That Popular Podcast

Guys size each other up - literally.  Whether we realize it or not, guys are being influenced by one another’s height in subtle and some not so subtle ways.  Do women have a version of this too?

Why do we anthropomorphize our cars and our pets?  Do some of us anthropomorphize things more than others?  What does that say about us?  And what do we do now that chatbots are trying to convince us that they are real sentient beings? 

Have you ever gone way out of your way just to not have a conversation with someone?  Why are some people so unlikeable and so quickly turn others off?  Why don’t they realize it?  

People who study popularity put kids into one of 5 categories.  Which one were you?  How is that still affecting you today?  Are you still in that same category now?

Have you ever met someone and immediately liked them?  Most of the time, everyone else likes them immediately too.  How do they do it?  What makes someone come across so well all of the time?

It’s happened to all of us and it’s so embarrassing.  But should it be?  Are you good at faces, or names, or neither?

Why does that guy always seem to be angry?  Why is she convinced that everyone is out to get her?  Are they right?  If not, why don’t they learn and change?

What is it?  We have the answer!  We had it all along in our genes, in fact, and science has revealed what makes some of our DNA turn on and off based on what is happening in our lives.  Are you focusing on what’s most important?  Is society moving in the right direction so we can all the meaning and feel most fulfilled?

Everyone wants to get another drink, except you.  But you get one anyway.  Why?  Do you always follow others, or are you the one others follow?  How much of your behavior, preferences, choices every day are your own, and how many are because you are following others?

In the first 10 minutes of two people meeting for the first time, we can predict whether people will become best friends vs. somewhat friendly vs. rarely interact again.  What do you do when you meet someone new?  How easy is it for you to turn a new acquaintanceship into a very close friendship?

Send us Fan Mail Ooh, it’s cringe!  But you definitely know someone who does this.  And they have no idea that they are self-sabotaging their own relationship!

Send us Fan Mail We are frustrated, scared, and also exhausted.  Is it ok to avoid the news for a while?  How is the way we talk about the news with our friends maybe making things worse?  Let’s talk about when to read, and how we talk about the news.  

Send us Fan Mail New research says that screen use could be changing the size, structure, thickness of kids’ brains.  What will happen to the generation of kids who grew up heavy on screens but light on regulations designed to protect them?   Let’s talk about a few very new results and what they may mean for kids, schools, and now young adults too -- especially in the US.

Send us Fan Mail Are some people better looking than they think?  How does their attractiveness change their own behavior?  Are hot people actually more socially competent than others?  How old are we when we first start noticing attractiveness?  

Send us Fan Mail What’s the last thing someone said to you to be mean?  Their aggression tells us more about them than it does about you.  What are the types of aggression and are there more bullies now than ever before?  

Send us Fan Mail Obesity, driving accidents, immunity, depression, grades, temper, brain growth – it’s all predicted by how much and how well you sleep!  But most of us are doing the exact wrong thing just before we fall asleep.  

Send us Fan Mail Social interactions always involve at least two people.  So how come some people consistently say that a problem is 100% only one person’s fault?  Let’s dissect how both the communicator and the listener play a role and share at least some mutual responsibility when we have social disagreements.

Send us Fan Mail Where is your phone right now?  Is it always nearby?  What is your level of “digital stress.”  In a world without communication boundaries anymore, how much do you (and your kids) feel like you have to stay attached to your phone?

Send us Fan Mail Which crowd were you in when you were in high school?  Are you still in that crowd now?  How do these crowds develop and what do they tell us about who we are?

Send us Fan Mail Where do they find these people and is it weird that they become so emotionally attached so quickly?  What is friendship, how do we define it, and how do your friendships measure up? 

Send us Fan Mail Are fulfilling relationships the point of life?  Do they have to be relationships with humans?  In a very short time, a very large proportion of kids (and adults!) are having relationships with AI bots that often pretend to be human, but are they offering what we need to replace human relationships?

Send us Fan Mail Ever notice that two people in the exact same situation may notice totally different things, or have a completely different take on what just happened?  There’s a reason why and it usually tells us a lot about who we are.