Something You Should Know

When you have a meeting it is usually sitting down in an office at a table. That just may be one of the worst ways to conduct a meeting and maybe it is why nothing much gets accomplished. There is a better way and it is something Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg and others do. I’ll explain what that is as we begin this episode. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/09/walking-meetings-at-linke_n_7035258.html?utm_hp_ref=business)

If you cook, you are a scientist. Food science is fascinating and when you understand it you instantly become a better cook. Dr. Stuart Farrimond is author of the book, The Science of Cooking ((https://amzn.to/2KYJT2C) and he joins me to explain the science behind cooking the perfect cut of meat, how to best cook vegetables and how to choose the best pan to cook in.

What are the ten most dangerous minutes to drive a car? That’s just one of the things you’ll learn when I explain how even good drivers can get better with a few simple techniques from the people at Popular Mechanics (http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a15465/driving-mistakes/) 

Something is going on in the mouths of our children. It seems a lot more kids today need braces and other orthodontic work because their jaws are too small. That in turn can lead to other serious health problems according to Sandra Kahn, DDS, so author of the book Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic (https://amzn.to/2KZva7d). Listen as she explains the problem as well as the ramifications and what we can do about. 

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What is the stronger motivator – reward or punishment? In other words, does hurt more to lose something than it feels good to gain something? We start this episode t with a look at some interesting research into this. (https://source.wustl.edu/2015/05/carrot-or-stick-punishments-may-guide-behavior-more-effectively-than-rewards/) 

Some people are just way too nice. They sacrifice their own needs for the needs of others. They are so worried about what other people think of them that always want to please rather than offend. Aziz Gazapura used to be one of those people and he is now on a mission to help people stop being too nice and start being bold and authentic and do what’s right for them – not just what’s right for everybody else. Aziz is the author of the book Not Nice: Stop People Pleasing, Staying Silent, & Feeling Guilty... And Start Speaking Up, Saying No, Asking Boldly, And Unapologetically Being Yourself (https://amzn.to/2I7IW68) 

When your car breaks down it is likely for one of only a couple of reasons. I’ll tell you what those reasons are and how to prevent and/or deal with them when they happen. (www.roadsidesurvival.com)

Television has changed a lot of the years and the change continues according to Amanda Lotz, professor of media studies at the University of Michigan and author of the book We Now Disrupt This Broadcast: How Cable Transformed Television and the Internet Revolutionized It All (https://amzn.to/2rwDCTC). She joins me to offer a fascinating look into how television has evolved, where it is most likely headed and how it will affect what you watch and how you watch it.

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What color lipstick makes a woman most attractive? Do women prefer a beard on a man or not? What can anyone do to make themselves more attractive? We begin this episode by exploring this. (https://www.healthyway.com/content/ways-to-be-more-attractive-according-to-science/)

Entrepreneurship is alive and well. So should you start a business? Maybe you already have. When you think about it, people who drive for Uber or rent out a room in their house on Airbnb are being entrepreneurial. So are people who simply decide to go freelance and do what they have always done – but do it as a consultant or contractor rather than as an employee. There are many ways to be an entrepreneur – but is it a smart thing for most people to do? Here to discuss that with me is Scott Shane. He is a professor of entrepreneurial studies at Case Western University and author of the book, Is Entrepreneurship Dead? (https://amzn.to/2rouVd7)

I hate waiting in line. I imagine most people do. It turns out there is a whole science and vocabulary about waiting in line. Listen and discover how to make waiting in line less annoying, if that is possible. (http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/a6164/how-to-choose-the-fastest-line/)

Health fraud is a topic I’ve been interested in for a long time. I am fascinated by so many of the false health claims that people believe even when there is no evidence to support them. Nina Shapiro, M.D., is also fascinated by this topic. She is the author of a new book called Hype: A Doctor's Guide to Medical Myths Exaggerated Claims and Bad Advice (https://amzn.to/2wl2cvs). She joins me to discuss what health information is true and not true – and how dangerous it is not to know the difference.

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The more decisions you make during the day, the worse you get at it. It’s called “decision fatigue” and everyone gets it. Listen as we begin this episode and discover just how it happens and what you can do about it. (http://jamesclear.com/willpower-decision-fatigue) 

What does your stuff say about you? Tons, according to my first guest, Sam Gosling. Sam sent investigators and scientists to snoop around people’s homes and offices to discover what can be learned by their belongings. The results are in his book, Snoop: What Your Stuff Says about You (https://amzn.to/2HR1VSs). Sam joins me to explain what he discovered. 

You probably don’t think a lot about food – but there are some fascinating things worth knowing. So we will explore things like how much food you eat in a year; the shelf life of Twinkies (if there is one) and what may be lurking in your peanut butter. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/17/food-facts_n_4788746.html)

The bacteria in your gut could actually have a significant impact on your mood and your ability to think and solve problems. It sounds weird but the science for this is pretty substantial. Journalist Scott Anderson explored this thoroughly for his book (published by National Geographic) called The Psychobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food and the New Science of the Gut-Brain Connection. Normally I am very conservative about what kind of health claims and advice I allow on the podcast but there really seems to be something to this and it could be of help for people with depression as well as people who have trouble with their gut. (https://amzn.to/2HOMx90) 

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In my house, whenever we turn on the microwave oven in the kitchen – it screws up the Wi-Fi. Why is that? And is there anything you can do to prevent that? We start this episode by exploring the microwave/Wi-Fi conflict. (http://io9.com/why-does-your-microwave-oven-mess-with-the-wi-fi-connec-1666117933) 

Time sure flies when you are having fun. We’ve all had that experience but have you ever wondered why that is? Why should time seem to travel faster at one time and slower at other times even though time is constant? Is it possible to deliberately make time seem to move faster or slower? Alan Burdick is a staff writer and former senior editor at The New Yorker who spent 10 years researching this phenomenon. The result is his book, Why Time Flies (https://amzn.to/2rd4Rlg) . He joins me to reveal what he discovered. 

If you have some vodka around the house, you should know that it is good for more than mixing cocktails. For example, it is an insect repellent and it’s great for washing windows – and that’s just the beginning! (http://mom.me/food/18977-top-10-unusual-uses-alcohol/item/washing-window/) . Listen to discover all the great uses for vodka.

We all have to work in teams. Whether it is your family or a team at work or in an organization you belong to. So what is it that makes great teams work so well together? Daniel Coyle, author of the book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups (https://amzn.to/2HCdGMe) embedded himself in some highly successful groups including the U.S. Navy’s SEAL Team Six, Zappos, the San Antonio Spurs, and several others and he discovered what makes great teams – great. He joins me to share the secrets of highly successful teams.

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When you go grocery shopping it is hard to resist the urge to buy things you know you shouldn’t. Temptation is down every aisle! So what can you do? There is a simple yet very effective technique that will help you resist those urges.  (http://foodpsychology.cornell.edu/OP/Trigger_Apple) 

You probably know someone you would consider powerful. So how did they get their power? Where did it come from? And can you be more powerful? Listen to Jeffrey Pfeffer is a professor of Organizational Management at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and author of the book Power: Why Some People Have it and Others Don’t (https://amzn.to/2I1hfN4). He explains how anyone can be a much more powerful presence. 

Do you like kale? It has been called a super food and it now finds its way into all kinds of salads and other dishes. But a few years ago hardly anyone ate kale. So why and how did it become so popular? Is it really so great? You won’t believe the story. (https://spoonuniversity.com/news/real-story-behind-kale-became-famous) 

There is logical thinking and then there is “elastic” thinking. Elastic thinking is a different way to approach problems. Leonard Mlodinow, author of the book Elastic Thinking: Flexible Thinking in a Time of Change (https://amzn.to/2JrXqhl) reveals how this different way of thinking works and how it can often be a better way to solve the problems you face at work and at home. Leonard is a fascinating writer (he co-wrote a book with Stephen Hawking!) and I know you will find his insight enlightening. 

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One way to blow your credibility in any conversation or in anything you write is to misuse or mispronounce words or phrases. So this episodes starts with some commonly misused words and phrases to make sure you are using them correctly. (https://www.inc.com/christina-desmarais/10-speaking-and-writing-errors-that-erode-your-credibility.html)  

Taking risks can be good – or bad. It’s all in how you approach the risk and it also seems to depend on how old you are. Kayt Sukel, author of the book The Art of Risk: The New Science of Courage, Caution, and Chance (https://amzn.to/2HjkQoE) joins me to explain how important it is to take risks but also how to be a better risk taker so that you win more than you lose – and also how to learn from the risks that fail.

Do you neatly fold your towel after a shower and place it on the towel rack? Or maybe you hang it on a hook? Well those are terrible things to do if you plan to use that towel again tomorrow! I’ll explain why. (https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a26125/dirty-bathroom-mistakes/) 

Do you like science? How can you not? Science is everywhere and governs everything you do and explains why our world works the way it does. Scientist Scott Bembenek author of the book The Cosmic Machine: The Science that Runs our Universe and the Story Behind It (https://amzn.to/2qQDIFn) joins me to explain some fascinating principles and mysteries of science. One mystery he talks about is why you will often see an egg fall to the ground and break but never see an egg jump back up on the counter and reassemble itself. But according to some equations – it should. You have to hear him explain it. So come listen!

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Of course you know better than to talk on your phone while driving – but you should also tell other people in the car to stay off their phones as well. This episode starts with a discussion on why passenger’s phone conversation can be trouble for the driver. (http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2010/05/half-heard-phone-conversations-reduce-performance) 

How well do you sleep? Before you answer you should know that you may not HAVE the answer. So many people sleep so poorly, they don’t even know what good sleep is – or feels like. For some real insight into how people sleep and how we can all sleep better, listen as I speak with sleep medicine specialist Chris Winter, M.D., author of the book The Sleep Solution: Why Your Sleep is Broken and How to Fix It (https://amzn.to/2JVEHMd) 

Anyone who spends time on Facebook knows that feeling of, “Why does everyone else’s life seem so wonderful compared to mine?” There is now research that proves this happens to everyone who goes on Facebook and that actually people’s lives aren’t any better than yours – it just looks that way. Listen and I’ll explain. (http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2015/April/040415FaceookStudy) 

Do you know much about virtual reality? You are about to. Peter Rubin, senior editor at Wired magazine knows a lot about it. In fact he is the author of a new book on the topic called Future Presence: How Virtual Reality is Changing Human Connection, Intimacy and the Limits of Ordinary Life (https://amzn.to/2HeLUFD). Peter joins me to explore some of the fascinating and fun parts of virtual reality and also some of the concerns about how it will impact how we humans live our lives.  

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Passengers get kicked off airline flights a lot more than they used to. Do airlines have the right to just give people the boot for any reason? This episode begins by explaining why you can get kicked off any flight for almost any reason. (http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2015/04/09/how-to-get-kicked-off-flight/?intcmp=HPBucket) 

The idea of “creating excellence” really became popular back in 1982 with the publication of the huge, best-selling book, In Search of Excellence (https://amzn.to/2qAE2qB) . So how have things changed since then? Co-author Tom Peters joins me to talk about that as well as discuss his new book The Excellence Dividend: Meeting the Tech Tide with Work That Wows and Jobs That Last (https://amzn.to/2H2XQdo). Tom one of those people who always makes you think so I am sure you will find this conversation engaging.   

Which is better for your car – synthetic motor oil or conventional motor oil? To answer that you need to know the difference so I’ll explain that and tell you what the experts recommend. (http://www.costcoconnection.ca/connectioncaeng/20150910?article_id=1320613&pg=NaN#pgNaN) 

In our culture, we are encouraged to spend money. It is often difficult to save money and spend cautiously. Vicki Robin, author of the book Your Money or Your Life (https://amzn.to/2JMV1il) shares some fascinating ideas on how to look at money differently and spend wisely so you still get you everything you really want and also have money in the bank.

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“Eat your veggies – they’re good for you!” Every parent has said that to a child and yet, as a parent, you probably shouldn’t. I start this episode of the podcast with some fascinating research about what to tell kids about healthy foods. (http://www.chicagobooth.edu/about/newsroom/press-releases/2014/2014-05-08)

What if I told you that nothing really goes viral? You’d probably say, “Of course it does – cat videos, songs, lots of things go viral.” Well, not according to Derek Thompson, senior editor at the Atlantic magazine and author of the book Hit Makers: How to Succeed in an Age of Distraction (https://amzn.to/2HtzsCC). Derek reveals exactly how things become popular – and it isn’t the way you might think. 

In schools today there is a lot of emphasis on typing on a keyboard rather than writing with pen and paper. So you may be surprised to hear the benefits kids receive by simply writing on paper – and maybe schools should re-think their policies that deemphasize penmanship in early grades. (http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/science/whats-lost-as-handwriting-fades.html?_r=0) 

Who hasn’t been socially anxious? I am sure you’ve been in one of those situations where a lot is on the line or you don’t know anyone and it makes it uncomfortable and difficult. This is especially true for the millions of people who are naturally socially anxious anyway. With some help is clinical psychologist Ellen Hendriksen author of How to Be Yourself: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Rise Above Social Anxiety (https://amzn.to/2v7gVtb). Ellen is also the host of the wildly popular podcast, Savvy Psychologist (https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/savvy-psychologist) She joins me to offer some rock solid suggestions to help navigate those anxiety provoking situations so you act, look and feel like you belong.

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