Everyone knows what “riding shotgun” means. And most people think they know where it came from, which is from the days of stagecoaches. But that is not exactly correct. This episode begins by revealing the real origins of the phrase. Source: Cecil Adams author of The Straight Dope (https://amzn.to/3iPlGfp)
What are you? It’s a fascinating question because we often don’t think about what we are made of. It turns out we are made from atoms that have been recycled and have been parts of stars, dinosaurs and even other people. Science writer Brian Clegg author of the book What Do You Think You Are? The Science of What Makes You You (https://amzn.to/35TifRq) reveals the latest science about what goes in to making you - you and how you are different from everything else on this planet and in the universe. 
If you ever got a bad grade in school, you were probably told to work harder to get better at that subject. While maybe that is a good idea sometimes, it basically sends the message that you should try to improve at things you are not especially good at. And that turns out to be some pretty bad advice, as I explain. Source: Kathryn D. Cramer, PhD, author of Change The Way You See Everything (https://amzn.to/2FW1tpC)
What do you think of when you think of a genius? Is it how smart someone is or is it much more than that? Can anyone be a genius or is it something you are born with. Joining me to discuss the whole concept of genius is Professor Craig Wright, creator of Yale University’s popular “Genius Course” and who has devoted more than two decades to exploring the nature of genius. He is author of the book The Hidden Habits of Genius (https://amzn.to/2HjA69S) and I think you will be surprised by what he has to say about genius and encouraged by your chances of becoming one. 
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What Makes You Who You Are & Could You Be A Genius?

Sometimes all it takes is one little fact or one little piece of wisdom to change your life forever. That's the purpose and the hope of "Something You Should Know." In each episode, host Mike Carruthers interviews top experts in their field to bring you fascinating information and advice to help you save time and money, advance in your career, become wealthy, improve your relationships and help you simply get more out of life. In addition, Mike uncovers and shares short, engaging pieces of "intel" you can use to make your life better - today. Right now.

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Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Social Sciences

Science & Medicine

Science

Health & Fitness

Self-Improvement

A lot of people have autographs from someone famous. Could the one you have be worth anything? What makes an autograph valuable? How much do rare autographs sell for? This episode begins with a brief overview of autographs and some examples that sold for a lot of money. https://www.investopedia.com/most-valuable-autographs-5218552
We have all been told to be careful when we are online. We need secure passwords, we need to be careful what links we click on – that kind of thing. But have you ever wondered who is behind all the cyber crime that is requiring us to be so careful? How has cyber crime changed? Is there any progress in the fight against it? Joining me to help understand the bigger picture of this huge global threat to all of us who go online is Jessica Barker. She is one of the world’s leading experts on cyber crime and is often seen in the media talking on the topic. She recently received an award (MBE) from Prince William for her service to cyber security. Jessica is author of the book, Hacked: The Secrets Behind Cyber Attacks (https://amzn.to/4cO868z).
It may sound like science fiction but there are actually scientists exploring outer space (via very advanced telescopes) looking for life on other planets. This search has actually been going on for several years and while they have yet to discover actual evidence of life, what they have discovered is quite amazing. Joining me is one of the people involved in this search for life, Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger Director of the Carl Sagan Institute to Search for Life in the Cosmos at Cornell University where she is also an associate professor of astronomy. In addition, she is author of the book Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos (https://amzn.to/3vMH9S1)
The next time you are having trouble writing something, try changing the font or ink color to one specific hue. Listen and I’ll tell you which one and why it seems to help. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/green-colors-creative_n_1386190
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eBay Motors has 122 million parts for your #1 ride-or-die, to make sure it stays running smoothly. Keep your ride alive at https://eBayMotors.com
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The Changing Threat of Cyber Crime & The Search for Life in the Cosmos

Where do you do your best work and think your best thoughts? Probably not at your workplace. This episode begins with some expert advice on how to optimize your thinking and performance, so you think and work at your very best. Source: Edward Hallowell author of Driven to Distraction (https://amzn.to/3PQgv1u).
You likely perform rituals every day of your life – even if you aren't aware of it. From shaking hands when you meet someone, to the rituals of religion to things you do to try and bring luck. Rituals are something humans seem to love and need to have. Why? What do they do for us? A lot, according to Michael Norton, a professor of business administration at the Harvard Business School. and author of The book The Ritual Effect (https://amzn.to/3U65Zpn). Listen as Michael explores the importance of rituals and what they do for us.
Much of the science about health is confusing and often contradictory. But if you would like some really good, scientifically proven, straight forward and simple advice on how to get and stay healthy, listen as I speak with Jacob Sager Weinstein. He is a writer whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, and on HBO, and the BBC . Jacob is author of the book, Be Healthier Now: 100 Simple Ways to Become Instantly Healthier (https://amzn.to/4cZedXV). No medical jargon – just great ideas to be healthy that are surprisingly easy to do.  
You have heard the saying, revenge is sweet. What is so sweet about it? Listen as I explain why just the thought of getting revenge on someone feels good, even if actually doing it may not be so wise. https://theconversation.com/revenge-isnt-always-sweet-but-it-can-be-beautiful-73653
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﻿TurboTax Experts make all your moves count — filing with 100% accuracy and getting your max refund, guaranteed! See guarantee details at https://TurboTax.com/Guarantees
﻿Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow
eBay Motors has 122 million parts for your #1 ride-or-die, to make sure it stays running smoothly. Keep your ride alive at https://eBayMotors.com
﻿We love the Think Fast, Talk Smart podcast! https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/business-podcasts/think-fast-talk-smart-podcast
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How Rituals Enrich Your Life & The Simple Science of Being Healthy

If your freezer has an ice maker then your freezer has a heater. This episode begins with an explanation of why your ice maker needs a heater in the first place, how it is costing you a lot of money and what you can do about it. https://lifehacker.com/save-some-energy-and-money-by-turning-off-your-ice-ma-5792410
We would probably all like to be more influential. That is, to have people listen to us and take our ideas more seriously. So how do you do that? Give a listen to my guest Zoe Chance. She is teacher and researcher who teaches the most popular course at the Yale School of Management called “Mastering Influence and Persuasion “and she is author of the book Influence is Your Superpower: The Science of Winning Hearts, Sparking Change, and Making Good Things Happen (https://amzn.to/3jhWIas). Listen if you want to have more clout and be influential. 
It is impossible to get too far in life with feeling grief at the death or a friend or loved one. Since it is inevitable, you might want to listen to this segment with my guest Mary Frances O’Connor. She is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Arizona, where she directs the Grief, Loss and Social Stress (GLASS) Lab, and she has some valuable insight into grief and what we can all learn from it. It’s a topic people don’t like to talk about much but this is really worth a listen. Mary is author of the book The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss (https://amzn.to/3NV3wc9). 
There is a HUGE difference between a good restaurant and a great one. I have an article from a long time ago (not sure where it was published) that offers up some great insight that determines what an excellent restaurant does that a lesser one does not. Listen as I share what this insightful article says. 
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﻿TurboTax Experts make all your moves count — filing with 100% accuracy and getting your max refund, guaranteed! See guarantee details at https://TurboTax.com/Guarantees
﻿Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow
eBay Motors has 122 million parts for your #1 ride-or-die, to make sure it stays running smoothly. Keep your ride alive at https://eBayMotors.com
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The Secrets to Being Influential & What We Learn From Grief - SYSK Choice

Apologizing is often difficult. Why though? It seems like doing the right thing and saying you’re sorry should make you feel great. Well, it may make you feel a little better but there is something else that feels MUCH better. Listen as I explain. https://www.npr.org/2013/04/01/175714511/why-not-apologizing-makes-you-feel-better
We have a lot of strange and unusual superstitions in this country. But did you know that every culture on earth has superstitions? By definition, superstitions are irrational beliefs. So why do we cling to them and cherish them? Here to discuss and explain is Heather Alexander, author of The Good Luck Book: A Celebration of Global Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore (https://amzn.to/3TUWIAe).
There are always new things to learn in science. Sometimes useful things like the only real way to cure a hangover or why we use maggots to help wounds heal or how a cup of tea changed the way science is done. Well, those are just a few things you will discover when you listen to my guest, Chris Balakrishnan. He is co founder of Nerd Nite. For over 20 years, Nerd Nite has delivered interesting, live presentations about science, history, the arts, pop culture, around the world. He is also author of the book How to Win Friends and Influence Fungi: Collected Quirks of Science, Tech, Engineering, and Math from Nerd Nite (https://amzn.to/3TXVrIK)
What should you do if you see an egg on the ground that has fallen from a nest? There are a lot of theories. But I will tell you what bird experts say you should do. https://www.torontowildlifecentre.com/wildlife-emergency-rescue-hotline/how-to-help-orphaned-baby-wild-animals/what-should-i-do-with-eggs
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﻿TurboTax Experts make all your moves count — filing with 100% accuracy and getting your max refund, guaranteed! See guarantee details at https://TurboTax.com/Guarantees
﻿Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow
eBay Motors has 122 million parts for your #1 ride-or-die, to make sure it stays running smoothly. Keep your ride alive at https://eBayMotors.com
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Why We Like Superstitions & Science You Never Knew

When you approach a table where you are going to sit with a group of people, which chair do you take? This episode begins with a strategy to choose the best seat at the table whether it’s round or square – 4 chairs or 6 or 8. https://lifehacker.com/always-choose-the-best-seat-at-any-multi-person-table-5990596
Despite your best efforts not to - you have certain biases that you cannot escape. And these biases affect how you think, the decisions you make and the actions you take. So, it might be good to understand what these biases are and how they affect you. Here to explain this is Alex Edmans, professor of finance at London Business School whose TED talk "What to Trust in a Post-Truth World" https://www.ted.com/talks/alex_edmans_what_to_trust_in_a_post_truth_world has been viewed two million times. Alex is author of the book, May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics, and Studies Exploit Our Biases―And What We Can Do About It (https://amzn.to/3vprIz3).
Most of us probably wish we had a little more mental toughness. When you think of elite athletes or Navy SEALs, these people are able to focus with laser-like precision, ignore distractions and act fearlessly. Who couldn’t use a little more of that?. Here to explain how it works is Eric Potterat. He is a clinical and performance psychologist and retired commander from the US Navy. During his tenure with the navy, he helped create the mental toughness curriculum used during Navy SEALs training. Eric is author of the book Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World’s Top Performers (https://amzn.to/3TV4Qka).
Toothpicks are handy and seemingly harmless little pieces of wood. But in truth, they are can also be trouble. In fact, they can be dangerous. When you listen you may just decide to use a fork instead. https://acedentaloftexas.com/why-are-toothpicks-a-danger-for-your-oral-health
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﻿TurboTax Experts make all your moves count — filing with 100% accuracy and getting your max refund, guaranteed! See guarantee details at https://TurboTax.com/Guarantees
﻿Dell Technologies and Intel are pushing what technology can do, so great ideas can happen! Find out how to bring your ideas to life at https://Dell.com/WelcomeToNow
eBay Motors has 122 million parts for your #1 ride-or-die, to make sure it stays running smoothly. Keep your ride alive at https://eBayMotors.com
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What Makes You Who You Are & Could You Be A Genius?

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