Something You Should Know

Latest Episodes:

How to Stop Eating Plastic (and You Eat a Lot) & Understanding Your Cognitive Bias May 11, 2020

Show notes

Every year a lot of pedestrians crossing the street get hit by cars. So if you are out walking around, there is one technique that will drastically reduce your risk of getting hit. This episode begins with that explanation of that technique that will help you stay safe. http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-key-to-crossing-the-street-safely-eye-contact-1427734205

Plastic is a relatively new invention. The vast majority of plastic in the world has been made only since the 1950s. Researchers are concerned about all this plastic because of its potential effects on the planet as well as on humans and other creatures. In fact, it seems we are unknowingly eating plastic – a lot of it. The cover story for the June 2020 issue of Consumer Reports magazine is titled How to Eat Less Plastic (https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2020/06/index.htm) which looks at the problem of plastic in our world. The article’s author is science journalist Kevin Loria and he joins me to explain what he found and tells us all how to eat less plastic!

Have you heard of cognitive biases? All humans have them. It is when we judge people based on how they look or how they speak – positive or negative. For example, people who speak with foreign accents are often not considered as trustworthy as people who do not have an accent. Good looking people are often perceived to be smarter – just because they are attractive. Gleb Tsipursky is a cognitive neuroscientist and behavioral economist and he is author of the book The Blindspots Between Us: How to Overcome Unconscious Cognitive Bias and Build Better Relationships. (https://amzn.to/2SH5m5r). Listen as he explains the problem with cognitive bias and what we can all do to be more aware of how we are judging people and how to stop.

A lot of people buy ginger ale on the airplane than you might think. Often people who never drink it at home. Why? I will explain the reason and tell you if it is something you should try the next time you fly. http://www.rd.com/advice/travel/crave-ginger-ale-on-planes/

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SYSK Choice: How to Heal Emotional Injury & How Trust Works May 09, 2020

Show notes

If you use a wire brush to clean your outdoor grill – you should stop because someone could get hurt. I’ll start this episode by explaining why. http://www.aol.com/article/2016/05/31/study-highlights-serious-dangers-of-using-wire-bristle-grill-bru/21386551/

We don’t hesitate to treat physical wounds – but emotional wounds are things we tend to shrug off and assume time will heal – except sometimes it doesn’t. Psychologist Guy Winch author of the book Emotional First-Aid (http://amzn.to/2qH30nb) explores these wounds caused by failure, guilt and rejection and how to treat them.

Your personal and professional success depends a lot on how well people can trust you. Consultant and speaker David Horsager, author of the book The Trust Edge (http://amzn.to/2rLg1QH) explains how important trust is and how to be more trustworthy.

Look around and you will see a lot of fashion mistakes committed by men. We’ll discuss the big ones – according to Esquire magazine. http://www.esquire.co.uk/style/fashion/news/a5024/worst-style-mistakes/

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How to Deal with Defensive People & Understanding the Mother-Son Relationship May 07, 2020

Show notes

Why are names so hard to remember? This episode begins with an explanation and an experiment that explains why so many of us forget people’s names and what we can do to remember names better. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/03/the-moses-illusion-explains-why-you-cant-remember-names.html

Do you ever get defensive? Actually we all do. We also have to deal with others who get defensive with us. What is going on here? Why do people get defensive? It turns out to be all about fear according to Jim Tamm. For 20 years, Jim worked as a judge helping defensive people resolve their disputes. Today he is a consultant with his own firm called Radical Collaborations (https://www.radicalcollaboration.com) and he is author of the book Radical Collaborations: Five Essential Skills to Overcome Defensiveness and Build Successful Relationships (https://amzn.to/2VVYJhN) . As an expert on defensiveness, Jim explains where it comes from and how to deal with it both within ourselves and others.

The relationship between a mother and son is interesting to say the least – yet it isn’t talked about a lot. Pediatrician Dr. Meg Meeker believes that there is so much going on in every mother-son relationship and it is time to bring it out into the open. Dr Meeker is the author of the book Strong Mothers, Strong Sons (https://amzn.to/2y9ZV8h) and she joins me to help explain the mother-son relationship and offers advice on how to make it better.

Do you ever suffer from “ring anxiety?” It is the belief or the sensation that your cell phone is ringing when it isn’t. It happens to a lot of people. Why? Listen as I explain. http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/technology/ringxiety-linked-insecurity-study

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Interesting Secrets of Great Entrepreneurs & How to Speak in Public Like a Pro May 04, 2020

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Birds are building nests and laying eggs all over the place this time of year. And you have probably heard that if a baby bird falls out of the nest you shouldn’t put it back because the mother will abandon the baby. Is that true? Listen to hear the surprising answer. http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2287/if-you-handle-baby-birds-will-their-parents-shun-them

Almost everyone dreams of being a successful entrepreneur. So, what separates the good entrepreneurs from the truly great ones? That is what Christopher Lochhead set out to discover. Christopher is a CEO marketing coach, speaker and author of the book Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets (https://amzn.to/3bQYzxJ). Listen as he explains how really successful business owners position their ideas and products to dominate the competition.

Speaking in front of people is scary for almost everyone. Yet it is also absolutely necessary for pretty much all of us whether at school or in a meeting or giving a formal speech. Since we will all be called on to speak, why not arm yourself with some skills that will make you less nervous and perform better? Here with some help to do that is Matt Abrahams . He is a lecturer at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business – he is the host of the podcast Think Fast, Talk Smart (https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/think-fast-talk-smart-podcast) and author of the book Speaking Up Without Freaking Out (https://amzn.to/3eZyKO1). His company, Bold Echo can be found at www.boldecho.com

How many times have you heard that staring at a computer screen for too long is bad for your eyes? So, what does that mean - “bad for our our eyes”? Listen as I explain what research has shown about computer use and your eyesight. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/are-computer-screens-really-ruiningour-eyes_us_58b08e8de4b0a8a9b782192a

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SYSK Choice: How to Learn Anything Better and Faster & Are People Inherently Good or Evil? May 02, 2020

Show notes

Have you ever heard of misophonia? It’s a real thing. If you have it, that means that certain sounds – like someone chewing their food with their mouth open or slurping their soup – drive you crazy. But people who have misaphonia also have something else going for them that is actually pretty good. I’ll explain what that is. http://www.newsy.com/videos/hate-chewing-sounds-call-yourself-creative-then-just-deal/

Have you ever wanted to learn something new like a foreign language or a musical instrument? Maybe you didn’t bother because it would just take too long to get proficient at it. Well, maybe according to Josh Kaufman, author of the book The First 20 Hours (http://amzn.to/2ix9SUN). According to Josh, what you do in those early hours of learning can really accelerate you learning curve.

If you ever stay at hotels you need to be aware of a scam that is amazingly easy to fall for if you don’t know what it is. So, I’ll fill you in. http://www.thedailyberries.com/beware-new-hotel-scam-checking-hotel/

Are people inherently good – or not? That is a question that has been debated by philosophers for centuries. And it is something explored in the book, The Fear Factor (http://amzn.to/2gEDvzm). Researcher Abigail March is the author and she is also an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at Georgetown University. She explores what makes some of us altruistic and others callous and uncaring. It’s a fascinating discussion with a silver lining.

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The Benefits of Doing Nothing (or At Least Less) & When Math Goes Terribly Wrong Apr 30, 2020

Show notes

Have you ever had a headache that seemingly came on for no apparent reason? This episode begins with an interesting and unusual list of reasons why headaches happen and you likely haven’t heard of many of them before. https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/common-headaches-17/mild-moderate/slideshow-headache-triggers

Are humans meant to work long hours? Could it be that working less could actually make us more productive and happier? That’s the case made journalist Celeste Headlee author of the book, Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving (https://amzn.to/3cKMOJ8). Celeste reveals the benefits of working less including more profit for business and better health for workers and offers examples of famous, productive people who worked a pretty short day.

Ever wonder why people look back so fondly on the past, yet we often fear and worry about the future? There is something called “hindsight bias” and I’ll explain what it is and why we often long for the good old days. (Source: Dan Gardner, author of the book Risk (https://amzn.to/2S6MpIW)

90% of all spread sheets in the world likely contain at least 1 error. And that is just one of the many ways math screws things up in our world according to Matt Parker. Matt is a math teacher, YouTuber and author of the book Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World (https://amzn.to/2S8kdFF). Matt joins me to explain some fascinating truths about math, why it is so important in our lives today and how it often goes wrong. You can find him here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDn3y3MGcBc

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What Happens When You Stop Complaining & How to Make Worry Work For You Apr 27, 2020

Show notes

You probably never think about it until you get a rental car – but why do some cars have the gas tank door on the left side and others have it on the right? This episode begins with the unusual and very practical reason why. http://www.rd.com/advice/travel/car-gas-tanks/

Everyone complains. Some people complain A LOT more than others. Yet, when you stop and think about it, complaining does little good and it tends to turn other people off. Will Bowen has spent a long time exploring the world of complainers. He speaks on the subject; he distributes bracelets that remind people not to complain (over 11 million so far) and he is author of the book A Complaint Free World (https://amzn.to/3bxdtZR). He joins me to explain why people complain and explains the spectacular benefits to not complaining – and a great strategy to stop it.

To order a bracelet go to: www.AComplaintFreeWorld.org

Every cook has wondered if adding a bay leaf to a recipe really makes a difference. Well, it’s been tested. Listen to hear the results. http://skillet.lifehacker.com/do-bay-leaves-even-do-anything-1793275685

There is no shortage of worry and there is no shortage of things to worry about today. However, if you are not careful, you can worry so much that worry becomes the problem. Joining me to help get a handle on worry and actually make it work for you during these troubling times is Kathryn Tristan. assistant professor of medicine at Washington University School of Medicine and author of the book Why Worry (https://amzn.to/2RZhBdg)

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SYSK Choice: A Little Known Secret for Success & Why Perfection is So Overrated Apr 25, 2020

Show notes

Do you swear? Sometimes – at least for some of us – it is hard NOT to. And it just may be appropriate when you are in pain. Some fascinating research offers some real benefits of profanity – when used sparingly. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4826634/Swearing-raise-tolerance-pain-study-reveals.html

There is an interesting phenomenon in sports – and that is, how some teams dominate a sport for several years. They become a dynasty. So what is it that causes that? Is it superstar players or excellent coaching? No. Those things are important but not the differentiating factor according to Sam Walker. Sam has been an editor and sports columnist at the Wall Street Journal for 20 years and author of the book, The Captain’s Class: The Hidden force That Creates the World’s Greatest Teams (http://amzn.to/2wBoB6H). Sam discovered one special element of winning teams that you will never guess. And it turns out it is applicable to teams in business and organizations as well as sports.

Does it matter whether you read a book on a Kindle or some other e-reader? Does reading a real book with paper pages improve your understanding and comprehension? The answer may surprise you. http://mic.com/articles/99408/science-has-great-news-for-people-who-read-actual-books

Is it really a good idea to have – or strive to have – the perfect home? While it might be nice to follow Martha Stewart’s example, perhaps it is impossible for most people. Weighing in on this is Lisa Quinn is a former self-described Martha Stewart impersonator who has her own TV show on The Live Well Network called "Home with Lisa Quinn". She is also author of the book called Life is Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets (http://amzn.to/2w9SaLq). She offers some relief and practical suggestions for those who would like the perfect home but find that is daunting if not impossible to maintain it.

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The Science of Friendship & What You Need to Know About Computer Coding Apr 23, 2020

Show notes

You probably aren’t spending as much time outside as you used to and that can be a big problem. This episode begins with the important reasons why you should be spending more time outside – even if you have to wear a mask or be all by yourself. http://www.rd.com/health/wellness/benefits-of-nature/

Having friends is vital. You may be realizing that now more than ever since you aren’t able to be with friends like before. Friendship seems to be a human need according to Lydia Denworth, a science journalist, contributing editor at Scientific American and author of the book Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life's Fundamental Bond (https://amzn.to/3bhQFNl). Lydia joins me to explain the fascinating science of friendship and how people become friends.

If you are having trouble sleeping, there is one simple thing you can do to improve your sleep and more importantly, improve your DEEP sleep. Listen and discover what that is. http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/sleep/6-ways-to-improve-your-sleephygiene?slide=2#0QEJXJSRL7wAxmyT.97

Coding is hot. Kids are being encouraged to learn coding – it is job and career that appears to be growing rapidly. So what is it really? What do coders do? What does code look like? And why is it important to understand? For the answers to those questions we turn to Clive Thompson. Clive is a tech writer and author of the book Coders: The Making of a New Tribe and the Remaking of the World (https://amzn.to/3boOckA). He joins me to explain what coding is all about.

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-Better Help. Get 10% off your first month by going to www.BetterHelp.com/sysk and use the promo code: sysk

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The Power of Validating a Person’s Feelings & How to Develop Mental Toughness Apr 20, 2020

Show notes

Since you only have one chance to make a good first impression, this episode begins with some scientifically tested techniques that will instantly make you look better and smarter to the people you meet. http://www.menshealth.com/best-life/12-ways-to-look-smarter

We all know it is important to be a good listener – but beyond listening is “validation.” When you can validate the person you are talking to, amazing things happen according to Michael Sorenson who is a podcaster, coach and author of the book I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships (https://amzn.to/2Kao7JL). He joins me to explain how to validate someone and why it is so powerful. Also, here is the link to his podcast: https://michaelssorensen.com/i-hear-you-podcast/

We hear a lot about the importance of washing your hands to wash away germs and bacteria but washing your hands may also help you wash away bad luck and bad experiences. Listen as I explain this unusual phenomenon. http://newsroom.ucr.edu/2686

Mental toughness is not something reserved for elite athletes or elite soldiers. You, I and anyone else can develop mental toughness according Jason Selk, former director of mental training for the 2011 World Series Champions, the St. Louis Cardinals and author of the book Organize Tomorrow Today (https://amzn.to/3eo5m3B). Jason explains a simple strategy that can help you perform at your very best no matter what.

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