Hand Curated Episodes for learning by OwlTail

Published on 09 Jul 2019. Dogs can be trained to do all kinds of things and they have emotional intelligence. It's these characteristics which make them great companions for people with mental health conditions. But can therapy and assistance dogs heal hearts and minds?

Published on 16 Jul 2018. Stress is broadly understood to be a serious health risk and a destructive factor in many people's lives. It has been advertised as such for several decades. In The Upside of Stress, Kelly McGonigal explains how new research shows that stress may actually be something positive and life-enhancing rather than ruinous. The most central concept is that of "stress mindsets". Similar to fixed vs. growth mindset as described in Carol Dweck's book (covered in the first episode of this podcast), stress mindsets concern one's beliefs about the effects of stress. People with a "positive stress mindset" believe that there can be benefits to stress, whereas those with a "negative stress mindset" - encouraged by ideas promulgated in the past few decades - believe that stress is uniformly bad for you. It turns out that merely believing something different about stress is enough to change its effects radically for the better. The evidence on the so-called "upside of stress" takes many forms, but perhaps the most convincing evidence is endocrinological. McGonigal cites studies showing that people who have higher stress hormone concentrations following a car accident are *less* likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder; that the stress hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a brain *steroid* (as in, it literally makes your brain grow); and that the ratio of DHEA to cortisol (another stress hormone, but not a steroid) is dependent on your *beliefs* about stress. (My overuse of asterisks hints at how excited I am.) On of the most surprising findings is that stress and happiness are internationally positively correlated. (In case you're interested, the most stressed out country in the world is the Philippines. It's also one of the happiest.) How could this be? McGonigal explains that this relates to what stress is, psychologically speaking. Stress is a state we experience when something we value is at stake. In other words, a meaningful life cannot help being stressful, since in order to be meaningful, one must be working towards or fighting for something that one cares for. Low levels of stress are actually correlated with increased depression risk, and the explanation for this is likely to be similar. Overall, then, a big change in the way we see stress is possible, and it carries great benefits. Enjoy the episode. Music by podcastthemes.com.

Published on 25 Jul 2020. Introducing "Agree to Disagree," a new series from Intelligence Squared U.S. In this episode, two guests join John Donvan to debate Broadband for All, the internet as a public utility, and just who should make sure you have the connection you need.A message from our sponsor:Get an extra 3 months Free on a one year package. Expressvpn.com/debate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Published on 20 Jan 2019. From the Digital Box Set: Over the lifetime of a company, mistakes happen. When those mistakes cause damage, it's appropriate for a brand to apologize. Yet, it rarely happens. This week, we look at the companies that chose to apologize. From O.B. Tampons, who apologized to their customers with a song, to Domino's Pizza, who was forced to apologize when employees made an embarrassing YouTube video, to Maple Leaf Foods, whose CEO apologized to the families of people who had died from contaminated food. If an apology is genuine and timely, sorry is definitely the smartest word.This is an archived episode that aired originally on May 19, 2012.

Published on 16 Jul 2018. Stress is broadly understood to be a serious health risk and a destructive factor in many people's lives. It has been advertised as such for several decades. In The Upside of Stress, Kelly McGonigal explains how new research shows that stress may actually be something positive and life-enhancing rather than ruinous. The most central concept is that of "stress mindsets". Similar to fixed vs. growth mindset as described in Carol Dweck's book (covered in the first episode of this podcast), stress mindsets concern one's beliefs about the effects of stress. People with a "positive stress mindset" believe that there can be benefits to stress, whereas those with a "negative stress mindset" - encouraged by ideas promulgated in the past few decades - believe that stress is uniformly bad for you. It turns out that merely believing something different about stress is enough to change its effects radically for the better. The evidence on the so-called "upside of stress" takes many forms, but perhaps the most convincing evidence is endocrinological. McGonigal cites studies showing that people who have higher stress hormone concentrations following a car accident are *less* likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder; that the stress hormone dehydroepiandrosterone, or DHEA, is a brain *steroid* (as in, it literally makes your brain grow); and that the ratio of DHEA to cortisol (another stress hormone, but not a steroid) is dependent on your *beliefs* about stress. (My overuse of asterisks hints at how excited I am.) On of the most surprising findings is that stress and happiness are internationally positively correlated. (In case you're interested, the most stressed out country in the world is the Philippines. It's also one of the happiest.) How could this be? McGonigal explains that this relates to what stress is, psychologically speaking. Stress is a state we experience when something we value is at stake. In other words, a meaningful life cannot help being stressful, since in order to be meaningful, one must be working towards or fighting for something that one cares for. Low levels of stress are actually correlated with increased depression risk, and the explanation for this is likely to be similar. Overall, then, a big change in the way we see stress is possible, and it carries great benefits. Enjoy the episode. Music by podcastthemes.com.

Published on 20 Jan 2019. From the Digital Box Set: Over the lifetime of a company, mistakes happen. When those mistakes cause damage, it's appropriate for a brand to apologize. Yet, it rarely happens. This week, we look at the companies that chose to apologize. From O.B. Tampons, who apologized to their customers with a song, to Domino's Pizza, who was forced to apologize when employees made an embarrassing YouTube video, to Maple Leaf Foods, whose CEO apologized to the families of people who had died from contaminated food. If an apology is genuine and timely, sorry is definitely the smartest word.This is an archived episode that aired originally on May 19, 2012.

Published on 25 Jul 2020. Introducing "Agree to Disagree," a new series from Intelligence Squared U.S. In this episode, two guests join John Donvan to debate Broadband for All, the internet as a public utility, and just who should make sure you have the connection you need.A message from our sponsor:Get an extra 3 months Free on a one year package. Expressvpn.com/debate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Published on 15 Feb 2017. Events of the past few years have turned a challenging spotlight on White people, and Whiteness, in the United States. An introduction to our series exploring what it means to be White. By John Biewen, with special guest Chenjerai Kumanyika.

Published on 15 Feb 2017. Events of the past few years have turned a challenging spotlight on White people, and Whiteness, in the United States. An introduction to our series exploring what it means to be White. By John Biewen, with special guest Chenjerai Kumanyika.

Published on 30 May 2020. Matt Taibbi, author of the New York Times bestsellers Insane Clown President, The Divide, Griftopia, and The Great Derangement, is a contributing editor for Rolling Stone and winner of the 2008 National Magazine Award for columns and commentary.