Do you ever find yourself on a crowded train, surrounded by people all looking at their phones? What do you think would happen if you tried to strike up a conversation with the person next to you? Chicago Booth's Nick Epley tells us about his book, "A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection." This is the first of two podcast episodes about the book. Epley says if we chose to have that conversation, it'd be more pleasant than we expect. So why do we set up our lives to avoid talking to others?

Most of want to be seen as moral, likeable and smart. But beyond that, how does our identity share the way we interact with, manage and lead others? Chicago Booth's Chris Collins tells us about his approach to identity and leadership. What is that connection, why does it sometimes hold us back, and how can we use it to improve our work?

The Marshmallow Test famously gauges children's ability to wait for a bigger reward. A body of research suggests that the happier we are, the more likely we are to be patient. But many of those studies were undertaken in the US and Europe. So how universal is that conclusion? Chicago Booth's Oleg Urminsky, whose research examines the connection between emotions and economic decisions around the world.

Have you ever pushed so hard to make a change in your organization that you ended up damaging your own ability to make that very change? Chicago Booth's Lisa Stefanac tells us how to think about effecting change. How hard should you push, and when can you know if you've gone too far?

You can earn a fortune in private equity. But how do you get started in the PE world? Chicago Booth's Scott Meadow explains how to plan for a lucrative career as a PE professional.

Most of us have been trained to keep our emotions out of the workplace. We think emotions can cloud decision-making, lead to irrational behavior, and make others uncomfortable. But can getting in touch with your emotions actually make you a better leader? Chicago Booth's Chris Collins tells us how treating your emotions as data can help you to manage people and situations better.

Parent companies of supermarket chains often delegate the authority to set prices down to the local level. Is that a good idea, and what does it mean for shoppers? Chicago Booth's Pradeep Chintagunta about his research on organizational structure and retail prices.

Do consumers care about corporate social responsibility? And what kind of CSR do consumers think companies should be doing? Chicago Booth's Abigail Sussman talks about her research on corporate social responsibility. What kinds of actions can companies take to make consumers more willing to spend money with them?

When things get challenging at work, how you change your behavior? Does the stress show, or do you remain cool, focused and productive? Chicago Booth's Lisa Stefanac tells us how to handle high-stakes situations.

When you search the internet or use AI, do you want it to agree with you, or are you open to having your mind changed? Chicago Booth's Oleg Urminsky tells us about his research, which suggests that we often search in a narrow way that ends up giving us results that confirm our views. Should search engines instead aim to open us up to opposing opinions?