Something You Should Know

Latest Episodes:

SYSK Choice: The Universe’s Biggest Questions Answered & A Fascinating Study of Pain Mar 18, 2023

Show notes

No one likes to throw away milk because it went bad. What you may not know is that there is a little trick that can help your milk last longer and I begin this episode by telling you what it is. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-7673247/The-ways-groceries-fresh-longer.html

Have you ever asked those big questions like - Who are we? Why are we here? Are there aliens out there? Will the universe end one day? These are some of the very good questions I discuss with astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium in NYC, host of the podcast StarTalk (https://www.startalkradio.net/) and author of the book Cosmic Queries (https://amzn.to/3bp2dkr).

You may not realize it but your life is full of self-fulfilling prophecies. Listen as I explain how they work and how powerful they are in your life when it comes to your goals and dreams. Source: Dr. Frank Lawlis author of Retrain Your Brain (https://amzn.to/30jnju7)

No one likes pain but it actually serves a very useful purpose. Sociologist Margee Kerr studies pain and she joins me to reveal what pain is, why some people have more tolerance for pain than others and how you can subjectively change the way you perceive pain. Margee is author of the book Ouch!: Why Pain Hurts, and Why it Doesn’t Have To (https://amzn.to/30lfa8F).

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The Magic Words To Get What You Want & Why You Get Headaches Mar 16, 2023

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Groceries are expensive. So this episode begins with a very effective and uncomplicated strategy that can save you a ton of money at the supermarket with just a little effort. Source: https://www.grocery.com/the-grocery-game/

When you want to communicate, connect or influence people, certain words are more impactful than others. In fact, there is a whole new science of language regarding this. At the forefront of it all is Jonah Berger, marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of several fascinating books including his latest, Magic Words: What to Say to Get Your Way (https://amzn.to/3FctHIE). Listen and you will be amazed at how changing a few words when you speak or write can drastically change the effect of what you are saying.

We all get headaches from time to time. What causes them? What is it that actually hurts? What’s the difference between a regular headache and a sinus headache or a migraine? Are headaches trying to tell us something? Listen as all of this is explained by Amanda Ellison, a physiologist and neuroscientist at Durham University and author of the book Splitting: The Inside Story on Headaches (https://amzn.to/3FdrnRI).

You wouldn’t think that a you can tell much of anything about a person’s health based on their handshake – but it seems you can, at least some of the time. Listen as I explain how the two are related and why a firm handshake is important. https://www.prevention.com/health/a20431307/weak-handshake-linked-to-stroke-risk/

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What Marketers Can Tell From The Sound of Your Voice & What It Means to Be Healthy Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

If you are having a bad day, you might want to try washing a particular body part. It appears it helps even though it makes no sense. Listen and I will tell you what it is. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21707206/

Imagine if marketers could tell things about you just by the sound f your voice? Well, it is not only possible, it is being done right now! Your voice can reveal your age, height, socio-economic status, ethnicity – all sorts of things. And marketers use it to sell you things. But that is just the tip of the iceberg according to Joseph Turow Professor at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communication and author of the book The Voice Catchers: How Marketers Listen In to Exploit Your Feelings, Your Privacy, and Your Wallet (https://amzn.to/3YgUGJH) If you are concerned about your privacy, you should listen to what Joseph has to say.

Can you be sick and healthy at the same time? Actually, yes you can if you adapt to your illness. And humans have an amazing ability to adapt according to Tamen Jadad-Garcia coauthor of the book Healthy No Matter What: How Humans are Hardwired to Adapt (https://amzn.to/3L1POoR). Tamen joins me to explore what it really means to be healthy and how we can adapt to illness to improve the quality of life no matter what health issues you face.

Want to sleep better tonight? There is something you can do that is amazingly simple yet dramatically increase the quality of your sleep. Listen to hear what it is. http://www.besthealthmag.ca/best-you/sleep/6-ways-to-improve-your-sleep-hygiene?slide=2#0QEJXJSRL7wAxmyT.97

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SYSK Choice: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon & Healthier Relationship Fighting Mar 11, 2023

Show notes

It’s not too early to think about Mother’s Day. It’s not that far away. So, who started it? How did it all begin. Listen as I begin this episode with a brief explanation of the origins of Mother’s Day and how it got pretty nasty for a while. https://www.rd.com/list/history-of-mothers-day/

Who doesn’t enjoy a good laugh? And laughing also turns out to be really good for you. Laughing has been linked to a longer life and enjoy of host of other benefits. So incorporating more humor, laughter and lightness into your life is likely a really good idea says Naomi Bagdonas who is a lecturer at Stanford University School of Business, a media consultant and coach as well as author of the book Humor, Seriously: Why Humor Is a Secret Weapon in Business and Life (https://amzn.to/3f32WKD). Listen as Naomi explains how humor is a learned skill and how we can all bring more humor and joy into our lives and enjoy the benefits that come from it.

Have you ever met anyone who says when they fight with their spouse or partner, they are really good at it? Probably not. But you are about to. Listen as my guest Penn Holderness explains some great strategies that will empower you to fight better and get better outcomes when those inevitable disagreements come up in your relationship Penn, along with his wife are authors of the book Everybody Fights: So Why Not Get Better At It? (https://amzn.to/3cYf1Oz)

I am sure you have noticed that your stomach tends to growl and gurgle at exactly the wrong time. Listen as I discuss what causes your stomach to make noise and how to make it less likely to happen in church or those other quiet moments when everyone can hear it. https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/features/why-does-my-stomach-growl

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Crypto, Blockchain and NFTs Made Simple & The Story of The Oscars Mar 09, 2023

Show notes

At the start of a relationship, how important is that first kiss? This episode begins with some interesting statistics that show the significance and long-term potential of being a good kisser. Source: The Science of Kissing by Sheril Kirshenbaum (https://amzn.to/3J35RkN).

By now you have heard terms like cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, digital art, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). But how important is it for you to really know and understand them? Maybe you should be buying them. After all, these digital assets do seem to be here to stay and some people are predicting they will transform the global financial system. Here to make these things simple and understandable is Ric Edelman. Barron’s ranked him the nation’s #1 Independent Financial Advisor. He has written several books on personal finance and holds two patents for financial product innovation. Ric is host of the radio show and podcast “The Truth About Your Future” (https://www.thetayf.com/) and his latest book is called The Truth About Crypto: A Practical, Easy-to-Understand Guide to Bitcoin, Blockchain, NFTs, and Other Digital Assets (https://amzn.to/3SHW8nu).

Seems like there is always something to talk about when it comes to The Academy Awards. Controversies, rivalries, egos and ambition all come together on that one night and who knows what will happen. Joining me to talk about the fascinating and sometimes juicy history of the Oscars is Michael Shuman. He is a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the book Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears (https://amzn.to/3YrrH6h).

Do you have a middle name? Do you like it? Why do people have them in the first place? Listen as I explain what purpose they serve and how people feel about having or not having a middle name. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/13/fashion/theyre-dropping-like-middle-initials.html

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Science Myths A Lot of People Still Believe & The Strange Story of the Polygraph Mar 06, 2023

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Can trees fight crime? Apparently so - at least some types of crime. Although no one is exactly sure how. Listen and I’ll explain. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2019/04/trees-crime-cincinnati-philadelphia-ida-b-wells-chicago/

Is it true that a goldfish has a 3 second memory? Or that lightning never strikes the same place twice? Of course, you know water conducts electricity, right? Actually no. In fact none of those things are true. There are so many myths in science that people believe and we are going to debunk several of them with my guest science writer Brian Clegg. Brian has written over 40 science books, one of which is titled Lightning Often Strikes Twice: The 50 Biggest Misconceptions in Science (https://amzn.to/41sY3jK)

I’m sure you’ve seen a polygraph machine in movies or television shows. It is supposed to be able to tell if someone is lying. But does it really work? If it is so accurate, why are the results of polygraph tests not admissible in court? If it is so inaccurate, why is it still used? The story of the polygraph or lie detector is an interesting one. Joining me to explain it is Amit Katwala an award winning journalist, a senior writer at Wired and author of the book Tremors in the Blood: Murder, Obsession, and the Birth of the Lie Detector (https://amzn.to/3Zngu7C)

Are men better drivers than women? I guess it depends on how you define “better.” But in terms of accidents, moving violations and parking ability, there is a difference between men and women. Listen and I’ll reveal which one scores higher. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/27/well/live/car-accidents-deaths-men-women.html

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SYSK Choice: Why You Should Listen to Your Fears & How Dogs Can Detect Disease Mar 04, 2023

Show notes

Cat owners are well aware that cats like to hunt, kill and bring home birds and mice as a trophy. There is something cat owners can do to help reduce the number of times that happens. This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210211113943.htm

You must be afraid of something -right? In fact, we are all have fears and that’s a good thing. Fear helps keep us safe. So, what exactly is fear? Where does it come from? And what do you do if fear is keeping you from living a full and happy life? Join me as I discuss all of this with Helen Odessky, a licensed clinical psychologist, anxiety expert and author of the book Stop Fear from Stopping You: The Art and Science of Becoming Fear-Wise (https://amzn.to/3qBprt2). She will give a different perspective on the fears you face.

What if dogs could detect disease in people before a doctor or a medical test could? Actually, it is already happening. With the right training it is amazing what dogs can do to help doctors. Journalist Maria Godavage explores this fascinating field of medicine and she is author of the book called Doctor Dogs: How Are Best Friends are Becoming Our Best Medicine (https://amzn.to/3pLh9gT). She joins me to explain how dogs can smell cancer and detect seizures and other medical conditions before they occur. By the way, Maria has also written about military dogs and the dogs who work for the Secret Service guarding the president and she has a few really interesting stories to tell about that as well.

You live your life based on a lot of assumptions. We count on things being a certain way. However, when you question your assumptions you can come up with some amazing ideas. Listen as I reveal some great ideas that were simply the result of questioning assumptions and conventional wisdom. Source: Joel Saltzman author of Shake That Brain (https://amzn.to/3pH2TWh).

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How You Perceive the World Isn’t Quite Right & Why Productivity is Very Overrated Mar 02, 2023

Show notes

Being left-handed or right-handed actually impacts how you make decisions. So how can that be? This episode begins with the explanation. http://casasanto.com/papers/Casasanto&Chrysikou_2011.pdf

Many birds see colors you can’t see. Dogs smell things you can’t even imagine. Some animals can sense the magnetic fields of the earth - yet we couldn't possibly do that. These are a few of the fascinating ways that other creatures perceive the world differently than humans. And believe me, it gets even more interesting. Joining me to explain is Ed Yong, a Pulitzer prize winning science journalist, staff member at The Atlantic and author of the book An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden World Around Us (https://amzn.to/41vZ2Qa).

It seems we are obsessed with productivity. It’s all about getting more things done faster and more efficiently. And when you don’t get everything done you hoped to, you feel guilty – as if you failed. Well, hang on a second. Maybe what you really need to do is stop obsessing about being productive and enjoy living your life instead. By doing that, you may be even more productive! That is what I discuss with Madeline Dore. She is host of the podcast Routines and Ruts and author of the book I Didn’t Do That Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt (https://amzn.to/3ILawYE).

Have you ever brought your own snacks to the movie theater because the snacks they offer are so expensive? Well, let’s talk about that. Is it right to do that? After all, you are not supposed to but seriously - the prices are ridiculous. Listen as I explain what you may not have considered about this. Source: David Callahan author of The Cheating Culture (https://amzn.to/3lYq1Ue)

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Why You Are SO Not the Person You Used to Be & How to Face the Unknown Feb 27, 2023

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Go to any drug store and somewhere you will see the initials Rx. You probably assume it has to do with medicine or prescriptions or something. But why Rx? What do those letters stand for. This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/06/rx-mean-come/

You are not the person you used to be. And you are not the person you will one day become. That’s the message from Paul Bloom, psychology professor at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Yale. Listen as he reveals what is likely the happiest years of your life, why you are different from everyone else and other fascinating insight into how your mind works to make you who you are. Paul is author of the book Psych: The Story of the Human Mind (https://amzn.to/3k524d5).

The future is uncertain. And we tend not to like uncertainty. Yes, the future may be full of opportunity but it can also be full of danger and disappointment. So, let’s take a fresh look at uncertainty with Nathan Furr. Nathan is a professor and author of several books on innovation with his latest book titled The Upside of Uncertainty (https://amzn.to/3SbJBZ6). Listen as he explains how to face the unknown in a different way that minimizes the risk and amplifies opportunity.

Did you know there are very specific differences between a road a street an avenue and a boulevard? For example, all streets are roads but not all roads are streets. Listen and I’ll explain what the differences are https://www.rd.com/article/difference-between-streets-roads-avenues/

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SYSK Choice: The Secrets to Speaking With Confidence & Valuable Food Safety Tips Feb 25, 2023

Show notes

Think of all the batteries you use in your home for all your remotes and clocks and flashlights. We all go through a lot of batteries and as you are aware, they aren’t cheap. This episode begins with some interesting facts and myths about batteries you likely never knew. http://www.greenbatteries.com/

It does seem that most people don’t like their own voice and wish it sounded better. The good news is, you really can make it better. Your voice is really an instrument and like a musical instrument you must learn how to use it the right way. Here to tell you how is voice coach Caroline Goyder. She has worked with A-list actors, teachers and broadcasters to improve their voices and she has some very easy strategies that will have you loving the sound of your own voice. Caroline is the author of the book Find Your Voice: The Secret to Talking with Confidence in Any Situation (https://amzn.to/3vi3sKr) and she has a Ted Talk (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2MR5XbJtXU) that has been viewed over 9 million times.

Are you concerned with the safety of the food in your kitchen? Do you follow expiration dates or trust your judgement? Have you ever gotten sick from eating food that went bad? A lot of people have which is why Robert Brackett is here. He is professor of food science at the Illinois Institute of Technology and Director of the Institute of Food Safety and Health. Robert offers some practical suggestions to keep your food safe and explains why it is actually a good thing when food spoils and smells bad.

While it is easy enough to find advice on the secret to success, let me share some very simple wisdom from former advertising executive James Dale. Listen and I am pretty sure you will find what he says rings true for you. Source: James Dale author of The Obvious (https://amzn.to/3t6AsmP).

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