What could be cuter than a young child and a dog together? Yet, it could be a very dangerous situation. This episode begins with a warning about leaving young children alone with a dog even if the child and dog are familiar with each other. https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/kids-and-dogs-how-kids-should-and-should-not-interact-with-dogs/ Do you ever wish you had more willpower? It does seem that some people have a lot more of it than others. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal says you probably have m...
Sep 11, 2021•49 min•Ep. 628
Putting nitrogen in your car’s tires (instead of just plain air) is kind of a trendy thing. If you ever see those green caps on the tire’s valve stems - that is supposed to indicate a tire with nitrogen in it. Since it costs money (up to $10 or more per tire) to fill it with nitrogen, this episode begins with a discussion on what the supposed benefits are and whether it is worth it. https://www.consumerreports.org/tire-buying-maintenance/should-you-use-nitrogen-in-car-tires-a6260003694/ The scie...
Sep 09, 2021•53 min•Ep. 627
Want to be really happy? If so, it makes sense to ask happy people what makes them happy. So we begin this episode by revealing what happy people say are the things that makes them so happy so you can be happy too! Source: John Izzo, author of The 5 Secrets You Must Know Before You Die (https://amzn.to/2DdJDLA) The one word you likely hear more than any other throughout your life is – NO! For some people no means no but for others it means something else entirely. BJ Gallagher, author of the boo...
Sep 06, 2021•48 min•Ep. 626
Here’s a question for you if you wear a watch. Have you washed it recently? I bet not. So, this episode begins with just how gross and disgusting the surface of your watch and watchband are and why they need a bath right now – today! http://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-watches-three-times-dirtier-than-toilet-seats-study-finds-20190623 There are some people believe vaccines cause autism – science says no. Some people believe in ghosts and UFOs – science says no. But just because science can’t explain...
Sep 04, 2021•47 min•Ep. 625
You already know how important a good night’s sleep is. But how much is enough? This episode begins with some startling information about how just 15 minutes more sleep per night can make a big difference. https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/162769 We all want pleasure in life. In fact, most of us have a lot of pleasure. Maybe too much pleasure. And all that pleasure can make you miserable according to Dr. Anna Lembke. She is a psychiatrist and medical director of the Stanford Addiction Med...
Sep 02, 2021•51 min•Ep. 624
We all want to save energy and money - but does doing things like turning off lights or unplugging appliances really do much or are there other things you could do that have more impact? This episode begins with a look at what does and doesn’t do much to conserve energy and reduce your utility bill. https://www.pnas.org/content/107/37/16054 Some people seem to excel under pressure while other choke. Why? Listen as I talk with Dane Jensen, a consultant and CEO of Third Factor (https://www.thirdfa...
Aug 30, 2021•51 min•Ep. 623
When you think about preventing skin cancer, you most likely think about sunscreen and limiting sun exposure. But what about diet? Could the right diet help prevent you from getting skin cancer? This episode begins with a brief discussion on some interesting research about diet and skin cancer. https://www.skincancer.org/blog/can-your-diet-help-prevent-skin-cancer/ Imagine if you could start a successful side business with little money and get it up and running in 30 days. Does it sound impossib...
Aug 28, 2021•51 min•Ep. 622
Not all that long ago, just about everyone had a landline home telephone. It had one phone number and everyone in the house used that number. Things sure have changed. How have they changed? This episode begins by discussing how many U.S. homes still have landlines, how many don’t and (surprisingly) how many U.S. homes have no telephone of any kind at all. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/study-only-40-percent-us-households-have-landline-135212 Body language and nonverbal communication can...
Aug 26, 2021•53 min•Ep. 621
Interruptions can be infuriating - especially at work. They can ruin your concentration and your productivity. However, there may be an upside to getting interruptions that balance out those negatives. I begin this episode with information about a new study that shows that interruptions have a silver lining. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210803175253.htm Is being an introvert or extrovert determined by conditioning or are you born that way? And is being one better than the other?...
Aug 23, 2021•51 min•Ep. 620
Even though you know money is filthy dirty, it can still make you feel good. This episode begins by explaining how the simple act of handling money can make you feel a lot better if you are feeling a bit down. And the weird thing is, it doesn’t even have to be your money. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/science-news/6199932/Counting-money-makes-people-feel-better-about-themselves.html When you walk into a tidy, clean and organized room, does it make you feel better? Calmer? It does for ...
Aug 21, 2021•52 min•Ep. 619
Do you hold hands with your mate? If you don’t, you probably should. This episode begins with a brief discussion on the benefits of holding hands - and I bet you haven’t heard them before. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/05/fashion/05hands.html Who doesn’t like a bit of juicy gossip? The fact is everyone gossips and it turns out to be a good thing. Gossip serves a lot of useful functions in our personal and professional lives. Frank McAndrew is one of the leading researchers on gossip and he joi...
Aug 19, 2021•50 min•Ep. 618
If you are not a celebrity, how do you get a table at a busy restaurant that is all booked up? This episode begins with some advice that can often work wonders in getting you that table - if you do it right. Source: Frank Luntz author of Words That Work (https://amzn.to/37Ay5A8) Every family wants to be happy. Still, many are not and are quite dysfunctional. So, when you look at families that ARE happy, what do those families do to create that sense of happiness and calm and reduce the tension a...
Aug 16, 2021•52 min•Ep. 617
Selling items on eBay can be fun and profitable. And there are a few little tricks than can make it even more profitable. I begin this episode by revealing some strategies above and beyond good photos and descriptions that can bring you more money. that. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/money/a38347/how-to-make-money-on-ebay/ We have all heard things like; workers improve when they get feedback or a company’s culture is the key to success. And everyone knows that good leadership is what make...
Aug 14, 2021•54 min•Ep. 616
Ever watch a TV chef put seasoning on food? Often, they sprinkle the herbs and spices from high up? This episode begins with an explanation of why they do that and why you should to. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/5791-sprinkling-seasonings-from-high-up Do you believe in luck? Sure, everyone gets lucky occasionally but are there things you can do that will make you lucky more often and make you actually feel like a lucky person? After being in a serious car crash, Karla Starr became in...
Aug 12, 2021•48 min•Ep. 615
“Sometimes you need a good cry.” How many times have you heard that advice? So what does the science say? This episode begins by looking at whether crying is really good for you - or if that is just something people say. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1467-8721.2008.00614.x The food you eat affects you in some interesting and unusual ways. For example, eating something sweet can actually make you a sweeter person - for a while. If you eat something you think is fat, your body wil...
Aug 09, 2021•49 min•Ep. 614
When it comes to easing traffic congestion, sometimes the solution is worse than the original problem. This episode begins with a tale of how trying to ease traffic tends to cause more of it. It’s all about “build it and they will come.” (Source: Edward Humes author of the book Door to Door https://amzn.to/2EQKFNs). To be successful, it’s important that you get really good at one specific thing as soon as possible. In other words, you have to specialize. While that concept seems to make sense, i...
Aug 07, 2021•51 min•Ep. 614
Everyone likes to laugh, and it turns out there are some real health benefits to laughter. This episode begins with how laughing may just be the best medicine. https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19968254/live-laugh-love/ Drinking alcohol is something people have been doing for centuries. Why? Is the appeal of drinking just to get that buzz or is there more to it? Why are some people able to drink socially while other people have had their lives destroyed by alcohol? Are there really any healt...
Aug 05, 2021•50 min•Ep. 612
Some people always seem to look great in photographs. How do they do it? This episode begins with some simple tricks that will make anyone look better in any photo - every time. https://www.diyphotography.net/seven-tricks-help-smile-naturally-look-great-photos/ How do you get people to give you what you want? You usually have to ask - but it’s all in how you ask according to Dr. Meg Myers Morgan, an assistant professor at the University of Oklahoma and author of the book, Everything is Negotiabl...
Aug 02, 2021•49 min•Ep. 611
While we tend to be very good at noticing our failures, keeping track of all your victories is a much better idea - even the little victories. This episode begins with an explanation of why those little victories can propel you into big ones and why keeping a list is such a great idea. http://www.lifehack.org/398112/science-explains-how-writing-down-tinyachievements-every-day-changes-our-brains You are surrounded by colors, shapes, objects, nature and light. All of those things have an effect on...
Jul 31, 2021•51 min•Ep. 610
Everyone doodles. It is just something we do, especially when listening to a boring speaker. Yet doodling is actually not a distraction - it can really help your memory. Listen as I begin this episode by explaining how. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/02/090226210039.htm Is the Internet messing with your mind? It certainly is according to Nicholas Carr who took a close look at the research on this for his book The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains (https://amzn.to/2Va...
Jul 29, 2021•53 min•Ep. 609
Do you like your signature? What message does it send to the people who see it? This episode begins with some insight into how other people might make assumptions about you based solely on how you sign your name. https://graciousliving.typepad.com/the_write_event/2003/11/what_does_your_.html Do you spend money on things that really make you happy? Is another pair of shoes or pair of pants really going to make a positive difference in your life? We often think so at the time of purchase but prett...
Jul 26, 2021•55 min•Ep. 608
We can all do a little bit to improve our driving skills. For example, do you turn your headlights on when you drive during the day? You should – and that is just one of several things I discuss that can instantly make you a better and safer driver. http://www.cracked.com/article_20106_6-little-known-driving-tips-that-couldsave-your-life_p2.html Have you been hacked? Most certainly you have - everyone has according to Marcus Carey who is a cybersecurity expert and what you call a “white hat hack...
Jul 24, 2021•45 min•Ep. 607
Wi-Fi is great except when the microwave oven is on. At least that is the case in my house. Whenever we turn on the microwave oven in the kitchen – it screws up the Wi-Fi. Why is that? And is there anything you can do to prevent or fix that? This episode begins by exploring the microwave/Wi-Fi conflict. http://io9.com/why-does-your-microwave-oven-mess-with-the-wi-fi-connec-1666117933 There is a general belief that times go by faster as you get older. And most of us have experienced the “times fl...
Jul 22, 2021•44 min•Ep. 606
A common ingredient listed on perfumes, colognes, soaps and lotions is “fragrance.” That doesn’t tell you much. This episode begins with an explanation of why manufacturers don’t have to list more detail than that and why you should be at least a little concerned. https://www.safecosmetics.org/get-the-facts/chemicals-of-concern/fragrance/ Why do we get headaches? What is jet lag? How does vomiting actually work? What causes bad breath and how do you get rid of it? Dr. Sarah Holper author of the ...
Jul 19, 2021•56 min•Ep. 605
Everyone know that texting and driving is dangerous. But why is it so much more dangerous than driving and drinking coffee or driving and talking to a passenger or driving and tuning the radio? This episode starts with what turns out to be a very good answer to that question. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2016-05/uoh-ass050916.php Asking questions is important. That’s how we learn new things and connect with other people. So it stands to reason that asking better questions will help lea...
Jul 17, 2021•49 min•Ep. 604
In the last several years, a lot of different kinds of salt have popped up on store shelves. It used to be just salt and kosher salt. Now there is sea salt, Himalayan salt, pink salt and a million more it seems. So what’s the difference? This episode begins with an explanation. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/sea-salt/faq-20058512 Love is interesting. We crave it and yet love can also be the source of incredible pain and misery. Truth is t...
Jul 15, 2021•55 min•Ep. 603
You have probably noticed that aluminum foil has a shiny side and a dull side. Why? What’s the difference - and why do some recipes call for it to be either shiny side up or shiny side down? This episode begins with an explanation. https://culinarylore.com/food-science:aluminum-foil-shiny-side-up-or-down/ How did radio technology help create the quartz watch? How did railroad technology reshape how we celebrate Christmas? How did the telegraph change the way we speak? These are just a few of the...
Jul 12, 2021•52 min•Ep. 602
Anyone who travels knows you often don’t sleep well on the first night at your new destination - especially if you have travelled across time zones. This experience is so common it has a name – it is called the “First Night Effect.” This episode begins with an explanation for why it happens and some advice to counter the effects. http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822%2816%2930174-9 You know you have a mind but what exactly is it? I know that’s a weird question but think about i...
Jul 10, 2021•50 min•Ep. 601
When you order something online, do you then track the package to see where it is and when it is coming? This episode begins with the results of a survey about how people track their orders and why and how they hate it when a package is late. https://blog.4over.com/delivery-tracking-consumers-statistics Do you know how soap and moisturizers work? Do you know how caffeine keeps you awake? It’s all chemistry! Everything you do and everywhere you go there is a lot of fascinating chemistry going on ...
Jul 08, 2021•53 min•Ep. 600
You’ve washed your hands a million times. Yet there is a pretty good chance you are probably doing it incorrectly. Over the last year and a half we have all learned that hand washing is important - still people often to spend the time or use the right technique. So we begin this episode with some expert hand washing advice. https://www.readersdigest.com.au/healthsmart/tips/10-ways-youre-washing-your-hands-wrong Nothing is more infuriating to me than paying sneaky little fees. There are fees for ...
Jul 05, 2021•46 min•Ep. 599
