The Cracked Podcast

There are parts of our daily lives that we just take for granted as being normal, but science proves us wrong. One of the best ways to look at this is language. We've previously discussed on the podcast how languages with future tenses (like English) make us really bad at planning for the future. We just think the future is some imaginary place that we'll always to go later. That's why we're great at fun things like procrastinating, drinking and smoking. Chinese, on the other hand, doesn't have tenses at all, so native speakers find themselves naturally better at planning for the time ahead. For Chinese speakers, the future isn't some magical fairy island that will always come tomorrow–the structure of the language just makes the consequences of life more immediate in their brains.These little cultural differences literally affect how we perceive the world. In languages with more words for the color green, for example, speakers can actually see more shades of green than us. What is a superpower to us is completely mundane to them because they've just had that language and ability their whole life.On this week's podcast Jack O'Brien is joined by Cracked executive editor Jason Pargin (aka David Wong) to outline some of the scientific ways our brains trick us with this phenomenon-- how our sense perception, something we assume is uniform across all humanity, actually changes depending on what culture we're brought up in.Footnotes:Donald Trump/Bernie Sanders "Yuuuge" Forum Thread:  http://goo.gl/xNhQ4e Blue Square/Green Square Experiment:  http://goo.gl/08DBcL Cracked: Unexplained Things That Only Happen In A Few Places On Earth:  http://goo.gl/zf42ye Cracked: 7 Innocent Gestures That Can Get You Killed Overseas:  http://goo.gl/7Nv1es Cracked: 6 Mental Illnesses That Only Happen in One Place on Earth:  http://goo.gl/seibHn Cracked: 5 Insane Ways Words Can Control Your Mind:  http://goo.gl/RlnD Cracked: 5 Surprising Ways Your Language Affects How You Think:  http://goo.gl/3g3nBa Cracked: I Don't Know My Age: 5 Things I Learned in My Isolated Tribe:  http://goo.gl/6LdJIh Cracked: 6 Isolated Groups Who Had No Idea That Civilization Existed:  http://goo.gl/e49hK Invisibilia: McDonald's in Russia:  http://goo.gl/nBrjpd 99% Invisible: Devil's Rope:  http://goo.gl/VTbc2K The McGurk Effect:  https://goo.gl/T47EGZ The Atlantic: Can Your Language Influence Your Spending, Eating and Smoking Habits:  http://goo.gl/R9oI0m Schoolboy Q's Blankface LP on Spotify:  https://goo.gl/BgLM1a This episode is sponsored by Comic Con HQ, Magoosh, Spotify, and Loot Crate.

Do you find yourself getting irrationally mad when you're cut off by the car plastered in bumper stickers warning about the danger of contrails? When you're walking on a sidewalk and there's a group of people in front of you, do you want to run them over with a snowblower because they're arranged in such a way that it's impossible to navigate around them? When there's someone in a coffee shop talking loudly on their phone, do you want to plunge them and their stupid conversation to the bottom of the Mariana Trench for the rest of time? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you're not being an asshole, that's just evolution baby. Apparently we're hard-wired to think people are jerks and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. To commemorate the arrival of 'Difficult People' season 2 on Hulu, Jack O'Brien, Josh Sargent and Alex Schmidt discuss the scientifically proven ways humans are just awful–from our bad driving habits to the cognitive bias that proves why stupid people think they're smart. Trust us, it's not you, it's them. Footnotes: - David Dunning: We Are All Confident Idiots:  https://goo.gl/yclkfl  - Cracked: 6 Scientific Reasons People Drive Like Assholes:  http://goo.gl/gk4s  - Cracked: 5 Scientific Reasons You're a Bad Employee:  http://goo.gl/X5SD  - Cracked: 6 Obnoxious Behaviors That Make You Better at Your Job:  http://goo.gl/eorSF6  - Cracked: 5 Logical Fallacies That Make You Wrong More Than You Think:  http://goo.gl/XtQGF  - Robert Sapolsky - Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers:  https://goo.gl/Ji7S4G  - Watch Difficult People on Hulu:  http://goo.gl/ZHNQpt  - Difficult People on Instagram:  https://goo.gl/lLva2S  - Difficult People on Twitter:  https://goo.gl/TBdkeD  - Difficult People on Facebook:  https://goo.gl/fHma0d

Do you find yourself getting irrationally mad when you're cut off by the car plastered in bumper stickers warning about the danger of contrails? When you're walking on a sidewalk and there's a group of people in front of you, do you want to run them over with a snowblower because they're arranged in such a way that it's impossible to navigate around them? When there's someone in a coffee shop talking loudly on their phone, do you want to plunge them and their stupid conversation to the bottom of the Mariana Trench for the rest of time? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you're not being an asshole, that's just evolution baby. Apparently we're hard-wired to think people are jerks and there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. To commemorate the arrival of 'Difficult People' season 2 on Hulu, Jack O'Brien, Josh Sargent and Alex Schmidt discuss the scientifically proven ways humans are just awful–from our bad driving habits to the cognitive bias that proves why stupid people think they're smart. Trust us, it's not you, it's them. Footnotes: - David Dunning: We Are All Confident Idiots:  https://goo.gl/yclkfl  - Cracked: 6 Scientific Reasons People Drive Like Assholes:  http://goo.gl/gk4s  - Cracked: 5 Scientific Reasons You're a Bad Employee:  http://goo.gl/X5SD  - Cracked: 6 Obnoxious Behaviors That Make You Better at Your Job:  http://goo.gl/eorSF6  - Cracked: 5 Logical Fallacies That Make You Wrong More Than You Think:  http://goo.gl/XtQGF  - Robert Sapolsky - Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers:  https://goo.gl/Ji7S4G  - Watch Difficult People on Hulu:  http://goo.gl/ZHNQpt  - Difficult People on Instagram:  https://goo.gl/lLva2S  - Difficult People on Twitter:  https://goo.gl/TBdkeD  - Difficult People on Facebook:  https://goo.gl/fHma0d

Watching movies like 'Speed' and 'The Negotiator,' you get the sense that talking a bad guy out of a hostage situation is a lot like being a Jedi. A little, "these aren't the droids your looking for," here, a little (insert witty line) there, and bam, you're making out with the foxy bank teller back at HQ by happy hour.Now if that were true, we'd all be hostage negotiators, right? But the job isn't that simple. It's much more passive than we think and involves a lot more teamwork than just one man walking into a building with only a bullhorn and his gut instinct.To learn what we all get wrong about hostage negotiators, Jack jack is joined by Chris Voss; author, professor and former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI. They discuss how teamwork and active listening are two of the most important parts of the job, and then Chris explains how hostage negotiation skills can be used in business and in real life.Make sure to buy tickets to our next live podcast taping where we get heavy and talk about the afterlife, maaan! What if there's no heaven and hell and we're all just a hologram inside the mind of an ancient computer simulation? What if the Zoroastrians were right and it doesn't matter how good you are in your life, you just have to cross a rickety bridge guarded by two four-eyed dogs to reach eternal salvation?Join Jack, Dan, and Michael on Saturday, July 16th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles as they try to figure out what it all means. They'll be joined by comedians Casey Jane Ellison and Ramin Nazer to discuss their favorite afterlife scenarios from movies, sci-fi and lesser-known religions.This episode is sponsored by Harry's, The Bouqs, and Spotify.Tickets are only $5 and available here:  https://goo.gl/yvf76j Footnotes:Chris Voss: Never Split the Difference:  http://goo.gl/yCKrnz Daniel Kahneman: Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow:  https://goo.gl/GoGs3a The Atlantic: The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence:  http://goo.gl/MjOC5N Cracked: 4 Aspects of Hostage Situations Movies Didn't Prepare Me For:  http://goo.gl/1wvR1h David Foster Wallace: This is Water:  http://goo.gl/XMEqj New York Times: Quiet Fixer in Donald Trump's Campaign:  http://goo.gl/BcQQsH

Watching movies like 'Speed' and 'The Negotiator,' you get the sense that talking a bad guy out of a hostage situation is a lot like being a Jedi. A little, "these aren't the droids your looking for," here, a little (insert witty line) there, and bam, you're making out with the foxy bank teller back at HQ by happy hour.Now if that were true, we'd all be hostage negotiators, right? But the job isn't that simple. It's much more passive than we think and involves a lot more teamwork than just one man walking into a building with only a bullhorn and his gut instinct.To learn what we all get wrong about hostage negotiators, Jack jack is joined by Chris Voss; author, professor and former lead international kidnapping negotiator for the FBI. They discuss how teamwork and active listening are two of the most important parts of the job, and then Chris explains how hostage negotiation skills can be used in business and in real life.Make sure to buy tickets to our next live podcast taping where we get heavy and talk about the afterlife, maaan! What if there's no heaven and hell and we're all just a hologram inside the mind of an ancient computer simulation? What if the Zoroastrians were right and it doesn't matter how good you are in your life, you just have to cross a rickety bridge guarded by two four-eyed dogs to reach eternal salvation?Join Jack, Dan, and Michael on Saturday, July 16th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles as they try to figure out what it all means. They'll be joined by comedians Casey Jane Ellison and Ramin Nazer to discuss their favorite afterlife scenarios from movies, sci-fi and lesser-known religions.This episode is sponsored by Harry's, The Bouqs, and Spotify.Tickets are only $5 and available here:  https://goo.gl/yvf76j Footnotes:Chris Voss: Never Split the Difference:  http://goo.gl/yCKrnz Daniel Kahneman: Thinking Fast and Thinking Slow:  https://goo.gl/GoGs3a The Atlantic: The Dark Side of Emotional Intelligence:  http://goo.gl/MjOC5N Cracked: 4 Aspects of Hostage Situations Movies Didn't Prepare Me For:  http://goo.gl/1wvR1h David Foster Wallace: This is Water:  http://goo.gl/XMEqj New York Times: Quiet Fixer in Donald Trump's Campaign:  http://goo.gl/BcQQsH

Put on your white sneakers, drink some Kool-Aid and follow your Supreme Leader Jack O'Brien for a deep dive this week into the world of cults. There are so many cults all around us and they exist in many forms. The picture in your mind may be of a secluded ranch with some long-haired guy trying to sleep with as many women as possible, but that isn't the only type of cult out there. Yes there are your Scientologies and your Heaven's Gates, but Apple is a cult too. So is Disney. One of the most powerful cults in the world right now is ISIS. They have a government and an army, but their mission and ideology aligns more with a cult than with a country.All these facets of cultism are discussed on this week's show. Jack O'Brien is joined by author Karen Stollznow to discuss why America is such a good breeding ground for cults. Later, author Steven Hassan talks about mind control and how he now spends his time counseling former cult members.Make sure to buy tickets to our next live podcast taping where we get heavy and talk about the afterlife, maaan! What if there's no heaven and hell and we're all just a hologram inside the mind of an ancient computer simulation? What if the Zoroastrians were right and it doesn't matter how good you are in your life, you just have to cross a rickety bridge guarded by two four-eyed dogs to reach eternal salvation?Join Jack, Dan, and Michael on Saturday, July 16th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles as they try to figure out what it all means. They'll be joined by comedians Casey Jane Ellison and Ramin Nazer to discuss their favorite afterlife scenarios from movies, sci-fi and lesser-known religions.Tickets are only $5 and available here:  https://goo.gl/yvf76j Footnotes:Karen Stollznow, 'God Bless America':  http://goo.gl/fsKlSu Cracked: Amway: 5 Realities of the Multi-Billion Dollar Scam  http://goo.gl/Eff3SS Cracked: 5 Insane Lessons From My Christian Fundamentalist Childhood:  http://goo.gl/wfXGsB Cracked: 5 Things I Learned as a Sex Slave in Modern America:  http://goo.gl/VNlYXh Cracked: 5 Ugly Things You Learn as a Sex Slave in the Modern World:  http://goo.gl/pNoyuU Freedom of Mind (Stephen Hassan's Website):  https://goo.gl/9nKvnK Stefan Molyneaux - Free Domain Radio (YouTube Cult):  https://goo.gl/LDKGMd The Globe and Mail: Stefan Molyneaux:  http://goo.gl/ZZTeCs ABC News: Speaking in Tongues:  https://goo.gl/RKfrRi This episode is sponsored by Wiener-Dog from IFC Films, Squarespace, Blue Apron, an Now Hear This Podcast Festival.

Put on your white sneakers, drink some Kool-Aid and follow your Supreme Leader Jack O'Brien for a deep dive this week into the world of cults. There are so many cults all around us and they exist in many forms. The picture in your mind may be of a secluded ranch with some long-haired guy trying to sleep with as many women as possible, but that isn't the only type of cult out there. Yes there are your Scientologies and your Heaven's Gates, but Apple is a cult too. So is Disney. One of the most powerful cults in the world right now is ISIS. They have a government and an army, but their mission and ideology aligns more with a cult than with a country.All these facets of cultism are discussed on this week's show. Jack O'Brien is joined by author Karen Stollznow to discuss why America is such a good breeding ground for cults. Later, author Steven Hassan talks about mind control and how he now spends his time counseling former cult members.Make sure to buy tickets to our next live podcast taping where we get heavy and talk about the afterlife, maaan! What if there's no heaven and hell and we're all just a hologram inside the mind of an ancient computer simulation? What if the Zoroastrians were right and it doesn't matter how good you are in your life, you just have to cross a rickety bridge guarded by two four-eyed dogs to reach eternal salvation?Join Jack, Dan, and Michael on Saturday, July 16th at 7pm at the UCB Sunset Theatre in Los Angeles as they try to figure out what it all means. They'll be joined by comedians Casey Jane Ellison and Ramin Nazer to discuss their favorite afterlife scenarios from movies, sci-fi and lesser-known religions.Tickets are only $5 and available here:  https://goo.gl/yvf76j Footnotes:Karen Stollznow, 'God Bless America':  http://goo.gl/fsKlSu Cracked: Amway: 5 Realities of the Multi-Billion Dollar Scam  http://goo.gl/Eff3SS Cracked: 5 Insane Lessons From My Christian Fundamentalist Childhood:  http://goo.gl/wfXGsB Cracked: 5 Things I Learned as a Sex Slave in Modern America:  http://goo.gl/VNlYXh Cracked: 5 Ugly Things You Learn as a Sex Slave in the Modern World:  http://goo.gl/pNoyuU Freedom of Mind (Stephen Hassan's Website):  https://goo.gl/9nKvnK Stefan Molyneaux - Free Domain Radio (YouTube Cult):  https://goo.gl/LDKGMd The Globe and Mail: Stefan Molyneaux:  http://goo.gl/ZZTeCs ABC News: Speaking in Tongues:  https://goo.gl/RKfrRi This episode is sponsored by Wiener-Dog from IFC Films, Squarespace, Blue Apron, an Now Hear This Podcast Festival.

In a way, science-fiction has not only predicted the future but created it as well. The works of Jules Verne inspired the first submarines and Star Trek's communicators and tablets clearly inspired the smart phones and computers and voice-activated assistants we use today. But there's still so much we don't have yet.Space colonies, faster-than-light travel, teleportation, genetic manipulation -- there's so much cool stuff we see in movies and TV that still seem decades if not centuries away. Sex bots! There are sex bots in everything, but look around-- there are no sex bots to be found. A real tragedy.So this week we're going to play pretend and talk about the tropes and imagery from sci-fi that we wish were a reality. Jack O'Brien and co-host Adam Tod Brown are joined by Cracked's Tom Reimann and Josh Sargent as well as comedians David Huntsberger, Caitlin Gill and Lizzy Cooperman to talk robots, generation ships, babies with grasshopper legs and more in this exploration of the sci-fi stuff we really want but probably can't have. This episode is sponsored by Wiener-Dog from IFC Films, Spotify, Harry's, and The Bouqs.Footnotes:- 'This Perfect Day' by Ira Levin:  https://goo.gl/r6UaVB - i09: How the L5 Society Tried to Use a Quirk of Physics to Colonize Space:  http://goo.gl/0jgQSW - Cracked: 6 Disasters With Details So Awful, History Left Them Out:  http://goo.gl/Kdw3WS - Tor: 5 Books About Generation Ships:  http://goo.gl/sTLLnX - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Space Mutiny:  https://goo.gl/hC5BVB - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Blood Waters of Dr. Z:  https://goo.gl/CluthX - National Geographic: 'Evacuate Earth':  https://goo.gl/EA3IJz - Star Wars Holiday Special:  https://goo.gl/2Lk51E

In a way, science-fiction has not only predicted the future but created it as well. The works of Jules Verne inspired the first submarines and Star Trek's communicators and tablets clearly inspired the smart phones and computers and voice-activated assistants we use today. But there's still so much we don't have yet.Space colonies, faster-than-light travel, teleportation, genetic manipulation -- there's so much cool stuff we see in movies and TV that still seem decades if not centuries away. Sex bots! There are sex bots in everything, but look around-- there are no sex bots to be found. A real tragedy.So this week we're going to play pretend and talk about the tropes and imagery from sci-fi that we wish were a reality. Jack O'Brien and co-host Adam Tod Brown are joined by Cracked's Tom Reimann and Josh Sargent as well as comedians David Huntsberger, Caitlin Gill and Lizzy Cooperman to talk robots, generation ships, babies with grasshopper legs and more in this exploration of the sci-fi stuff we really want but probably can't have. This episode is sponsored by Wiener-Dog from IFC Films, Spotify, Harry's, and The Bouqs.Footnotes:- 'This Perfect Day' by Ira Levin:  https://goo.gl/r6UaVB - i09: How the L5 Society Tried to Use a Quirk of Physics to Colonize Space:  http://goo.gl/0jgQSW - Cracked: 6 Disasters With Details So Awful, History Left Them Out:  http://goo.gl/Kdw3WS - Tor: 5 Books About Generation Ships:  http://goo.gl/sTLLnX - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Space Mutiny:  https://goo.gl/hC5BVB - Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Blood Waters of Dr. Z:  https://goo.gl/CluthX - National Geographic: 'Evacuate Earth':  https://goo.gl/EA3IJz - Star Wars Holiday Special:  https://goo.gl/2Lk51E

We have a lot of phrases for describing large groups of humans, and none of them are good. We fear the mob mentality and use words like 'herd' or 'sheep' to describe how dumb we can get in big groups. But what if there were a way to harness our collective intelligence and use it to amplify our best qualities instead of our worst?That's what Louis Rosenberg did when he founded Unanimous AI, a company that looked at how swarms of bees make decisions, and developed a program to allow humans to make decisions and predictions in the same way. Instead of voting, decisions are made as a collective.Okay, but what do you do with this, you ask? Using swarm intelligence, Unanimous AI was able to predict the Kentucky Derby, the Oscars and routinely beats Las Vegas oddsmakers when predicting sports like hockey and football.Rightly amazed by this awesome new superpower, Jack O'Brien chats with Louis about how his technology works, how it was modeled off the behavior of honey bees, and the surprising things it found about human morality.Footnotes:Francis Galton, 'Vox Populi':  http://goo.gl/4TMOAL  The Wisdom of Crowds, by James Surowiecki:  https://goo.gl/4ULXJQ  Wisdom of the Crowd: Myths and Realities:  http://goo.gl/nBVpZb UNU Publications:  http://goo.gl/op1MWX This episode is sponsored by Blue Apron and Casper Mattresses.