Something You Should Know

What makes a good dancer? Some of it is subjective but there is one particular body part that seems to make all the difference. This episode begins with an explanation of the magic of good dancing. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep42435 How do you get to be the best at something? You might think those elite performers are just naturally gifted in some way. However, science says no. Anders Ericsson has been studying what it takes to get to the top of your game for several years and he joins me to discuss the surprising results. Anders is the author of the book Peak: Secrets of the New Science of Expertise. (https://amzn.to/3athIoj) People disagree over whether vitamin C can do anything for a cold – but there is no disagreement over the benefits vitamin C offers when you are under stress. Listen as I explain what it does and how much you need to take to get the benefits. https://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200304/vitamin-c-stress-buster You’ve heard your whole life - “If you need help, all you have to do is ask!” Well that turns out to be more true than you probably ever imagined. Wayne Baker has spent a long time researching this. He is a professor of Business Administration & Faculty Director of the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. He is also author of the book All You Have to Do is Ask (https://amzn.to/2VMts12) and he joins me to explain the amazing power of asking for what you need.  This Week's Sponsors -Indochino To get an extra $30 off any purchase of $399 or more go to www.Indochino.com and enter the code SYSK at checkout.  

A lot of items you buy at the grocery store are actually a lot cheaper at the drug store. This episode begins with a look at where the bargains are in your neighborhood pharmacy. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/germs-in-new-clothes Wouldn’t it be nice to get some clear and unbiased advice on nutrition? You are about to. David Katz, M.D. is founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center who studies the latest science about nutrition. Recently he teamed up with food writer Mark Bittman to write a new book called How To Eat: All Your Food and Diet Questions Answered (https://amzn.to/2I5Vsor). Dr. Katz joins me to discuss what the latest science says what you eat. Do you use emojis when you write? While some people think they are a little silly they can serve a very important function when you write texts and emails. Listen as I explain and you might find yourself popping an emoji into your next email. Source: Daniel Goleman, author of Social Intelligence (https://amzn.to/2TrrDE4) Ever been in a rut? Most people have and it’s interesting because as boring as it is to be stuck in a rut, it can also be very hard to motivate yourself to get out of it. Michael Platt joins me to talk about why we get into ruts and how to get out of one more easily. Michael is a professor of marketing and neuroscience at Wharton School of Business and his website is http://plattlabs.rocks/ This Week's Sponsors -Upstart. To discover how LOW your interest rate is, go to www.Upstart.com/something

When was the last time you cleaned your credit or debit cards? Or the remote for the TV? There are a lot of things around the house you never think to clean – but you will after you hear this. https://www.fitandfabliving.com/general-health/6435-seven-surprisingly-dirty-surfaces/ How spiritual are you? Psychiatrist Dr. Anna Yusim, author of the book Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Live a Happier, More Meaningful Life (http://amzn.to/2tglpsf), discusses what it means to be spiritual and what recent scientific research says about the benefits of spirituality both for your health and happiness. Don’t you hate it when you grab a pen to write something and no ink comes out? I’ll tell you what the experts say to get the ink flowing again quickly. https://www.wikihow.com/Restart-a-Dry-Ball-Point-Pen There’s a problem with your survival instinct. Dr. Marc Schoen, Assistant Clinical Professor at UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine and author of the book, Your Survival Instinct is Killing You (http://amzn.to/2uK7sHw) explains how our survival instinct was meant to keep us safe from imminent danger – like a lion who wants to eat you. But today, we don’t need it for that. Consequently, that instinct can cause problems if we don’t learn to regulate it. It can cause us to act inappropriately and can take a toll on our health. So he explains how to manage that instinct and turn down the intensity.

Yawning is contagious. We have all experienced that. What’s interesting though is when you notice how soon someone yawns after you do. This episode begins with an explanation of why some people might yawn right away while others might not yawn for a few minutes after your yawn – and what that means. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4137654/ The world is full of irrational people and they can drive you crazy. Since we all have to deal with these people it would be helpful to get some effective strategies. Here with some really good one is Dr. Mark Goulston. Mark is a psychiatrist and author of several books including Talking to Crazy: How to Deal with the Irrational & Impossible People in Your Life (https://amzn.to/2HYz2oL).  Mark is also the host of the podcast My Wake Up Call and his website is www.markgoulston.com. You can access the podcast from his website. The next time you are in a bad mood, you might want to head to the kitchen. Not to eat but to do something else that has been shown to really lift people up when they are feeling down. Listen as I explain what it is and why it works. https://bit.ly/2VuERSW You have probably heard and most likely experienced that colors can affect your mood as well as your behavior. Why? Is it conditioning or is it biological and how does it work exactly? Joining me to explain is Brit Garner a PhD student who has a YouTube channel all about science called Nature League https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjkUQ-_fGADyBYrIWviibmg. I think you’ll find what she has to say about color quite fascinating. 

When you have a big decision to make, all kinds of things can influence that decision. But one thing I bet you never thought of was the lighting in the room. Yet, it turns out that lighting can have a significant impact on a decision you make. I’ll explain how and what is optimal lighting to make important decisions. http://media.utoronto.ca/media-releases/education/new-research-shows-the-way-a-room-is-lit-can-affect-the-way-you-make-decisions/ I’m very excited to have Brian Greene as my guest on this episode. Brian is a theoretical physicist, string theorist (and occasional guest star on “The Big Bang Theory”). He is also author of several books including, The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos (http://amzn.to/2tMA9lz) which will really get you thinking about reality and the universe we live in. In fact, as Brian explains, there may be several parallel universes and alternate realities. I know, it sounds space-y but Brian explains it so well, I think you’ll be fascinated. Why do people blush? Ever since grammar school, I’ve been a blusher when I have been embarrassed or made a mistake. But what does science say about WHY people blush? What good does it do? https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/06/why-do-people-blush/489572/ What is the difference between a tough boss and a bully? Workplace bullying is a real problem and it usually (but not always) comes from the boss. Tracey Jones, author of, A Message to Millennials (http://amzn.to/2sFJbNa) reveals the seriousness of the problem and what individuals can and must do to stop the bullying.

Everyone knows that as you age, your mental function declines. But when does that begin? Age 40? 50? I’ll tell you what the science says. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/memory-decline Then, we look at the history of your home. Every room in your home has a story to tell. The bedroom is particularly fascinating and wait until you hear about your bathroom! Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that looks after the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace State Apartments and other royal palaces in London, is author of the book, If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home (http://amzn.to/2rRAbov) takes you on a fascinating tour of your own home – that you never knew. Also, if you love tomato juice – good for you! If you hate it, give it another try. If you still hate it, try it again on airplane. Listen and I'll explain why. https://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/why-tomato-juice-tastes-better-on-airplane And if you hate confrontation – you will LOVE this. Barbara Pachter, author of the book The Power of Positive Confrontation (https://amzn.to/2SOymsE) explains how confrontation works, why it gets out of control and how to use confrontation to get what you want every time – if you do it properly.

Why should you take a photo of your passport and keep it on your phone? That’s just one of several important travel tips I discuss that you probably haven’t heard before. https://www.dreamandcotravel.com/20-travel-hacks-to-save-you-time-space-money/ You constantly receive criticism and feedback from people – some of it is welcome some not. Some of it is warranted and some of it not. So how can you learn to evaluate the feedback coming at you so you can determine what is true and what is false – and not get defensive? And then how do you use that feedback to your advantage? Sheila Heen author of the book, Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (http://amzn.to/2pelwW0) has studied this and you will find what she has to say extremely helpful. Why do so many marriages and relationships go bad? Dr Harville Hendrix has been studying relationships and has worked with couples for over 30 years. He has authored several books on the topic including Making Marriage Simple (http://amzn.to/2pYzh9k) . He shares some incredible insight into how any relationship can be made better – instantly if at least one person is willing to make some simple changes. And who doesn’t love bacon? Just the smell of bacon cooking is enough to make you crave it. So what is it about bacon that makes it so desirable? I’ll explain the science of bacon in this episode. https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=133&v=27EBed9rzs8 This Week's Sponsors -AirMedCare Network.Go to www.AirMedCareNetwork.com/something and get up to a $50 gift card when you use the promo code: something -Theragun. Try it risk free for 30 days and get a free charging stand (a $79 value) when you go to www.Theragun.com/something

We all make mistakes. However, wouldn’t it be nice if you could make fewer of them? This episode begins by revealing two simple strategies that have been proven to help people make fewer mistakes when they attempt to accomplish a task. (Source: Joseph Hallinan author of Why We Make Mistakes https://amzn.to/39OVFrM) When you have a problem, you need to find a solution. Maybe though, the better course of action should be to change or reframe the problem. That’s the advice of Thomas Wedell Wedellsborg, who is author of the book What’s Your Problem? To Solve Your Toughest Problems, Change the Problems You Solve (https://amzn.to/3bUChLN) . Listen as he explains the fascinating process of changing the problem to find a better solution.   When you have a cold or the flu, doctors recommend bed rest. Why? What’s so special about bed rest? Listen as we discuss what bed rest does to help you get better – and the benefits are real. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fighting-the-flu-when-you-need-to-stay-home-and-in-bed-1423504355 While you like to think that you look at the world through objective eyes, it just isn’t true. Humans have very distinct biases that color your view of things, events and people. While these biases are often helpful, they can also get in the way. Listen as I discuss this with Dr. Daniel Krawczyk, a professor of behavioral and brain science at the University of Texas in Dallas. He is also the co-host of the Mental Models podcast (https://www.mentalmodelspodcast.com/) and co-author of the book Understanding Behavioral Bias (https://amzn.to/2vOw3MY). You’ll get some great insight into to how biases influence your thoughts and decision making.  This Week's Sponsors -AirMedCare Network. Go to www.AirMedCareNetwork.com/something and get up to a $50 gift card when you use the promo code: something -Better Help. Get 10% off your first month by going to www.BetterHelp.com/sysk and use the promo code: sysk

Do you lose most of your body heat through your head? What’s the best way to stop the hiccups? We begin this episode with a look at these and other interesting medical myths and facts. https://www.realsimple.com/health/first-aid-health-basics/old-wives-tales-retold What exactly is the Internet – and where is it located? We think of the Internet as being virtual but there is a physical Internet – there has to be. Those network connections all have to connect somewhere. Journalist Andrew Blum author of the book, Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet (http://amzn.to/2tAUJ8u), takes us all on a journey of the physical Internet – where it is, how it works and what it smells like. Do you know what to do when lightning strikes? Much of what we hear isn’t true. I’ll tell you what the experts say about staying safe in a lightning storm. https://www.yahoo.com/health/lightning-strikes-myth-vs-fact-93152046102.html When I say “self-discipline” you probably think of it as sacrifice and painful and not much fun. However, when it comes to achieving success in anything, a little self-discipline can be a very powerful tool. Rory Vaden, author of the N.Y. Times bestseller, Take The Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving Success (http://amzn.to/2tfQsVP) explains how self-discipline really works, how powerful it is and why there are a lot of myths and misconceptions about it. This Week's Sponsors -Automation Finance. Go to www.automationfinance.com/sysk to review the investment memorandum and sign up for an account.

What happens if you try to make a photocopy of a $20 bill? This episode begins by revealing why it is so hard to do and why a picture of money won’t open in PhotoShop either. http://www.businessinsider.com/money-counterfit-eurion-constellation-copy-scan-photoshop-2017-1 Financial guru Suze Orman has been preaching the importance of financial responsibility for a long time. Listen as she offers some effective strategies to help you keep more of your money and help it grow while still enjoying life to the fullest. For information about the document package she talks about go to: https://www.suzeorman.com/products/must-have-documents Temptation often wins over willpower. But the next time you need a little burst of willpower to overcome that urge you will later regret, there is a strategy that really seems to work. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/psyched/201104/clenching-your-fists-increases-willpower All the talk about artificial intelligence and robot technology can sound scary. What will be left for humans to do? Futurist Steve Brown, author of The Innovation Ultimatum: Six Strategic Technologies That Will Reshape Every Business in the 2020s (https://amzn.to/2ORNJOt) joins me with some good news about all of this. He also offers a glimpse into some amazing technology that will be able to detect cancer just by listening to your voice. 

What is the best way to sign-off an email? Well, it depends on what you want the outcome to be but if you re hoping for a reply, there is one sign-off that is more likely to get someone to respond. This episode begins with me revealing those magic words. http://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-end-an-email-2017-2 Why is your brain in your head? Why do your eyes face forward but a fish’s eyes are on the side of it’s head? These are just a few of the interesting questions about your body that I discuss with Mark Changizi. Mark is a cognitive scientist, he has a YouTube series about science (https://www.youtube.com/user/mchangizi) and he has authored some science books – one being The Vision Revolution: How the Latest Research Overturns Everything We Thought We Knew About Human Vision (https://amzn.to/2SwLNMs) Wrinkles are inevitable. However, there are things we can all do to minimize how many you get and how prominent they are. Listen as I discuss some expert advice from Good Housekeeping magazine and I’ll also reveal the best way to tell how many wrinkles you will likely get. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/things-you-didnt-know-about-wrinkles When you make buying decisions, a lot of factors go into it – some you aren’t even aware of. And then there are customer reviews. Are they a could way to determine if you should buy or not buy a product? That’s what I discuss with Bart de Langhe, a behavioral scientist and a marketing professor at ESADE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and an expert on buying behavior. He has a TED talk on the subject you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=d8TxoQWFW7E&feature=emb_logo This Week's Sponsors -Blinkist. Go to www.Blinkist.com/sysk to start your free 7 day trial and get 25% off your subscription

Some people love rollercoasters and scary movies – but why? What is the appeal of being scared half to death? Today, you’ll find out why. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938/?single_page=true We’ve all been in the situation where we HAVE to perform well and because of that we lose our confidence, get nervous and catastrophize all the horrible things that could happen if we fail. Why on earth do we do that when it does nothing but makes us perform even worse? The trick is to “psych yourself up.” Daniel McGinn, senior editor at Harvard Business Review and author of the book, Psyched Up: How the Science of Mental Preparation Can Help You Succeed (http://amzn.to/2sv4p4Q) offers some suggestions, based on research, that can help you perform better when there is a lot on the line.  How many times did you hear a teacher say to never to end a sentence with a preposition? Is it really such a sin? A grammar expert explains the truth about where that rule came from and whether or not it is important to follow it. http://mentalfloss.com/article/68490/4-fake-grammar-rules-you-dont-need-worry-about  Why does it seem that when families get together, it always leads to trouble? Family therapist Eric Maisel, author of the book Overcoming Your Difficult Family (http://amzn.to/2rjwPui) explains why when families gather they have trouble getting along and what you can do to rise above it all and save your sanity.

Is all gasoline the same? Actually, there is a difference. This episode begins with an explanation of the difference between regular gas and “Top Tier” gas and why you might want to check out the website https://toptiergas.com/ In life, there are finite games and infinite games. Your career or marriage are examples of infinite games. There is no ultimate winner in those games. It turns out a lot of life is an infinite game even though we sometimes don’t treat it that way. Simon Sinek author of the book The Infinite Game (https://amzn.to/31I4y3G) joins me to explain how we are all players in both finite and infinite games – and how you play those games determines your success in life and career. You touch a lot of things during the day and the cash in your wallet is one of the grossest. Listen as I explain just how gross it is and what disgusting organisms are clinging to your money. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dirty-money/ The role parents play in their children’s lives has changed. Parents are far more involved than they used to be. That’s not a good thing according to psychologist Madeline Levine, author of the book Ready or Not: Preparing our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World (https://amzn.to/38aTdLE). Madeline joins me with a look at the problems created by this new modern parenting and offers some ways to make it better. This Week's Sponsors -Blinkist. Go towww.Blinkist.com/sysk to start your free 7 day trial and get 25% off your subscription

They tell you on airplane that in the event of an emergency an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling and when you breathe into it the mask may not inflate. Why don’t they know if it will inflate or not? This episode begins with the answer to that and other things about the plane’s oxygen system you should know. http://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/oxygen-masks-on-planes People spend money for a lot of different reasons. Sometimes those reasons are irrational. Other times we are not really aware of how much money we are actually spending on things. Michael Norton is a professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School and author of the book Happy Money: The Science of Smarter Spending (https://amzn.to/3baWJaX). He joins me to discuss why we spend money on some things and why we regret NOT spending money on other things. He also offers some great advice on how to get a good handle on your spending so that you spend money on things that are important without wasting money on things that are not.  What makes for a good and safe password? Most people think random characters are best. Listen and discover why there is something else that is really important and it has nothing to do with randomness. http://www.businessinsider.com/common-password-format-worst-protection-2017-1 Indulging in pleasurable activities can make you feel guilty. But it shouldn’t. Treating yourself to pleasure is one of the best things you can do for yourself. That’s according to Dr. Nan Wise, a psychotherapist and author of the book Why Good Sex Matters (https://amzn.to/390avvc). Listen as she explains why some hedonism (not just sex – any pleasure) is somethings humans need.

The number of parents of who spank their kids as a means of discipline has dropped significantly over the past several decades – but some parents still do it. And in other countries, spanking is much more commonplace. But for those parents who still spank, there is a new reason to stop – and it has nothing to do with the kid – and all to do with the parent’s well being. Source: “30 Lessons for Living” by Karl Pillimer (https://amzn.to/36Pv8bV) Just how does modern technology affect you? It’s a fascinating discussion you’ll hear when I speak with Clive Thompson, a longtime contributor to the New York Times magazine, a columnist for Wired and author of a book called, Smarter Than You Think : How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better (http://amzn.to/2s5W9Ir). Clive makes the case that despite some negative effects of technology – it is mostly a positive influence on us. But it’s complicated. Plus, in this episode, I have some fascinating ways to save money you probably haven’t heard before. Here’s one: Even non-members can use the pharmacy at Sam’s Club and Costco and save a lot of money. And there are several more…https://www.rather-be-shopping.com/blog/2015/06/29/things-you-can-do-at-costco-without-a-membership/ And what you don’t know about your health can really hurt you. Dr. Richard Besser, former chief health and medical editor for ABC News and author of the book, Tell Me the Truth Doctor (http://amzn.to/2s5uuqW) explodes some myths and offers some important health facts you need to know to stay healthy and live a long time.