Something You Should Know

Does your signature reveal more about you than just your name? It turns out the way you sign your name may influence what people assume about your personality, confidence, and even your success—whether those assumptions are accurate or not. Listen as I explain what your signature may be saying every time you put pen to paper. https://graciousliving.typepad.com/the_write_event/2003/11/what_does_your_.html

Why do so many purchases that seem exciting at first end up leaving us...underwhelmed? We chase the next gadget, car, vacation, or pair of shoes hoping it will make us happier, yet the feeling rarely lasts. Is there a better way to spend your money so it actually improves your life? According to Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, there is—and it has surprisingly little to do with how much you spend. Michael is the author of the book Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending (https://amzn.to/3iFzDOq). Listen as he explains how a few simple changes in the way you spend can produce far more satisfaction than buying more stuff.

Setting boundaries sounds simple—until you're the one who has to do it. Say yes too often and people take advantage of you. Say no too forcefully and you risk damaging relationships. So how do you establish boundaries that people actually respect without coming across as selfish, cold, or difficult? Joining me with practical, real-world advice is licensed therapist and relationship expert Terri Cole, author of Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free. (https://amzn.to/3AhKXwz)

Most people only see what happens in the dining room of a restaurant. The real story unfolds behind the kitchen doors. Restaurant workers have revealed some surprising secrets about what goes on behind the scenes—from menu tricks to customer habits—that may change the way you order your next meal. Listen as I share some of the most fascinating insider revelations. (https://abcnews.go.com/Business/13-secrets-waiter-tips-menu/story?id=16948508)

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Walk through a crowded airport or packed stadium and something remarkable happens. Thousands of people weave around each other without collisions, almost as if everyone is reading everyone else's mind. Yet no one is directing traffic. So how does your brain constantly predict where complete strangers are about to move—and why does it work so well? (https://www.nature.com/articles/nature08260)

Rejection stings. Whether it's being turned down for a job, ignored after asking someone out, or hearing "no" when you were hoping for "yes," most of us spend a lot of energy trying to avoid it. But what if that's exactly backward? What if deliberately seeking rejection could make you more confident, more successful, and surprisingly happier? Jia Jiang decided to test that idea by intentionally getting rejected 100 times in 100 days. What happened changed the course of his life—and it may change the way you think about rejection forever. Jia is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and bestselling author. His TED Talk has been viewed more than 11 million times, and he is author of the book Easy Discipline: An Unconventional Way to Achieve Ambitious Things (https://amzn.to/4feqHOq).

Every couple argues. The real challenge is to understand what those fights are actually about. The disagreement over dirty dishes, money, or who's late again is often just the surface of something much deeper. Once you understand what's really driving those recurring arguments, everything changes. Relationship therapist Kim Polinder explains why couples keep having the same fights, how to stop damaging each other in the process, and what healthy conflict really looks like. Kim has helped hundreds of thousands of people through her work online (https://www.youtube.com/@engineeringlovepodcast) and is author of Why We Fight: A Transformative Road Map to Healing Conflict in Any Relationship. (https://amzn.to/45nZ1AF).

Your signature probably wasn't always a scribble. When you first learned to sign your name, you likely wrote every letter carefully and neatly. So why do almost everyone's signature eventually become an indecipherable scrawl? It turns out there's an interesting psychological reason behind that evolution—and it says more about you than you might think.

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Some mysteries have been solved by science. Others remain surprisingly stubborn. Despite all our advances in technology and research, there are still questions that continue to puzzle some of the brightest minds on Earth. Do we really have free will? Why does the placebo effect work? Have extraterrestrials ever tried to contact us? Those are just a few of the scientific mysteries you are about to explore.

Why do these mysteries persist? Is it because we simply don't have enough evidence yet, or are some answers beyond our ability to discover? Joining me to examine some of the most intriguing unanswered questions in science is Michael Brooks. Michael is an award-winning science writer and author of the book 13 Things That Don't Make Sense: The Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our Time (https://amzn.to/2NvuAmO). Listen as he explains what scientists know, what they suspect, and where the biggest gaps in our understanding still remain.

If history has taught us anything, it's that today's impossible mystery can become tomorrow's accepted fact. Along the way, though, scientists must separate evidence from speculation, challenge long-held assumptions, and sometimes admit they simply don't know. This conversation explores the fascinating space between certainty and mystery—and why that's often where the most exciting discoveries begin.

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Ever notice how your face turns bright red when you're embarrassed—and makes the whole situation even worse? As awkward as blushing feels, it isn't a design flaw. It's actually serving a purpose that's far more useful than most people realize. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/bering-in-mind/why-we-blush-the-social-purpose-of-showing-embarrassment/

Many of us race through life without even realizing we're doing it. We hurry through meals, conversations, vacations—even our free time. But what if all that rushing is quietly making life less enjoyable and less fulfilling? According to Carl Honoré, slowing down isn't about getting less done—it's about getting far more out of everything you do. He explains why living at a different pace can transform your work, your relationships, and your happiness. Carl is author of In Praise of Slowness (https://amzn.to/43GRlXN).

Music is everywhere. We choose to listen to some of it, while the rest quietly fills stores, restaurants, movies, TV shows, elevators, and countless other places. But what is all that music actually doing to your brain? Why does it have such a powerful effect on memory, emotion, focus, and even the way you experience the world? Larry Sherman reveals the remarkable neuroscience behind music and why our brains seem wired to need it. Larry is Professor of Neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University and author of Every Brain Needs Music: The Neuroscience of Making and Listening to Music (https://amzn.to/3JdFDf8).

Silver jewelry naturally tarnishes over time—but there's an inexpensive household item that can help slow the process dramatically. It's probably sitting in a drawer or classroom somewhere, and once you hear why it works, you'll never look at it the same way again. https://www.thelist.com/1235914/why-you-should-store-a-piece-of-chalk-in-your-jewelry-drawer/

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Have you ever met someone named Lucy and thought, "She really looks like a Lucy"? As strange as it sounds, scientists have discovered there may be more truth to that feeling than you realize. Your name may actually influence the way you look—or at least the way other people see you. Listen as I explain this fascinating research and what it reveals about the surprising connection between names and faces.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2405334121

We all give away far more than we think. Tiny facial expressions, subtle gestures, the way we sit, stand, or even touch our face can reveal confidence, nervousness, deception, attraction, and much more. Once you know what to look for, it's almost impossible not to notice these hidden signals. Joining me is Peter Collett, a social psychologist who taught at Oxford University and is internationally recognized for his expertise in human behavior and nonverbal communication. He is author of How To Tell What People Are Thinking From the Bedroom to the Boardroom (https://amzn.to/3WVytDM). This conversation is packed with practical insights that can help you read people more accurately in everyday life.

What is the brightest thing in the universe? The stickiest substance? The loudest sound? The coldest place? The fastest, slowest, biggest and smallest things imaginable? Nature has some astonishing record holders—and many of them are far stranger than fiction. David Darling, science writer, astronomer, and author of nearly 50 books, including Ka-boom!: The Science of Extremes (https://amzn.to/3X5gTgJ), takes us on a tour of the most incredible extremes in science, nature, and the universe. You'll come away with a collection of facts you'll be repeating to people for weeks.

Why does food often seem to taste better after a simple ritual—like singing "Happy Birthday" before eating cake? It turns out the ritual itself may be changing your experience in ways you never realized. Listen as I explain the surprising psychology behind this effect and why small rituals can make everything from meals to everyday experiences more enjoyable.
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/to-savor-the-flavor-perform-a-short-ritual-first.html

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Stores and restaurants don't just play music to fill the silence. The tempo, volume, and even the style of music are often carefully chosen because they can quietly influence your behavior and even how much money you spend. Once you know what's happening, you'll start hearing those playlists very differently. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002224298204600313

Your brain performs an astonishing magic trick every second of every day. It decides what deserves your attention—and what doesn't. Most of the time that's incredibly helpful. But it also means important clues, costly mistakes, opportunities, and even obvious dangers can sit right in front of you without you ever noticing them. Why does that happen, and can you train yourself to see what you've been missing? Here to explain is Keelan Leyser, a digital illusionist and one of the world's leading experts on attention and perception. Along with the late neuropsychologist David Lewis, he is co-author of the book Unseen: Blind Spots and Why We Miss What Matters Most (https://amzn.to/4ylvxkh).

Most of us walk on sidewalks without giving them a second thought. But once you start asking simple questions—Who actually owns the sidewalk? Who is responsible to maintain it? Why do some sidewalks suddenly end? And why do some streets have no sidewalks at all? —you discover that sidewalks are surprisingly complicated and have become the center of debates over property rights, public space, safety, and even free speech. Michael Pollack takes us into a world that's been hiding in plain sight. He is Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Faculty Development at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and author of the book Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America's Most Overlooked Resource (https://amzn.to/4fBOhEJ).

When you suddenly need to buy something—a new refrigerator, a laptop, a plane ticket, almost anything—it's easy to assume you have no choice but to pay whatever it costs. In reality, there's one surprisingly simple habit that can keep "must buy it now" moments from quietly costing you hundreds of dollars over time. https://www.consumerreports.org/money/shopping/how-to-save-money-shopping-online/

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Most of us spend a lot of time trying to be happy and avoiding sadness whenever we can. But what if sadness isn't something to fear or eliminate? What if it's one of the most important emotions we have?

Why do we cry when we're grieving—but also when we're overwhelmed with joy? Why does listening to sad music often make us feel better instead of worse? And when does a good cry actually help us recover, while other times it only leaves us feeling stuck?

According to David Huron, sadness isn't simply an unpleasant emotion we have to endure. It serves important psychological and biological purposes that help us cope with loss, strengthen relationships, and even prepare us for the future. Understanding how sadness works can change the way you experience difficult moments and help you recognize the difference between healthy sadness and harmful rumination.

David Huron is Professor Emeritus at Ohio State University and author of The Science of Sadness: A New Understanding of Emotion. Remarkably, he has made the entire book available as a free PDF here:
https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5772/The-Science-of-SadnessA-New-Understanding-of

If you prefer a printed copy, it's also available on Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3yy8cSy

After listening to this conversation, you'll probably never think about sadness—or tears—the same way again.

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Most of us think we're pretty good drivers. But even experienced drivers develop bad habits without realizing it. Fortunately, a few simple adjustments can make you a safer, more alert driver—and could even help you avoid a serious crash.https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety

Ask people to name the greatest investor of all time and chances are Warren Buffett will top the list. So what does he know that the rest of us don't? What principles has he followed for decades that allowed him to build one of history's greatest fortunes—and how can ordinary investors put those same ideas to work? Here to explain is John Longo, Professor of Professional Practice in the Finance and Economics Department at Rutgers Business School and Chief Investment Officer of Beacon Trust, a $3+ billion registered investment advisor. He is co-author of the book, Buffett's Tips: A Guide to Financial Literacy and Life.(https://amzn.to/4fjckqZ)

No matter how hard we try to avoid them, disagreements are a part of life. The problem is that too many of them quickly turn into arguments where no one changes their mind and everyone walks away frustrated. But research shows there are surprisingly effective ways to disagree that make people more willing to listen, preserve relationships, and often lead to better outcomes. Here with that practical advice is Julia Minson, a behavioral scientist whose work focuses on the psychology of disagreement. Her research has been featured in TIME, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. She is a professor at Harvard Kennedy School and author of the book How to Disagree Better (https://amzn.to/4wHHbEx).

Many of us are making a common mistake with modern dishwashers that actually makes them clean worse. It feels like the right thing to do, but it can prevent the dishwasher from doing the job it was designed to do—and waste water in the process. https://www.consumerreports.org/appliances/dishwashers/how-to-load-a-dishwasher-a6704518317/

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Why do mosquitoes seem to feast on some people while barely bothering others? It turns out your attractiveness to mosquitoes has much less to do with "sweet blood" than with your body chemistry, the carbon dioxide you exhale, and even your skin microbes. Understanding what really attracts mosquitoes can help you avoid becoming their favorite summertime meal. https://hartfordhealthcare.org/about-us/news-press/news-detail?articleId=42234&publicid=395#

Most people think eating healthier means giving up the foods they love and following a restrictive diet. Unfortunately, that's one reason so many diets fail. According to nutrition expert Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, you don't need to obsess over what you can't eat. Instead, the key is making sure your body gets the nutrients it needs while working with the foods you already enjoy. Dr. Ballantyne is founder of Nutrivore.com and author of Nutrivore: The Radical New Science for Getting the Nutrients You Need from the Food You Eat (https://amzn.to/4cREoPN). She explains how a simple shift in thinking can make healthy eating both easier and more sustainable.

Few animals are as disliked as rats. They've been blamed for spreading disease, destroying property, and invading our homes for centuries. Yet rats are among the most adaptable and intelligent mammals on Earth. They've followed humans around the globe, thriving almost everywhere we live, and their remarkable survival skills reveal an animal that's far more sophisticated than its terrible reputation suggests. Joe Shute is an award-winning journalist and author of Stowaway: The Disreputable Exploits of the Rat (https://amzn.to/3WiYzPl). He shares the fascinating history of rats, why they have become such successful survivors, and why you may see these much-maligned rodents in a very different light after hearing his story.

Most meetings are held around a conference table because... well, that's just how meetings are done. But research suggests the way people are physically arranged during a meeting can have a surprising impact on how they think, contribute, and work together. There is one simple change that can dramatically alter the dynamics of almost any meeting. https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/how-to-make-your-team-more-collaborative.html

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If your porch light seems to attract every moth and flying insect in the neighborhood, you're not imagining it. Scientists have finally figured out why artificial lights are so irresistible to many insects—and knowing what they've discovered can help you keep more bugs away this summer. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-44785-3

Some people seem to light up a room the moment they walk in. Others naturally draw people in, inspire confidence, and make lasting impressions. We call it charisma, and many assume you're either born with it or you're not. Olivia Fox Cabane says that's simply not true. In this conversation, she explains what charisma really is, why it's often misunderstood, and the surprisingly practical skills anyone can learn to become more influential and engaging. Olivia has advised leaders at Google, Deloitte, UBS, MGM, and TikTok, and is author of The Charisma Myth: How Anyone Can Master the Art and Science of Personal Magnetism (https://amzn.to/44kpuyI).

For decades, we've talked about "the midlife crisis" as though it's inevitable. But what if we've gotten midlife completely wrong? Research suggests that your middle years can be one of the most productive, satisfying, and influential periods of your life. So why does this stage have such a negative reputation? And what are people in midlife uniquely positioned to do that younger and older adults often can't? Margie Lachman, Professor of Psychology at Brandeis University and director of the Lifespan Lab, shares a fresh, evidence-based perspective on why midlife deserves a lot more celebration than sympathy. She is author of Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife (https://amzn.to/4bpLbRJ).

Have you ever searched everywhere for your keys or your glasses, only to discover they were sitting in plain sight the whole time? It's a surprisingly common experience, and it reveals something fascinating about how your brain decides what you do—and don't—see. https://dictionary.apa.org/inattentional-blindness

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