McCormack has studied this, and he is author of a book called Noise: Living and Leading When Nobody Can Focus (https://amzn.to/3cbgeTS). Listen as he explains the ways technology has become a “weapon of mass distraction” that negatively impacts our lives. He also then offers some simple strategies to help combat the problem. Do you rinse off all the food from the peanut butter jar and other recyclables before you put them out for collection? Should you? Do you have to? Listen as I explain just how clean it has to be and how some recyclables (like pizza boxes) actually can’t be recycled. https://residentialwastesystems.com/blog/do-i-have-to-rinse-my-recyclables/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game that's super easy to play. Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Planet Money is an incredible podcast with stories & insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 19, 202348 min

Ep 957How to Get Important Things Done & Ways to Tell If Someone Is in Denial

Every PC owner has probably wondered what the difference is between RESTART and SHUTDOWN – or if there really is a difference. Actually, there is. And if you are having trouble and need to reboot your PC, one is a much better option than the other. Listen as I explain. https://computer.howstuffworks.com/restarting-shutting-down-computer.htm What stops you from doing the important things you say you want to do? If they are so important, why do they remain undone? And how does that impact the rest of your life? To help you understand this and to give you some great motivation to get things done and live the way you want to live is Rob Dial. Rob is host of The Mindset Mentor podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mindset-mentor/id1033048640 and author of the bestselling book Level Up: How to Get Focused, Stop Procrastinating, and Upgrade Your Life (https://amzn.to/48QRV8j). Listening to Rob will get you motivated! What does it mean to be in denial? Basically, it means you refuse to see the truth about people and instead believe what you want to be true. And man does that cause problems. Interestingly, it is easier to spot when others are in denial, a bit harder to see it in ourselves. Joining me to bring some really valuable insight into the whole issue of denial is Jane Greer, a nationally known marriage and family therapist, who has appeared on The Today Show, Oprah, , CBS News, , Dateline NBC, 20/20, and others… She is the author of six books about relationships. Her latest is Am I Lying to Myself?: How To Overcome Denial and See the Truth (https://amzn.to/48QvCzV). Negotiating intimidates a lot of people. Still, you can use some very simple tactics that are easy to do yet extraordinarily powerful. And they come from one of the great negotiators of our time. Listen, I will tell you what these tactics are and how to use them. Source: Herb Cohen author of Negotiate This! By Caring, But Not That Much (https://amzn.to/3rXYnK6). PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game that's super easy to play. Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Planet Money is an incredible podcast with stories & insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 16, 202350 min

Ep 956SYSK Choice: Successful Dating Beyond Dating Apps & Why The 4-Day Work Week Works

Is taking a daily multivitamin a good idea? It seems to make a lot of sense – like an insurance policy. This episode begins with a discussion about what the science says about taking a multivitamin and what it does or doesn’t do for you. https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/releases/2009/02/multivitamins.html Dating is hard. So you might think dating apps would make it easier. After all, you can meet an endless number of people you would likely never meet otherwise. And therein lies the problem. Maybe the old fashioned way of dating is better. Or perhaps there is an even better way. Listen to my discussion with Jon Birger, an award-winning magazine writer and author of the book Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge (https://amzn.to/3ApiNKe). Seems like people have been talking about and proposing a 4-day work week for a long time. Still, it is not the norm in most places. That may change soon, according to Joe Sanok. Joe has researched the origins of the 5-day work week and explains why a shorter week can actually be good for business and employees. Joe joins me to explain why circumstances today might be perfect to usher in the 4-day work week. Joe Sanok is author of the book Thursday Is The New Friday (https://amzn.to/3oGQBjL). Flipping a coin may seem like a rather ridiculous way to make a decision. But maybe not. Listen as I explain why flipping a coin can actually be a very good way to choose what to do when you can’t decide and the stakes aren’t too high https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703694204575518200704692936 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://shopify.com/sysk today! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Bring smiles to all when shopping online with Dell Technologies’ Gift Guide. Whether it’s for the artist, entrepreneur, student, streamer or gamer, you will find the perfect gift for everyone on your list! https://Dell.com/GiftGuide Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 14, 202351 min

Ep 955How to Speak Well When You Are Put On The Spot & The Strange History of Breakfast Cereal

If you went to your backyard and took a pinch of dirt in your fingers, you would be holding a piece of a shocking underground world you never knew about. Listen as I explain what lives in that world. Source: David W. Wolfe author of Tales From The Underground” (https://amzn.to/3tvUBIk) Whether you are talking to people in a small group or at a large formal event, it can be intimidating and sometimes scary. However, with some simple techniques, you can make speaking less stressful and make your message more impactful, according to Matt Abrahams. Matt is a leading expert in communication and is a lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. He is author of the book Think Faster: Talk Smarter (https://amzn.to/3Q6zMev). Listen to his simple advice and you will instantly improve your speaking ability and your confidence. When you think of breakfast cereal you probably think of the stuff that comes in a box in the supermarket. Actually breakfast cereal has been eaten for centuries. But boxed breakfast cereal from Kellogg’s and Post and General Mills, that started in the late 1800s with corn flakes being the first cold, boxed cereal. The story of cereal is fascinating and filled with interesting events and quirky characters. Here to tell that story is Kathryn Cornell Dolan. She is an associate professor of English at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and author of the book, Breakfast Cereal: A Global History (https://amzn.to/3ZKV0Tz). It's weird to think, but just in the last few decades human feet have been getting bigger – both men and women’s feet. Why? Listen as I explain the prevailing theory of bigger feet. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1239975/Female-feet-getting-larger-size-10s-demand.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://shopify.com/sysk today! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Bring smiles to all when shopping online with Dell Technologies’ Gift Guide. Whether it’s for the artist, entrepreneur, student, streamer or gamer, you will find the perfect gift for everyone on your list! https://Dell.com/GiftGuide Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 12, 202348 min

Ep 954What If You Could Live a Lot Longer & Why We Believe Things That Just Aren’t True

If you are buying candy for Trick or Treaters this year, what kind will it be? Well, if you want to hand out the candy that kids really want, listen as I start this episode with the Top 10 list of the most popular Halloween candies. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/entertainment/2023/10/03/blow-pops-win-title-ohio-favorite-halloween-candy/71041875007/ Believe it or not, there is an oyster that has lived over 500 years. There is another creature that doesn’t seem to age at all – ever! What if we could somehow isolate whatever that is to lengthen human longevity? There is research looking into that right now. And Steven Austad is one of the leading researchers. Steven is a Distinguished Professor of Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and author of the book Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Healthier Lives (https://amzn.to/3Q5Zj8L). Misbelief is when someone believes something that is just not so – or something for which there is no reason to believe. Some people believe the earth is flat. That is an example of misbelief. While that is a fairly benign example, other kinds of misbelief can have serious consequences as you are about to hear from Dan Ariely. Dan is a professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke University and author of several bestselling books. His latest is Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things (https://amzn.to/3ZNNOpB). Dan himself was and is the subject of misbelief. The story will fascinate you. When a prescription runs out, you probably just toss the bottle in the trash. That could be a problem which could come back to bite you. Listen as I explain how and what you should do with those bottles instead. https://www.securshred.com/securshred-news/is-your-prescription-bottle-a-security-risk/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://shopify.com/sysk today! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Bring smiles to all when shopping online with Dell Technologies’ Gift Guide. Whether it’s for the artist, entrepreneur, student, streamer or gamer, you will find the perfect gift for everyone on your list! https://Dell.com/GiftGuide Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 9, 202350 min

Ep 953SYSK Choice: A Brief History of Motion & The Right Ways to Speak Up

Have you heard of the Pink Tax? It’s when the women’s version of a product (like razors) costs more than men’s even though they are the same – except maybe the packaging and the color. It happens with a whole host of products from children’s toys to clothes to deodorant and yes, razors. Listen to hear why this “tax” exists and why women might be smart to pick the men’s version of the same thing instead. https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_all-about-america_does-pink-tax-force-women-pay-more-men/6177789.html We like to get around. People like to go places . Whether it’s to go to the store or on vacation or to work or to grandma’s house, we like to be mobile. For thousands of years, humans have tried to find faster and more efficient ways to get from Point A to Point B. Listen to my guest, Tom Standage as he explains the fascinating history of human transportation and how it is changing in a major way right now . In fact, he reveals why one of the latest and most significant innovations in transportation today is the smartphone! Tom is deputy editor of The Ecomomist – and author of A Brief History of Motion: From the Wheel to the Car, to What Comes Next (https://amzn.to/3A8G2s9). You have probably been in a situation where you thought about speaking up and saying something, but you held back, even though you knew you had something important to contribute. If that has happened to you, I want you to listen to my guest, Mary Nestor. Mary is a communications expert, award-winning speaker, business consultant, and author of the book Say It Now! Say It Right (https://amzn.to/39Mybpe) She joins me to explain how to muster up the courage and the words to speak up when you have something important to say. Do you know what a burglar looks like? Would you know one if you saw one? Most of them don’t look like the ones in the movies. Listen as I explain what burglars really look like, how they operate, what they are looking for and how you should protect yourself. Source: Richard T. Wright, author of Burglars on the Job (https://amzn.to/3utSXmU) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 7, 202349 min

Ep 952How to Build The Life You Want & Why Eggs Are More Amazing Than You Ever Knew

When you are faced with a tough decision, some common advice is to “sleep on it." By sleeping and waking up you may have a new and different perspective that will make your decision easier. Is that true? Is it good advice to sleep on it? This episode begins with a brief discussion. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/does-sleeping-on-it-really-work Are you a victim of your circumstances or can you build the life you want? According to Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey, your life is yours to create! Arthur is a social scientist, a professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School. He has authored several books and his latest he wrote with Oprah titled Build the Life You Want (https://amzn.to/45eihhQ). Listen as he explains how to cultivate happiness, contentment, and fulfillment in your life no matter where you are right now. Eggs are amazing. For many species, they are the beginning of life. They also make modern cooking possible. They are even essential in making our flu vaccine supply. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Listen to my guest Lizzie Stark who knows more about eggs than anyone and you will have a better appreciation for the incredible, edible egg. Lizzie is author of the book Egg: A Dozen Ovatures (https://amzn.to/46dU7VW). If you have ever been tempted to buy a trampoline, be aware there is more to that decision than you may realize. Listen as I explain some important considerations and why many people believe it is a bad idea. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-insurance-homeowners-trampoline/trampoline-for-the-kids-check-your-insurance-first-idUSBRE8BJ0ZE20121220 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 5, 202349 min

Ep 951Understanding Fear and Bravery in Everyday Life & How Modern Chemicals Affect You

How many married couples sleep in separate beds? A lot more than you may think. This episode begins with a discussion about why couples sleep separately and how it used to be a common and recommended practice not so long ago. https://www.newsweek.com/marriage-couple-sleeping-separately-husband-wife-1742874 The interesting thing about fear is that it is an emotion that serves us well. Without fear, we’d all be dead. Yet, sometimes fear gets in the way. We can often be more afraid than a situation warrants. We can be fearful and anxious about so many things it can prevent us from living a full and happy life. Joining me to help explore what human fear is all about and how to control it when it gets in the way is Dr. Arash Javanbakht. He is a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who is director of the Stress, Trauma, and Anxiety Research Clinic at Wayne State University School of Medicine and author of the book Afraid: Understanding the Purpose of Fear and Harnessing the Power of Anxiety (https://amzn.to/3LDJ93K). Our world is full of chemicals – many of them are harmless while many others are dangerous. Where do new manmade chemicals come from? How do we know they are safe? Do we really understand the dangers of all the chemicals we surround ourselves with? Here to answer these and other important questions about chemicals in our environment Frank A. von Hippel. Frank is a professor of ecotoxicology at Northern Arizona University and author of the book The Chemical Age: How Chemists Fought Famine and Disease, Killed Millions, and Changed Our Relationship with the Earth (https://amzn.to/3tbzA5K) Certain words, when used to describe specific foods, can actually make you think the food tastes better than it really does. How can that be? Listen as I explain. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2302835/Organic-food-labels-trick-thinking-food-healthier-tastier.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! BetterHelp is truly the best way to make your brain your friend. Give it a try. Visit https://BetterHelp.com/Something today to get 10% off your first month! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 2, 202346 min

Ep 950SYSK Choice: What Happens In Our Brain When We Snap & Understanding Heartbreak

Why is the most popular pencil the #2 pencil? What happened to the #1 pencil? This episode begins with some interesting facts about pencils such as how the #2 pencil got so popular, how many words the average pencil will write, why yellow is the most popular pencil color and more. https://www.straightdope.com/21343238/how-come-you-see-2-pencils-but-no-1-pencils You often see stories in the news about people who “snap.” Sometimes it is road rage or some guy wrapping a golf club around a tree – we’ve all seen people snap. Neuroscientist Doug Fields joins me to explain why almost all of us under the right circumstances can snap and probably have at some point in life. He also explains why people who snap almost always regret it. Listen to discover what you can do to make sure you don’t snap even when provoked. Doug is author of two books, Why We Snap (https://amzn.to/3kL5A9Y) and Electric Brain (https://amzn.to/3ufCe6O). A broken heart produces a special kind of horrible pain. And you may have wondered why it hurts so much and is there a way to get over it faster? That’s what Ziella Byars is here to discuss. She researched the science and wrote a book called How to Mend a Broken Heart (https://amzn.to/3EVT5ka). Listen as she explains the best ways to heal a broken heart. You have likely been told more than once that you shouldn’t eat too much salt because it can cause high blood pressure. Is that really true? Listen as I explain the science regarding the link between salt and blood pressure and why you may not need to feel guilty about adding a little salt to whatever you are eating https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a19539739/truth-behind-5-food-myths/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 30, 202352 min

Ep 949The High Price of Being So Busy & The Trouble You’ll Cause If You Don’t Have a Will

What makes happy people so happy? It is partly due to their attitude and behavior. This episode begins with some of the essential ingredients to create a general sense of happiness. They definitely work if you give them a try. http://www.biopsychiatry.com/happiness/ Who doesn’t love accomplishing all the things on their to-do list? But there is also a cost to doing that when it becomes your primary focus. It just may be that being a little less efficient will actually make you more content according to Tony Crabbe. He is a business psychologist who has worked with companies like Microsoft, News Corporation, Disney, HSBC and the World Bank and he is author of the book Busy: How to Thrive in a World of Too Much (https://amzn.to/2XsxTxD) . Listen as Tony reveals the benefits of changing your focus from efficiency to contentment while still tackling the important things. Not to be morbid but one day your life will come to an end. Even though it is a certainty, many of us are not prepared for it and it can cause real headache for the people you leave behind. When you are gone people need to know things like: Where are your passwords, bank accounts and important papers? Who will take care of your kids? Who gets your possessions? Here to discuss all the things you need to take care of that you may not have even thought about is Adam Seifer. Adam is founder of Everplans (https://www.everplans.com) a life and legacy planning company and he is author of the book In Case You Get Hit by a Bus (https://amzn.to/2Xv70t4). Did you know that your eyes have over 2 million working parts? That is only one fascinating feature about your eyes you likely never knew and that that I explain at the close of today’s episode that https://www.hexarmor.com/posts/12-fascinating-eye-facts PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 28, 202349 min

Ep 948How Emotions Control Your Thoughts and Actions & What You Never Knew About Elevators

As people age, they may have trouble remembering recent events. If you know older people who seem to forget things, it is important to realize that memory loss isn’t all inevitable. There are a couple of reasons people become forgetful that you can do something about. This episode begins with an explanation and strategies that can really help. Source: William Cone, PhD author of Stop Memory Loss (https://amzn.to/3PNKIOX). Your negative emotions get triggered by a lot of things in life. How you handle and channel those emotions in difficult times determines your “emotional power.” According to some interesting science, it seems many of us can use some help with those emotions by first understanding how they work in the brain. This is according to Julia DiGangi, a leading neuropsychologist and author of the book ENERGY RISING: The Neuroscience of Leading with Emotional Power (https://amzn.to/463rDhu) Listen and you will get a better understanding of why you do what you do when your emotions kick in. Elevators are strange little places. Still, they changed urban history. Just think, there wouldn’t be tall buildings if we didn’t have elevators. Yet, when you are in one, it can sometimes feel uncomfortable or even creepy. And even though we know they are safe, there is always that worry that the one you are in is not. So how did elevator technology start and just how advanced is it. Here to discuss all the things you have ever wondered about elevators is Dr. Lee Gray, professor of architectural history at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte and author of a book called From Ascending Rooms to Express Elevators: A History of the Passenger Elevator (https://amzn.to/44ZLtsM). Having trouble sleeping? It may not be you, it could be your room. Listen as I explain how to quickly and easily improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep by moving a few things in your bedroom. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/understanding-sleep-problems-basics PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 25, 202350 min

Ep 947SYSK Choice: Why It’s Human to Seek Pain on Purpose & How Cooperation Shaped the World

You know when you call a customer service number and you hear, “Your call is very important to us…”? What that usually says to me is – “Get comfortable, this is going to take a while.” Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a way to make your customer service experience shorter and less frustrating? Listen as I begin this episode with some solid advice. frustrating experience. So, this episode begins by discussing how to make that experience a little bit smoother. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-call-customer-service/ Can you ever really know pleasure if you don’t experience pain? Do humans actually want and need pain? Pain is a fascinating topic, as you will hear from my guest Leigh Cowart. She has purposely put herself through some very painful experiences such as, being a ballerina to eating the world’s hottest chili pepper. Listen as she discusses her research on pain and explains why some of us actually seek out pain. And yes, it turns out we all likely need some pain in our lives. Leigh is a journalist and author of the book, Hurts So Good: The Science and Culture of Pain on Purpose (https://amzn.to/3lHYF0F) While humans can be selfish, we also have to cooperate with each other because we simply can’t do everything for ourselves. The ways in which humans cooperate turn out to be very complicated because while we cooperative we also compete with each other. We can be very compassionate and cooperative with some people but not others. Evolutionary biologist Nichola Raihani has examined how our ability and desire to cooperate with each other (or not) has helped guide the development of modern civilization. Listen as she explains this fascinating topic. Nichola is a professor of evolution and behavior at University College in London and author of the book The Social Instinct: How Cooperation Shaped the World (https://amzn.to/2XwTKr8). Do women apologize more than men? Actually, yes but why is that? Listen as I explore some interesting findings on why men and women tend to apologize differently. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46381418_Why_Women_Apologize_More_Than_Men_Gender_Differences_in_Thresholds_for_Perceiving_Offensive_Behavior PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 Try HelloFresh. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Anxious thoughts? Give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! With GOLO you will safely and effectively control sugar cravings, hunger, and minimize muscle loss allowing you to feel good and inspired to reach your goal weight. Go to: https://golo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 23, 202351 min

Ep 946Why You Should Embrace Your Most Embarrassing Moments & The Fascinating World of Seeds

It is conventional wisdom for people taking a test that if you are stuck – go with your first answer. Listen as I begin this episode by explaining why that is such terrible advice Source: Joseph T. Hallinan author of Why We Make Mistakes (https://amzn.to/44PV4SQ) We have all felt awkward and embarrassed at times. It feels terrible. Still, it happens to everyone and so often it isn’t as big deal a deal as YOU think it is and maybe it isn’t a big deal at all. That’s the message from Henna Pryor. She has researched what that feeling of embarrassment is really all about and I think you will find what she has to say to be very liberating. Henna is a keynote speaker with two great TEDx talks (https://www.ted.com/talks/henna_pryor_why_awkwardness_is_your_secret_weapon_for_risk_taking_at_work) and she is author of the book, Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become The Bravest You (https://amzn.to/45Ksgwh) Most plants come from seeds. And I bet you don’t really understand how that really works. And how it works is truly amazing, as you will discover from listening to my guest Jennifer Jewell. She is a gardening educator and advocate and hosts a podcast called Cultivating Place (https://www.cultivatingplace.com/blog-1). She is also author of the book What We Sow (https://amzn.to/3EKxv3f). If you have ever wondered things like how they grow seedless watermelon when there are no seeds, you will like this discussion. Some people have real trouble when it comes to parallel parking. But there is a secret or two that can make it much easier. Listen as I explain this simple technique. Source: Jason Roberts author of The Learn 2 Guide (https://amzn.to/3PnPNfH) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Planet Money is an incredible podcast with entertaining stories and insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! With GOLO you will safely and effectively control sugar cravings, hunger, and minimize muscle loss allowing you to feel good and inspired to reach your goal weight. Learn more at https://golo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 21, 202346 min

Ep 945How To Better Maneuver Through Changes In Life & What You Need to Know About Slime

Why do people get hiccups and what is the best way to get rid of them? This episode begins with an exploration into the causes and cures of hiccups - some that work and some that don't. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hiccups/symptoms-causes/syc-20352613 One thing is for sure – your life is going to change in ways you never expected or planned for. Unexpected change happens to everyone and by its nature can really cause turmoil in your life. So how do you plan for the unexpected changes that inevitably come? That is what Brad Stulberg is here to discuss. Brad is a researcher and writer who was here on an earlier episode talking about the passion paradox. Today the topic is coping change. Brad’s latest book is called Master of Change: How to Excel When Everything Is Changing – Including You (https://amzn.to/3EzQYn2). When you hear the word slime, I doubt it makes you feel warm and fuzzy. People generally hate the thought, the idea or mention of slime. And yet the world is covered in slime, we humans are full of slime and slime serves many important functions – including holding your body together. In short, we would not be alive if it wasn’t for slime. Joining me to give you a new and enlightened appreciation for slime is Susanne Wedlich, a freelance journalist in Munich, Germany and author of the book Slime: A Natural History (https://amzn.to/45QaUOq) Dark glasses can make you look mysterious or maybe a little shady. And they may also make you act a little shady and make you do things you might not otherwise do. Listen and I’ll explain how. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100301122344.htm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Planet Money is an incredible podcast with entertaining stories and insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! With GOLO you will safely and effectively control sugar cravings, hunger, and minimize muscle loss allowing you to feel good and inspired to reach your goal weight. Learn more at https://golo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 18, 202348 min

Ep 944SYSK Choice: Our Hidden Power to Persuade & How Your Brain Decides What’s Beautiful

A lot of prescription pill bottles come with a ball of cotton inside, on top of the pills. What’s it for and should you take it out or leave it in there? This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-huge-cotton-ball-comes-pill-bottles-medicine-health-pharmacy-prescription-2017-5 There has likely been a time in your life when you wanted to ask someone to do something for you were reluctant and decided not to. It seems almost human nature to hate to ask people for things. Even when we do ask, we sometimes say, “Gee I hate to ask this but…” We should all try to get over that reluctance and ask anyway according to Vanessa Bohns, PhD. She is a social psychologist, a professor of organizational behavior at Cornell University and author of the book, You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters (https://amzn.to/3Emj83G). Listen to what she has to say and you’ll probably feel better about asking for what you want. For this episode, I would like you get out a $1 bill because we are going to take a look at it together and you will discover how fascinating it is and what all those symbols mean. https://www.rd.com/list/dollar-bill-symbols/ What makes someone or some thing beautiful? Is beauty all about physical attractiveness or are there other elements that can create or enhance beauty? Listen to my conversation with Anjan Chatterjee, Professor of Neurology, Psychology, and Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania who has done some great research on beauty and has an excellent TED Talk on the topic which you can link to here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wgt8QUHQjw8 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk today! Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 16, 202347 min

Ep 943What Lack of Human Connection Does to You & How Roads Impact the World

How do you define love? What is it exactly? Listen to the beginning of this episode and you will hear one of the best definitions of love ever. Knowing this definition will make it clear as a bell what you have to do to get more love in your life. Source: Dr. Pat Love author of The Truth About Love (https://amzn.to/3r7Rzcu) While we all know humans are social creatures, we have actually become much less social than in previous generations. People have fewer friends, more people than ever do not have a best friend, many of us claim to feel lonely and don’t know our neighbors. And certainly politics has created a lot of division and isolation. We are simply less connected. This is a real problem according to Geoffrey Cohen, professor of psychology and organizational studies at Stanford University and author of the book, Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides (https://amzn.to/3r82Nhi). Listen as he explains why human connection is so important and offers practical suggestions for creating more connections in your life. There are 40 million miles of roads in the United States. While you probably don’t think much about them, they are vital to our way of life. They get us from here to there. Yet, there is a price to pay for having the convenience of all these roads. Animals pay a big part of that price. Roads are hazardous to them. And when your car hits an animal it is hazardous and often expensive for you. There are other important consequences to having our network of roads you may not have considered. Here to explain it all is Ben Goldfarb. He is a writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, National Geographic and other publications and he is author of the book Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet (https://amzn.to/44OpLI6) Could the shoes you wear reveal something about your personality? There was a study done about this and I will tell you what this study claims your shoes are telling the world about you. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656612000608 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk today! Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 14, 202349 min

Ep 942How to Nail Those Important Goals & The Odd Words and Phrases We All Use

There is a perceived advantage to reading fast. However, reading slower may actually be more beneficial for a lot of reasons. This episode opens with some important reasons to slow down your reading for maximum impact. https://www.bustle.com/p/7-reasons-slow-reading-is-actually-a-good-thing-because-being-a-speed-reader-is-overrated-73092 The average person has 22 goals they want to accomplish. So what’s the best way to go after them? Here with a refreshing and exciting take on setting and achieving goals is Jon Acuff. He is a speaker and author of 9 books. His latest is called All It Takes is a Goal (https://amzn.to/3PtSiOF). Listen to Jon and you will be inspired to tackle those goals you’ve been thinking about but have yet to achieve and you’ll feel good about letting go of goals that are not that important and weighing you down. We all use weird words and phrases like, “it’s raining cats and dogs” “I went cold turkey”, “You need to know the ropes.” And what in the world is a “white elephant”? Here to explain where these colorful words and phrases come from and why they are important is Caroline Taggart . She has worked in the publishing business for many years and has written several books including Humble Pie and Cold Turkey: English Expressions and Their Origins (https://amzn.to/3ZazBTw) How do you win an argument? Well, most of the time you don’t but if you want to improve your chances, there is one thing you need to know according to Mike Nichols author of The Lost Art Of Listening (https://amzn.to/3ErzkSy). Listen as I explain. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk today! Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 11, 202349 min

Ep 941SYSK Choice: The Secrets to Better Conversation & A Better Way to Meet Deadlines

Every day, you make a countless number of decisions, from what to have for dinner to what detergent to buy. This episode begins by looking at how humans make decisions and choices in life and how to recognize which ones you are probably wasting too much time on. https://fs.blog/2014/09/the-history-of-cognitive-overload You likely spend a good portion of your day in conversation with other people. Yet, we seldom detect what is happening “under the radar” in those conversations – and there is a lot going on. Listen and meet Elizabeth Stokoe, a social psychologist who spent 20 years transcribing and analyzing real conversations people have and discovered some rather amazing things that happen when we people talk with each other. What she discovered will surprise you and help you be a better conversationalist. Elizabeth is author of the book, Talk: The Science of Conversation (https://amzn.to/3A2ShXQ). Deadlines are interesting. Without them a lot of things would never get done. Yet, some of us wait until the very last minute to do what needs to be done even though we could’ve started it a lot sooner. There must be a better way to meet deadlines and according to Christopher Cox – there is! Christopher is author of the book The Deadline Effect: How to Work Like It’s the Last Minute―Before the Last Minute (https://amzn.to/3ty01P3). As a former magazine editor for many years, Christopher was constantly dealing with deadlines. Listen to what he discovered so that you might just change your ways the next time a deadline is looming. Like everyone else, you probably talk to yourself. So, is it a good idea to listen to whatever you tell yourself when you talk to yourself? Listen as I discuss the benefits of talking to yourself and why it is even better if you do it out loud. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100921110956.htm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Planet Money is an incredible podcast with entertaining stories and insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 9, 202349 min

Ep 940Why You Get Embarrassed and What To Do & How A Parrot Solved a Murder

I am certain that many times in your life you have had “one of those days.” Those are the days when nothing seems to go right, everything seems to be a problem and you tend to dwell on how horrible everything is. This episode begins with a quick and effective technique for the next time you have “one of those days” that will help you snap out of it. Source: Judith Orloff, M.D. author of Positive Energy (https://amzn.to/2KHzr3K) It's hard to imagine anyone going through life without being embarrassed. It’s a horrible feeling that actually serves an important purpose. Listen as I speak with Charise Harper author of the book So Embarrassing: Awkward Moments and How to Get Through Them (https://amzn.to/35uLpFZ). She explains why we get embarrassed, why it feels so horrible and how best to handle it in the moment when it happens. Wouldn’t you love to hear the story of how a parrot solved a murder or how someone was so gullible they actually believed that investing in an idea from a prince from Venus was a smart thing to do or the story about how the same woman survived the sinking of the Titanic as well as accidents on Titanic’s 2 sister ships? Well those are just three of the tales you are going to hear from Steve Silverman, host of The Useless Information podcast (https://uselessinformation.org) and author of the book The Flip Side of History (https://amzn.to/3l7htEb). No one likes to clean, so I have three tips from a top cleaning expert that will actually reduce the amount of time you spend cleaning and ensure you do a better job. Source: Don Aslett author of No Time to Clean. (https://amzn.to/3fy5i2f) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Planet Money is an incredible podcast with entertaining stories and insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 7, 202344 min

Ep 939How To Get Better At Anything & Will You One Day Own Nothing?

Walking is good exercise and the pace at which you walk can make it even better. This episode begins with a brief discussion on the rather remarkable benefits of a brisk walk over a casual stroll. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/people-who-walk-faster-tend-to-live-longer How do you get good at something? Some people think it takes experience or lots of practice. Well, there is another way – a more effective way to improve your abilities at anything you choose to do. That is what Eduardo Briceño is here to explain. Eduardo has a wonderful Ted talk about this called How to Get Better At The Things You Care About (https://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_briceno_how_to_get_better_at_the_things_you_care_about) and he is author of the book The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action (https://amzn.to/45Hs4NY) You may not yet be aware of it yet but there is a movement in the United States that is encouraging people to own less AND feel good about it. Imagine the freedom of not being burdened by home ownership or ownership of just about anything else. Wouldn’t that feel great? For many people the answer is NO. Ownership is the primary path to wealth creation. One of those people sounding the alarm about this is Carol Roth who is author of the book You Will Own Nothing (https://amzn.to/44wDGCr). Listen as she explains who is behind this movement and why it is something to better understand and be concerned about. Is chewing gum good for you? Well it’s not going to cure a disease or make you healthy, however there are a few actual benefits to chewing gum. Listen as I explain what some of them are. https://selecthealth.org/blog/2017/04/surprising-benefits-of-chewing-gum PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game. You pick 2-6 players and if they will go more or less than their PrizePicks projection. It's that simple! Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 Anxious thoughts seem to happen at the worst time. It's important to try and get out of those negative thought cycles. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Get a break from your negative thoughts with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Planet Money is an incredible podcast with entertaining stories and insights about how money shapes our world. Listen to Planet Money https://npr.org/podcasts/510289/planet-money wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 202348 min

Ep 938SYSK Choice: Life Hacks That REALLY Make a Difference & The Extraordinary History of Water

Admit it, you have likely snooped or eavesdropped on someone at some point in your life. In fact everyone has done it. This episode begins by discussing why humans and most other creatures on the planet eavesdrop and the important purpose it serves. Source: John Locke author of the book Eavesdropping (https://amzn.to/3l7rIud) When you think about all the tasks you do each day, there are likely some you could do better and easier. And if you listen to my guest, you will discover how. Erin Ruddy interviewed some top experts to learn their secrets and put that information in her book, The Little Book of Life Skills (https://amzn.to/3l4ypxc). Listen as she reveals how to do everyday tasks a little better than you are probably doing them now - from getting up in the morning, to starting your day with a better attitude, to writing a great email, how to clean any room in 10 minutes or less and more. Without water, we wouldn’t be here. It is crucial to our survival. Yet, it seems water is the cause of a lot of problems. In some places on the planet, there isn’t enough of it and in other places there is too much. The story of water is fascinating. Listen as Giulio Boccaletti joins me to tell this riveting tale. Giulio is a globally recognized expert on natural resource security and environmental sustainability and author of the book Water: A Biography (https://amzn.to/38UwBBq). We are all aware of the risks and dangers of drinking and driving. What you may not know is that driving when you are tired is also dangerous – really dangerous. Listen to hear why you shouldn’t drive when you are tired and if you have to, what you can do to reduce the risks. Source: Matthew Edlund, M.D. author The Power of Rest (https://amzn.to/3hioMd6) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Delete Me helps you keep your personal info private by removing it from hundreds of data broker websites that sell our data online. You tell Delete Me exactly what info you want deleted, and their privacy experts take it from there! It’s really that simple to protect yourself. DeleteMe makes it easy! Right Now get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/something and use promo code SOMETHING20 Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow If you want to lose weight and keep it off, increase your metabolic efficiency and prevent or reverse health conditions you need to know the truth about why dieting has failed and how to take back control of your body and health! With GOLO you will safely and effectively control sugar cravings, hunger, and minimize muscle loss allowing you to feel good and inspired to reach your goal weight. Learn more at https://golo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 2, 202351 min

Ep 937Why Many Decisions You Make Don’t Really Matter & The Fascinating World of Weather

Take a guess… how many times does the average American check their cellphone in 2023? I don’t know your guess, but I bet you are way off. This episode begins with some amazing stats regarding how and how much we use our phones. https://www.reviews.org/mobile/cell-phone-addiction/ We spend a lot of time agonizing over decisions that really don’t matter. That’s just one of the revelations I discuss with Annie Duke. She is a speaker and consultant on the topic of decision making, a former professional poker player and author of the book, How To Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices (https://amzn.to/3OQgGIF). Listen as Annie looks at the whole process of decision making through a very enlightening lens. The advances in the science of weather in just the last few years are astounding. Here to tell you all about them is James Marshall Shepherd. He is the Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor of Geography and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Georgia and host of the Weather Geeks podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weather-geeks/id1373312240. He also explains how weather forecasting works and the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny and other meteorological terms. You are not supposed to drink alcohol when you take antibiotics. Most people think it will neutralize the effects of the antibiotic but that’s not the reason. Listen as I explain what the real reason is. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/expert-answers/antibiotics-and-alcohol/faq-20057946 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Delete Me helps you keep your personal info private by removing it from hundreds of data broker websites that sell our data online. You tell Delete Me exactly what info you want deleted, and their privacy experts take it from there! It’s really that simple to protect yourself. DeleteMe makes it easy! Right Now get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/something and use promo code SOMETHING20 Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow If you want to lose weight and keep it off, increase your metabolic efficiency and prevent or reverse health conditions you need to know the truth about why dieting has failed and how to take back control of your body and health! With GOLO you will safely and effectively control sugar cravings, hunger, and minimize muscle loss allowing you to feel good and inspired to reach your goal weight. Learn more at https://golo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 31, 202347 min

Ep 936Dramatic Ways Your Thoughts Impact Your Health & Understanding Deadly Wildfires

People who are confident and powerful tend to exhibit a few critical behaviors to create that impression of power and confidence. This episode begins with a quick list of things anyone can do to present the image of power to others. Source: Robert Greene author of The 48 Laws of Personal Power (https://amzn.to/3EaogJs) There is compelling evidence that your mind and your thoughts can impact your physical health. It isn’t all mystical and magical as you might think. In fact, a lot of it is quite logical and practical – yet it is still amazing, as you are about to discover when you listen to my guest Ellen Langer. She is the first ever tenured female professor at Harvard University and is considered the “mother of mindfulness.” She is author of the book The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health (https://amzn.to/45gn1UO) Wildfires seem to be more destructive than ever before. Flames in forests are scorching about twice as many trees as they did two decades ago, and nearly 100,000 homes, barns, and other structures have gone up in smoke. Plus, wildfires seem to occur in places that never used to have to worry. What is going on and what do we all need to know to protect ourselves? That is what Nick Mott is here to discuss. Nick is a Peabody Award winning journalist, podcast producer and author of the book This is Wildfire: How to Protect Yourself Your Home and Your Community in the Age of Heat (https://amzn.to/3P3nO5W). When someone say, “This goes with out saying…” Why are they saying it if it goes without saying? That is one of several phrases people often use that they probably shouldn’t. Listen as I reveal some other phrases that we should all avoid if we want to make the right impression on people. Paul Yeager author of “Literally The Best Language Book Ever (https://amzn.to/45CUcBM) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Delete Me helps you keep your personal info private by removing it from hundreds of data broker websites that sell our data online. You tell Delete Me exactly what info you want deleted, and their privacy experts take it from there! It’s really that simple to protect yourself. DeleteMe makes it easy! Right Now get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/something and use promo code SOMETHING20 Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow If you want to lose weight and keep it off, increase your metabolic efficiency and prevent or reverse health conditions you need to know the truth about why dieting has failed and how to take back control of your body and health! With GOLO you will safely and effectively control sugar cravings, hunger, and minimize muscle loss allowing you to feel good and inspired to reach your goal weight. Learn more at https://golo.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 28, 202347 min

Ep 935SYSK Choice: How DNA Predicts Our Psychological Traits & Why People’s Sense of Direction Varies

It’s become trendy to fill your car tires with nitrogen instead of plain old compressed air. In fact, there are now green caps for the valve stems to indicate that a tire has nitrogen in it. It can cost over $10 to fill up a tire with nitrogen so this episode begins with a quick discussion on whether it not it is worth it. https://www.consumerreports.org/tire-buying-maintenance/should-you-use-nitrogen-in-car-tires-a6260003694/ Science is learning more and more about human DNA. And the latest research indicates that almost everything about you has some inherited, genetic, DNA-ish component to it, whether that be biological or psychological or anything else. As an example, how well you do in school may largely be inherited but not necessarily in the way you think. This is according to Robert Plomin, Professor of Behavioral Genetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience at King’s College in London and author of the book, Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are (https://amzn.to/3gV9GtR) . Listen as he reveals the very latest in how your genes influence so much of who you are. Some people claim to have a good sense of direction while others claim to have a lousy one. Is “sense of direction” a real thing? Is it really a sense at all? And if it is, why do some people have a good one and others not? That’s exactly what Michael Bond set out to discover. Michael is a science writer, former Senior Editor at New Scientist and author of the book, From Here to There: The Art and Science of Finding and Losing Our Way (https://amzn.to/3DOY8Cu). Michael is here to discuss with me why some of us are better than other at getting from here to there. Pear season runs from late summer into early winter. And if you like pears, you know that knowing when they are ripe can be tricky. However, there is a reliable test to tell a pear’s ripeness and if you listen to this episode, you too will know it. https://www.foodnetwork.com/healthyeats/in-season/2011/10/how-can-you-tell-if-a-pear-is-ripe PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Delete Me helps you keep your personal info private by removing it from hundreds of data broker websites that sell our data online. You tell Delete Me exactly what info you want deleted, and their privacy experts take it from there! It’s really that simple to protect yourself. DeleteMe makes it easy! Right Now get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/something and use promo code SOMETHING20 Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 26, 202351 min

Ep 934What You Never Knew About Your Neighborhood & Understanding Intellectual Property Rights

There is this weird thing that happens to a lot of people (including me) and that is, we often wake up on our own just before the alarm goes off. Why is that? Listen as this episode begins with the interesting reason why this seems to happen to so many people. https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/why-do-we-wake-up-right-before-our-alarm/ There is so much you never knew about your neighborhood - From the phone poles that hold up your power lines, to the cement your sidewalks are made out of, to the traffic lights that keep people safe, there are fascinating backstories to every single one. After listening to this episode, you will see your neighborhood quite differently. Joining me to explain all this is Spike Carlsen author of the book A Walk Around the Block (https://amzn.to/378CyuL). Can you be sued if you grab an image off of Google and put it up on your website? If so, what’s the penalty? This is just one of the important areas of intellectual property law that people often do not understand. Here to simplify the confusing world of copyrights, patents and trademarks is attorney Devin Miller, CEO of Miller IP Law (www.milleripl.com) and host of The Inventive Journey podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-inventive-journey/id1499417283. Devin explains how to protect your intellectual property and what you can and cannot do with other people’s. Have you ever wondered if there is a formula for getting rich? Actually, there is. It isn’t thrilling or sexy, but it is how most rich people get rich. Listen as I explain how the formula works. https://consumerfed.org/press_release/how-americans-view-personal-wealth-v-how-financial-planners-view-this-wealth/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Delete Me helps you keep your personal info private by removing it from hundreds of data broker websites that sell our data online. You tell Delete Me exactly what info you want deleted, and their privacy experts take it from there! It’s really that simple to protect yourself. DeleteMe makes it easy! Right Now get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/something and use promo code SOMETHING20 Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 24, 202353 min

Ep 933Lying – The Truth and Consequences & The Race to Make Money In Outer Space

How can doing something embarrassing in front of people be good for you? This episode begins by explaining how making a fool of yourself can actually have benefits and make you happier. Maybe not in the moment but overall. https://exploringyourmind.com/making-fool-yourself-makes-you-happier/ When you tell a lie, there are consequences – especially if you get caught. Because if you are caught lying, you are now a liar and that can be a difficult label to shake. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Lying is fraught with all kinds of danger. Yet, everyone lies at some point in their life. Here to help you understand why people lie, and some of the consequences of lying you may have never even considered before is Drew Curtis. He is a licensed psychologist in Texas and is on the faculty at Angelo State University. He is author of the book Big Liars: What Psychological Science Tells Us About Lying and How You Can Avoid Being Duped (https://amzn.to/47PmsmP) Not all that long ago, it was only governments that had the money and technology to launch rockets into space. Not anymore. Today private companies are launching rockets and satellites into space almost daily! And ultimately, it is all about money. People like Elon Musk with his company SpaceX are leading the way and there are dozens of other companies collectively trying to conquer space and make a profit. Joining me to explain what is going on here is Ashlee Vance. He wrote a bestselling book about Elon Musk, he is also a feature writer at Bloomberg Businessweek and he is author of the book When the Heavens Went on Sale: The Misfits and Geniuses Racing to Put Space Within Reach (https://amzn.to/44gavDB) You can predict the weather with your morning cup of coffee – sort of. This is likely not the way the National Weather Service does it but the bubbles in your coffee can actually tell you what kind of day it is going to be. Listen as I explain. https://www.instructables.com/Predict-weather-with-a-cup-of-coffee/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Delete Me helps you keep your personal info private by removing it from hundreds of data broker websites that sell our data online. You tell Delete Me exactly what info you want deleted, and their privacy experts take it from there! It’s really that simple to protect yourself. DeleteMe makes it easy! Right Now get 20% off your DeleteMe plan when you go to https://joindeleteme.com/something and use promo code SOMETHING20 Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 202348 min

Ep 932SYSK Choice: How to Gossip Well & The Importance of Taking A Pause

As relationships mature, holding hands seem to become less of a priority. And that could be a big mistake. There are real benefits to holding hands and this episode begins by explaining what those benefits are. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/05/fashion/05hands.html We may not like to admit it, but just about everyone enjoys a juicy bit of gossip. In fact, we all gossip at least once in a while and that turns out to be a good thing. Gossip serves a lot of useful purposes in life. Frank McAndrew, a leading researcher on gossip joins me to reveal just how gossip works, why most gossip really isn’t all that nasty. He also has some advice on how to gossip better. Frank is a professor of psychology at Knox College in Illinois (https://www.frankmcandrew.com/) During a busy day, you likely jump from one task to the next with hardly any room to breathe. If that is true, you could be missing out on a great opportunity according to Juliet Funt founder and CEO of The Juliet Funt Group (https://www.julietfunt.com/) who advises Fortune 500 companies. Listen as she explains the importance of creating “white space” in between all the things you do and the benefits of doing so. Juliet is author of the book A Minute to Think (https://amzn.to/3mmsXIv). Rejection hurts - a lot. Why? Listen as I explain some interesting research that reveals why romantic rejection can be so devastating and how to handle it better if it happens to you. Source: Helen Fisher author of the book Why We Love (https://amzn.to/3g7Ctel) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk today! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them and treat almost every condition under the sun! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the Masters of Scale podcast! Check it out at https://mastersofscale.com OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 19, 202348 min

Ep 931Why We Often Expect the Worst & The Science Behind the Fonts You Use

How many times have you heard that exercise is good for you? But specifically, how? This episode starts with an explanation of precisely how exercise benefits you physically and mentally – and they are pretty compelling benefits. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389 When you worry, it is often because you are expecting the worst. We imagine trouble and danger are brewing about something that has yet to happen. Often times that worry is completely unwarranted. Still, the anxiety that drives the worry is a powerful force. How can you get a handle on your worry? Here to discuss that and offer some proven advice that can turn down the volume on worry is David Carbonell, he is a clinical psychologist and therapist who specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and he is author of the book The Worry Trick: How Your Brain Tricks You Into Expecting the Worst (https://amzn.to/44b5MTJ). There are zillions of fonts you can use when you type an email or letter or report . And according to some solid research, the font you choose can have a significant impact on the reader. Everyday you are influenced by the typefaces used on menus, products, signs, posters, everything! And you probably don’t even know it. Joining me to discuss the science of fonts is Sarah Hyndman. She is a graphic artist and author of the book Why Fonts Matter. (https://amzn.to/3DTCvlA). Is it possible to be addicted to music? Apparently so! At least in the sense that music can make you feel good in much the same way as a drug. Listen as I explain what it is about music that creates such powerful feelings in us. https://www.dancemusicnw.com/study-proves-music-addiction/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk today! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them and treat almost every condition under the sun! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the Masters of Scale podcast! Check it out at https://mastersofscale.com OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 17, 202346 min

Ep 930Favorite Food Origins You Never Knew & Why The Internet Creates So Much Outrage In People

Everyone has loose batteries somewhere in the house. And if you keep those batteries in your junk drawer, that could be dangerous. Listen as I explain why and a better way to store batteries. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/612670/never-store-batteries-your-junk-drawer Did French fries really originate in France? Why do we call them hot dogs? Why is there no cream in cream soda? And what’s the deal with chicken fingers? Joining me with the fun origins of some of your favorite foods is Kim Zachman author of There's No Cream in Cream Soda: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Drinks (https://amzn.to/3QA1bay) and There's No Ham in Hamburgers (https://amzn.to/47pasrQ). Listen and you will discover things about the foods you eat that you probably never knew. Have you ever seen something on social media and felt outraged? It happens a lot. Is that by design? What is it about social media posts that often trigger very emotional reactions? That turns out to be a fascinating topic and one that affects us all in some surprising ways. Tobias Rose Stockwell is a writer and researcher who looked into this important topic and joins me to reveal what he discovered. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, WIRED, NPR, the BBC and he is author of the book Outrage Machine: How Tech Amplifies Discontent, Disrupts Democracy―And What We Can Do About It (https://amzn.to/3QxXLVs). Getting your groceries from the store to your kitchen on a hot summer day is a race against time. Listen as I reveal how much time you have and a way to buy yourself more time to keep your food from spoiling. https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/keep-groceries-food-safe-in-hot-car/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! With HelloFresh, you get farm-fresh, pre-portioned ingredients and seasonal recipes delivered right to your doorstep. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/50something and use code 50something for 50% off plus free shipping! Shopify gives you everything you need to take control and take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial period at https://Shopify.com/sysk today! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them and treat almost every condition under the sun! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is. That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the Masters of Scale podcast! Check it out at https://mastersofscale.com OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 14, 202348 min

Ep 929SYSK Choice: A Guide to Your Insides & How Salary Transparency Helps Our Performance

“Fragrance” is a common ingredient listed on perfumes, colognes, soaps, and lotions. Clearly, just the word "fragrance" doesn’t tell you very much. This episode begins with a discussion on why manufacturers can be so vague about this and why you should be at least a little concerned. https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/fragrance/ Ever wonder why you get a headache? Or bad breath? Ever wonder how vomiting actually works? Or why people get jet lag? And what causes bad breath and what’s the best way to get rid of it? Here with some answers is Dr. Sarah Holper author of the book What’s Wrong With You? An Insider’s Guide to Your Insides (https://amzn.to/3ilE0hs). Listen as she takes us all on a tour inside the human body and reveals how it works and how you can make yours work better. Do you actually know for sure how much money your coworkers make? If not, I bet you have surely wondered about it. Organizational psychologist David Burkus believes we should all know what other people make. Listen as he joins me to explain the intriguing reasons why. David has a TED Talk on this subject you can see here: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvcNw4F0Y4Y). He is also author of the book Leading From Anywhere (https://amzn.to/3Bak89q). Seems like everyone loves cute things? And interestingly we react to cute things like babies and kittens very differently than how we react to everything else? Listen as I explain why that is. https://www.brainson.org/episode/2016/12/06/what-makes-cute-things-cute PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the 99% Invisible podcast! Check it out at https://99percentinvisible.org OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 12, 202354 min

Ep 928What You Never Knew About Your Grocery Store & Understanding Uncertainty

Just because you are a good driver doesn’t protect you from bad drivers. And there are a lot of those bad drivers on the road. So how do you protect yourself? This episode begins with some potentially life-saving advice on where and how serious traffic accidents happen and how to avoid being in one. Source: Reader’s Digest article titled “How Good Drivers Get Killed” A lot goes on in your neighborhood grocery store you likely never knew. For example, did you know that some of the “fresh produce” could actually be more than a year old? Or that selling you groceries isn’t the only way your store makes money - not by a long shot? And what about Trader Joe’s? Why are their customers so fanatically loyal? Joining me to explore all this and much more is Benjamin Lorr, author of the book The Secret Life of Groceries (https://amzn.to/2RVd0Iy). We all would like to know what is going to happen in the future. That’s precisely why we look to experts to predict the stock market or why we try to choose “winning” lottery numbers. The fact is, most predictions are usually wrong because the future is unpredictable. So instead of trying to predict the future, maybe there is a better way. Here to tell you what that is John Kay, a leading British economist and author of the book Radical Uncertainty: Decision-Making Beyond the Numbers (https://amzn.to/32WqnP6). He offers advice on how to prepare for the future when you can’t predict it and he reveals the important difference between risk and uncertainty. I’m sure you’ve heard someone say that a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human mouth. Seriously? Listen and discover if that could possibly be true. https://www.broadstreetvet.com/site/blog/2023/06/15/is-dogs-mouth-cleaner-than-mine PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the 99% Invisible podcast! Check it out at https://99percentinvisible.org OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 10, 202346 min

Ep 927Where Your Trash and Recycling Really Goes & A Fun and Effective Approach to Housework

More and more people are opting to remove their shoes before they come into the house and asking guests to do it as well. Is it really necessary? Does it do any good? This episode begins with a look at what your shoes actually track into your home and whether or not it is dangerous. https://www.sharp.com/health-news/should-shoes-be-removed-at-home When you throw something into the trash or the recycle bin, you likely feel confident that it goes where it is supposed to go. But does it? Where exactly does it go? Do the recyclables really get recycled? Is household trash really the problem or is there something else taking up most of the space in landfills? That is what Oliver Franklin-Wallis is here to discuss. He is an award-winning journalist and currently the features editor of British GQ. He is author of the book Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, and Why It Matters (https://amzn.to/44S7Jpf). Whatever systems or techniques you use to keep your house clean are probably the ones you learned from your parents. Maybe it is time to question some of those techniques. Perhaps there is a better, more efficient – even fun way to clean. There is also a better way to think about housework, so it doesn’t leave you feeling drained and feeling as if it never ends and is never good enough. Here to reveal a whole new approach to housework is KC Davis. She is a therapist and author of the book How to Keep House While Drowning (https://amzn.to/3OjfwoN). Once you hear her take on housework, it may just change your life. Not all honey you buy at the store is created equal. In many store-bought honey jars, some very important things are missing. Listen as I explain what they are and why this is important. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/11/tests-show-most-store-honey-isnt-honey/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Sometimes in life we’re faced with tough choices, and the path forward isn’t always clear. If you’re thinking of starting therapy, give BetterHelp a try. It’s entirely online, so it’s convenient, flexible, and suited to your schedule. Just fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist, and switch therapists any time for no additional charge. Let therapy be your map, with BetterHelp Visit https://BetterHelp.com/SOMETHING today to get 10% off your first month! Your business was humming, but now you're falling behind. Teams buried in manual work. NetSuite gives you the POWER of having all of your information in one place to make better decisions and now has an UNPRECEDENTED offer to make that possible! Right now, download NetSuite’s popular KPI Checklist, designed to give you consistently excellent performance - absolutely free, at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the 99% Invisible podcast! Check it out at https://99percentinvisible.org OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 7, 202348 min

Ep 926SYSK Choice: Your Brain On the Internet & Embracing Your Weirdness

Doodling – it is just something people do, particularly when listening to a boring speaker. While people often think of it as a distraction, doodling can actually help your memory. Listen as I begin this episode by explaining how that works. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226210039.htm The Internet is messing with your mind according to Nicholas Carr. He 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/2VasqO6) ( by the way, his work on this made him a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize). Listen as Nicholas makes the case that always being connected and available online takes a toll. Sure the Internet makes life convenient and offers other conveniences, there is a price we all pay that you may not realize. Being a bit weird may actually be one of your greatest strengths. In fact, your weirdness can propel your personal and professional success according to Chris Williamson who gave a TED Talk on Embracing Your Weirdness (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Murw1YnFfiw&t=205s). He joins me to explain just how unique you really are and what you can do for yourself and the world by expressing it. Chris is also the host of the podcast Modern Wisdom (https://apple.co/2MNqIgw) Everyone’s life is full of problems. While you may not know what problems lie ahead, you can be sure they are there waiting out there somewhere. Listen to hear some interesting advice that will help you better handle those troubles and crises when they do show up. And they will show up. Source: Brain Tracy author of Crunch Point (https://amzn.to/3zJaGs0) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the Freakonomics Radio podcast! Check it out at https://freakonomics.com/podcasts OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 5, 202351 min

Ep 925Good News If You Are a Sensitive Person & The Fascinating History of Recorded Sound

An amazing number of dogs get stolen every year. And it’s all about the money. This episode begins with a look at this growing crime and why you should keep a close eye on your pet. https://petkeen.com/dognapping-dog-theft-statistics/ When people are told they are too sensitive, it is usually not a compliment. Being sensitive is often looked at as a weakness – a character flaw. What sensitive people need to do is toughen up. Well, not so fast, says Jenn Granneman. While being sensitive can have challenges, that sensitivity is also a super power. Listen as she champions those who are labeled sensitive with research to back up her beliefs. Then she offers some terrific advice to help sensitive people deal with a not-so-sensitive world. She also has excellent advice if you are not highly sensitive but have sensitive people in your life. Jenn is author of the book Sensitive: The Hidden Power of the Highly Sensitive Person in a Loud, Fast, Too-Much World (https://amzn.to/456D3Qu). Think of how much recorded sound plays a role in your life. Music, podcasts, radio, movie and TV sound – recorded sound is important to us. From Thomas Edison’s first cylindrical recordings to digital downloads and streaming, the history of recorded sound is fascinating. Joining me to tell that story is Jonathan Scott author of the book Into the Groove :The Story of Sound From Tin Foil to Vinyl (https://amzn.to/3Kh1d2Q). I bet most people still use paper checks to pay for things - at least occasionally. If you do, there is something you might want to consider the net time you order new checks. Listen as I explain. https://www.idtheftcenter.org/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the Optimal Daily Living podcast! Check it out at https://oldpodcast.com OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 3, 202348 min

Ep 924The New Science of How We Learn & How To Prevent Arguments From Happening

On a hot summer day, lots of things can get dangerously hot. Your street, the dashboard and steering wheel inside your car, even your patio furniture can get hot enough to burn you. Listen as I explain just how hot. https://www.rd.com/article/things-that-get-dangerously-hot/ Why are some things harder to learn than others? Why do some people seem to learn things faster? Are there ways to make learning something easier? Joining me to explain all this and other aspects of the science of learning is Daniel Willingham. He is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of several books including Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (https://amzn.to/43Lkb8N). Arguments happen – a lot. Yet, what do they accomplish really? The fact is they often leave people more polarized and upset than before. What if people could resolve problems without arguing? What if we could prevent arguments from happening in the first place? That is what Linda Bloom specializes in. Linda and her husband Charlie are veteran marriage counselors and seminar leaders who have authored several books including An End to Arguing: 101 Valuable Lessons for All Relationships (https://amzn.to/3Y5J5yR). There is this old advice I’m sure you have heard that when you are really upset, you should count to ten before you say or do anything because that will calm you down and prevent you from doing something you later regret. Is that really good advice? Listen as I explain some interesting research. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2168645/Angry-Counting-worst-thing--makes-furious.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! We really like the Freakonomics Radio podcast! Check it out at https://freakonomics.com/podcasts OR search for it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 31, 202348 min

Ep 923SYSK Choice: Understanding the Dimensions of Love & The Power of Strangers

Isn’t salt – salt? I’ve always thought so. Sure there is kosher salt and sea salt and regular salt but now there are all these different colored designer salts? Does it really matter or make a difference This episode begins with a salty explanation. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sea-salt/faq-20058512 We crave to have love in our lives, yet love can also be the source of immense pain, misery and sadness. It seems odd sometimes that as much as we need love and care about it – we are often not particularly good at it. That’s according to Laura Mucha author of the book, Love Understood: The Science of Who, How and Why We Love (https://amzn.to/3AZIdjm). Laura has spent most of her adult life researching love and relationships. Listen as she joins me with her insights on the topic that will hopefully inspire you to love better. Do you like making small talk with strangers? A lot of people don’t because they think it is a waste of time or because they simply hate small talk, or they figure -what’s the point? Well, Joe Keohane has another perspective. He there is great value in talking with strangers and has proof to back it up. Joe is author of the book The Power of Strangers: The Benefits of Connecting in a Suspicious World (https://amzn.to/3hzh1QK) and he lays out a compelling case for why you should be more willing to talk with people you don’t know, because the benefits are numerous. Integrity is defined as, “The perceived pattern of alignment between words and actions.” Living a life of integrity seems noble and is something to strive for. Listen as I explain how living with integrity can really pay off. Literally! Source: Tony Simons author of The Integrity Dividend (https://amzn.to/3kedPeY) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Take a bite out of summer with HelloFresh! From chef-crafted seasonal recipes to their new Fresh & Fit summer menu, HelloFresh brings flavor right to your door. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/something50 and use code something50 for 50% off plus free shipping! For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 29, 202352 min

Ep 922Weird Things That Really Affect Your Health & Do You Work to Live or Live to Work?

People claim to get great ideas in the shower. But is that a real thing? Is there something about taking a shower that can actually generate ideas and solutions? Listen as this episode begins with some interesting research about the power of a shower. https://www.headspace.com/articles/shower-epiphanies You are about to amazed at some of the unusual and random things that can affect your health in significant ways. Things like your birthday, if there is EZ Pass on a highway nearby, if there is a parade or a race through the streets of your town – all these things can impact your health and wellbeing in ways you can’t imagine. How so, you ask? That is what Anupam B. Jena is here to explain. Bapu, as he is called, is a medical doctor, economist, Harvard professor, host of the podcast Freakonomics M.D. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/freakonomics-m-d/id1577556965 and author of the book Random Acts of Medicine: The Hidden Forces That Sway Doctors, Impact Patients, and Shape Our Health (https://amzn.to/3Y54hF4). You can certainly make the case that we are and have been a career-focused culture. So much of our identity and self-worth gets wrapped up in what we do for a living – our job. Is that a good thing? Maybe for some but not for everyone according to Simone Stolzoff. He is a journalist whose work has appeared in The Atlantic, WIRED and numerous other publications. He is also author of the book The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work (https://amzn.to/44MYZjI). Listen as he explains the downside of always looking for the perfect job sacrificing other aspects of your life for the sake of your career. He then offers an alternate way to look at work and life. How can brushing your teeth help you lose weight? It’s all about WHEN you brush them. Listen as I explain how good dental hygiene can reduce the size of your waistline. https://www.popsci.com/does-brushing-your-teeth-affect-your-appetite/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Take a bite out of summer with HelloFresh! From chef-crafted seasonal recipes to their new Fresh & Fit summer menu, HelloFresh brings flavor right to your door. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/something50 and use code something50 for 50% off plus free shipping! For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 27, 202349 min

Ep 921Scams You Might Easily Fall For & Smalls Ways to Significantly Improve Your Health

Is it true that a bee will die after it stings you? Or that YOU can die after a black widow spider bites you? This episode begins with a look at some facts and myths about summertime bugs and pests. https://www.ledfordspestcontrol.com/blog/pest-facts/7-common-pest-myths/ There are a lot of bad people who want to steal and scam you out of your money. While most of us like to think we are too smart to fall for scams, it’s just not true. Some of the smartest people have fallen victim to some very clever scams – and you might too! Here to discuss what the latest scams are ad how to protect yourself is Daniel Simons a psychology professor at the University of Illinois and author of a new book called Nobody's Fool: Why We Get Taken In and What We Can Do About It (https://amzn.to/3OvpjK1). Drinking coffee, standing on one foot, taking an early morning walk – all these things are actually proven to be good for your health and longevity. Joining me to discuss these and lots of other very simple things you can do to improve your overall wellbeing is Dr. Michael Mosley, host of the podcast Just One Thing (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/just-one-thing-with-michael-mosley/id1560369423) and author of the book Just One Thing: How Simple Changes Can Transform Your Life (https://amzn.to/3rBVnTv). The best time to clean your oven may just be in the middle of summer. Sounds weird but there is actually a really good reason to do it then. Listen as I explain Source: Appliance Handbook for Women (https://amzn.to/43wGlLY) PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Take a bite out of summer with HelloFresh! From chef-crafted seasonal recipes to their new Fresh & Fit summer menu, HelloFresh brings flavor right to your door. Go to https://HelloFresh.com/something50 and use code something50 for 50% off plus free shipping! For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! Now, your ideas don't have to wait, now, they have everything they need to come to life. Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen - right now! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match U.S. Cellular knows how important your kid’s relationship with technology is, so they’ve made it their mission to help them establish good digital habits early on! That’s why they’ve partnered with Screen Sanity, a non-profit dedicated to helping kids navigate the digital landscape. For a smarter start to the school year, U.S. Cellular is offering a free basic phone on new eligible lines, providing an alternative to a smartphone for children. Visit https://USCellular.com/BuiltForUS ! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 24, 202350 min

Ep 920SYSK Choice: How Material Science Has Changed Your Life & The Joy of Sweat

Ever noticed that aluminum foil has a shiny side and a dull side? Why do you suppose that is? Maybe it is significant – after all some recipes call for it to be either shiny side up or shiny side down. But how much difference could it possibly make? Listen and find out. https://culinarylore.com/food-science:aluminum-foil-shiny-side-up-or-down/ Bet you didn’t know that radio technology helped to create the quartz watch. Or that railroad technology reshaped how we celebrate Christmas. And how in the world did the telegraph change the way we speak? These are just a few of the fascinating ways older technologies have had an significant impact on how we live today. Ainissa Ramirez, is a material scientist and author of the book The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another (https://amzn.to/2UyQkCy) . Listen as she takes us on a journey through some of the fascinating technologies that continue to shape how we live our lives. Humans are one of a very few species that actually sweat through the skin. The purpose of sweating is to help you stay cool. And how this cooling system works inside your body is really interesting. You have millions of sweat glands and what kind of climate you spent your toddler years in likely affected how many of your sweat glands were activated and how efficiently they work today. There’s a lot to the story of human perspiration. Science writer Sarah Everts has gone deep into the research on sweating for her book, The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration (https://amzn.to/3AwyPTX) and she is here to explain. You know if you have ever flown on an airplane, there are oxygen masks in the event of an emergency. So where do they keep the oxygen? And why do they tell you to tug on the mask to begin the flow of oxygen? Listen because the answer to that question is really going to surprise you. https://www.scienceabc.com/eyeopeners/do-airplanes-really-carry-oxygen-for-the-oxygen-masks.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them and treat almost every condition under the sun! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 22, 202351 min

Ep 918What Causes Coincidences & Where Did the Molecules In Your Body Come From?

Somehow blue jeans, which are basically just work clothes, became this worldwide fashion staple, and have remained so for decades. How did that happen? This episode begins by discussing the origins of jeans and how they became such a big deal. Source: James Sullivan, author of Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon (https://amzn.to/2F0wyID) Do coincidences happen for a reason or are they just quirky random events? Why is it so hard to find a 4-leaf clover – or any other plant with 4 leaf clusters? Is there a better day to buy lottery tickets than another day? These are just some of the fascinating life questions tackled by Rob Eastaway, author of the book Why Do Buses Come in Threes?: The Hidden Mathematics of Everyday Life (https://amzn.to/2FEWfib) Where do you come from and what are you made of? It appears we are made from recycled atoms that have come from parts of stars, dinosaurs and even other people. Science writer Brian Clegg author of the book What Do You Think You Are? The Science of What Makes You You (https://amzn.to/35TifRq) joins me to discuss the latest science about what goes in to making you what you are. And he explains how and why you are uniquely different from everybody and everything else in the universe. You probably know that laughing is good for you and crying is as well. In fact, laughing and crying are really very similar. Listen as I discuss the fine line between laughing and crying and the many benefits of both. https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/09/07/curious-behvaior-provine/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them and treat almost every condition under the sun! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 20, 202352 min

Ep 917The Awesome Life and Contributions of Albert Einstein & How Ambitious Are You

What is the best (or worst) seat on a commercial airliner? That kind of depends on whether you mean safest, healthiest, or most comfortable seat. This episode begins with a look at how to choose the best airplane seat for you. https://www.menshealth.com/health/a19536853/the-worst-place-to-sit-on-a-plane/ Albert Einstein was a cultural rock star. He was arguably one of the most popular people on the planet for much of his life. He was Time magazine’s Man of the Century. Even today, most people know who he is. His likeness is everywhere – even Doc Brown’s dog in Back to The Future was named Einstein. Albert Einstein has 20 million followers on social media even though he has been dead for almost 70 years. What was it about him that made him so popular and what are some of his many contributions to our modern lives? Here to discuss this Benyamin Cohen who actually manages all of Albert Einstein’s social media accounts and he is author of the book The Einstein Effect: How the World's Favorite Genius Got into Our Cars, Our Bathrooms, and Our Minds (https://amzn.to/44moatD). Most of us were taught to be ambitious. After all, ambition is the road to success in life. However, there may be another way to use your ambition that is less about just working harder at your job but rather diversifies your ambition into other areas of your life. This is according to Rainesford Stauffer. She is a journalist, speaker and author of the book All The Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and The Way We Strive (https://amzn.to/3DbQ5QR). Listen as she shines a different kind of light on personal ambition. How could the color of your hair affect how much money you make? Listen as I reveal the surprising results of a 27-year study about hair color and salary, that may make you want to lighten your hair. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S016517651000114X PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them and treat almost every condition under the sun! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 202349 min

Ep 916SYSK Choice: The Hidden Chemistry in Everything & Why Scientists Can’t Define Life

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 works to get the dirt out – or how moisturizers work? What is it about caffeine that keeps you awake? The answer is - chemistry! With everything you do and anywhere you go there is a lot of chemistry working in the background. Here to explain how it all works is chemist Kate Bibendorf. Kate is a chemist and author of the book It’s Elemental: The Hidden Chemistry in Everything (https://amzn.to/3ycoZEK). You are going to hear things you never knew before and you will likely never drink a flaming shot of vodka again in your life! Doesn’t it seem that science should have a pretty solid definition of what life is. Actually though, it is a mystery. Even though we all have a pretty good sense or understanding of life – it remains undefinable. Why? That’s what Carl Zimmer set out to find out. Carl writes the Matter column for The New York Times and is author of 13 books including Life’s Edge: The Search for What It Means to Be Alive (https://amzn.to/3yhCBP1) He joins me to explain what we do know, what we don’t know and how some things you might think are alive – actually are not. Maybe. Who hasn’t had a swig of water from a garden hose on a hot day? But it is probably a very bad idea. Listen as I explain why you are much better off going into the house and getting a glass of water and leave the garden hose water in the garden. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2010/06/do-you-suppose-it-s-safe-to-drink-from-a-hose/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 15, 202350 min

Ep 915Strange Stories About Amazing People & Extraordinary Lessons from Great Athletes

A lot of people still send checks in the mail. Increasingly that is becoming a bad idea. Listen as I reveal why postal authorities and banks are recommending you not use the U.S. Mail to send money anymore. https://www.businessinsider.com/post-office-check-fraud-mailing-be-careful-usps-scam-2023-6 The world is full of strange and bizarre stories. And if you listen to this episode, you will hear a bunch of them, such as how one U.S. President prevented his own assassination; how The Beatles drummer Ringo’s unique drumming style is the result of exorcisms, how the Los Angeles Dodgers paid a guy to beam positive messages to players during games from 3000 miles away and many more. These all come from my guest Dan Schreiber. Dan hosts a podcast called There is No Such Thing As a Fish (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/no-such-thing-as-a-fish/id840986946) and he is author of the book The Theory of Everything Else: A Voyage Into the World of the Weird (https://amzn.to/43eruph) Athletes who perform at the top of their game can teach us all a thing or two about life and how to do our best at what we do. Joining me to offer her unique and compelling perspective on this is Sally Jenkins. She has been a columnist and feature writer for The Washington Post for more than twenty years. She was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 and in 2021 was named the winner of the Associated Press Red Smith Award for Outstanding Contributions to Sports Journalism. She is the author of 12 books including The Right Call: What Sport Teaches Us About Work and Life (https://amzn.to/44wtc6y). Why do the people who work at Trader Joe’s wear different colored Hawaiian shirts? Why are they so friendly and why do they keep ringing that bell? Listen as I reveal a few behind the scenes secrets from Trader Joe’s. https://www.businessinsider.com/trader-joes-slang-terms-only-employees-know-2023-7?utm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 13, 202350 min

Ep 914How Your Brain Predicts Your Reality & How To Be Calm and Why Should Be

Is it bad to charge your phone overnight? Is it okay to use your phone while it is charging? We start this episode with some of the facts and myths about charging your smartphone and how to improve the life and performance of the battery. https://www.makeuseof.com/myths-misconceptions-charging-your-phone-debunked/ Your brain is constantly making predictions. For example, when your doctor is about to give you a shot, your brain predicts how painful it will be. If you predict it will hurt a lot – it will likely hurt more than if you predicted that it won’t hurt at all. In other words, your predictions help to shape your reality. And it happens with many of our experiences. Here to dig deeper into this and explain why this is so important is Andy Clark. He is a professor at the University of Sussex and author of six books including The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality (https://amzn.to/3JJPUjH). Do you consider yourself to be a calm person? Of course we all have moments when we are calm and some of us are better able to remain calm in stressful situations than others. But have you ever wondered – what is calm? Is it a feeling, a skill or a state of mind? How can you get better at it? What are the benefits of remaining calm? Well, it seems there are a lot of benefits according to my guest Chris Bailey. As a writer, Chris has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, GQ, The Huffington Post, and he is author of the book How to Calm Your Mind (https://amzn.to/44cmGSu). Flip-flops are pretty standard summertime footwear for many of us. As easy and comfortable as flip-flops are, there are concerns that many foot specialists have. If you are one of those people who wear flip-flops a lot, listen as I explain just what those concerns are. https://www.ipfh.org/images/research_materials/2012_National_Foot_Health_Assessment_June_2012.pdf PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! For the first time in NetSuite’s 25 years as the #1 cloud financial system, you can defer payments of a FULL NetSuite implementation for six months! If you’ve been sizing NetSuite up to make the switch then you know this deal is unprecedented - no interest, no payments - take advantage of this special financing offer at https://NetSuite.com/SYSK ! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Discover Credit Cards do something pretty awesome. At the end of your first year, they automatically double all the cash back you’ve earned! See terms and check it out for yourself at https://Discover.com/match Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 202349 min

Ep 913SYSK Choice: Why Hidden Fees are “Gotcha” Capitalism & The Origins of Slang

We have probably all gotten a little more conscientious at washing our hands more frequently. Still, a lot of us are not washing correctly or with proper technique. This episode begins with some expert hand washing advice to make sure your hands are really clean. https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/10-ways-youre-washing-your-hands-wrong Don’t you just hate it when businesses tack on fees to the price? In many cases, like concert tickets, or hotels or airline fares, the stated price is meaningless. Very often what you pay is the stated price PLUS anything else they want to add on. Bob Sullivan has been one of the people leading the charge about the stupidity and unfairness of these excessive fees. He is author of the book Gotcha Capitalism (https://amzn.to/2x9R2aR) and he is here to explain why fees have become such a problem and how we can all fight back! Ever wonder where slang words come from? It seems some slang words come and go while others stick around. Some slang words become so popular they stop being slang and become acceptable English. Tom Dalzell has been studying slang for years and has written several books about it including The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English (https://amzn.to/2p2ksDi). Listen as he reveals the importance of slang in our language and how some slang words make it and some don’t. Do overweight people face discrimination in the workplace? We like to think we judge people by their character but there is some interesting research that proves that is not always true. Listen as I discuss this and reveal why, in most cases this type of discrimination is perfectly legal. http://www.businessinsider.com/science-overweight-people-less-successful-2015-9 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 8, 202343 min

Ep 912Why We Often Misunderstand Each Other & Why Are Toxic Chemicals In Your Clothes?

People often complain they get sick when they fly on an airplane. And they claim the problem is the recirculated air passengers breathe. That’s actually not quite right. This episode begins with an explanation of what does cause people to get sick from air travel and why it is likely not the air. https://www.rd.com/article/recirculated-air-on-airplanes/ You are about to be amazed when you hear how often we miscommunicate with each other. It happens when we speak, when we send a text or email, on the phone – everywhere. Often, what we say is not what people hear and that causes all kinds of trouble. Here to explain how this happens and how we can prevent all this miscommunication is Roger Kreuz, an associate dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Memphis and a professor in the university's psychology department. He is also author of the book Failure to Communicate: Why We Misunderstand What We Hear, Read, and See (https://amzn.to/44lnHaE) Your clothes are full of chemicals. They are in there to make clothes anti-wrinkle, anti-odor, stain resistant and a bunch of other reasons. The problem is those chemicals aren’t all that effective and they can be harmful. Hear to explain why this is going on and why you probably haven’t heard much about it is Alden Wicker. She is an award-winning journalist and author of the book To Dye For How Toxic Fashion is Making us Sick (https://amzn.to/3pt4Vzj). Do you get food cravings? If so and you want to try to curb them, it seems pickles can help. Listen as I explain how. http://www.wisegeek.com/why-do-some-pregnant-women-crave-pickles-and-ice-cream.htm PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 6, 202347 min

Ep 911The Science of Innovation & When Doctors Make Mistakes

Did you know that all people with blue eyes are related to each other? That is just one of the fascinating things we explore as I begin this episode with a look at how your eyes work and how they help you navigate your world. http://www.buzzfeed.com/acuvue/impossibly-cool-facts-you-may-not-know-about-yo#.kjpwxlkvO It often seems that great new ideas and inventions come out of the blue. However, that’s not usually true. There is actually an innovation process according to Matt Ridley. Matt is a journalist, businessman and author of the book How Innovation Works: And Why It Flourishes in Freedom (https://amzn.to/2D6syWe). Matt has studied how great ideas are created, developed and accepted and he joins me to explain the process and where the next big thing is likely to come from. Doctors are human so of course they make mistakes. However, the consequences of medical mistakes can be serious and even life threatening. Some reports have said that medical errors are the third leading cause of death in America. Could that really be true? Are errors just part of the system or could most of them be prevented? Joining me to discuss this is Dr. Danielle Ofri, clinical professor of medicine at the New York University School of Medicine and practicing physician at New York’s Bellevue Hospital for more than two decades. She is author of the book When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error (https://amzn.to/3hVGku9). Perhaps you have noticed that the more money you have in your wallet, the more likely you are to spend it. Actually, it is a little more complicated than that. It seems what kind of money you have in your wallet is a big factor in whether you spend it or keep it. Listen as I explain how this works and how you can use this knowledge to keep more of your own money. http://www.forbes.com/video/4061993829001/ PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Keep American farming and enjoy the BEST grass-fed meat & lamb, pastured pork & chicken and wild caught-Alaskan salmon by going to https://MoinkBox.com/Yum RIGHT NOW and get a free gift with your first order! The Dell Technologies’ Black Friday in July event has arrived with limited-quantity deals on top tech to power any passion. Save on select XPS PCs and more powered by the latest Intel® Core™ processors. Plus, get savings on select monitors and accessories, free shipping and monthly payment options with Dell Preferred Account. Save today by calling 877-ASK-DELL ! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 3, 202353 min

Ep 910SYSK Choice: What Watching Sports Does to You & What Happy Couples Do

A lot of health and beauty advice has been passed down over many generations. And a lot of it is just plain wrong! Listen as this episode begins with a little myth busting when it comes to some of the things mom told you to do and not do to stay healthy and beautiful. https://www.everbeautiful.com/2010/1622/ten-popular-beauty-myths-debunked Are there actual benefits to watching sports? Yes – several, according to Larry Olmsted author of the book Fans: How Watching Sports Makes us Happier, Healthier and More Understanding (https://amzn.to/2T6YUs1). Listen as Larry explains how and why being a sports fan has so many physical, mental and social benefits. Even if you are not a sports fan, you may want to become one after you listen to Larry. What causes relationships to sour? It turns out that it isn’t so much the big arguments and fights – it’s really the little things. Or, to be more precise, the lack of little things that wears down any romantic relationship, family relationship or friendship. Carol Bruess is a social scientist who studies relationships and she is here to explain why relationships need lots of small doses of positivity to succeed and thrive. Listen as she explains exactly how to do it. Carol has a TED Talk on messy relationships you can watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOnl76UqUcw&t=14s . She is also author of the book What Happy Couples Do (https://amzn.to/3A8yLcU). How much of your life do you think or talk about the weather? A lot more than you realize because weather is important to us all. In fact, more important than you think. Listen as I explain. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1278257/We-spend-SIX-MONTHS-lives-just-talking-weather.html PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Indeed is the hiring platform where you can Attract, Interview, and Hire all in one place! Start hiring NOW with a $75 SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at https://Indeed.com/SOMETHING Offer good for a limited time. Keep American farming going by signing up at https://MoinkBox.com/SYSK RIGHT NOW and listeners of this show get FREE filet mignon for a year! Now your ideas don’t have to wait. Dell Technologies and Intel are creating technology that loves ideas, expanding your business & evolving your passions. Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/welcometonow ! Let’s find “us” again by putting our phones down for five. Five days, five hours, even five minutes. Join U.S. Cellular in the Phones Down For Five challenge! Find out more at https://USCellular.com/findus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 1, 202352 min