The Daily Helping

Today our expert guest is Dr. Nicholas Opie. He is a biomedical engineer with experience in neural prosthesis, co-head of the Vascular Bionics Laboratory, and Founder of pioneering endovascular bionics company Synchron, Inc.

Vascular bionics combine biology and medical electronics in the bloodstream. Devices like stents and pacemakers are currently using blood vessels, and Dr. Opie sees these as an opportunity to access the brain without open brain surgery.

These bionics have potential applications for individuals who suffer from paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, and degenerative diseases.

Making Technology Applicable 

Too often, engineers and researchers create something fantastic that never reaches clinical use. Synchron is devoted to making these technological breakthroughs medically applicable.

They’re currently developing STENTRODE™, the world’s first endovascular electrode array. It  is a minimally invasive implantable device designed to interpret signals from the brain, and Synchron is currently preparing for a pilot clinical trial of the device. 

They plan to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the device to enable patient-directed brain control over mobility assist devices. He’s confident people will be able to control wheel chairs and computers using the device, and his ambitious goal is that the technology will also allow people to control prosthetic limbs.

In just the United States, there are about 6.9 million people who are paralyzed. “If we can help even a small fraction of those, then everything we’re doing is worthwhile.”

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway 

If you enjoy what you do, then it’s not working.  

“That’s what I like to live by. Everything I do is because it’s something I enjoy and it’s something I want to do. I think if everyone can take that bit of advice and do what they are passionate about, then their lives will be a lot happier and they’ll have a great time doing it.”

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn More: Vascular Bionics Laboratory | Synchron, Inc.
• Read through Dr. Opie’s Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) on brain-controlled devices and neural implants

Today our expert guest is Dr. John Paul Garrison. He is a licensed psychologist, published author, and an expert in nonverbal communication and detecting deception. He received specialized training from the Paul Ekman Group and achieved expert-level status in micro expressions, subtle face expression, and law enforcement. 

John developed the ARC Analysis system, a methodology originally used to teach law enforcement to identify and react to nonverbal behaviors they observe in potential suspects. He’s since adapted the system to help business leaders increase their interpersonal intuition, and he shares how anyone can benefit from a better understanding of nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication is what the brain recognizes unconsciously; it’s what an individual’s body movements suggest. These involuntary movements are a manifestation of your emotions, which are controlled by the limbic system of your brain. For example...

• When someone doesn’t move their arms while they’re walking, they’re trying to hide.
• When someone crosses their arms, they are looking for defense or comfort.
• When someone is seated and locks their feet together, they’re trying not to say something.
• When someone stands with their legs apart, the farther apart they are, the more dominant and defensive they are trying to be (typical ‘alpha male’ behavior).

John teaches people to recognize and understand these unconscious behaviors so that they can better communicate, without speaking. This is where the ARC Analysis system comes into play.

ARC = Action, Reason, Concern

• An action is a behavior you see.
• The reason is the context of why an individual engages in a specific action.
• The concern is, as you might expect, the reaction you feel associated with the observed behavior.

ARC was originally designed to identify deception, but it’s since been expanded to help users develop their intuition and emotional intelligence. John defines emotional intelligence as an individual's capacity to recognize their own emotions, as well as other people’s emotions, and experience empathy. 

If you aren’t in law enforcement, counter terrorism, or a Fortune 500 company, understanding nonverbal communication can still be incredibly useful! When you understand how your own unconscious behaviors are related to your limbic system, and your feelings, you can start to control the nonverbal messages you send and the way you are perceived. 

John is currently adapting the ARC Analysis system for couples, who have some of the most exaggerated and strongest nonverbal language. Understanding each other, nonverbally, can make a world of difference. 

We need to train in reading nonverbal communication because contextualizing behavior – ascribing reason to a particular action – is very nuanced. Some behaviors aren’t consistently the result of a specific feeling, and some behaviors don’t indicate the feeling you might expect. We need to understand the science to understand the context.

• Shaky hands can have a lot of meanings (e.g. cold, poor blood flow, nervous), but if someone’s hands start shaking in the middle of a conversation then that person had a strong adrenaline rush.
• Flaring nostrils doesn’t necessarily mean someone is angry; it means someone is trying to oxidate the body, and greater oxidation means someone is preparing for action.
• People squint, sometimes called eye blocking or shielding, after hearing something they don’t like.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway 

“We are always communicating with each other. Always.” 

You really need to learn what your body is saying to other people, and what people are silently saying to you. When you can do that, you can adapt your behaviors and make other people feel better.

If you know what to look for when people are feeling defensive, then you know what to do to make yourself open… and if you can make yourself open, as uncomfortable as it might be, you will receive a better reaction from other people.

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at DrJPGarrison.com
• Subscribe to Dr. Garrison’s YouTube Channel: What The Psych
• Watch John’s short YouTube series: “How to spot lying using hidden body language with Dr. John Garrison”

Today our expert guest is Dr. John Paul Garrison. He is a licensed psychologist, published author, and an expert in nonverbal communication and detecting deception. He received specialized training from the Paul Ekman Group and achieved expert-level status in micro expressions, subtle face expression, and law enforcement. 

John developed the ARC Analysis system, a methodology originally used to teach law enforcement to identify and react to nonverbal behaviors they observe in potential suspects. He’s since adapted the system to help business leaders increase their interpersonal intuition, and he shares how anyone can benefit from a better understanding of nonverbal communication.

Nonverbal communication is what the brain recognizes unconsciously; it’s what an individual’s body movements suggest. These involuntary movements are a manifestation of your emotions, which are controlled by the limbic system of your brain. For example...

• When someone doesn’t move their arms while they’re walking, they’re trying to hide.
• When someone crosses their arms, they are looking for defense or comfort.
• When someone is seated and locks their feet together, they’re trying not to say something.
• When someone stands with their legs apart, the farther apart they are, the more dominant and defensive they are trying to be (typical ‘alpha male’ behavior).

John teaches people to recognize and understand these unconscious behaviors so that they can better communicate, without speaking. This is where the ARC Analysis system comes into play.

ARC = Action, Reason, Concern

• An action is a behavior you see.
• The reason is the context of why an individual engages in a specific action.
• The concern is, as you might expect, the reaction you feel associated with the observed behavior.

ARC was originally designed to identify deception, but it’s since been expanded to help users develop their intuition and emotional intelligence. John defines emotional intelligence as an individual's capacity to recognize their own emotions, as well as other people’s emotions, and experience empathy.  

If you aren’t in law enforcement, counter terrorism, or a Fortune 500 company, understanding nonverbal communication can still be incredibly useful! When you understand how your own unconscious behaviors are related to your limbic system, and your feelings, you can start to control the nonverbal messages you send and the way you are perceived. 

John is currently adapting the ARC Analysis system for couples, who have some of the most exaggerated and strongest nonverbal language. Understanding each other, nonverbally, can make a world of difference.  

We need to train in reading nonverbal communication because contextualizing behavior – ascribing reason to a particular action – is very nuanced. Some behaviors aren’t consistently the result of a specific feeling, and some behaviors don’t indicate the feeling you might expect. We need to understand the science to understand the context.

• Shaky hands can have a lot of meanings (e.g. cold, poor blood flow, nervous), but if someone’s hands start shaking in the middle of a conversation then that person had a strong adrenaline rush.
• Flaring nostrils doesn’t necessarily mean someone is angry; it means someone is trying to oxidate the body, and greater oxidation means someone is preparing for action.
• People squint, sometimes called eye blocking or shielding, after hearing something they don’t like.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway 

“We are always communicating with each other. Always.”  

You really need to learn what your body is saying to other people, and what people are silently saying to you. When you can do that, you can adapt your behaviors and make other people feel better.

If you know what to look for when people are feeling defensive, then you know what to do to make yourself open… and if you can make yourself open, as uncomfortable as it might be, you will receive a better reaction from other people.

--

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• Learn more at DrJPGarrison.com
• Subscribe to Dr. Garrison’s YouTube Channel: What The Psych
• Watch John’s short YouTube series: “How to spot lying using hidden body language with Dr. John Garrison”

Today our expert guest is Paul J. Zak. He is on a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His latest book, Trust Factor, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes.

His quest has taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of New Guinea and, finally, to The Daily Helping.

The Moral Molecule & Humanity

In The Moral Molecule, Paul recounts his unlikely discovery that the neurochemical oxytocin is the key driver in trust, love, and morality that distinguishes our humanity. 

All animals make oxytocin, but humans seem to thrive on it. About 200,000 years ago, humans started living in groups more often, and individuals with more oxytocin receptors in their brain produced more offspring. Now, our species has far more oxytocin receptors than our closest genetic relatives.

Psychologically, oxytocin increases our sense of empathy for others. Empathy is an incredibly adaptive tool because it helps us understand other people's emotions and why they perform certain actions.

Oxytocin & Human Development

Are we born with all of our oxytocin receptors and innate social skills, or are we built?

• The answer is both (as it often is with nature vs nurture discussions), but there are genetic variations in the number and function of oxytocin receptors in humans.
• Bad News: You have to have nature and nurture for a system to flourish. Because nature is very conservative with resources, children who are neglected simply don’t develop all parts of the system. About half of the people who are sexually abused or abandoned as children don’t have functionally intact oxytocin connection systems in their brain.
• Good News: Because oxytocin is so evolutionarily old, the receptors are connected in most people who do not face severe neglect, abuse, or abandonment. It’s very difficult to kill all of the receptors. Additionally, it is likely possible that sufficient social support later in life can help individuals regain functionality in their oxytocin connection systems.

Applying Our Knowledge: Tactics for Improving Your Relationships

Tactic #1: Embrace your emotional nature. If you focus on the emotions you see in others, you will gain a lot of valuable information.

• When you say hello to someone, take a moment to look at them, feel the emotion on their face, and start a more intimate conversation. Don’t just say hello. Say, “Hello, you look ______.” You will learn more about how that person is doing, connect better to the individuals around you, and make them feel more valued.

Tactic #2: Acceptance. You don’t always need to fix things. Sometimes it’s just about listening and acceptance. This is especially true for parents! Focus on seeing other people for who they are, and don’t try to force them into the box you want them to be in.

Trust Factor: Enhancing Trust in the Workplace

In Trust Factor, Paul details the eight building blocks of trust and identifies ways that organization leaders can create a culture of trust in which people are empowered to control their lives, and are held accountable for what they’re doing.

Paul also explains why trust is good for business. Compared to businesses in the lowest quartile of organizational trust, employees working for businesses in the highest quartile of trust...

• have 100% more energy at work.
• are 76% more engaged at work.
• are 50% more productive.
• are 50% less likely to leave.
• enjoy their jobs 60% more.
• feel 66% closer to their colleagues.
• take 13% fewer sick days.

On top of all that, employees working in a trusting culture are substantially more satisfied with their lives outside of work. 

You can find a number of useful resources, including Paul’s free organizational trust tool, at www.ofactor.com.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Use the word LOVE a little more often. The more you say love, the more you practice love, the more you’re going to get love.”

Love is a real, physiologic phenomenon in the brain. It is not a “squishy” term – it is something that our brain is designed to give and receive. Understanding that love is facilitated by the brain’s production of oxytocin is necessary for improving your relationships with pets, children, friendships, colleagues, and family.

-- 

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• You can connect with Paul and find free resources at www.pauljzak.com
• Pick up a great book: Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies
• The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity
• Moral Markets: The Critical Role of Values in the Economy

Today our expert guest is Paul J. Zak. He is on a quest to understand the neuroscience of human connection, human happiness, and effective teamwork. His latest book, Trust Factor, uses neuroscience to measure and manage organizational cultures to inspire teamwork and accelerate business outcomes.

His quest has taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of New Guinea and, finally, to The Daily Helping.

The Moral Molecule & Humanity

In The Moral Molecule, Paul recounts his unlikely discovery that the neurochemical oxytocin is the key driver in trust, love, and morality that distinguishes our humanity.  

All animals make oxytocin, but humans seem to thrive on it. About 200,000 years ago, humans started living in groups more often, and individuals with more oxytocin receptors in their brain produced more offspring. Now, our species has far more oxytocin receptors than our closest genetic relatives.

Psychologically, oxytocin increases our sense of empathy for others. Empathy is an incredibly adaptive tool because it helps us understand other people's emotions and why they perform certain actions.

Oxytocin & Human Development

Are we born with all of our oxytocin receptors and innate social skills, or are we built?

• The answer is both (as it often is with nature vs nurture discussions), but there are genetic variations in the number and function of oxytocin receptors in humans.

• Bad News: You have to have nature and nurture for a system to flourish. Because nature is very conservative with resources, children who are neglected simply don’t develop all parts of the system. About half of the people who are sexually abused or abandoned as children don’t have functionally intact oxytocin connection systems in their brain.
• Good News: Because oxytocin is so evolutionarily old, the receptors are connected in most people who do not face severe neglect, abuse, or abandonment. It’s very difficult to kill all of the receptors. Additionally, it is likely possible that sufficient social support later in life can help individuals regain functionality in their oxytocin connection systems.

Applying Our Knowledge: Tactics for Improving Your Relationships

Tactic #1: Embrace your emotional nature. If you focus on the emotions you see in others, you will gain a lot of valuable information.

• When you say hello to someone, take a moment to look at them, feel the emotion on their face, and start a more intimate conversation. Don’t just say hello. Say, “Hello, you look ______.” You will learn more about how that person is doing, connect better to the individuals around you, and make them feel more valued.

Tactic #2: Acceptance. You don’t always need to fix things. Sometimes it’s just about listening and acceptance. This is especially true for parents! Focus on seeing other people for who they are, and don’t try to force them into the box you want them to be in.

Trust Factor: Enhancing Trust in the Workplace

In Trust Factor, Paul details the eight building blocks of trust and identifies ways that organization leaders can create a culture of trust in which people are empowered to control their lives, and are held accountable for what they’re doing.

Paul also explains why trust is good for business. Compared to businesses in the lowest quartile of organizational trust, employees working for businesses in the highest quartile of trust...

• have 100% more energy at work.
• are 76% more engaged at work.
• are 50% more productive.
• are 50% less likely to leave.
• enjoy their jobs 60% more.
• feel 66% closer to their colleagues.
• take 13% fewer sick days.

On top of all that, employees working in a trusting culture are substantially more satisfied with their lives outside of work. 

You can find a number of useful resources, including Paul’s free organizational trust tool, at www.ofactor.com.

The Biggest Helping: Today’s Most Important Takeaway

“Use the word LOVE a little more often. The more you say love, the more you practice love, the more you’re going to get love.”

Love is a real, physiologic phenomenon in the brain. It is not a “squishy” term – it is something that our brain is designed to give and receive. Understanding that love is facilitated by the brain’s production of oxytocin is necessary for improving your relationships with pets, children, friendships, colleagues, and family.

-- 

Thank you for joining us on The Daily Helping with Dr. Shuster. Subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play to download more food for the brain, knowledge from the experts, and tools to win at life.

Resources:

• You can connect with Paul and find free resources at www.pauljzak.com
• Pick up a great book:
  • Trust Factor: The Science of Creating High-Performance Companies
  • The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity
  • Moral Markets: The Critical Role of Values in the Economy