Something You Should Know

Why do you sigh? Usually it is because you feel relief or you are sad or tired. But it turns out there is more to a sigh than you thought. In fact it turns out to be good for you. I’ll explain as I start this episode. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/75330/frequent-sighing-helps-keep-you-alive

The world is full of jerks. And unfortunately you have to deal with them. So what’s the best way? Here with some expert help is Bob Sutton, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford and author of the book The A**hole Survival Guide (http://amzn.to/2HqacwR). Bob explains why jerks are so jerky and reveals the different categories of jerks and then offers some tactical advice to deal with them and still get what you want.

Did you know different airlines have different flying styles? Did you know the armrest closest to the aisle on an airplane that can’t be raised actually CAN be raised if you know a little trick? These are just two of the fascinating behind-the-scenes facts about air travel that we’ll explore. http://www.popularmechanics.com/flight/a19193/airline-employee-secrets/

Everyone today has a camera on them almost all the time. And cellphone cameras have gotten pretty good. So, since you may likely be photographing much of your life, why not make those photos the best they can be? Photographer Jim Miotke, founder of www.BetterPhoto.fun and creator of the online course Outstanding Photography offer some simple tips and idea that will transform your cellphone photos so they truly capture the moment.

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You already know it is important to drink water to stay healthy. And it also appears that drinking water can make you smarter, too. How? This episode begins by explaining how and you may find the answer quite surprising. http://www.eatingwell.com/blogs/health_blog/does_drinking_water_make_you_smarter_plus_6_benefits_of_staying_hydrated

We all learned to count when we were young. Yet, it took a long time and a lot of differing theories about numbers and counting to get us to the simple ability of count things and people the way we do. Marcus du Sautoy is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford and author of the book How to Count to Infinity (https://amzn.to/3hCTgV6). He joins me to explain the extraordinary history of counting including why the invention of zero was so important and what infinity really is. 

People who use online dating usually have a photo as part of their profile. And a lot of people need to replace the picture they have if they want to get people to respond. Listen as I explain what makes a good profile photo – and what doesn’t. https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/online-dating-profile-picture-research/

Why do so many people believe in aliens, UFO’s, Big Foot and conspiracy theories? While the evidence for these things is usually sparse, the number of people who truly believe in them is significant. Cultural historian Colin Dickey decided to explore why. Why do people believe in things that don’t really have a logical explanation or objective proof? Colin is author of the book The Unidentified: Mythical Monsters, Alien Encounters, and Our Obsession with the Unexplained (https://amzn.to/32VmaLO) and he joins me to share his unique insight into this phenomenon. 

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When you learned to drive, you were likely told to keep your hands at 10:00 o’clock and 2:00 o’clock on the steering wheel. Is that really the best and safest place? This episode begins with a discussion on how to best steer your car. http://www.thedrive.com/start-finish/9882/team-oneil-shows-how-to-position-your-hands-on-the-wheel

How do you get someone to tell you the truth when they don’t want to? Jack Schafer knows. As a former FBI agent, he has developed a technique based on some simple psychological principles, that will get people to tell you things they never meant to. Jack is author of the book The Truth Detector: An Ex-FBI Agent's Guide for Getting People to Reveal the Truth (https://amzn.to/30we8WU) and he joins me to explain how you can use this technique and why it is so effective.

How you describe yourself during a job interview is tricky. For example, it’s tough to brag about how humble you are because how humble can you be if you are bragging about it. There are other words besides humble that are likely left out of your self-description the next time you go on a job interview. Listen and I will tell you what they are. https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-words-you-should-never-use-to-describe-yourself-in-an-interview

You probably see birds every day – probably lots of birds. Yet, you likely don’t think about them much. Nevertheless, they are fascinating creatures with amazing abilities. For example, did you know that all birds are dinosaurs? Science writer Jennifer Ackerman has written articles for Scientific American, National Geographic and The New York Times. Her latest book is called The Bird Way (https://amzn.to/2ZOvQpw) and she is here to reveal some fascinating information that will give you a new appreciation for birds. 

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Has anyone ever told you that you couldn’t sing or carry a tune? Kids are often told that and it can really embarrass them and leave a lasting impression. The truth is just about anyone can sing and sing well. So forget what you were told and listen to my explanation. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2015/02/cant-sing-keep-at-it/

The ability to forgive is wonderful. But while people can forgive, we also have the ability (and often the desire) to seek revenge when someone has harmed us. Psychologist Michael McCullough author of the book, Beyond Revenge (http://amzn.to/2BgFwNI) talks with me about how to best deal with someone who has hurt you and he explores whether or not you can make a case for revenge in some circumstances.

There is a good chance you have a favorite coffee mug. Lots of people do. And I think you will find it either odd or comforting just how attached people get to their coffee mug and what they feel if someone else uses it or – God forbid – it breaks! https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/minding-the-body/201602/6-reasons-were-emotionally-attached-our-favorite-mugs

All your life you deal with money. And how well you deal with it and understand it will have a huge impact on you. Jeff Kreisler author of the book, Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter (http://amzn.to/2nMsCiQ) uncovers some of the mysteries of money like why you enjoy spending money on some things but hate spending money on others; how you decide what the value of things are; why you will spend more on vacation than you will at home for the very same things and more.

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Have you ever put a little more gasoline into your tank after the nozzle has shut itself off? If so, you need to hear the beginning of this episode when I explain what topping off your tank could be doing to your car – and it is not good. https://clark.com/cars/why-you-should-never-top-off-your-gas-tank/

The Internet has changed the English language. For one thing, we are all writing more than ever – texts, emails, social media posts, etc. We write so much that we have changed many of the rules for writing to make it more efficient and more expressive according to linguist Gretchen McCulloch. Gretchen writes the Resident Linguist column at Wired, she runs the blog All Things Linguistic and she is author of the book Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language (https://amzn.to/3eILyqs). Listen as she explains how the rules of language have been bent and shaped to work better in the Internet Age.

In the United States, we refrigerate eggs. But in many other countries, they do not. Who is right? Well that’s what so interesting. Listen as I discuss why the way you store eggs is important and what can happen if you don’t. http://www.extracrispy.com/food/2668/how-long-can-eggs-be-out-of-the-fridge

For several generations now, children have spent a lot of free time in front of electronic screens – TV, computers, laptops, phones and tablets. Now with the current pandemic, kids are spending even more time watching videos, playing games and doing all the other things you can on a screen. So how bad is this? Is it doing real damage to our children’s brains? Joining me to discuss this is Joshua Wayne. He works with kids and families in schools, mental health facilities and in private practice – and he is author of the book The Simple Parenting Guide to Technology (https://amzn.to/2ZNi0UF).

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Is there a way to drink without getting drunk or feeling the effects of alcohol? Kinda. This episode begins with the story of how a professional beer taster drinks a lot of beer and stays pretty sober. And it is a pretty simple trick. http://www.esquire.com/food-drink/drinks/how-to/a26328/how-not-to-get-drunk/

You have probably heard the advice that you shouldn’t eat foods that have a long ingredient list or have ingredients your grandmother wouldn’t recognize – but is that really good advice? Is a food with a lot of added ingredients less healthy than an all-natural food? Listen to my guest George Zaidan. He is an MIT trained chemist who created National Geographic’s web series Ingredients: The Stuff Inside Your Stuff and he is author of the book Ingredients: The Strange Chemistry of What We Put in Us and on Us (https://amzn.to/2Zykgij) . He explains what these ingredients are in processed food, why they are there and just how dangerous or healthy they are.

Did you know a lot of salmon is dyed pink? Otherwise it would be gray. Did you know that bananas are actually berries, but strawberries are not berries? These are just a few of the fascinating food facts you will learn by listening to today’s episode. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/17/food-facts_n_4788746.html

There are a lot of people who really enjoy driving. I am one of them. So the idea of driver-less cars has little appeal to me and – as it turns out – to most Americans. There is something very special about taking the wheel and heading down the open road. Joining me to discuss driving and why we love it so is Matthew B. Crawford author of the book Why We Drive. (https://amzn.to/3fDXcUR).

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You have likely been the victim of the Doorway Effect. It’s when you walk into a room and forget why you walked in there. We start this episode with an explanation of what this is and why it happens. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-walking-through-doorway-makes-you-forget/

Wouldn’t it be great if people regarded you as particularly fascinating? Well it turns out there are specific ways to do that according to Sally Hogshead, speaker and author of the book Fascinate: The 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation (http://amzn.to/2BBZT4I) . Sally reveals what you can do so that others find you interesting and how to use your personal fascination to great benefit. 

I’m sure you’ve noticed that whenever you cry, you get a runny nose. Why? Listen and find out. http://www.popsci.com/article/science/why-does-crying-make-my-nose-run

Sooner or later – and probably sooner, you will need to clean something. And no one knows better how to keep your life clean and sparkly bright than Jolie Kerr. Jolie is an advice columnist and host of the podcast, “Ask a Clean Person.” She is also author of the book, My Boyfriend Barfed in My Handbag (http://amzn.to/2Df2BPL). NO ONE loves to clean like Jolie and you will love her cleaning hacks that I know you will use within hours if not minutes after hearing them.

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A lot of times it seems that being healthy takes a lot of work. This episode begins with some really simple things you can do that will help your overall health that just take a minute and hardly any effort at all. http://www.menshealth.com/health/ways-to-be-healthier

Why does time only go in one direction? Every moment we move into the future, but we cannot go back into the past. Why not? And what about intelligent life on other planets – or traveling to other planets or even other galaxies. Will people really do that in our lifetime? Here to discuss these big questions is Paul Sutter. He is an astrophysicist at Stony Brook University, host of the Ask a Spaceman podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-a-spaceman/id958825741) and author of the book How to Die in Space (https://amzn.to/3iXh9rP).

The snooze on just about every alarm clock is 9 minutes. Not 10 – not 8 but 9. Why? There is actually a really interesting reason and I explain it in this episode. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/22761/why-does-snooze-button-give-you-only-9-more-minutes-sleep

Apologizing is something we all have to do, yet I suspect you never had any formal instruction on how to deliver a good apology. When you think about it, a good apology can save a relationship or at least make it so everyone doesn’t feel so horrible about whatever went wrong. Molly Howes is a Harvard trained clinical psychologist and author of the book A Good Apology: Four Steps to Make Things Right (https://amzn.to/3euUzmN) and she joins me to offer some excellent advice on how to apologize to make everyone feel better. 

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Ever notice that the more money you have in your wallet, the more likely you are to spend it? Well, it is actually more complicated than that. This episode begins with some interesting psychology that will help you spend less so you keep more of your money. http://www.forbes.com/video/4061993829001/

Ever hire someone to design a logo or brochure or website and have them present it to you and ask, “What do you think”? It has happened to me and my problem is, I don’t know what to think. I don’t know what makes a well-designed brochure or website. I don’t know what people will think when they see it or what motivates people to respond. If you have ever found yourself in the same boat you will want to listen to my guest Susan Weinschenk. Susan has a Ph.D. in Psychology, she is the Chief Behavioral Scientist and CEO at The Team W, Inc. (https://theteamw.com/) as well as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin. She is also author of the book 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People (https://amzn.to/323kNKK). Listen as she explains how people react to design elements and how to better design anything.

When your doctor takes your blood pressure – does he check both arms or just one? There is a really good reason to check both. Listen as I explain why there is likely a difference between the blood pressure in your arms and what it could potentially mean. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120320195749.htm

Think about how many times a day do you engage in conversation. It is the primary way we communicate with others. Yet, you likely don’t know much about the science of conversation. Interestingly, conversation can beautiful and brilliant or it can be awkward and difficult. Understanding how it works can make you a better conversationalist. Here to explain the science of conversation is David Crystal. David is a writer and editor and his latest book is called Let's Talk: How English Conversation Works (https://amzn.to/32e4qLF).

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Sure, it’s great to want more money but if you don’t have the time to enjoy it – what’s the point? We begin this episode with a look at why spending more of your money on things that actually create more free time for you can make your life much more enjoyable. http://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/buying-time-makes-you-happier

While the phrase “timing is everything” is tossed around a lot, it turns out there is a lot of wisdom in it. In short, it is not just WHAT you do in your life that is important it – it is also WHEN you decide to do it. Daniel Pink, author of the book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing (http://amzn.to/2Dne4Ml) reveals why timing is so important and how to time events in your life to be more successful.

There is a fascinating limitation of the human brain you must know about. It seems you cannot keep track of more than 3 things at once unless this condition is met. What is it? Listen and find out. https://bit.ly/38NRywO

Since you were a child you’ve heard that honesty is the best policy. However, dig as little deeper and you’ll find that most of us think a little dishonesty is probably okay. The fact is we do think dishonesty is acceptable as long as it is not too much and as long as it is not too overt. Dan Ariely, author of the book, The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone–Especially Ourselves (http://amzn.to/2Dg1FtE) explains the little ways we are all a bit dishonest and why we think it is perfectly fine – so maybe it is.

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