Something You Should Know

While you are probably more careful about the surfaces you touch and keeping things sanitized, you may have overlooked all the surfaces in your car. This episode begins with a discussion on the surfaces in your car and what you should do to keep them as germ-free as possible. Source: Westways Magazine Nov/Dec 2020

Can someone really sue you if you use their picture on your website? Will they win if they do? This is just one of the areas of intellectual property law I discuss with attorney Devin Miller, CEO of Miller IP Law (www.milleripl.com) and host of The Inventive Journey podcast. Devin explains how to protect your intellectual property and what you can and cannot do with other people’s. If you’ve ever wondered about copyrights, trademarks and patents and what they do, you need to listen. 

How do rich people become rich? There is actually a simple formula that most wealthy Americans follow that reliably builds wealth over time. Listen as I explain how most wealthy people get that way. https://consumerfed.org/press_release/how-americans-view-personal-wealth-v-how-financial-planners-view-this-wealth/

We all know that too much noise is a problem. So how big a problem is it? Are there really serious, long-term effects of noise? What can you do to protect yourself if you are bothered by all the noises around you? Listen to Marcia Epstein, a musicologist and historian at the University of Calgary as well as author of the book, Sound and Noise: A Listener's Guide to Everyday Life (https://amzn.to/2HEH5KG) . Once you hear her I think you’ll realize that noise is a bigger problem than you imagined. 

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When you search for something in Google does it matter what order you put the words in? What about punctuation – does that matter? We start this episode with the best ways to optimize Google searches to get the best results. https://edu.google.com/coursebuilder/courses/pswg/1.2/assets/notes/Lesson1.5/Lesson1.5Wordordermatters_Text_.html

What makes someone beautiful? Can you really become more beautiful? These are important questions because beauty and attractiveness have some clear benefits for everyone. Rachelle Smith, associate professor of psychology at Husson University, is author of the book, The Biology of Beauty (https://amzn.to/2JOKMtn). Rachelle joins me to explain the importance of your own beauty and how to maximize what you have.

If you are going on a job interview it matters whether you are the first person interviewed or the last person or better yet, the fourth person. I’ll explain why. http://www.businessinsider.com/always-go-fourth-during-interviews-2015-5

Seemingly small inventions like the razor blade, the TV dinner and paper money have had profound impacts on our lives and the economy in ways you never knew. Tim Harford, author of the book, Fifty Inventions that Shaped the Modern Economy (https://amzn.to/2JV5zM9) joins me for a fascinating explanation of how these innovations have transformed our lives.

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Did you know the can opener was invented 50 years AFTER the tin can? So how did they open cans before that? That’s one of the interesting stories about product packaging that kicks off this episode of the podcast. Source: Thomas Hine author of The Total Package (https://amzn.to/3mlNoC1).

If you watch the news, you would think the world falling apart and going to hell. Yet it is totally NOT true. Sure, the world has problems not the least of which is the corona virus but when you look at all the indicators of well-being in the world, things are actually going pretty well. . In fact we are living in an age of enlightenment according to Harvard professor Stephen Pinker. Author of the book, Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science Humanism and Progress, (http://amzn.to/2FKuhNb). Listen as Stephen reveals why things are much better than you probably think. What he says will make you feel great!

We all have our own musical tastes and preferences. Where do they come from? What do they say about us. That’s what Nolan Gasser is here to discuss Nolan is a composer and musicologist who was the chief architect of the Music Genome Project, which powers Pandora Radio. He is also author of Why You Like It: The Science and Culture of Musical Taste (https://amzn.to/31BCtfy)

What’s the difference between flammable and inflammable? It’s weird because they are two words that sound as if they are opposites but actually mean the same thing. Listen as I explain why one of the words is 400 years older than the other and where it came from. https://www.thoughtco.com/difference-between-flammable-and-inflammable-607314

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First impressions count. One big reason why is that once a person makes judgements about you, they can be difficult to change even if they are not true. This episode begins with 3 things people decide about you within the first 30 seconds and how to make sure you put your best foot forward. Source: Sherry Maysonave author of Casual Power (https://amzn.to/2Thh1I7)

Why should you fill your gas tank on Monday instead of Friday? Does transferring credit card balances to lower interest rate card make sense? What’s the best way to save money at the grocery store? Why should you always order a large pizza? These are just some of the questions I discuss with Lisa Rowan, author of Money Hacks: 275+ Ways to Decrease Spending, Increase Savings, and Make Your Money Work for You! (https://amzn.to/34iOM24). Listen and I am sure you will hear ideas you can use to spend less and keep more of your money.

People love a bargain. That’s why outlet shopping has become popular. So why are outlet stores always out in the middle of nowhere? Listen as we discuss the psychology of outlet shopping and why it may not always be the great deal some people think. https://consumerist.com/2009/08/11/how-outlet-malls-fool-shoppers/

When you walk into an awe-inspiring building, you become friendlier. When kids work in rooms with high ceilings, they become more creative. In short, the room or building or environment you are in has an impact on how you think and on your well-being. That is according to Sarah Williams Goldhagen, an award-winning writer who has written about buildings, cities, and landscapes for many national and international publications. She taught at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design for several years and is author of Welcome to Your World: How the Built Environment Shapes Our Lives (https://amzn.to/3oem3mW). Sarah joins me to explain how building design impacts thought and behavior in ways you never knew.

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Is it true that nice guys finish last? Sure, there are a lot of successful nice guys but there are a lot of successful jerks too. So which is it? The answer may actually lie somewhere in between. This episode begins with some interesting insight into that http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/06/why-it-pays-to-be-a-jerk/392066

What is the best way to motivate people? Traditional thinking has been that carrots and sticks – in other words rewards or punishments are the best way to get people to do things. Well that may work but there are other ways that are better says Daniel Pink, author of the book, Drive: The Surprising Truth about What Motivates Us (https://amzn.to/2LNHze7). Daniel joins me to offer some advice on how to successfully motivate yourself and others.

Friends are important but I bet you didn’t know just HOW important. Let’s put it this way… research shows not having a strong social network is equal to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. And that’s just one of the things I discuss about the importance of friends. http://www.rd.com/slideshows/friends-facts/#slideshow=slide2

Are you one of those people who hates small talk? Or perhaps you find it difficult to talk to strangers and connect with people. Or maybe you just wish you were better at conversation. If so, you need to listen to Jill Spiegel, author of the book, How to Talk to Anyone About Anything.(https://amzn.to/2t6tIb3). Jill is an expert when it comes to striking up conversations and making them count. Incidentally, she is also the great granddaughter of Joseph Spiegel, founder of the famous Spiegel mail order catalog.

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 Everyone likes to feel appreciation, and everyone knows just how powerful appreciation can be. However, there is one huge problem with appreciation. This episode begins with an explanation of why appreciation is important and why it is so often a missed opportunity. http://ombudsfac.unm.edu/Article_Summaries/Beyond_Reason.pdf

Laughter is important. Not just the act of laughter but the word laughter. People actually like it when you use that word in conversation. That’s according to my guest Will Jelbert, a communications consultant who has spent the last eight years researching how to best use the written and spoken word to connect with people. He is also the author of Word Wise: Say What You Mean, Deepen Your Connections, and Get to the Point (https://amzn.to/358ndaX). Will joins me to explain how using the right words in the right situation can make you a much more powerful communicator. 

Once you carve a pumpkin you know its clock starts ticking and it won’t be long before it turns into a moldy, gooey mess. So, what can you do to lengthen the life of your jack o’ lantern? Listen as I explain how to prolong the life by at least a week or more. https://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/halloween/how-to-make-pumpkins-last-longer

“Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today?” Well, because that’s what human beings like to do – we procrastinate. Maybe if we understood why we put things off, it would be easier to actually get them done. And joining me to explain how is Matthew Boone. Matt is a psychotherapist as well as an instructor at the University of Arkansas and he is author of Stop Avoiding Stuff (https://amzn.to/2FyXTlw). Listen as he reveals a simple technique that will have you conquering all those things you keep putting off. 

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I bet you’ve had that experience of waking up just before the alarm goes off. It turns out it isn’t coincidence. Listen as this episode begins with the explanation as to why this happens so often to so many people. https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/why-do-we-wake-up-right-before-our-alarm/

The next time you take a walk around the block you will see it very differently after you listen to Spike Carlsen author of the book A Walk Around the Block (https://amzn.to/378CyuL). He discusses why the cement you walk on, the phone poles that line the street and the lawn in front of your house all have fascinating stories to tell. 

Who doesn’t love a cozy fire in the fireplace on a chilly night? However, there is a potential problem with your fireplace on the days and nights when you do not have a fire. Listen as I explain how your fireplace could be causing you to waste a lot of money and the simple way to fix it. https://www.rennerinspectionservices.com/improve-home/

What makes someone an expert? In many cases people are experts only because they say they are. However, being a true expert in something is a bit more complicated than that. Here to explain is Roger Kneebone, MD Director of the Imperial College Centre for Engagement and Simulation Science and the Royal College of Music Imperial College Centre for Performance Science in the UK and he is author of the book Expert: Understanding the Path to Mastery (https://amzn.to/31cUuR1). Listen as he explains what it takes to be a true expert and why you should be skeptical of anyone who claims to be an expert. 

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We humans are programmed to flirt. It’s the beginning of the process that keeps the species going forward. And while some people are clearly better at the art of flirting – there is some science to it as well. I begin this episode with scientifically proven ways to improve your flirting skills. http://theweek.com/articles/448643/how-flirt-according-science

One thing that makes us human is our creativity. We are all creative and many of us could be even more creative according to Allen Gannett. Allen is the CEO of Track Maven, a software analytics firm and he has been on the top “30 Under 30” lists for both Inc. and Forbes magazines. He is also the author of the new book, The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea at the Right Time ( https://amzn.to/2Jt9vaH) . Allen joins me to reveal some fascinating science behind creative people and the creative process that we can all benefit from.

It turns out that not all olive oil is what it appears to be. In fact a lot of extra virgin olive oil isn’t what the label says. Is there fraud in the olive oil business? And if it isn’t olive oil, what is it? We’ll discuss. http://time.com/3894609/extra-virgin-olive-oil/

If happiness is a choice, why do so many people choose to be unhappy? That is just one of the questions I tackle with Rick Foster co-author of the book, Happiness & Health: 9 Choices That Unlock the Powerful Connection Between the Two Things We Want Most (https://amzn.to/2JEdz78). I think you will be amazed by what Rick has to say.

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When you get angry, it seems normal to also get upset and maybe start yelling at whoever made you mad. Bad idea. This episode begins with a discussion how on to use anger constructively, so you get what you want without everyone being mad at each other. Source: Thomas A. Schweich, author of Staying Power (https://amzn.to/34Qrb85).

You and I can look at the same thing and see it differently. You look at the world through filters and biases and I see the same world through my filters and biases. So we each have our own perception of the world and so does everyone else. What is so interesting is we seldom think about that. We tend to believe there is this objective reality – the world is the way it is and everyone sees the same thing. But that’s not so, according to Dennis Profitt, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia and author of the book Perception: How Our Bodies Shape Our Minds (https://amzn.to/3nPNhjI). Listen as he explains why you have your unique perceptions and why they are different from everyone else’s. 

How much time do you spend on your cellphone every day? Probably a lot. For many of us, our cellphones are our constant companion. You probably stop and interact with your phone many times a day. So it is safe to say you have a relationship with that phone. Here to discuss how to manage and improve that relationship is Tchiki Davis, PhD. Tchiki is a technology consultant who writes the Click Here for Happiness blog for Psychology Today and she is author of Outsmart Your Smartphone: Conscious Tech Habits for Finding Happiness, Balance, and Connection IRL (https://amzn.to/2GQwxIa) 

When was the last time you sent someone a handwritten note? If it has been a while, you need to hear why you need to start doing that again. It turns out the handwritten note can be very powerful when done correctly. https://www.handwrytten.com/resources/the-power-of-handwritten-notes/ 

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People will be more attracted to you if you appear confident. So this episode begins with short list of things you can do easily that will make you feel and appear as confident as possible. http://www.askmen.com/money/body_and_mind_150/173_better_living.html

Kind and nice are two words that are often used interchangeably but they don’t mean the same thing. Truly being kind is a lot harder and riskier and has a much greater chance of making the world a better place. Listen as I speak with Houston Kraft, author of the book called Deep Kindness A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness (https://amzn.to/2SFKPhj) as he explains what it means to be kind and how it can change the world. 

When driving, you probably don’t think much about turning left – but left-hand turns are amazingly dangerous. Listen as I explain why avoiding left hand turns is a good idea whenever possible and why it is rare to see a UPS truck turn left. https://www.friedgoldberg.com/blog/how-left-hand-turns-affect-road-safety/ 

We hear a lot today about how we should “Trust the science!” So what does that really mean? What is science anyway? What makes something “scientific.” Someone who is well equipped to answer that is James C. Zimring, M.D. and Ph.D. in Immunology and professor of pathology at the University of Virginia. He is also author of the book, What Science Is and How It Really Works (https://amzn.to/2GNQQWA). Listen as he explains how science is used and sometimes misused to explain the world and why so many people don’t trust science.

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